Opinion Rank the AFL midfields

[The Prosecutor]

I've gotta say, on 2012 form Collingwood is not the best midfield in the league.
They look good on paper, but how much does that really mean?

I agree, the best example of this was round 17 against Hawthorn.

Swan: 49 disposals, 2 goals
Beams: 34 disposals, 4 goals
Pendlebury: 34 disposals, 7 marks, 11 tackles

Hell, even Sidebottom picked up 29 disposals and a goal.

In comparison, the only two players for Hawthorn over 22 disposals were Mitchell (33) and Sewell (26).

Yet they still lost by 47 points to the Hawks.

 

[mufassa]

I agree, the best example of this was round 17 against Hawthorn.

Swan: 49 disposals, 2 goals
Beams: 34 disposals, 4 goals
Pendlebury: 34 disposals, 7 marks, 11 tackles

Hell, even Sidebottom picked up 29 disposals and a goal.

In comparison, the only two players for Hawthorn over 22 disposals were Mitchell (33) and Sewell (26).

Yet they still lost by 47 points to the Hawks.

Yeah it had nothing to do with an out of form Cloke and Dawes. Swap the Hawk forward lines with the Pies. The result would have been a lot different. Pies are good on paper and on the ground.

 

[Browne Eye]

Yeah it had nothing to do with an out of form Cloke and Dawes. Swap the Hawk forward lines with the Pies. The result would have been a lot different. Pies are good on paper and on the ground.

I'd like to get my hands on some more stats from that game but I'm struggling to find some.
Collingwood's midfield was not as good on field as they were on paper this year.
In years past they obviously have been.

But I remember watching that game in rd 17 (vs hawthorn) and the midfield got smoked. It was quality possessions vs quantity possessions.

 

[mufassa]

I'd like to get my hands on some more stats from that game but I'm struggling to find some.
Collingwood's midfield was not as good on field as they were on paper this year.
In years past they obviously have been.

But I remember watching that game in rd 17 (vs hawthorn) and the midfield got smoked. It was quality possessions vs quantity possessions.

Pendlebury is the 2nd best midfielder in the Afl behind Ablett and Beams and Swan have a case for top 5. They use the ball very well and it is like saying Watson having 37 touches in a 96 point loss to the Hawks makes him a terrible user of the ball. End of the day they were 1 game off top spot on the ladder with their two best forwards having a poor year. Their midfield carried them there.

 

[KissKiss]

I'd like to get my hands on some more stats from that game but I'm struggling to find some.
Collingwood's midfield was not as good on field as they were on paper this year.
In years past they obviously have been.

But I remember watching that game in rd 17 (vs hawthorn) and the midfield got smoked. It was quality possessions vs quantity possessions.

Everyone goes on about how good a game beams and co had that game, but they were mostly junk touches. Up until then I had been super impressed by the pies midfielders, but this game it was just "grab the ball and throw it on the boot forward" stuff. The hawks sliced them open the other way

 

[Browne Eye]

Pendlebury is the 2nd best midfielder in the Afl behind Ablett and Beams and Swan have a case for top 5. They use the ball very well and it is like saying Watson having 37 touches in a 96 point loss to the Hawks makes him a terrible user of the ball. End of the day they were 1 game off top spot on the ladder with their two best forwards having a poor year. Their midfield carried them there.

You're putting words in my mouth.
What I said was that, unlike most other years, the Collingwood midfield was not as good in 2012 as they looked on paper.
I never said they were terrible ball users. I said that in that particular game, their ball accumulation was nowhere near their highest quality.
Using disposal counts to measure the effectiveness of a midfield can be erroneous.

 

[Browne Eye]

Everyone goes on about how good a game beams and co had that game, but they were mostly junk touches. Up until then I had been super impressed by the pies midfielders, but this game it was just "grab the ball and throw it on the boot forward" stuff. The hawks sliced them open the other way

Yes they did.
Like I said, quality vs. quantity!
I actually found the Pies midfielders disappointing at multiple times this year.

 

[forwardflanker]

Everyone goes on about how good a game beams and co had that game, but they were mostly junk touches. Up until then I had been super impressed by the pies midfielders, but this game it was just "grab the ball and throw it on the boot forward" stuff. The hawks sliced them open the other way

+1

we were comprehensively beaten by Hawthorn in the midfield every time we played them.

Big in next season is Luke Ball, imo our 2nd best midfielder based on 2011 form. Our midfield was 3rd of 4th best this year and a lot of it had to do with him not being around. Such an underrated player

 

[Browne Eye]

+1

we were comprehensively beaten by Hawthorn in the midfield every time we played them.

Big in next season is Luke Ball, imo our 2nd best midfielder based on 2011 form. Our midfield was 3rd of 4th best this year and a lot of it had to do with him not being around. Such an underrated player

Excellent.
If a Collingwood supporter can agree on this argument then we're on the right track!
Ball is one of the best inside midfielders in the comp. He was a massive loss.

 

[Pie in the Sky]

Pendlebury was average after coming back from injury, stats look good but didn't impact many games. Swan was similar. Sidebottom was ordinary in the second half and Thomas was down on his best. Beams carried our midfield in the second half of the year. Expecting most of those to be much better this year, and Ball returning will be important.

 

[scaryness]

In my opinion Pendlebury is the only "A grade player" in Collingwoods midfield. Beams is on the fringe of A, and you could possibly say Ball is an "A grader" because his job is to get contested possessions and he is one of the top ball getters around.

