Serong

[Shaymuhz]

Be interesting to get the text for this article analysing this exact topic: https://thewest.com.au/sport/freman...emantle-docker-may-be-being-wasted--c-3313560

Dale147 would you be able to assist? Bueller? Anyone?

 

[Purple_Turtle]

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

Here's the hard truth, we have two of the worst defensive midfielders in the comp when the midfield is a full strength in Mundy and Fyfe. Fyfe because he is see-ball, get-ball and Mundy, because he would be unable to catch a snail in transition (seriously, I love the dude but it painful watching him run defensively).

Serong playing a 'tagging' role is two-fold;
1) Our midfield is generally better for it because not everyone Serong tags has the tank of Olympic marathon runner in Walsh
2) It will only make him a better player in the long run.

A midifiedl of Bont, Fyfe, Petracca sounds incredible on paper but would be beaten by a well rounded midfield that had defensive players as well as offensive players.

 

[Heart Of Purple]

Here's the hard truth, we have two of the worst defensive midfielders in the comp when the midfield is a full strength in Mundy and Fyfe. Fyfe because he is see-ball, get-ball and Mundy, because he would be unable to catch a snail in transition (seriously, I love the dude but it painful watching him run defensively).

Serong playing a 'tagging' role is two-fold;
1) Our midfield is generally better for it because not everyone Serong tags has the tank of Olympic marathon runner in Walsh
2) It will only make him a better player in the long run.

A midifiedl of Bont, Fyfe, Petracca sounds incredible on paper but would be beaten by a well rounded midfield that had defensive players as well as offensive players.

Exactly this. Our midfield is really one dimensional - we either dominate or get killed through there because defensively were really really poor.

We're slow in transition and piss easy to beat on the outside ... having said all that - it kind of makes sense to let your 'first possession' player hunt the ball to try counter that weakness.
Reality is the only other guy that could play defensively is Brayshaw and I think he benefits less from getting that task.

On SM-A217F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Paracleet]

Shows why the commentators are commentators and not coaches. Their solution as to why our midfield was getting beaten was to do more of it. Carlton scored waaaay too easily in the shorter period while their midfield was on top. We smashed theirs in return for virtually 3 quarters but couldn't score as easily as the was enough pressure on our movement to allow their quality interceptors to shut down a lot of our attacks (Weitering is a weapon in that he can play no 1. defender and win intercept possessions at the same time). Despite this we still would have won that game, and would win it most times if you played it over and over. Point is though we are clearly more talented than them and should be winning it nearly every time. Yeah we're still a bit of development away, but I think our structures and tactics could improve.

We're in a bit of tricky spot because Mundy is playing so well offensively, but he is contributing strongly to the downside issues identified above. If we lose our next three games and are effectively out then I think he needs to be rotated out onto a flank and someone who can get up and down the field needs to go in the guts FT. Cerra if he is staying preferably. Or Fyfe needs to go forward. Normally I'm against the Fyfe forward mantra but on the weekend, particularly after half time I reckon Fyfe forward to draw a quality defender and Walters on the ball was the go.

 

[Purple Suit]

Shows why the commentators are commentators and not coaches. Their solution as to why our midfield was getting beaten was to do more of it. Carlton scored waaaay too easily in the shorter period while their midfield was on top. We smashed theirs in return for virtually 3 quarters but couldn't score as easily as the was enough pressure on our movement to allow their quality interceptors to shut down a lot of our attacks (Weitering is a weapon in that he can play no 1. defender and win intercept possessions at the same time). Despite this we still would have won that game, and would win it most times if you played it over and over. Point is though we are clearly more talented than them and should be winning it nearly every time. Yeah we're still a bit of development away, but I think our structures and tactics could improve.

We're in a bit of tricky spot because Mundy is playing so well offensively, but he is contributing strongly to the downside issues identified above. If we lose our next three games and are effectively out then I think he needs to be rotated out onto a flank and someone who can get up and down the field needs to go in the guts FT. Cerra if he is staying preferably. Or Fyfe needs to go forward. Normally I'm against the Fyfe forward mantra but on the weekend, particularly after half time I reckon Fyfe forward to draw a quality defender and Walters on the ball was the go.

We lost the game due to kicking at goal. You can't keep missing easy shots on goals, time and time again. Fyfe forward is only going to add to that unfortunately.

 

[stax on the mull]

I was pretty surprised both Fyfe and Mundy spent so much time as the starting mids against Carlton. I expected them to rotate forward to provide the 3rd tall option the forward line needed. Could be that we wanted to avoid what happened in the previous game when Cripps dominated our mids.

In that context I can understand the need to balance that up with a more defensive minded mid - but still think that Walsh vs Serong should be more of a head to head contest rather than a tagging one.

 

[BarbieITFC]

Exactly this. Our midfield is really one dimensional - we either dominate or get killed through there because defensively were really really poor.

We're slow in transition and piss easy to beat on the outside ... having said all that - it kind of makes sense to let your 'first possession' player hunt the ball to try counter that weakness.
Reality is the only other guy that could play defensively is Brayshaw and I think he benefits less from getting that task.

On SM-A217F using BigFooty.com mobile app

Although Fyfe credited both Conca and Tucker and the work they do defensively in the middle for his Brownlow - so Brayshaw isn't the only option. My concern isn't deploying a more defensive player in the midfield, it's just whether Serong is the best option.

Maybe put Tucker back there - he clearly has an issue with kicking into the player when he has time - maybe if he's playing the defensive mid role he might not be kicking as much?

 

[Scham]

Although Fyfe credited both Conca and Tucker and the work they do defensively in the middle for his Brownlow - so Brayshaw isn't the only option. My concern isn't deploying a more defensive player in the midfield, it's just whether Serong is the best option.

Maybe put Tucker back there - he clearly has an issue with kicking into the player when he has time - maybe if he's playing the defensive mid role he might not be kicking as much?

You need to have a hard edge to be an effective tagger or run with player. Tucker doesn't have a hard edge. He'd be totally ineffective.

 

[Tobiko]

Enter...Bailey "The Dragon" Banfield...Uber Tagger

 

[Scham]

Enter...Bailey "The Dragon" Banfield...Uber Tagger

I still can't get that limp attempt to tackle from late last year out of my mind, and therefore have my doubts over him at the top level.

 

[dominguez]

This has got Josh Carr

Josh Carr

Age

45

Ht

179cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.8

4star

K

10.6

4star

HB

7.2

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.3

5star

CL

2.0

4star

No current season stats available

D

12.2

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

5.0

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

0.8

3star

's name all over it and I think it's a good idea as long as it's short term.

As has been mentioned Fyfe and Mundy aren't overly accountable so there needs to be a defensive mid in there. Either a Banfield/Tucker fills that role pushing Serong out of the middle, or Serong fills the role.

It could also be an indicator the club thinks Cerra is gone. Play Cerra in the middle to maximise his trade value then if he does walk we free up Serong in 2022 and someone else tags so our midfield loses little if Cerra departs.