Tiger trio Cotchin, Deledio & Martin up with best midfields in AFL (Herald-Sun)

[one-eyed]

Tiger trio Trent Cotchin, Brett Deledio and Dustin Martin up with best midfields in AFL

    Jon Anderson
    From: Herald Sun
    April 19, 2013 12:01PM

FIT and firing, Richmond might just boast the most explosive and effective midfield trio in the game.

We will find out more on Saturday when Trent Cotchin, Dustin Martin and Brett Deledio ply their trade against a Collingwood collection that has been regarded as the best in recent seasons.

Dayne Beams and Luke Ball are unavailable due to injury but when fit either one of Beams or Ball stand alongside Scott Pendlebury and Dane Swan as the testing material.

In Cotchin, Martin and Deledio you have combination of pace, strength, long-kicking, ball winning and durability given all three rarely miss games.

So who would you like starting in the centre square on Grand Final day, knowing that a first vital touch could set up an early goal such as Brad Ottens and Joel Selwood combined for when releasing Travis Varcoe in 2011?

Last year Adelaide’s top three in the club's best-and-fairest featured winner Scott Thompson ahead of Patrick Dangerfield and Rory Sloane - and we are talking about a team that finished third.

On paper the Carlton trio of Chris Judd, Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs would seem to have most bases covered.
Port Adelaide is a surprise packet this season, its midfield of Kane Cornes, Travis Boak, Hamish Hartlett, Brad Ebert, Matthew Broadbent, Ollie Wines, Chad Wingard and Angus Monfries being on fire to date.

Geelong is working hard to freshen up an ageing midfield, hoping that Mitch Duncan, Billie Smedts, George Horlin-Smith, Jordan Murdoch, Josh Caddy, Allen Christensen, Daniel Menzel, Josh Cowan and Taylor Hunt can eventually replace Jimmy Bartel, Joel Corey, James Kelly and Paul Chapman.

Hawthorn is doing the same with Jed Anderson and Bradley Hill providing some real spark which compliments the experience of Sam Mitchell, Luke Hodge and Brad Sewell.

So who has the best, and for the purposes of this exercise we will restrict it to the finest threesome?

When all are available I would go in this order:

1. Collingwood
2. Adelaide
3. Richmond
4. Sydney
5. Carlton

AFL MIDFIELD TRIPLE ACTS

Adelaide: Scott Thompson, Patrick Dangerfield, Rory Sloane

Brisbane Lions: Tom Rockliff, Jack Redden, Daniel Rich

Carlton: Chris Judd, Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs

Collingwood: Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan, Dayne Beams

Essendon: Jobe Watson, Dyson Heppell, Brent Stanton/Brendon Goddard

Fremantle: Nathan Fyfe, David Mundy, Michael Barlow

Hawthorn: Sam Mitchell, Luke Hodge, Brad Sewell/Jordan Lewis

Fremantle: Michael Barlow, Nathan Fyfe, David Mundy/Ryan Crowley

Geelong: Joel Selwood, Jimmy Bartel, James Kelly

Gold Coast: Gary Ablett, Harley Bennell, David Swallow

Melbourne: Nathan Jones, Jack Trengove, Colin Sylvia

North Melbourne: Andrew Swallow, Daniel Wells, Jack Ziebell

Port Adelaide: Travis Boak, Hamish Hartlett, Kane Cornes/Brad Ebert

Richmond: Trent Cotchin, Brett Deledio, Dustin Martin

St Kilda: Lenny Hayes, Nick Dal Santo, Leigh Montagna

Sydney: Josh Kennedy, Kieren Jack, Daniel Hannebery/Jarrad McVeigh

West Coast: Scot Selwood, Andrew Gaff, Daniel Kerr

Western Bulldogs: Matthew Boyd, Ryan Griffen, Daniel Cross

http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/tiger-trio-trent-cotchin-brett-deledio-and-dustin-martin-up-with-best-midfields-in-afl/story-fndv8t7m-1226624285753

[tigs2011]

I'd take ours everyday of the week over Adelaide's. Twice on the weekends when the games actually played. 

[dwaino]

Drop them all they don't tackle.

[torch]

Only Cotchin stood up, Deledio and Martin were VERY disappointing!

[tony_montana]

Can't win them all, todays 3rd qtr will hurt but they'll bounce back.