Who our midfield should be?

[Polly]

I think if we are totally committed to rebuilding a new team our midfield should consist of the following:

Hasleby - Has the experience to guide the young blokes below.
Schammer - Never been a fan but he has improved his ball skills.
Palmer - its a given.
Ibbotson - Wasted playing half back in my opinion.
Hill - Has awesome potential.
Hinkley - Has great speed, needs to develop skills and his body.
Crowley - Tagging or on the wing.

Back them in, let them develop together and we will have a more than handy midfield rotation for the future.

 

[Clay Davis]

Yeah, like that lot. Certainly don't put Murphy in the centre.

 

[Chris25]

Mundy has to be played in the midfield. He showed at the end of last year what he can do when given the chance. And behind Hasleby, he would be our best clearance player.

The other one I wouldn't mind seeing in the middle is O'Brien. He seems to be the type of player who is at the bottom of every contest. Give him a shot to see if he can play a Sam Mitchell type role. Schammer, Palmer and O'Brien would compliment Ibbotson, Hasleby, Hill and Mundy very well.

 

[Polly]

Yeah, like that lot. Certainly don't put Murphy in the centre.

I don't remember seeing Spud in the centre, I saw him start off on the southern wing, he definately doesn't have the tank to hold that position down. I think his best role is lead up forward, possibly even CHF, get his ass into the action whether he wants it or not!

 

[Clay Davis]

I don't remember seeing Spud in the centre, I saw him start off on the southern wing, he definately doesn't have the tank to hold that position down. I think his best role is lead up forward, possibly even CHF, get his ass into the action whether he wants it or not!

I agree. Make him take a hard position rather than the relative ease that comes with being a "utility".

 

[The Night Shift]

I think if we are totally committed to rebuilding a new team our midfield should consist of the following:

Hasleby - Has the experience to guide the young blokes below.
Schammer - Never been a fan but he has improved his ball skills.
Palmer - its a given.
Ibbotson - Wasted playing half back in my opinion.
Hill - Has awesome potential.
Hinkley - Has great speed, needs to develop skills and his body.
Crowley - Tagging or on the wing.

Back them in, let them develop together and we will have a more than handy midfield rotation for the future.

Might a well.... We all wittnessed the distance between our midfueld and a top contenders midfield against Dogs.... I would throw Headland in there as well and Foster if he ever sorts his back out.

 

[cp3_jr]

Our biggest issue in the middle in my opinion is speed and obviously clearances. I think we need palmer in there but we should only have one of haselby/mundy because with both we would be far too slow. This was highlighted by the bulldogs with griffen, cooney etc burning us numerous times. I think Crowley should be in there to tag the oppositions best player aswell.

 

[DCFCFAN84]

I wish they would take Palmer of the wing and put him on the ball.

Haselby: Read's the play well is good for a about 4-8 clearences a game.
A little slow but worth it for the clearences.

Palmer: I defiantly prefer him to play inside he is also good for about 4-8
clearences a game. Plus 20-30 possesions.

Crowley: Easily our best tagger.

Ibbotson: Playing majority on the wing rotating through the inside

Duffield: See Ibbotson

Players to rotate through the midfield.

Hill, Suban and Hinkley

PLAY PAVLICH AT CHF/FF

 

[E Shed]

I've been studying the clearance thing for a while trying to work out why Mundy makes such a difference and the answer I've conclude is soft hands and 1 touch ball handling. At bounce ups the ball richochets around like a pinball and basically the first guy that actually gets a clean touch shovels it immediately to someone in space and down the line it goes. Players like Schammer are really no good because he always fumbles it the first time he grabs it. This is ok when he is in space but not in the cauldron of the centre square. Mundy, and Haze are the only ones who have the touch to just take it in once go no matter how fast or what angle it comes on. They would probably both be excellent slip fielders in Cricket. Palmer is pretty good but not in their league at one touch handling.
Yesterday Sandi was off in his timing and seemed worried about the Bulldogs Ruckmen and hence all out set plays mostly failed however I believe when he is on and we have Haze back in top form we will win our share or clearances. If you get the first clean touch pretty much you are away from there and it doesn't matter if you are fast or slow. It's when the other side continually gets the takeaways you look slow not matter what.
Don't underestimate how important Sandi's role in all this is.

 

[ImperialPurple]

Spot on E Shed. We have very few one touch players, which is one of the areas the Bulldogs caned us in yesterday. They have loads of them - players who grab possession first time every time and don't fumble. I have high hopes for Suban / Hill / Walters / de Boer as one touch players who can go into the centre and extract the ball cleanly without fumbling, and dish it off quickly to the next player in the chain. At this stage only Hase and Mundy have that ability - although both Palmer and Schammer have the endeavour.

 

[Chops_a_must]

I don't mind Ibbo off HB.

