The Midfield.

[greatwhiteshark]

Of course our midfield needs to improve, all sides have to do that. But we really had a bad day on Saturday and sometimes that just happens.
I don't know about others but at 12.30pm Saturday I thought we could win a grand final, 3 hours later I accepted we had a shocking day but still have faith that our best is good enough. We didn't bring our best and that's why we are second. 3 hours of footy has not made me think we are an average side. Plenty of sides have had bad days in a grand final.

 

[DickDunn]

Yeo needs to never be played in defence ever again. I like him as a high half forward with stints in the middle. I don't think he's a natural on-baller but having him pushing up the wings with his pace and aerial ability makes him our new Embley (with better hair).

THIS. Yeo screams out utility to me - he doesn't strike me as someone naturally gifted in tight like Sheed. Showed glimpses earlier this season but struggled when the contested intensity was turned up a notch in the finals. He may well develop into a handy onballer but his best gifts are his pace and marking ability. Needs to be given the chance to become even more confident in his own abilities. We all know how much of a jet he has the potential to become.

 

[BS_82]

He's reasonably young and has a bnf in a top 4 side. Surely we could get a late first rounder out of him.

I agree

 

[mattyc75]

. Lucas will make the most of his upgrade to the main squad.

whats this now?

 

[ziad]

no aware Lucas has been upgraded but I don't keep an eye on such things. he does have the class needed if he come good.

 

[lewigie]

Yeo needs to learn from Nicoski and maybe play from a forward flank pushing into the middle, hitting contests at pace.

 

[mattyc75]

no aware Lucas has been upgraded but I don't keep an eye on such things. he does have the class needed if he come good.

More likely to be delisted than upgraded( sorry spaceclef)

Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

 

[Belltower]

Without Naitanui firing our midfield has all the same holes as it did over the last few years.

We lack elite inside mids and it was shown yesterday as we got done too easily in the contest and spread.

What does Simpson do? Back in the players we have? Trade in?

How do we fix our biggest weakness?

Shuey was outstanding apart from a few blunders. His strength around the contest is elite. So we start this again. The boys had a bad day. Naita did dominate the ruck but the hawks shut down priddis and didn't let him get his handballs out. We will learn from the experience.

Our midfield was good enough to get us to a grand final, then they are good enough. we just need more plan b when it isn't going our way

 

[RookiePick]

SpaceClef catching plenty of fish in here

Elliot possibly drinking his own bathwater the last few weeks. One of our first to start blurring the line between taking the game on and being selfish.

I think he is going to improve a huge amount again with another pre-season, a clearer role and some self reflection.

 

[SpaceClef]

THIS. Yeo screams out utility to me - he doesn't strike me as someone naturally gifted in tight like Sheed. Showed glimpses earlier this season but struggled when the contested intensity was turned up a notch in the finals. He may well develop into a handy onballer but his best gifts are his pace and marking ability. Needs to be given the chance to become even more confident in his own abilities. We all know how much of a jet he has the potential to become.

Utility yes, but not someone who gets moved around every week.

High half forward with stints on ball for mine.

 

[Hardhat11]

We don't bat deep enough and we lack speed Still

We need Bennell and Jetta and redden would be nice too

Get em all if we can

Duggan will need time still.....Yeo won't ever be full time midfielder as he doesn't read the game well enough same as Wellingham ...doesn't mean he won't be handy though

 

[Eaglemaniac]

SpaceClef catching plenty of fish in here

Elliot possibly drinking his own bathwater the last few weeks. One of our first to start blurring the line between taking the game on and being selfish.

I think he is going to improve a huge amount again with another pre-season, a clearer role and some self reflection.

Did anyone else notice his performances dropped right off after he was suspended for that ridiculous accidental contact during the spoil?
Its like it dented his confidence to play his own game and dominate.

 

[Double the Fist]

Not good enough imo, we need a great midfielder, not another ok one

They are bloody hard to find.

 

[ChampRevesby]

Did anyone else notice his performances dropped right off after he was suspended for that ridiculous accidental contact during the spoil?
Its like it dented his confidence to play his own game and dominate.

I think he just needs to be played in his preferred position (midfield) for a whole season and build his confidence there.

 

[Eaglemaniac]

I think he just needs to be played in his preferred position (midfield) for a whole season and build his confidence there.

I thought he still had been played through there after the report but he just didnt seem as dominant..

 

[domo]

Problem with inside ball winners is you need them to be elite if you want your side to be elite.

Can't afford to have B grade inside players if they can't play other roles.

