Thomas in the middle?

[Boris the Contradiction]

It's been mentioned in a couple of unrelated threads so far but i thought dale looked fantastic in the centre square against the crows. probably the real positive of the game (there werent many i admit).

We only ever looked dangerous when he was in there and he actually looked capable of winning some clearances, something i didnt think he could. On that form I think he could be that true clearance winning inside/outside midfield linebreaker that we've been looking for. Personally I think we need him in there as our midfield looks stagnant at times. As good as Pendles and Swanny are they dont offer that same energy as thomas does. Surely its better for his development than him being stuck up forward, not getting the ball and out of the play.

Thoughts?

 

[smiddaz123]

Days since smiddaz has wanted Thomas as a midfielder: About two years give or take, let's say 750.

He is close to our most complete player. All he needs is a left foot and a slightly bigger engine.

 

[loki04]

Yep we looked our most dangerous when he Pendles and Swan were in there, hopefully he gets even more game time in there.

Also another interesting note is Pendles only played 66% game time, I would like to see his numbers increase to 80%.

 

[CollingwoodGLORY]

for starters on the weekend Thomas barely found the ball and out of the 12 kicks he had 6 would have been turn over kicks. I'm getting sick of seeing Thomas be a show pony and turn over the ball straight to the opposition. i feel he should play on the forward flank but hang around the center square more because he has fantastic overhead skills but is not so good in and under the big packs in the center square.

 

[Parallel Andy]

for starters on the weekend Thomas barely found the ball and out of the 12 kicks he had 6 would have been turn over kicks. I'm getting sick of seeing Thomas be a show pony and turn over the ball straight to the opposition. i feel he should play on the forward flank but hang around the center square more because he has fantastic overhead skills but is not so good in and under the big packs in the center square.

I'm thinking that you were at a different game in some abstract parallel dimension.

 

[Kirby]

I thought he was our next best player after Pendles on Saturday and looked dangerous all day. I'd like to see him at least get bursts in the middle.

 

[Pie eyed]

Thomas has shown he has the skill set to play well in the middle, as well as in many other roles, forward, back and as a run with player.
He is still very young despite his experience and impact on the side.
Neon Leon has been very good in the middle and just really started to develop the tank to be effective over longer periods.
WE gave him plenty of time to develop that tank.
Thomas has had what a year?
His gut running on Saturday was great and he had an impact when it was required. Give him a chance to build a tank and we'll all be surprised how good he can be in the middle.

 

[hellfire]

Days since smiddaz has wanted Thomas as a midfielder: About two years give or take, let's say 750.

He is close to our most complete player. All he needs is a left foot and a slightly bigger engine.

Yep, I've been naming him on the ball of my best 22 for bloody ages. A few more kilos of muscle and a bigger tank will see him carving it up consistently out of the centre square.

 

[hellfire]

for starters on the weekend Thomas barely found the ball and out of the 12 kicks he had 6 would have been turn over kicks. I'm getting sick of seeing Thomas be a show pony and turn over the ball straight to the opposition. i feel he should play on the forward flank but hang around the center square more because he has fantastic overhead skills but is not so good in and under the big packs in the center square.

LOL! His kicking has improved ten-fold. He was one of the very few hitting targets. He's managed to change his kicking enough to keep the ball low, it used to go up in a large arch every time. The only time he turned it over was when he was trying to create opportunities out of nothing, or when he didn't use his left and went with a check-side shot. He has turned into one of our better users of the ball.

Oh, and by the way, he had 4 inside 50s.... and 4 goal assists.

What a ****ing gun!

 

[hotpie]

He is certainly a better option at centre bounces than Nick Bloody Maxwell.

 

[glasseye]

I'm siding with Collingwood Glory.

He didn't have a good game - he looks like he's carrying a sack of potatoes on his back. He did only have 12 kicks and 9 handballs and not all of his work was productive
He's comfortably in the best 22 but he was better two years ago. I'd say comfortable is where he's at right now - doesn't have anything to prove and his game has suffered.