I would really like to see Dodd in the middle. IMO his best football was played tagging there, and his only positive attributes can be utilised there.

How many pure pure mids do people think a 22 can handle these days?

 

[longsuffreosupp]

How many pure pure mids do people think a 22 can handle these days?

It's almost getting to the point of 16 mids, 2 ruckman, 2 specialised forwards, and 2 specialised backs

 

[Bulldogsnm1]

Mundy has to be played in the midfield. He showed at the end of last year what he can do when given the chance. And behind Hasleby, he would be our best clearance player.

The other one I wouldn't mind seeing in the middle is O'Brien. He seems to be the type of player who is at the bottom of every contest. Give him a shot to see if he can play a Sam Mitchell type role. Schammer, Palmer and O'Brien would compliment Ibbotson, Hasleby, Hill and Mundy very well.

I hope you don't mind me commenting on your board, I do have a soft spot for fremantle.

Personally I was very happy to see Mundy and Pav playing in the midfield, I think they both would have hurt us more in their normal roles.

Mundy is one of the best sweeping half backs in the league (along with our Gilbee, Goddard, McLeod and Scotland) he sets up so much play from there and Pavlich on his day is capable of kicking 6 or 7 goals against us.

I always think it is better for players to get their touch and the flow of the game in their most preferred position.

They both could have been moved into the midfield realistically in the second quarter after you had first use of the wind.

 

[Ysaye]

I don't mind Ibbo off HB.

I would really like to see Dodd in the middle. IMO his best football was played tagging there, and his only positive attributes can be utilised there.

How many pure pure mids do people think a 22 can handle these days?

Depends how balanced in different areas most of them are. You can't afford to take twelve Greg Williams.

Centre Square midfield setups that I like that seem balanced:

Mundy, Ibbotson, Palmer
Mundy, Ibbotson, Hasleby
Mundy, Ibbotson, Headland
Mundy, Ibbotson, Schammer
Ibbotson, Headland, Palmer
Ibbotson, Headland, Hasleby
Ibbotson, Headland, Schammer
Mundy, Headland, Hasleby
Mundy, Headland, Palmer
Mundy, Hasleby, Hill

IMO The centre square has to have at least two of Mundy, Ibbotson, Headland or Hill - you just have to have the skilled players in there.

In terms of the other positions, apart from those that are listed above that would rotate through the wings and HFFs, Suban and Walters also need to be given chances to hold down positions on the "outside". Crowley, Mayne and Johnson should also get runs on the wings, but not in the centre.

I hate taggers - my philosophy is that if you put enough dangerous players out there then the opposition will worry more than if you are just trying to hold them.

Leave Pav in the forward line for the next three seasons.

 

[estibador]

I hate taggers - my philosophy is that if you put enough dangerous players out there then the opposition will worry more than if you are just trying to hold them.

Is that you Gerard? I remember Buckley used to get 45 possessions and destroy us every time we played Collingwood because Neesham didn't believe in taggers.

 

[PapaJ]

I hope you don't mind me commenting on your board, I do have a soft spot for fremantle.

Personally I was very happy to see Mundy and Pav playing in the midfield, I think they both would have hurt us more in their normal roles.

That's interesting to hear, I certainly agree with Pav, but I thought Mundy was reasonably effective as Mid, we lacked skill (nothing new) an I only had remote confidence in the next kick/handball when he or Hase had it.

Mundy is one of the best sweeping half backs in the league (along with our Gilbee, Goddard, McLeod and Scotland) he sets up so much play from there and Pavlich on his day is capable of kicking 6 or 7 goals against us. ...

I think Pav's prefered is fwd, but I'm fairly certain that Mundy himself prefers the middle and sees that as his best possi. Keep in mind we didn't have Hayden out there which is our McLeod I guess?

 

[Dr Ralph Dagg]

I think E-shed nails it. Its speed and surety of hands. That's why we have improved over last season but you can see what we need in the midfield is class.

I think you can jumble the players around all you like but none with the exception of Hase and Pav is at a level where they can mix it with real good teams. And I mean teams not players.

I thought it was our senior players and their skill levels that really let us down on Sunday. McPharlin, Johnson, Crowley, and a few others were not up to it. McPharlins disposal efficiency was 57%, Crowley 36%. Plus there were a heap of clangers.

 

[prattsta]

How many pure pure mids do people think a 22 can handle these days?

I'd say a minimum of 12 midfielders (14-16 probably ideal)

• 1-2 Pure midfielders (Palmer)
• 1 run-with player (Crowley)
• 8 running players

Though you'd also have several specialist smalls on top of that. Someone like Hayden who doesn't really play in the midfield but has the ability if needed. Ballantyne being another example. Most teams typically have between 1-3 of theses types.

The rest is made up of your ruckmen and KP players. Many KP players these days can also play as running players though, which gets you up to the 14-16 midfielder mark.