Strategy Round 1, 2014

[Gysberts2Bate]

These threads are really just too much fun not to have. Just for that extra bit of hope whilst Steve Smith is getting pinged back into the 30th row of the second tier at the MCG by Ian Bell and Mitch Clark's foot gets run over by Mark Neeld's car on the way back from Steven Dank's medical practice.

The side could look like this (format courtesy of Headless):

B: Terlich - Frawley - Garland
HB: Grimes - McDonald - Toumpas
C: Viney - Watts - Vince
HF: Howe - Clark - Cross
F: Hogan - Dawes - Kent
R: Jamar - N Jones - Trengove
I/C: Tyson - Michie - Fitzpatrick - L Dunn

Emg: Fitzpatrick - Strauss - Blease​

Depth: Evans, M Jones, Tapscott, etc.

I don't mind it. Midfield depth is certainly a lot stronger. Hopefully Roos can turn Strauss, Blease and Tapscott into serious contenders.

 

[rhaz]

Kick it to Jamar

 

[Demonof94]

Agree with the OP, except I'd much rather Evans over Sammy Blease. Pickles really showed a bit this year

 

[Captain Jack]

I look forward to going into matches not despairing at the amount of useless forward flankers in our team. This year I reckon it averaged about 4. Midfield pls.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Agree with the OP, except I'd much rather Evans over Sammy Blease. Pickles really showed a bit this year

Evans is definitely among it, but I do think he has a ceiling that's lower than Blease's, and even players like Strauss, Tapscott, etc. That being said his endeavour is admirable. Good to have around the club.

 

[Demonof94]

Hopefully Dom Barry breaks through and we see a bit of him next year, too.

 

[Blackas87]

My lineup with our current list, could possibly change after trades and the draft.

B. Garland - Frawley - Terlich
HB. Toumpas - McDonald - Grimes
C. Watts - Trengove - M.Jones
HF. Howe - Dawes - Tapscott
F. Kent - Clark - Hogan
R. Jamar - N.Jones- Viney
Inter. Magner - Blease - Mckenzie - Evans

 

[PureFooty]

Not a massive fan of posting teams before our list changes somewhat, but I think there are 2 factors which will have a part to how successful we are next year. The inclusions, but more importantly, the fringe players who need to go from C grade, to B+ to A. The likes of Tapscott, Blease, Nicholson, Dunn, Strauss, Evans, Jetta, Bail and Taggert. These are the blokes which will turn our worst, the 100+ point losses, to more respectable losses, and will further birdge the gap of wins and losses. This is the exact reason I'm so excited about Roos, he gets along with players, and knows how to interact with them individually, and further knows how to develop them as both individuals and as a team. This is something Neeld and bailey lacked, but we've seen so many under Roos go from fringe to elite role players. Reece Shaw is a prime example. Josh Kennedy another. You can also add Ted Richards and LRT to that list.

 

[CTHORANGE]

These threads are really just too much fun not to have. Just for that extra bit of hope whilst Steve Smith is getting pinged back into the 30th row of the second tier at the MCG by Ian Bell and Mitch Clark's foot gets run over by Mark Neeld's car on the way back from Steven Dank's medical practice.

Possible and somewhat realistic acquisitions at this stage are: Shiel, Cross and Michie as well as our draftees. The side could look like this:

B: Dunn Frawley Terlich
HB: Grimes McDonald Garland
C: Trengove Watts Shiel/Aish/Kelly
HF: Cross Dawes Howe
F: Blease Clark Hogan
R: Gawn/Jamar N Jones Viney

Int/Emg: Fitzpatrick Kent Toumpas Michie Tapscott McKenzie

Others: Strauss Zac Jones Dunstan M Jones

I don't mind it. Midfield depth is certainly a lot stronger. Hopefully Roos can turn Strauss, Blease and Tapscott into serious contenders.

With our best back 6, I reckon Frawley and McDonald are obvious key positions, Terlich and Grimes are the mid sized who can potentially give midfield rotations, and Garland is the flexible swing man. I think Dunn is essentially vying for the same position as Garland but Garland is 10 times better. I think removing Dunn from your line up and replacing him with a smaller player to play on opposition small forwards and to rotate in the midfield would be an idea. Who this would be I'm not 100% sure, perhaps Toumpas can learn from there, or Nicho or Evans, or random new player, not sure.

 

[Tulip]

Dunn - Frawley - Terlich
Grimes - Garland - McDonald

Trengove - McKenzie - Watts

Howe - Dawes - Toumpas
Kent - Clark - Hogan

Jamar - N.Jones - Viney

M.Jones - Michie - Blease - Magner

 

[SuburbanMe]

Agree with the OP, except I'd much rather Evans over Sammy Blease. Pickles really showed a bit this year

F-ck yeah he did! I was really missing pickles at the arse end of the season. I think Roos will be fantastic for him, and blease, not to mention Viney. My god, think about it, son of Todd being coached by Paul Roos. But anyway, Back to the point. Under Neeld, Pickles was having a real good run until he did his foot, I see absolutely no reason why Nate Jones, Pickles & Viney won't be dangerous under roos, and hopefully Dom Barry, Toumpas, Watts and Magner can all get up and running quickly so we have some run and carry as well as depth. But we still need 1 or 2 Experienced mids.

 

[Headless]

Dunn - Frawley - Terlich
Grimes - Garland - McDonald

Trengove - McKenzie - Watts

Howe - Dawes - Kent
Kent - Clark - Hogan

Jamar - N.Jones - Viney

M.Jones - Toumpas - Blease - Magner

Do you like Kent?

 

[WWSD]

This is how I reckon Melbourne will go in Round 1, assuming there are no injuries from now until then.


