West Coast's plodder midfield - will it work?

[Obeanie1]

It'll work till it meets GWS.

Who?

Oh, that team that still hasn't beat the Eagles yet!!!

 

[Heaps of fun]

Not without a ruck it won't. Top 8 but not top 4.

 

[TheInjuryFactory]

Name a quick midfielder from the reigning premiers

Liberatore has a lot of speed.

 

[The Unforgiven]

I agree that midfield pace isn't important in winning games but you have to admit that speed is pretty dam handy. I mean Dangerfield was the best player in the comp last season and if you took his pace/power away you are left with a Ziebell clone.

Also while the dogs midfield isn't quick one of their real point of differences against Sydney was their run from half back. Sydney had no one to match the likes of JJ, Wood and Biggs.

Dangerfield is a unique beast in the same mould as a Chris Judd. Exceptional ball-winning ability combined with that burst of speed. Danger's acceleration is phenomenal and without that he'd be a different player.

If you have speed, you'll use it. If you can play inside and outside, you'll have many strengths. I still maintain that an inside mid like a S.Mitchell or Greg Williams will always be more important than a Lewis Jetta or the Hill bros.

Not many players can be a Danger, Ablett or Judd. Not many more can be a Parker, Kenneddy, Bontempelli, Mitchell et al. But many people can run fast, whether they're AFL players or not. The outside mids need the inside mids more than the opposite.

 

[lmach]

Not without a ruck it won't. Top 8 but not top 4.

Lycett is perfectly capable if he can stay on the park.

 

[blitzer]

I reckon their midfield will go decently well. It won't be like the top midfield out there but it is above average. I do think that if they were to lose Shuey for any sustained period of time it would be a massive blow to that midfield balance wise. Yes Mitchell and Priddis have great footy smarts and ball winning ability but there simply are times when the opposition have the ball and you have to chase defensively. Will get found out a few times this year by the quicker and deeper midfields.

My take on the ruck situation is - their top guys will still win tons of contested ball around the clearances. What they will lose from not having Naitanui is those occasional perfect taps which lead to basically uncontested clearances where they get a real quality forward 50 entry. Basically they have one less weapon and may need to be able to rebound from D50 a bit more to score some of their points.

 

[Bokonon_]

Who?

Oh, that team that still hasn't beat the Eagles yet!!!

Fair call

 

[Ressies runner]

I think Nic Nats real benefit is making those around him play better and with confidence, picking up mitchell will add that same dimension.
For the opposition, you cant tag all of them so at least one of the mids will have a good game. Very good pickup

 

[Skiparoo]

West Coast are a real premiership threat, obviously they would be better if NicNat was fit and firing, but with the class of Priddis, Mitchell and the likes they are smart enough footballers to rove to the opposition ruckmen, gees Mitchell has been doing it his whole career.

 

[Ressies runner]

West Coast are a real premiership threat, obviously they would be better if NicNat was fit and firing, but with the class of Priddis, Mitchell and the likes they are smart enough footballers to rove to the opposition ruckmen, gees Mitchell has been doing it his whole career.

Not sure why but eagles fans dont think priddis is classy, guy's a machine but cant get no love from his own team

 

[Obeanie1]

Not without a ruck it won't. Top 8 but not top 4.

Eagles have a great ruck.

And he's playing well. Amazing what happens to average players when they finally move to a decent team.

 

[Obeanie1]

Not sure why but eagles fans dont think priddis is classy, guy's a machine but cant get no love from his own team

Haters gotta hate. Eagles fans are no different from any club, some just don't have the IQ to see a great player and focus on the negative too much. The Priddis Debate thread is a war zone between the Pro Priddis team versus the haters. Gets pretty heated in there at times.

Priddis years ago did struggle with decision making and his kicking, over te last 4 or so years he has really improved both. This year his job is easier still, handball to Mitchell, or Shuey or Gaff.......that's it.

