Midfield

[mightytiges]

With Cambo in a forward pocket and Bowden down back again that's going to place a heavy workload on Johnno and Cogs (who of course is coming back from his long-term groin injury) in the midfield next year. The last thing we'd need is to lose them to injury. Browny will only be there half the time as the rest will be spent in the forward line so we need others like Krakouer, Newman, Rodan, Tivs and Hyde to step up and play consistently in the centre. As yet they haven't. Chuck in Hartigan and maybe Raines or Jackson into the rotation as well as Chaffey as a tagger. I didn't include the new kids as they will be finding their feet in the big league.

Who of these or who else do you think will be able to step up and really help out Johnno and Cogs?

[Harry]

Full time midfielders - Johnson, Cogs, Hyde, Chaffey, Tivendale,

Part time midfielder/backs - Newman, Hartigan, Bowden, Tuck

Part time midfielders/forwards - Brown, Krakour, Rodan

midfielders finding their feet - Raines, Deledio, Tambling, Jackson

Not quite ready midfielders - Meyer, Gilmour, Roach, Polo

Therefore based on the above the main players to carry the midfield will be the 5 full timers at the top.  Cogs and Johno will be the grunt, Chaffey will tag and Tiva and Hyde will be the link men.

I beleive Tuck can help out Cogs and Johnno with the grunt work, and Hartigan, Brown and Rodan will mostly help out as link/run to receive men.  Newman and Bowden will be mainly defenders with stints in the middle and Krak will be mainly forward with similar stints in the guts.

The part time midfielders/forwards/backs would have to make the flanks and pockets their own and really make the most of it.  IMO on the park you have 4-5 KPP, 1-2 rucks and the rest are midfielders rotating though the middle and to the flanks/pockets.

The next line of players (midfielders finding their feet) - are the kids I beleive are most ready, who need to be eased into it.  They should be played at Coburg with some appearances in the firsts.  They have the bodies for the firsts but not for a prolonged period.  Our next generation midfielders should come from this bunch.

The last batch are the kids i beleive need to find their feet at Coburg and need to really develop physically.

[JohnF]

Players up to playing in the midfield: Johnson, Coughlan, Brown, Bowden

Players not up to playing in the midfield: Hyde, Chaffey, Tuck, Tivendale, Newman, Krakouer, Rodan

Unknown quantities: Jackson, Hartigan, Gilmour, Roach, Raines, Tambling, Deledio, Meyer, Polo

[LondonTiger]

JohnF, I know we say it time and time again, but expect Rodan on the ball next season


He is apparently killing them at training.



And p.s  You all forgot Pettifer - who will have to shake his PETRIFIED tag in 12 months under Wallace.   Expect some time on the ball for him towards the end of the year

[JohnF]

Yeah I've heard the reports LT, and its promising, but I'm a little sceptical just the same. After seeing him this year he would have had to have improved a LOT to become a midfielder. Didn't look like it at all.

He is still young though, so I suppose I am being a little too quick to write him off.

[bg25]

Yeah I've heard the reports LT, and its promising, but I'm a little sceptical just the same. After seeing him this year he would have had to have improved a LOT to become a midfielder. Didn't look like it at all.

He is still young though, so I suppose I am being a little too quick to write him off.

That's a remarkably polite post JF

Actually I think Wallace could be just what the doctor order with Kane, that and the hot competition for spots.

[mightytiges]

Full time midfielders - Johnson, Cogs, Hyde, Chaffey, Tivendale,

Part time midfielder/backs - Newman, Hartigan, Bowden, Tuck

Part time midfielders/forwards - Brown, Krakour, Rodan

midfielders finding their feet - Raines, Deledio, Tambling, Jackson

Not quite ready midfielders - Meyer, Gilmour, Roach, Polo

Pretty good breakdown their Harry although I would be concerned having Hyde, Chaffey and Tivs as full time mids. Just biding our time until the kids mature if that's the case IMV.

I'm expecting improvement from Newman this year. Although he was by no means our worse, he pretty much stalled in 2004. He's a classy player so hopefully Terry can get him to lift a notch next year.

Get Pettifer to do the kick-ins. Would be right up there as our best in that regard. 

IMO on the park you have 4-5 KPP, 1-2 rucks and the rest are midfielders rotating though the middle and to the flanks/pockets.

Couldn't agree more this Harry. This is modern footy. Seeing the number of specialist forward pockets fail in recent years (with the exception of Phil Matera) shows flankers/pockets need to versatile. 

[bluey_21]

Ray Hall should be beefed up to let bowden play on the ball.

[mightytiges]

Ray Hall should be beefed up to let bowden play on the ball.

Yep like most of the list they have in Wallace's words "sailors' legs" and need beefing up although Razor looks like a naturally long and lanky type. He appears to be another one of these in-between types and what he really needs to do if he wants a long AFL career is find and settle into a position.

Joel is an outside midfielder when he plays that role. He needs the ball fed to him. He hasn't gone in and won his own ball since his first year or two prior to his shoulder injuries. IMO put him on a HBF so he can rebound without contesting with a CHF 10kg heavier than him plus occasionally stints in the midfield as part of the rotation. I wouldn't mind him seeing Joel swap with Cambo in forward pocket either this year.