B: Dean Terlich, James Frawley, Colin Garland


HB: Jack Grimes, Tom McDonald, Mitchell Clisby


C: Matt Jones, Jack Trengove, Daniel Nicholson


HF: Jeromy Howe, Chris Dawes, Dean Kent


F: Shannon Brynes, Mitch Clark, Jack Watts


R: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, James Magner


INT: Jack Viney, Jake Fitzpatrick, Michael Evans, Sam Blease (Sub)


EMG: Jimmy Toumpas, Jordie McKenzie, Cameron Pedersen

Those players I highlighted BOLD, if they can manage stay injury free and have a real impact for Melbourne, the difference they can make to the side overall will be huge. I reckon under Paul Roos, James Magner will finally get the chance to play plenty of football in the side next year and I reckon he will absolutely flourish. The mature aged recruits in Dean Terlich, Matt Jones and Mitchell Clisby were all very good contributors in 2013 and no doubt all three are now in Melbourne best 22 for next year.

I expect the young players like Kent, Tapscott, Evans, Fitzpatrick, Toumpas, Gawn, Blease, Strauss and co, will all get significant game time next year, to further develop their game. We are yet to see the Clark and Dawes forward combination, as both players have been injured during 2013, but if they can get some continuity into their game next year and stay injury free, they will be a handful for plenty of opposition defenses next year.

Good luck in Round 1 and in season 2014 Demons!

 

[Deefolt]

This is how I reckon Melbourne will go in Round 1, assuming there are no injuries from now until then.


B: Dean Terlich, James Frawley, Colin Garland


HB: Jack Grimes, Tom McDonald, Mitchell Clisby


C: Matt Jones, Jack Trengove, Daniel Nicholson


HF: Jeromy Howe, Chris Dawes, Dean Kent


F: Shannon Brynes, Mitch Clark, Jack Watts


R: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, James Magner


INT: Jack Viney, Jake Fitzpatrick, Michael Evans, Sam Blease (Sub)


EMG: Jimmy Toumpas, Jordie McKenzie, Cameron Pedersen

Those players I highlighted BOLD, if they can manage stay injury free and have a real impact for Melbourne, the difference they can make to the side overall will be huge. I reckon under Paul Roos, James Magner will finally get the chance to play plenty of football in the side next year and I reckon he will absolutely flourish. The mature aged recruits in Dean Terlich, Matt Jones and Mitchell Clisby were all very good contributors in 2013 and no doubt all three are now in Melbourne best 22 for next year.

I expect the young players like Kent, Tapscott, Evans, Fitzpatrick, Toumpas, Gawn, Blease, Strauss and co, will all get significant game time next year, to further develop their game. We are yet to see the Clark and Dawes forward combination, as both players have been injured during 2013, but if they can get some continuity into their game next year and stay injury free, they will be a handful for plenty of opposition defenses next year.

Good luck in Round 1 and in season 2014 Demons!

My main issue in your side is that jordie is an emergency, very puzzling

 

[CTHORANGE]

My main issue in your side is that jordie is an emergency, very puzzling

I crapped my pants when I saw Pedersen listed as high as emergency

 

[CTHORANGE]

This is how I reckon Melbourne will go in Round 1, assuming there are no injuries from now until then.

B: Dean Terlich, James Frawley, Colin Garland

HB: Jack Grimes, Tom McDonald, Mitchell Clisby

C: Matt Jones, Jack Trengove, Daniel Nicholson

HF: Jeromy Howe, Chris Dawes, Dean Kent

F: Shannon Brynes, Mitch Clark, Jack Watts

R: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, James Magner

INT: Jack Viney, Jake Fitzpatrick, Michael Evans, Sam Blease (Sub)

EMG: Jimmy Toumpas, Jordie McKenzie, Cameron Pedersen

This probably closely resembles what we thought our best team for Round 1 2013 would have been. I would hope we would get some recruits in that will slot straight into our best 22 for Round 1 2014. I can't see all of Nicholson, Byrnes or Magner being there. Toumpas should be in, and hopefully a couple of other mids that we have picked up. I could only see Nicholson playing if Clisby isn't, and I'd rather Clisby based on this season.

 

[wowlace]

Don't lose.............................................................................................by more than 100 points.

 

[ExTasDeeMan]

Do you like Kent?

Who doesn't?

Oh you mean Dean Kent, play on.

 

[Dez!]

My main issue in your side is that jordie is an emergency, very puzzling

Can't kick and can't handball, makes stupid decisions with the ball.

What's puzzling?

 

[Dory_77]

My main issue in your side is that jordie is an emergency, very puzzling

Eh, Jordie is a decent tagger but doesn't offer much else, unless Roos gives him a new role. Hard to say how the 22 will look until we finalise our trading/drafting, but I think WWSD's side was pretty accurate. Maybe put in Toumpas rather than Nicho would be my one change.

 

[Dez!]

Eh, Jordie is a decent tagger but doesn't offer much else, unless Roos gives him a new role. Hard to say how the 22 will look until we finalise our trading/drafting, but I think WWSD's side was pretty accurate. Maybe put in Toumpas rather than Nicho would be my one change.

I'd go Evans out, Toumpas in, Nicholson out, Hogan in and Watts to the wing.

 

[Tulip]

You'd imagine Clark is no chance for round 1.

 

[Headless]

You'd imagine Clark is no chance for round 1.

Unless he plays Round 1, does his foot, and is essentially out for the year.

 

[Dez!]

You'd imagine Clark is no chance for round 1.

That was the whole point of not playing him again this year, to get him ready for pre-season and round 1.

 

[Captain Jack]

That was the whole point of not playing him again this year, to get him ready for pre-season and round 1.

But if we try to rush him back too soon again like we did at the start of this year, another injury would just about be curtains for him. Give him as long as he needs and then another month just to make sure.