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[HoneyBadger35]

A lot of discussion in the GDT regarding playing the kids/blow it up/hold the course. I realise there's already a Simpson thread, but this is more of a list/where are we at on field thread.

My opinion: Nic Nat, Shuey, JK, McGovern and Yeo are franchise pieces, walk up starts to any side in the comp. Shep has developed into a very strong player, Sheed is starting to build and Gaff is one of the best at his spot. Nelson has a lot to him for a kid, and we've seen glimpses from Mutimer.

Our midfield is horrendous. One paced, full of Priddis, Mitchell, Redden types that will take us absolutely nowhere. Improve the midfield and the window is wide open. Leave it as is, and waste JK, Shuey, NN.

Our away performances are a genuine concern and do not seem to be going in the right way. Massive issue that seems to be going nowhere, happy for it to be addressed via a coaching change.

As for the list - don't blow it up. Don't tank, make 22 changes and play a WAFL side to see what we have. Blooding kids is one thing, but to suggest blowing this up is missing any perspective in my opinion. We've been spoiled (especially at home) with enormous wins lately, cannot crack the shits on any close result. There is a spine here that is the cornerstone of a premiership side. Need to find a way to compliment them, this is not a blow it up situation.

Fire away.

 

[Ilkka Sinisalo]

Our midfield is horrendous. One paced, full of Priddis, Mitchell, Redden types that will take us absolutely nowhere. Improve the midfield and the window is wide open. Leave it as is, and waste JK, Shuey, NN.

How long do you think it will take to turn a "horrendous" midfield into a good one? Probably two years minimum, right, and that's being generous (since it hardly seems like there are future elite midfielders at East Perth). So fast forward to, say, 2019. Kennedy is now 31, Nic Nat 29, Shuey 28.

If there's no winning with this midfield then chances are very high that there's no winning with Kennedy, Nic Nat and Shuey as part of the core.

 

[Forward Press]

With Kennedy's injury and NN nowhere near returning any time soon...

 

[Eagleboy68]

It's the fact our midfield is shit. I don't think we've ever had a worse midfield as the one we've had led by priddis.

Good midfield gives every team a chance.
Ours is shit. Window closed

 

[HoneyBadger35]

It comes down to free agency/trade window this coming off-season. Far easier said than done, obviously, but let's say we can bring a B+ or better midfielder to the club.

Put Priddis out to pasture, Mitchell will likely be done, one of Redden or Hutchings can latch on the bench.

Line up with a Nic Nat - Shuey - Sheed - free agent midfield, with JK up front, Gaff out wide and McGovern/Yeo/Shep down back, that's a flag calibre top order.

 

[Crimson King]

Nearly 10 years wasted patching up a midfield that was ultimately never good enough. Sheed has shown he is ready for the responsibility to take on that extractor role so that should push Priddis out of the team. We still lack more class and pace in the midfield, though.

 

[WCErevival]

Sheed, Shuey and Venables. Get them in

 

[kaiserchief13]

If Venables is good straight away, Priddis is out permanently and Kennedy is back this year there is still a chance this season. All big ifs though

 

[Ilkka Sinisalo]

It comes down to free agency/trade window this coming off-season. Far easier said than done, obviously, but let's say we can bring a B+ or better midfielder to the club.

Put Priddis out to pasture, Mitchell will likely be done, one of Redden or Hutchings can latch on the bench.

Line up with a Nic Nat - Shuey - Sheed - free agent midfield, with JK up front, Gaff out wide and McGovern/Yeo/Shep down back, that's a flag calibre top order.

First of all, what B+ or better midfielder is available to be added? Josh Kelly, there's one, but he's not coming here.

That team you described above is the same thing as this year except you've just retired Priddis and Mitchell and added some unnamed midfielder who is good. That can't possibly be the difference between "horrendous" and "flag calibre".

 

[Coasters7]

It comes down to free agency/trade window this coming off-season. Far easier said than done, obviously, but let's say we can bring a B+ or better midfielder to the club.

Put Priddis out to pasture, Mitchell will likely be done, one of Redden or Hutchings can latch on the bench.

Line up with a Nic Nat - Shuey - Sheed - free agent midfield, with JK up front, Gaff out wide and McGovern/Yeo/Shep down back, that's a flag calibre top order.

This is all going to sound really easy in theory.

Need to go really hard at Martin or fyfe. Both can carry an entire midfield and go forward to kick goals. Ours isn't THAT bad in terms of skills, they just need to harden the **** up. Replace priddis with one of the two big name free agents and bring venables in for one of the other plodders. We have no xfactor. Centre square of NN, Shuey, Martin/Fyfe, Sheed (Venables if he shows something), would be pretty damn good.

 

[Ishmael_]

We need some of our high midfield draft picks to do something. Sheed has shown a little, but no consistency. Duggan is close to a failed pick atm and Venables, we shall see.

Serious questions have to be asked about our selections and/or development. We haven't had a high draft pick turn out well for years now.

 

[Winky]

First of all, what B+ or better midfielder is available to be added? Josh Kelly, there's one, but he's not coming here.

That team you described above is the same thing as this year except you've just retired Priddis and Mitchell and added some unnamed midfielder who is good. That can't possibly be the difference between "horrendous" and "flag calibre".

