Player Watch Wayne Milera

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After watching the replays of both JLT games, I have noticed Milera has spent time at centre bounces (probably about 10% per quarter).
Not so much on the wing. I am looking forward to him developing his midfield game which playing across half back too.
Hopefully by the end of the year or next year he can start playing significantly more game time in the midfield.
Long term we have McPherson (pending injuries), Hamill and Sholl who can all develop through the half back line too.
 

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I have spent 3
Years telling people to stop mentioning McLeod when referring to Milera. But geez, it is there... long long long way to go, but it is there
 
How’s Milera tracking for 2019? Has all the tools but don’t think he’s improved yet this year. The backline turnovers are starting to hurt as well.

Needs a big finish to 2019 for us to be a serious threat
 
How’s Milera tracking for 2019? Has all the tools but don’t think he’s improved yet this year. The backline turnovers are starting to hurt as well.

Needs a big finish to 2019 for us to be a serious threat

He's been pretty good this year - at times very good. Had an absolute stinker against Richmond, though. Don't know if his girlfriend dumped him 5 minutes before he ran out for the game or what, but he was woeful. Worst game I've seen him play. Hopefully the week off will set him right and he'll be back to his best when he comes back from the break.
 
Need to allow for the change in his role. Spending a lot of time in the centre, particularly at clearances. Been very useful as is a nice compliment to harder but slower bodies in Crouch x 2, CEY and Sloane.
 
He's been pretty good this year - at times very good. Had an absolute stinker against Richmond, though. Don't know if his girlfriend dumped him 5 minutes before he ran out for the game or what, but he was woeful. Worst game I've seen him play. Hopefully the week off will set him right and he'll be back to his best when he comes back from the break.
Milera had a bad game, but in general he's been solid this season. I don't think we've seen the best of his 2019 season yet though. He has much more to give IMO!
 
How’s Milera tracking for 2019? Has all the tools but don’t think he’s improved yet this year. The backline turnovers are starting to hurt as well.

Needs a big finish to 2019 for us to be a serious threat

Hasn't improved, but hasn't regressed, and probably been a victim of us not really having a defined role for him this year seeing he's been shunted all over the place. The midfield minutes he's been getting are very promising though.

The backline turnovers are part of the job though. He's there to be a zone breaking piece, not to find the safe option. Turnovers are going to happen every now and then by virtue of how someone like Milera is expected to play. A safe outside midfielder is a useless outside midfielder.
 
Need to allow for the change in his role. Spending a lot of time in the centre, particularly at clearances. Been very useful as is a nice compliment to harder but slower bodies in Crouch x 2, CEY and Sloane.
Interesting use of Milera this year. Against Richmond he started at HFF, had some stints in the midfield but was mostly across HBF with Smith moved to the wing.

Against GWS, in the 4th quarter he was in the centre square for every center bounce and we ended up putting a pretty dominant performance in the 4th from the center square.

I would love to play him as a full time midfielder with some stints up forward but we seem to be taking a more measured approach with his transition into the full time midfield role.
 
Certainly been thrown around this year. Think that's hurt his performance. I like his midfield minutes though. Don't think he's played particularly well there yet but I'm keen to see him stay there.

I'm torn between him staying there and at half back. We need his ball use coming out of defence (not last week's effort)
 

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Because he's playing mid/forward.

Yeah, but why? Someone with Milera outside skills is wasted as a forward.

You want your best ball movers on the half back line as that's where you drive your offense from, so it's certainly strange.
 
Yeah, but why? Someone with Milera outside skills is wasted as a forward.

You want your best ball movers on the half back line as that's where you drive your offense from, so it's certainly strange.
He’s not a good defender, making him play a part negative role is not maximising his talents
 
Yeah, but why? Someone with Milera outside skills is wasted as a forward.

You want your best ball movers on the half back line as that's where you drive your offense from, so it's certainly strange.
How is he wasted ??

Great overhead mark, brilliant kick (mostly) and has speed to burn.

Strikes me as a Danger type mid/forward.
 
He’s not a good defender, making him play a part negative role is not maximising his talents

Considering the majority of half backs aren't good defenders, that's not a problem.

You can live with the occasional goal against for the amount of good offensively that'll occur in the position.
 
How is he wasted ??

Great overhead mark, brilliant kick (mostly) and has speed to burn.

Strikes me as a Danger type mid/forward.

If your not going to use that piece in the midfield (and we won't always run Milera in the midfield), you want the maximum possible offensive output out of that skillset. You will get the maximum possible out at being on the half back line as the job of a half back is to puncture zones and to drive the vast majority of offense that a team will generate (along with wingers seeing both positions are really outside midfield, not defence), and not only that, but your feeding easy ball to said player. A forward is the end of the chain, which wastes all of those tools compared to what it could do for a side.

A side lives and dies on the production of their half backs as much as it does on their midfield winning contests.
 
Occasional?

Even once a game, it's still a comfortable price for what it offers offensively. We pay that price with Smith as is, and you can pretty much say every side does with their respective.

A game built on scoring from turnovers, and quick ball movement requires your best ball movers behind the ball, not in front of it.
 
Even once a game, it's still a comfortable price for what it offers offensively. We pay that price with Smith as is, and you can pretty much say every side does with their respective.

A game built on scoring from turnovers, and quick ball movement requires your best ball movers behind the ball, not in front of it.
Which is fine if that’s your game plan.

Our movement in the last 8 games has slowed, much more considered. Slingshot mostly gone.
 

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