We need another Inside Midfielder

[Aliago]

*cough* rookie Myles Sewell *cough*

 

[Shmoses]

The only area I think you blokes are really lacking is medium sized players, both up forward and down back. Your talls and smalls are elite but there's not a great deal in the mid size Steve Johnson, Corey Enright-esque players

 

[Zahki]

If Krakouer gets his fitness up he can be an extra inside midfielder, thats where he was playing when he won his Sandover medal afterall.

 

[lgarth80]

The only area I think you blokes are really lacking is medium sized players, both up forward and down back. Your talls and smalls are elite but there's not a great deal in the mid size Steve Johnson, Corey Enright-esque players

Midsize backs:
Maxwell, Goldsack, Toovey, O'Brien, Buckley, Young

Two All-Australians there, all capable players. Just not at the level of Enright, but fair cop, he's an excellent player. One could argue Maxwell and Goldsack at 193 cm are talls. But I think Goldsack in particular "plays small", and Maxwell has had to on occasions.

Midsize forwards:
Macaffer, Sidebottom, McCarthy

Certainly an area we can improve. We were hamstrung by Macaffer's injuries this season, leaving our forward line to be based on talls and smalls rather than these mediums. With Macaffer back, and Sidebottom rotating, I think we will be OK. Macaffer is 23, Sidebottom 20. Yes, that's right, 20 - another 10 years of great gut busting play we have from him to look forward to.


When I look at the list, I see raw pace/power needed up forward (would love a player like Dangerfield), and probably another midsize forward to counter if we get exposed by injury again.

I'd like a defender with great skills like Suckling if I could get one, though I have faith that Simon Buckley and Marty Clarke being good users, could be the players who can fill this void, provided the development is done through the season.

Outside of that, we just need to sit and like watching a flower open, we need to watch the players we already have develop further.

 

[Ed D]

I wouldn't call Sidebottom a medium sized player at 180cm, Brad Dick is taller than him! A lot of our players who run through the midfield are medium sized players, but I think it's more how they play than what size they are. Pendles is 191cm and Dawes is 193cm. It's more important that they can take a strong mark as a forward for example.

 

[PremierPie13]

I think you're right Knightmare. Thomas will play mainly play on-ball next year as he did when he blanketed Selwood in round 8. He is one player who can definitely win the hard-ball however I believe has been relegated to being a more outside player by Mick for whatever reason. I can remember throughout a lot of the season he'd be the one waiting to recieve the ball so he could use his run & carry but I have a feeling he'll be playing a different role next year.

 

[Pera]

Whoever mentioned Blair, sounds like a great idea. I really like his nuggety approach and ferocity around the ball. Don't think he does enough inside the F50 against the good sides (who does though playing as that small forward?). Lets get more of a tank into him over summer along with Kraks and both should be getting about 20% extra in the midfield.

 

[Quicky]

Thomas won't be used more on ball next year. Absolutely no need and a waste of our best outside linking midfielder. An area unlike inside mid we actually lack depth. Don't see it happening.

 

[PremierPie13]

Thomas won't be used more on ball next year. Absolutely no need and a waste of our best outside linking midfielder. An area unlike inside mid we actually lack depth. Don't see it happening.

I read you're post in another thread that we will go after outside players and while I respect your opinions based on what I've read in the past, I just can't see that happening (other than perhaps Pearce from Port). Pendlebury, Wellingham, Swan, Beams and Sidebottom can receive and move the ball very effectively as outside mids. Pendlebury and Swan can win the hard ball, but how often do you see the latter running onto the loose ball (ridiculous pace so he always gets their first) and Pendles getting the hard tag and not always being able to influence stoppages?
While Thomas will still be a run and carry player for Collingwood, there will be a lot of situations where he will start at the centre bounce and his instructions will be "get the ball before anyone else does." I don't believe it is a waste to recognise Dale's intensity and hardness at the contest and how that is indicative of what he can produce as an inside mid.

 

[Ed D]

One thing about Thomas was that when he was drafted a lot of his disposals in the U18 comp were contested. There have been a few games this year where his contested stats have been really high as well, including the GF. I think he could play the role but like what Quicky said he's a lot more useful to the team as an outside mid.

 

[magpiemagic]

if josh thomas can get fit and injury free he is the answer i recon ,also with haveing so many midsize defenders we cld use someone like a harry obrien in the centre square at times could be handy .

 

[Quicky]

I read you're post in another thread that we will go after outside players and while I respect your opinions based on what I've read in the past, I just can't see that happening (other than perhaps Pearce from Port). Pendlebury, Wellingham, Swan, Beams and Sidebottom can receive and move the ball very effectively as outside mids. Pendlebury and Swan can win the hard ball, but how often do you see the latter running onto the loose ball (ridiculous pace so he always gets their first) and Pendles getting the hard tag and not always being able to influence stoppages?
While Thomas will still be a run and carry player for Collingwood, there will be a lot of situations where he will start at the centre bounce and his instructions will be "get the ball before anyone else does." I don't believe it is a waste to recognise Dale's intensity and hardness at the contest and how that is indicative of what he can produce as an inside mid.

I wasn't suggesting I liked the other options that had been thrown about in regards to outside types (actually I like Smith but that seems unlikely) but I can't help but see a pattern. I just wonder if it gives us an insight into the clubs thoughts. And I would say pace and silky skills as a rule is something we would target > this sort of player could be used in midfield or forward.

On Thomas sure I would expect him to start at times in the square, as a part of the usual midfield rotations, but I doubt it will be any more than it was this year. There just isn't the need to use him here. We already have a good core of inside players (Ball, Pendles, Swan, Wellingham) and some other decent players (Beams, J Thomas, Blair, Krakouer) that could use some time in that role.

 

[mdc]

While Thomas will still be a run and carry player for Collingwood, there will be a lot of situations where he will start at the centre bounce and his instructions will be "get the ball before anyone else does." I don't believe it is a waste to recognise Dale's intensity and hardness at the contest and how that is indicative of what he can produce as an inside mid.

Intensity and hardness are useful, but they're not indicative of a player's ability as an inside mid. Case in point, Pendlebury doesn't stand out in either category, but he's the best inside mid Collingwood has had for decades.

Thomas' tenaciousness and hardness are best employed wide, where he can beat players to the ball and run away from them, rather than in congestion where he tends to be stifled. In fact, I'd love to see him spend more time on the HFF next year to provide another marking target and improve our inside 50 retention.

Fwiw, if anyone's interested, here's contested possession %s (i.e. contested/total) for our mids:

Pendlebury - 45.1% contested
Ball - 44.7%
Wellingham - 43.6%
Swan - 41.9%
Thomas - 40.4%
Sidebottom - 31.9%

 

[Fasta_123]

I think what we need is didak and the caff fit and firing. Would have made such a difference on Saturday to have didak on the hff spearing passes in to the fwd 50 and on top of that, having the caff negating Scarlett leaving both cloke and Dawes 1 on 1 with their direct opponents. Chances are Scarlett would have left the caff to lend a helping hand to his partners. Ball comes to ground ball is passed over the top to the caff alone. Goal. Happened a lot last year in very short periods of qtrs when Scarlett, fisher etc decided to zone off him