It doesn't matter. What is clear is that the players named (Priddis etc) are not cutting it and haven't been for some time. We need to try the ones we have and develop them keep doing the same thing you get the same result....or worse

 

[twce13]

1. Priddis has to go
2. Persist with duggan, karps etc. kids will have shit games, gotta back them in.
3. Get parto and Venables in
4. I love him already, but Mitch I also hope retires end of year.

 

[Ilkka Sinisalo]

This is all going to sound really easy in theory.

Need to go really hard at Martin or fyfe. Both can carry an entire midfield and go forward to kick goals. Ours isn't THAT bad in terms of skills, they just need to harden the **** up. Replace priddis with one of the two big name free agents and bring venables in for one of the other plodders. We have no xfactor. Centre square of NN, Shuey, Martin/Fyfe, Sheed (Venables if he shows something), would be pretty damn good.

If we paid top dollar for Fyfe, I would sure hope we would get a Fyfe of 2014-15 and not the Fyfe we've seen this year, because he really hasn't been that good.

 

[dajesmac]

Quietly confident we have a decent shot next year if we make the right moves post season. A lot relies on NN's recovery.

The other thing we have to hope is that GWS have some sort of exodus because I can't see them slowing down.

 

[Coasters7]

If we paid top dollar for Fyfe, I would sure hope we would get a Fyfe of 2014-15 and not the Fyfe we've seen this year, because he really hasn't been that good.

Yeah would rather Martin out of the two but it was more the principle. Shuey is our "martin" right now. If we had them both and a distributor (Mitchell or sheed) it would be a fairly decent midfield

 

[Eagleboy68]

1. Priddis has to go
2. Persist with duggan, karps etc. kids will have shit games, gotta back them in.
3. Get parto and Venables in
4. I love him already, but Mitch I also hope retires end of year.

Sorry to say but gaff is pretty much becoming more of a liability imo.
His body is too small to be an inside mid yet he isn't quick enough for an outside player.
We pretty much have to invent a position for him to keep him in the side. Protect him and sacrifice others so he gets free on a wing.
Sure he runs all day but now his disposal is Leto g him down as well as he just gets corralled and put under pressure.

Trade.

 

[Ilkka Sinisalo]

Quietly confident we have a decent shot next year if we make the right moves post season. A lot relies on NN's recovery.

The other thing we have to hope is that GWS have some sort of exodus because I can't see them slowing down.

Problem is, their "exodus" would just be losing very good players like Treloar and then getting back good players and/or multiple high draft picks, hence the reason that they're going to be good for the next decade.

It's almost like giving a new franchise all the high picks for 3 years in a row is a stupid, unfair way to way to create an expansion club.

 

[Biggie]

JJK's injury made me head to said window

 

[HoneyBadger35]

First of all, what B+ or better midfielder is available to be added? Josh Kelly, there's one, but he's not coming here.

That team you described above is the same thing as this year except you've just retired Priddis and Mitchell and added some unnamed midfielder who is good. That can't possibly be the difference between "horrendous" and "flag calibre".

Shuey and Nic Nat were out today. Our midfield isn't horrendous with Shuey and NN in it, it's about average but with serious limits in the pace department. Priddis, Mitchell out addresses that.

Our midfield doesn't need to be the defining line of our team to win a flag imo. Just needs to not get embarrassed and plod around like today. Our backline and forward line with an average midfield + upside is a flag calibre team.

 

[squashface]

Mitchell still adds a lot to this side imo and I would not be adverse to him going around again next year.

Priddis on the other hand....

 

[Ilkka Sinisalo]

Yeah would rather Martin out of the two but it was more the principle. Shuey is our "martin" right now. If we had them both and a distributor (Mitchell or sheed) it would be a fairly decent midfield

Martin is awesome but he looks like somebody built a Super-bogan out of parts of lesser bogans. I'd be constantly afraid of turning on the news on a Sunday morning and finding out that he got arrested for glassing somebody last night at 3am in Northbridge.

 

[Quinz]

How long do you think it will take to turn a "horrendous" midfield into a good one? Probably two years minimum, right, and that's being generous (since it hardly seems like there are future elite midfielders at East Perth). So fast forward to, say, 2019. Kennedy is now 31, Nic Nat 29, Shuey 28.

If there's no winning with this midfield then chances are very high that there's no winning with Kennedy, Nic Nat and Shuey as part of the core.

Our midfield isn't horrendous though, it has some good components but very little depth. I think changing the dynamic and type of players there will make a bigger difference than it seems, especially with Naitanui playing. Adelaide had a weak midfield but this season look much stronger with a few personnel changes, but nothing radical. We need more work than them though, so we should be aggressively targeting a gun mid. If I knew who, I'd be getting paid the big bucks at the club, I have no idea who'd be available.

We may not win a flag with this group- they're very hard to win- but when we have guys like Naitanui, McGovern and Kennedy holding down key spots we at least should be able to compete. Rebuild and you're guaranteeing no flag while those players are near their peak.

 

[Jiggyman]

Holy shit just imagine our scoreline last week without JK...

Let's not. Let's be happy.

 

[Always Ballin]

With our core group of players, we've got another 2-3 years before we're in that post 2015 Freo position.

Keep developing the youth, top up vets and trades. We've got the personnel. Just decimated with injuries