We have no standards. No leader to really get behind to set an example
Everything is best efforts, or learning, or getting better.
Cannot recall the last time we looked anywhere near a flag quality side.
Opinion The Midfield - A Reality Check
- Thread starter kelvin_sheedy
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Everything is best efforts, or learning, or getting better.
Cannot recall the last time we looked anywhere near a flag quality side.
yaco55
Hall of Famer
The midfield is solid enough - Sometimes you get smashed in the clearances or smash it yourself - Bigger problem tonight was trapping the ball in the forward 50.
- Jul 7, 2014
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So these are Kelvins rankings on our 2015 midfield...
For those in the 'our midfield isn't too bad camp. Who wouldn't take this one back in a heartbeat? Are people really blaming our performance on lack of marking forwards? We play our 2015 midfield last night and we win by 5 plus goals
Watson - 9 when fit
Heppell - 8
Stanton - 4+
Goddard - 5
Zaharakis - 2 on form this year, 4+ other years
Colyer - 4+
Hocking and Myers - 4+, role players
Z Merrett - 5 and rising
Cooney - 3
Melksham - 3
NOB and Kav - 1
Howlett - 3
******
If Zaka was a 2 (or 4) in 2015 where is he now? How would we rank Snelling against 2015 Trav? If Stants was a 4 what is cutler? Is Parish actually a better footballer than (down the bottom) Ben Howlett?
Where's the replacement depth for Hocking and Myers? Is that Hibberd and Clarke?
For those in the 'our midfield isn't too bad camp. Who wouldn't take this one back in a heartbeat? Are people really blaming our performance on lack of marking forwards? We play our 2015 midfield last night and we win by 5 plus goals
Watson - 9 when fit
Heppell - 8
Stanton - 4+
Goddard - 5
Zaharakis - 2 on form this year, 4+ other years
Colyer - 4+
Hocking and Myers - 4+, role players
Z Merrett - 5 and rising
Cooney - 3
Melksham - 3
NOB and Kav - 1
Howlett - 3
******
If Zaka was a 2 (or 4) in 2015 where is he now? How would we rank Snelling against 2015 Trav? If Stants was a 4 what is cutler? Is Parish actually a better footballer than (down the bottom) Ben Howlett?
Where's the replacement depth for Hocking and Myers? Is that Hibberd and Clarke?
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #55
I think our midfield is taking shape these days. We have a core group that is probably in the 7 range and a few have shown to be 8 type midfielders like Merrett, Heppell and Shiel but they all need to be playing together and well and be fit and healthy.
You have guys like Smith and McGrath who are either just under our top 3 or building up to be a full time mid. Parish is another that should/could join this group but unfortunately he's not getting a good enough run in there yet.
Rest are role players and 5 or below.
Merrett and Heppell - 8
Shiel - 7
Smith - 6
McGrath - 5 and rising
Parish - 3 and rising.. maybe
Langford - 3
Zaka - 3
Cutler - 3
Hibberd - ?
Clarke - 2
Guelfi - 2
Biggest problem is we don't have a 9 like Jobe. We've improved in depth of good players but have lost a top 3 clearance player. More depth of quality is a better position to be in imo so lets see how we go if they are all fit and playing together.
You have guys like Smith and McGrath who are either just under our top 3 or building up to be a full time mid. Parish is another that should/could join this group but unfortunately he's not getting a good enough run in there yet.
Rest are role players and 5 or below.
Merrett and Heppell - 8
Shiel - 7
Smith - 6
McGrath - 5 and rising
Parish - 3 and rising.. maybe
Langford - 3
Zaka - 3
Cutler - 3
Hibberd - ?
Clarke - 2
Guelfi - 2
Biggest problem is we don't have a 9 like Jobe. We've improved in depth of good players but have lost a top 3 clearance player. More depth of quality is a better position to be in imo so lets see how we go if they are all fit and playing together.
Seems about right. I'd give Parish a 4.5 a * on rising depending on whether we play him middle or not
We need a clearance player (and a ruck who can compete on the ground)
- May 6, 2007
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Generous, very generous.
I’d almost remove a point from the 8s > 5s.
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Mikevk123
Premiership Player
- Jun 25, 2019
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Zaharakis pulled his finger out the year it was Contract time.
- Jul 7, 2014
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Must have been a blinder!
- Jun 26, 2017
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Got your wish.... Too bad neither are being played as mids..
So given all the complaints in this thread, which midfielders do you guys think we should target in the offseason? Personally, I think the influx of good, young mids at Gold Coast will squeeze out one or two players and that we should look primarily at Will Brodie and then maybe also enquire about Fiorini. Brodie is the right size to complement our smaller midfielders, seemingly the kind of player we've been crying out for.
Constable is another interesting one, but I think Geelong will eventually give him opportunities. Just a feeling based on the age of Jelwood and others.
Constable is another interesting one, but I think Geelong will eventually give him opportunities. Just a feeling based on the age of Jelwood and others.
- May 6, 2007
- 39,552
- 23,230
- AFL Club
- Essendon
- Other Teams
- Tottenham Hotspurs, Melbourne Vixen
Reading back through this thread and some of the early calls were close to correct.
Watching the Suns midfielders tonight and they are not hosuehold names at all but what sets them apart is the midfield nous. They are midfielders, no learnings or teachings just genuine midfield craft.
We have one top end (Dylan Shiel) and even then, his go is the second/third possession but because of our list management &/or game plan is forced to step up to be thee main man.
You can see the difference in midfield craft between Darcy Parish and Andrew McGrath, 10 possessions for each and Parish's (imho) would be more useful to the benefit to the team.
These flankers we are trying to turn into midfielders are trying to play pretty football, watching Hugh Greenwood (as a prime example) tonight and he simply knew when to get it moving forward and when he could finesse to others. We don't have many guys with that poise or nous, it is something that Langford has slowly picked up in his transition but the slow of mind is still prevelant and obvious for all to see.
We continue to play these flanker trained players through the midfield when we have more relevant trained players capable of going through the midfield.
Dylan Clarke is the main person in question for me (yes ahead of Darcy Parish). He has a strong body, isn't afraid to throw his body around and showed in one play on the flank to the right of screen when to ride the bump and get the ball moving forward for the team. It was such a waste to see him no where near the midfield.
With the type of players we have rotated through this year, it is mind boggling to think how little we have drafted and developed since this thread was first posted by kelvin_sheedy
Watching the Suns midfielders tonight and they are not hosuehold names at all but what sets them apart is the midfield nous. They are midfielders, no learnings or teachings just genuine midfield craft.
We have one top end (Dylan Shiel) and even then, his go is the second/third possession but because of our list management &/or game plan is forced to step up to be thee main man.
You can see the difference in midfield craft between Darcy Parish and Andrew McGrath, 10 possessions for each and Parish's (imho) would be more useful to the benefit to the team.
These flankers we are trying to turn into midfielders are trying to play pretty football, watching Hugh Greenwood (as a prime example) tonight and he simply knew when to get it moving forward and when he could finesse to others. We don't have many guys with that poise or nous, it is something that Langford has slowly picked up in his transition but the slow of mind is still prevelant and obvious for all to see.
We continue to play these flanker trained players through the midfield when we have more relevant trained players capable of going through the midfield.
Dylan Clarke is the main person in question for me (yes ahead of Darcy Parish). He has a strong body, isn't afraid to throw his body around and showed in one play on the flank to the right of screen when to ride the bump and get the ball moving forward for the team. It was such a waste to see him no where near the midfield.
With the type of players we have rotated through this year, it is mind boggling to think how little we have drafted and developed since this thread was first posted by kelvin_sheedy