 

[Obeanie1]

I reckon their midfield will go decently well. It won't be like the top midfield out there but it is above average. I do think that if they were to lose Shuey for any sustained period of time it would be a massive blow to that midfield balance wise. Yes Mitchell and Priddis have great footy smarts and ball winning ability but there simply are times when the opposition have the ball and you have to chase defensively. Will get found out a few times this year by the quicker and deeper midfields.

My take on the ruck situation is - their top guys will still win tons of contested ball around the clearances. What they will lose from not having Naitanui is those occasional perfect taps which lead to basically uncontested clearances where they get a real quality forward 50 entry. Basically they have one less weapon and may need to be able to rebound from D50 a bit more to score some of their points.

Which is maybe why Simo has adapted the game plan.

Eagles have a above average forward line and back line. The backline is very good at intercept marks with McGovern, Barrass, Hurn and then Sheppard and Wellingham. The loss of those dominant ruck taps will mean the midfielder will need to play tighter and more defensively because they won't get silver service. Which see as a positive because my view is we were too loose and didn't play close enough to opposition mids at stoppages.

So the plan would be the halve the contest at stoppages and make a scrap of it hoping Priddis or Mitchell shoot out a quality handball or at least pressure the opposition kicks into their forward line, flood a bit, play a loose intercept marking tall backman and when we intercept sling shot from half back with fast handball, run and carry with shot foot passing and attack through the corridor.

Eagles lacked a midfield defensive attitude when Naitanui played, too much focus on attack IMO.

 

[Heaps of fun]

Lycett is perfectly capable if he can stay on the park.

The guy that just dislocated his shoulder?

 

[lmach]

The guy that just dislocated his shoulder?

Yeah

Lycett is perfectly capable if he can stay on the park.

 

[Heaps of fun]

Yeah

Yeah fair enough just a funny comment to make as he injures himself as soon as he has recovered from a massive injury. From the outside looks like he's drifting into the "injury prone" category which can take big men a while to work themselves out of.

 

[t_94]

Mitchell makes the midfield look a whole lot stronger.

 

[Superstar swan]

when you have mitchell in the midfield, you don't need pace. the ball does all the running for you.

west coast is a definite flag contender this year

Flag contender yes, but substantial injuries to either mitchell or kennedy and they will struggle to win games.

Very good 18 but imo significantly falls off of a cliff after that

 

[STFU Donnie]

Reversing the title and it sounds like you're describing Sam Mitchell.

Work it will - midfield plodder Coast's West

Thus spake Yoda.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Haters gotta hate. Eagles fans are no different from any club, some just don't have the IQ to see a great player and focus on the negative too much. The Priddis Debate thread is a war zone between the Pro Priddis team versus the haters. Gets pretty heated in there at times.

Priddis years ago did struggle with decision making and his kicking, over te last 4 or so years he has really improved both. This year his job is easier still, handball to Mitchell, or Shuey or Gaff.......that's it.

does Priddis role change?

 

[demondavey]

Mitchell will help Priddis significantly. Jetta will step up this year, Gaff and Shuey are elite, Yeo, like Jetta, will improve, and Sheed will be better.

I think West Coast will be seriously good, big flag chance, and not having NN won't be that big a loss.

 

[flyinghi64]

Quick decision making with slick ball movement but slow leg speed
Vs
Slow dumb decision making and sloppy disposal but quick elite foot speed.

mmmmm, I wonder what is more effective.

 

[demondavey]

People are forgetting how good Mitchell actually is, only second to Ablett/Goodes as the most dynamic midfielder of the last decade.

 

[Eaglespur]

People are forgetting how good Mitchell actually is, only second to Ablett/Goodes as the most dynamic midfielder of the last decade.

Goodes>Judd?

 

[raskolnikov]

People are forgetting how good Mitchell actually is, only second to Ablett/Goodes as the most dynamic midfielder of the last decade.

Goodes>Stanton?