Recruiting Trade & Free Agency V

[Alfred E Neuman]

Well, I suppose they’ve just taken away any possible temptation to play it safe as far as midfield goes...

 

[TheDinosaur]

Thought Bird would have stuck around since he was our stand in jobe this year...

 

[Capt Hindsight]

Considering the club will probably delist Morgan and Jackson Merrett or at least downgrade them to the rookie list. The club is surely looking at a delisted free agent.
The question is who?

 

[threeleggedgoat]

Well, I suppose they’ve just taken away any possible temptation to play it safe as far as midfield goes...

One of the first steps of rehabilitation is removing all temptations from your environment.

Or so I've heard

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Considering the club will probably delist Morgan and Jackson Merrett or at least downgrade them to the rookie list. The club is surely looking at a delisted free agent.
The question is who?

Well we need some more inside midfield depth, so I reckon they're looking at Mullett, Hansen, Grant, Keeffe & Holmes.

 

[Alfred E Neuman]

Well we need some more inside midfield depth, so I reckon they're looking at Mullett, Hansen, Grant, Keeffe & Holmes.

I have no idea who these people are...

I think Nash Holmes plays for our VFL?

 

[Capt Hindsight]

Well we need some more inside midfield depth, so I reckon they're looking at Mullett, Hansen, Grant, Keeffe & Holmes.

Hansen, Grant, Keeffe and Holmes wouldn't be on any club radars.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Hansen, Grant, Keeffe and Holmes wouldn't be on any club radars.

 

[Jade]

Sorry... why do we need more inside mid depth?

We have the players already.

Now whether or not those players actually work is an entirely different question - but we've got the depth.

Off the top of my head, players that can be expected to run through the midfield and play an inside role:

Heppell, Goddard, Myers, Zaharakis, Walla, Stringer, Smith, Laverde, Langford, McGrath, Parish, Mutch...

I mean, how many do you want?

 

[Mootsy]

Stringer is not midfield depth, to be honest, Langford??, maybe...

we still don't have a lot of contested ball-winners..

 

[Jade]

Stringer is not midfield depth, to be honest, Langford??, maybe...

Both are to train as midfielders. Again, potentially they don't work in those roles, but that IS their roles to begin with.

we still don't have a lot of contested ball-winners..

Sure we do - they just haven't performed at AFL level in those roles as yet.

And again, they may not - but I repeat, we DO have the players.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Sorry... why do we need more inside mid depth?

We have the players already.

Now whether or not those players actually work is an entirely different question - but we've got the depth.

Off the top of my head, players that can be expected to run through the midfield and play an inside role:

Heppell, Goddard, Myers, Zaharakis, Walla, Stringer, Smith, Laverde, Langford, McGrath, Parish, Mutch...

I mean, how many do you want?

I wouldn't include Goddard or Walla in that list, Lav is questionable and Myers' numbers are quite low. I would like more cover if plan A isn't working. Whether this can be achieved via a DFA is another question.

 

[Alfred E Neuman]

Sorry... why do we need more inside mid depth?

We have the players already.

Now whether or not those players actually work is an entirely different question - but we've got the depth.

Off the top of my head, players that can be expected to run through the midfield and play an inside role:

Heppell, Goddard, Myers, Zaharakis, Walla, Stringer, Smith, Laverde, Langford, McGrath, Parish, Mutch...

I mean, how many do you want?

Woosh must be taking a leaf out of Clarkson’s playbook - No dedicated bull, but a shitload of flexibility.

 

[Jade]

Woosh must be taking a leaf out of Clarkson’s playbook - No dedicated bull, but a shitload of flexibility.

I'm just not getting this rhetoric that we don't have the inside midfielders.

We've got them, and by and large I rate them - we just haven't had them perform as yet as a unit.

I'll repeat it ad nauseam for clarity sake, they may not perform - but I'm very bullish about the capacity of our current midfield group.

 

[BrunoV]

Sorry... why do we need more inside mid depth?

We have the players already.

Now whether or not those players actually work is an entirely different question - but we've got the depth options.

Off the top of my head, players that can be expected to run through the midfield and play an inside role:

Heppell, Goddard, Myers, Zaharakis, Walla, Stringer, Smith, Laverde, Langford, McGrath, Parish, Mutch...

I mean, how many do you want?

It could well become depth by the end of 2018 but for now it seems to be that we have a lot of untested options we like.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

I'm just not getting this rhetoric that we don't have the inside midfielders.

We've got them, and by and large I rate them - we just haven't had them perform as yet as a unit.

I'll repeat it ad nauseam for clarity sake, they may not perform - but I'm very bullish about the capacity of our current midfield group.