Also, for arguments sake, I also think Sydney only have one "A grade midfielder" and that's Kennedy.

 

[forwardflanker]

In my opinion Pendlebury is the only "A grade player" in Collingwoods midfield. Beams is on the fringe of A, and you could possibly say Ball is an "A grader" because his job is to get contested possessions and he is one of the top ball getters around.

Also, for arguments sake, I also think Sydney only have one "A grade midfielder" and that's Kennedy.

On 2012 form we have 2 a graders in Beams and Pendlebury (even though he had a bad year he's still class)

On 2010-11 form you can slot Thomas, Swan, and Ball in as a graders. Really there's no reason at least Thomas and Swan shouldn't be able to get to somewhere near that form this season. I'd also back Ball in because he's such a pro. Anyway I definitely think on ability we have 5 midfielder and are could be A graders in 2013. No other club has that much quality in midfield imo, 2012 was just a horror season for all of them except Beams.

 

[Collingwoodity]

In my opinion Pendlebury is the only "A grade player" in Collingwoods midfield. Beams is on the fringe of A, and you could possibly say Ball is an "A grader" because his job is to get contested possessions and he is one of the top ball getters around.

Also, for arguments sake, I also think Sydney only have one "A grade midfielder" and that's Kennedy.

Is it also your opinion that the only other a-graders in the game are ablett, judd, kennedy & watson?

 

[Browne Eye]

On 2012 form we have 2 a graders in Beams and Pendlebury (even though he had a bad year he's still class)

On 2010-11 form you can slot Thomas, Swan, and Ball in as a graders. Really there's no reason at least Thomas and Swan shouldn't be able to get to somewhere near that form this season. I'd also back Ball in because he's such a pro. Anyway I definitely think on ability we have 5 midfielder and are could be A graders in 2013. No other club has that much quality in midfield imo, 2012 was just a horror season for all of them except Beams.

I would like to hear what the criterion are to be an A grader!

 

[Wargreymon90]

Swan is definitely an A grader.

 

[Collingwoodity]

Swan is definitely an A grader.

goes alright

 

[Liam Patrick]

For gc, take out hunt and add Prestia for our top 7 mids

 

[Fatty rules]

For WCE, I'd be surprised if Masten doesn't get more mid time than Embley this year. Not sure that this changes our ranking at all, although the extra mid impact of Naitanui shouldn't be underestimated. Doesn't get huge numbers of possessions, but his 2nd efforts at stoppages do have an effect. Agree that we have good depth, but S Selwood and Shuey need to step up to the next level if we are to rate much above 5 or so on midfield strength.

 

[mufassa]

In my opinion Pendlebury is the only "A grade player" in Collingwoods midfield. Beams is on the fringe of A, and you could possibly say Ball is an "A grader" because his job is to get contested possessions and he is one of the top ball getters around.

Also, for arguments sake, I also think Sydney only have one "A grade midfielder" and that's Kennedy.

What is your definition of A grade. For me the top ten mids should be A grade. Ablett, Pendlebury, Mitchell, Kenneddy, Swan, Watson, Selwood, Beams, Cotchin and Murphy. Dangerfield and Fyfe close, Black, Kerr and Judd ex.

 

[willoblue]

Top 5 midfields at the moment in my opinion are (in no particular order, except first place):
Collingwood (comfortably the best)
Carlton (Simpson not the best, but under rated)
Adelaide (Wright a surprise packet)
Sydney (those great lefties)
Fremantle (OP named the wrong Pearce, Mundy set to replace Fyfe as the number one respected mid at Freo)

Missing from my list is Richmond which has a potentially top 3, top 3 mids, but less depth than the 5 teams mentioned above.

It will be interesting to see how GWS & GC rate in a year or so.

 

[free at last]

Best midfield is the pies,swans, then in 2013, freo's midfield will storm in to the top bracket.
With a full preseason from mundy,Barlow and fyfe look out.

Fyfe,mundy,Barlow,hill,Crowley,D Pearce & de boer

 

[The Bomb]

Best midfield is the pies,swans, then in 2013, freo's midfield will storm in to the top bracket.
With a full preseason from mundy,Barlow and fyfe look out.

Fyfe,mundy,Barlow,hill,Crowley,D Pearce & de boer

Freos mids looked pretty solid against W/C, Pearce is a great addition.

 

[nickztaa]

Adelaide and/or Hawthorn. Richmond up there when playing good.

hey josh I love u bub

 

[The Bomb]

1. Sydney 2. Collingwood, rest suck.

What bet did you lose?

 

[Brown n Gold]

Hawks have added serious flexibility and options to the midfield in 2013.

Puopolo and Roughead??? playing as a ruck rover at times were both outstanding against Sydney, Breust has pinch hit in there at times in the first 7 rounds. The stalwarts Mitchell, Sewell, Hodge, Lewis, Shiels, Burgoyne, Rioli before injury have shared the load nicely.

Run is looking far better this year with Birchall playing higher up the ground, Smith rebounding from a quiet 2012 and the addition of Brad Hill who looks like he has a future on the wing.

Jed Anderson showed plenty in the first couple of weeks but will have to work his way back in. Simpkin has also shown glimpses in his limited opportunities wearing the green vest.

Whitecross and Rioli should be back in the side around the same time as long as they don't have any hicups.