Haven't seen much of Redden to be honest but in general the quality of inside players is not something you can afford to skimp on IMO.

halalooooya brother! there is no such thing as "inside" only players anymore. Well there shouldn't be. "inside" is now an excuse to be shit at the actual skills + physical attributes of football required in today's game. Which more then ever include power running and kicking. You must bring more to that position than just picking up the ball off the ground. It's unacceptable to carry players who can't do anything else in these MVP positions. Why do we make so many excuses and disclaimers for these players (priddis). Then apply all these conditions or standards for the real guns in our team to be in there?
EG: THIS

THIS. Yeo screams out utility to me - he doesn't strike me as someone naturally gifted in tight like Sheed. Showed glimpses earlier this season but struggled when the contested intensity was turned up a notch in the finals. He may well develop into a handy onballer but his best gifts are his pace and marking ability. Needs to be given the chance to become even more confident in his own abilities. We all know how much of a jet he has the potential to become.

Won't apply this same critical analysis to Priddis will you? Yeo is the closest thing we have to a "Fyfe" for our midfield. Hell yeah play him as a mid.

 

[ChampRevesby]

I thought he still had been played through there after the report but he just didnt seem as dominant..

But he hasn't had a full run at it. He has been moved around so much this season he has not had a chance to settle. Shep is a good example of this. He was moved all over the joint by Whoosa and was unable to build his confidence. At the end of 2013 there were some saying he was finished. As soon as Simmo came a long and played him in one spot for 2 seasons, he got time to learn a role and improved dramatically. Same will happen with Yeo, plus he is itching to be a midfielder.

 

[Eaglemaniac]

But he hasn't had a full run at it. He has been moved around so much this season he has not had a chance to settle. Shep is a good example of this. He was moved all over the joint by Whoosa and was unable to build his confidence. At the end of 2013 there were some saying he was finished. As soon as Simmo came a long and played him in one spot for 2 seasons, he got time to learn a role and improved dramatically. Same will happen with Yeo, plus he is itching to be a midfielder.

Lets hope so, because he has the attributes to be exactly what we need.

 

[Double the Fist]

IF we get Redden, who does he push out? Does he actually push anyone out, Hutch would be the first, maybe even Masto?
What do people think?

 

[southcoast]

Our midfield cannot afford to have Priddis, Sheed and Hutch in it. All similarly paced.

Of the three Hutch goes.

 

[Eaglemaniac]

Our midfield cannot afford to have Priddis, Sheed and Hutch in it. All similarly paced.

Of the three Hutch goes.

Cant afford to have Masto there either to be honest, too soft and doesnt turn up in big games. I'd be getting rid of him asap.

 

[The Magenius]

Cant afford to have Masto there either to be honest, too soft and doesnt turn up in big games. I'd be getting rid of him asap.

Masten needs to be dropped after his finals performances.

 

[EagleEgo]

Our midfield cannot afford to have Priddis, Sheed and Hutch in it. All similarly paced.

Of the three Hutch goes.

I've never played a game of footy before and hence I don't quite understand this in relation to the "total football" style we have adopted! Why can't we have similar players to even the load? As long as they do the job, clear the ball; deliver it to inside 50m, would that be enough? What happen if we have 22 Nic Nat on the field; would we win?

 

[The Magenius]

I've never played a game of footy before and hence I don't quite understand this in relation to the "total football" style we have adopted! Why can't we have similar players to even the load? As long as they do the job, clear the ball; deliver it to inside 50m, would that be enough? What happen if we have 22 Nic Nat on the field; would we win?

its never about how fast a player is, it's about how fast the ball moves.
If those guys can win the ball and get it to our outside mids then its fine but on Saturday they didn't they got beaten

 

[Eagleboy68]

Personally I don't think a knee jerk reaction to our midfield is necessary. The thought that we could go in to our first Grand Final and beat a hardened GF unit and one of the best teams in history is a bit erroneous.
We made the grand final with this team and we were outpointed by a seriously great team and there is no embarrassment in that. We have proved we can mix it with the best so a bit of nerves and a bad day on GF day is not entirely unexpected against the Hawks
People argue that Sydney have a better midfield than us and they got hammered by the Hawks last year as well.

We will have natural progression and improvement next year and a harder draw will see us having to compete that much more however we will have more hunger for success moving forward. Lewis Jetta and possibly Redden will improve our rotations in the midfield and McKenzie/Brown will add to our depth.
The bonus is we are a young team apart from Rosa, Priddis and Bulter so future Grand Final showings will mean we have experience on the big stage.

All good moving forward