I agree we have the potential there and it could all work well. The way I see it though is we have a lot of proven ability across the park except on the inside and if someone who has proven they get high inside numbers at AFL level (even if the rest of their game isn't that great) becomes available as a DFA (see Miles) and doesn't cost much then it gives us a decent option to bring in. Someone who we know what we'll get from them week in and week out. While they may not provide lots of run or high quality kicking, they can get decent inside numbers to dish it out to our proven outside performers in the midfield and still give us a good chance to have a very good season after plan A doesn't work out.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

I have no idea who these people are...

I think Nash Holmes plays for our VFL?

I was kidding around, all the names I listed are either ruck (Holmes for St Kilda, American fella) or key position players.

 

[Zach Package]

It could well become depth by the end of 2018 but for now it seems to be that we have a lot of untested options we like.

My only concern with this is that the likes of Clarke and Mutch will miss VFL games as carry over emergencies.

Other than that the decisions are rock solid

 

[LeeARM]

We've had a habit of drafting VFL players in recent years.
I would assume with our draft picks this year we will be going down that route again.
Is there anyone being mentioned?

 

[JayJ20]

Sorry... why do we need more inside mid depth?

We have the players already.

Now whether or not those players actually work is an entirely different question - but we've got the depth.

Off the top of my head, players that can be expected to run through the midfield and play an inside role:

Heppell, Goddard, Myers, Zaharakis, Walla, Stringer, Smith, Laverde, Langford, McGrath, Parish, Mutch...

I mean, how many do you want?

Yeah we don't need more inside mid depth. I agree with you on that point. Howlett and Bird wouldn't have addressed our problems

However, we really don't have many proven quality inside mids yet. It's all speculation at the moment.

Heppell - I can see him rise to another level. His best games were exceptional.
Parish - Really bullish on him. He had an excellent game against Sydney in the EF as an inside mid. 14 contested possessions (only behind Kennedy and Parker), 8 clearances (equal BOG).
Langford - No idea how he'll go. I feel like he is ready.
Laverde - Not sure if he'll be ready to impact the game as an inside mid yet. Also very injury prone
Zaharakis - Not a contested/clearance mid. Can't see him playing more of a role on the inside than he had this year.
Goddard - Past his best. Will probably spend more time on a flank. Wouldn't count him as an inside mid.
Myers - Won't be the mid that we need him to be unfortunately. Numbers are way too low at AFL level
Mutch - Might get the occasional cameo, but probably still a year away from impacting games.
McGrath - I think he'll largely play wing, so I can't see him spending enough time on the inside to impact the game
Smith - Will definitely bring some pressure to our side. Not sure how he'll go as a mid
Stringer - Don't think he has the tank to spend enough time on the inside. When he does play midfield however, he's certainly what we need.

Wouldn't include Walla.

As you can see, not much proven quality that will have a meaningful impact on the inside there.
No pressure, but I'd say a lot hinges on Langford, Laverde and Stringer. If the two Ls can have a breakout year and if Stringer can get himself fit enough to play a 60/40 or even 50/50 split forward/midfield, then we'll have a functional midfield. If not, then it'll be a little better than this year, but not good enough to compete with the best sides.

 

[Donakebab]

I wouldn't include Goddard or Walla in that list, Lav is questionable and Myers' numbers are quite low. I would like more cover if plan A isn't working. Whether this can be achieved via a DFA is another question.

Why wouldn't you include them? While they aren't necessarily part of our starting set up, they 100% are midfield depth. Given we've increased our small/medium forward depth I'd even add Fantasia to the list in bursts too. An inside mid doesn't always have to play with grunt, speedy players with clean hands that read the play well can swoop in and pinch clearances. The greater the number of players we have on the field that can rotate through their competently the better.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Why wouldn't you include them? While they aren't necessarily part of our starting set up, they 100% are midfield depth. Given we've increased our small/medium forward depth I'd even add Fantasia to the list in bursts too. An inside mid doesn't always have to play with grunt, speedy players with clean hands that read the play well can swoop in and pinch clearances. The greater the number of players we have on the field that can rotate through their competently the better.

I don't see Goddard or Walla as inside midfield depth.

 

[Barry Roundhouse]

I wouldn't include Goddard or Walla in that list, Lav is questionable and Myers' numbers are quite low. I would like more cover if plan A isn't working. Whether this can be achieved via a DFA is another question.

Agree with Walla, but I'm pretty sure Goddard spent a fair bit of time at stages on the inside this year and he did a pretty good job.

That is just how I viewed it, with no evidence, so I might be wrong.

I remember thinking a few times his attack on the ball around the contest was the best I had seen during his time at the club in multiple games.

 

[Seagrave_Holmes]

Made sense to me to keep one Howlett, Hocking and Bird but I didn't expect all of them to go.

 

[Alfred E Neuman]

I'm just not getting this rhetoric that we don't have the inside midfielders.

We've got them, and by and large I rate them - we just haven't had them perform as yet as a unit.

I'll repeat it ad nauseam for clarity sake, they may not perform - but I'm very bullish about the capacity of our current midfield group.

I was more saying that we don’t have any pure inside mids - they seem to be more goal kicking midfielders.