 

[Dogs_Playing_Poker]

WOW! I thought he was one of our best.... His gut running was fantastic and sorry to bring up the umpires again, but should have kicked at least 2. WOuld like to see him play more in the midfield, as he is always up for a challenge, has pace, and something about him reminds me of Gary Ablett Jnr. No, The thing that reminds me of Garry Ablett Jnr is not the fact that he has a heap of hair early on then will loose it all.

 

[hellfire]

I'm siding with Collingwood Glory.

He didn't have a good game - he looks like he's carrying a sack of potatoes on his back. He did only have 12 kicks and 9 handballs and not all of his work was productive
He's comfortably in the best 22 but he was better two years ago. I'd say comfortable is where he's at right now - doesn't have anything to prove and his game has suffered.

No really, what game did you watch? Were you watching an old replay or something? We played Adelaide at the G.

Seriously though, 21 touches is good from Thomas. And the difference is, he is one of our only players who works to break the zone through running. He consistently broke the lines with his hard running, which is more than I can say for about 19 others. He is an extremely damaging and creative player, and his work off the ball was fabulous. You obviously watched the game on TV... because if you were at the ground, you would've seen how much work he did.

Not to mention the 4 goal assists he had....

 

[Boris the Contradiction]

I'm siding with Collingwood Glory.

He didn't have a good game - he looks like he's carrying a sack of potatoes on his back. He did only have 12 kicks and 9 handballs and not all of his work was productive
He's comfortably in the best 22 but he was better two years ago. I'd say comfortable is where he's at right now - doesn't have anything to prove and his game has suffered. .

Curious to know what your definition of a 'good game' is? Is it if he steps in there like he's played 100 games in the midfield (added up in the 5 minute burst malthouse gives him he's probably played 3) and someone says, "I think that was Nathan Buckley in there" to which someone replies; "yeah, but he looks like daisy!".

My definition of him having a good game is that he's never been properly tried in the midfield and he SHOWED SIGNS, lots of them which I don't think you can argue against. He showed that he can win his own ball, read the fall of the ball in a pack and burst out of one like it wasn't even there.

Signs or no signs, he was one of our best anyway, I think you're just expecting too much from someone who is effectively a novice midfielder. He was very good, just needs to be persisted with and it seems from most of the responses in here that the majority agrees.

 

[Dave The Man]

Love Daisy in the Middle espically I think it was the 3rd where he get the ball in the Middles and Just takes off and takes them on.

Just needs a Left Foot and Bit more of an Engine

 

[glasseye]

Thomas is in the 22 and better than most. However I recon Medders had more business in the center last Saturday than Thomas. Thomas doesn't cope well will a tag, he doesn't kick well when at full tilt and occasionally backs himself when he shouldn't. He's had better games.
come to that Didak is only so so in the center. They've been bleating about being in the center all through the preseason and were found wanting in front of the crows. Rotate Didak and Thomas in the center leave Leon, introduce Beams try Medders and Shaw

 

[hellfire]

Thomas is in the 22 and better than most. However I recon Medders had more business in the center last Saturday than Thomas. Thomas doesn't cope well will a tag, he doesn't kick well when at full tilt and occasionally backs himself when he shouldn't. He's had better games.
come to that Didak is only so so in the center. They've been bleating about being in the center all through the preseason and were found wanting in front of the crows. Rotate Didak and Thomas in the center leave Leon, introduce Beams try Medders and Shaw

Shaw isn't exactly a ball-winner like Thomas is, and he's our best flanker. He could move there when he's being heavily tagged though. Medhurst is an AA forward-pocket who kicked 50 goals last year, he needs to stay right there, particularly given his lack of pre-season.

I think Didak needs to spend more time up forward as well, that's where he's most dangerous. Davis and Thomas to rotate through the most, with Thomas eventually becoming full-time there IMO.

 

[Dogs_Playing_Poker]

Curious to know what your definition of a 'good game' is? Is it if he steps in there like he's played 100 games in the midfield (added up in the 5 minute burst malthouse gives him he's probably played 3) and someone says, "I think that was Nathan Buckley in there" to which someone replies; "yeah, but he looks like daisy!".

My definition of him having a good game is that he's never been properly tried in the midfield and he SHOWED SIGNS, lots of them which I don't think you can argue against. He showed that he can win his own ball, read the fall of the ball in a pack and burst out of one like it wasn't even there.

Signs or no signs, he was one of our best anyway, I think you're just expecting too much from someone who is effectively a novice midfielder. He was very good, just needs to be persisted with and it seems from most of the responses in here that the majority agrees.

I never said he played a good game. I just said that he was one of our best, and he has showed signs he could be like Gary Ablett Jnr. Not expecting anything yet!

 

[glasseye]

well if their so brilliant in the center why'd we get our backsides kicked - perhaps because their not so brilliant and didn't play 4 quarters.

I don't want to bag them but Saturday was embarrassing not because we lost but because of how we lost. A lot of this came out of the midfield and I don't believe O'bree had a bad game. Our tackling and pressure was sorely lacking and disposal ordinary. There's something very wrong with how Saturday panned out and it wasn't just a bad day at the office.

Even if we got over the line I wouldn't be happy with what was happening on Sat.

 

[buzzbuzz]

I think it was due to having too many tall, slow HBFers in the side. Even though we rotated constantly it left some of the hard running midfielders pretty tired in the last quarter, which led to all the clangers.

I think. I don't really know. But according to the Stat Attack thread, we absolutely butchered the ball in the final quarter.

Thomas was brilliant in the middle. Didak was not. Swan was fatigued but played well in patches. Davis was sick. Medhurst needs to stay in the forward 50 at all times. Shaw will play HBF.

 

[mdc]

I thought he played a very good game against Adelaide, certainly his best one as a mid, and should be rotated through there heavily (certainly ahead of Didak, who just looks a fish out of water).

However, I don't agree with the OP that he has any chance of being a "clearance winning inside" mid as well as outside - even on Saturday, he was generally hanging off to the side whilst Maxwell/O'Bree/Pendlebury were going after first ball.

This isn't to knock him - just to point out that in the midfield, he has to be an outside mid. And to be anything better than a B-grade outside mid, he absolutely must work on his skills. I do think his right boot has improved, now he just needs a left, and to learn to balance when running at pace.

 

[Dave The Man]

Also got 20+ Touches which I like to see him average for the season

 

[Boris the Contradiction]

I'm siding with Collingwood Glory.

He didn't have a good game - he looks like he's carrying a sack of potatoes on his back. He did only have 12 kicks and 9 handballs and not all of his work was productive
He's comfortably in the best 22 but he was better two years ago. I'd say comfortable is where he's at right now - doesn't have anything to prove and his game has suffered.

I meant to quote this one Dogs I actually agree with you. Ive changed it, you were backing me up and i knocked you :O
sorry mate

 

[hellfire]

well if their so brilliant in the center why'd we get our backsides kicked - perhaps because their not so brilliant and didn't play 4 quarters.

I don't want to bag them but Saturday was embarrassing not because we lost but because of how we lost. A lot of this came out of the midfield and I don't believe O'bree had a bad game. Our tackling and pressure was sorely lacking and disposal ordinary. There's something very wrong with how Saturday panned out and it wasn't just a bad day at the office.

Even if we got over the line I wouldn't be happy with what was happening on Sat.

We didn't lose because of our main midfielders for the day: Obree, Pendlebury, Swan and Thomas. All were good. We lost because guys like Didak, Davis, Cloke, Medhurst, Fraser, Lockyer and a few others were well below their best, and because guys like Toovey, Goldsack, Reid and Johnson were passengers who were butchering the ball.

 

[Dogs_Playing_Poker]

I meant to quote this one Dogs I actually agree with you. Ive changed it, you were backing me up and i knocked you :O
sorry mate

No worries Pal!