Our midfield

[Simonator]

Hopper has had a good year in comparison to the rest of our team, but that doesn’t mean much imo.

Only 1 tractor can be in the midfield at a time. Pretty much the model of all successful midfields atm.

Holmes, Smith, Atkins
Anderson, Miller, Rowell
Bont, Richard’s, Libba

Some other teams have a better balance like Collingwood, but pendles has slowed down but is surrounded by guys like the daicos’ boys with lots of zip.
Brisbane really well balanced, Dunkley probably the closest to a tractor
Adelaide well balanced but Laird is pretty slow

[Andyy]

Rowell is a jet compared to the speeds of Taranto and Hopper.

Atkins too.

Libba quicker although not super fast himself.

We just have nobody with breakaway capacity who can hit a target like Bolton or Dusty, but we've been spoiled in the last 15 years with some classy mids.

[tdy]

I'd just preach patience. I don't mind hopper when he gets on the park. He uses the ball reasonably well from what I've seen when he gets it. Saying that I have not watched a lot this year.

[one-eyed]

Yze on Taj Hotton and Seth Campbell playing in the midfield…

“It's something we’re looking at. We want to give them some exposure this season, and leading into next year, we'll look at upping the ante with that and giving them more exposure and more time. Right now, we've got a midfield crew with (Tim) Taranto, (Jacob) Hopper and (Dion) Prestia. We want to add some flair to that and some youth to that as well, so they've got a role that they're playing right now and hopefully in the future that will grow. It's exciting, not only for us but for our fans…just a little taste, and hopefully that will grow over time.”

Source: RFC website.

[MintOnLamb]

Plus McCauliffe

[pmac21]

The dump kicking of Taranto coupled with the ultra slow decision making of Hopper is insufferable. 
They have to be better than this. 
Plus if they could put some pressure on that would be nice for next year. 

[ajGreen]

Categorizing rowell as a tractor feels very harsh

[ajGreen]

End of season - CBA stats -


Toby Nankervis   457   83%   
            
Jacob Hopper   466   81%      
      
Tim Taranto   428   81%      

Dion Prestia   189   68%      
                                       
Kane McAuliffe   70   59%                                 
                                          
Samson Ryan   25   56%      
                                                                  
Thomson Dow   130   44%      
                           
Jack Ross   194   34%      

Kamdyn McIntosh   135   24%

[Hard Roar Tiger]

That looks very one paced and easily exposed to me

[Andyy]

That looks very one paced and easily exposed to me

I think we just haven't got enough games out of the correct players tbh.

Slow: Nank, Hopper, TT, Prestia, Ryan, Ross, KMac to a lesser extent

Quick(er): KMac2 but injured, Dow but I don't rate him too highly, gee that's a short list of blokes with some pace!

[the claw]

That looks very one paced and easily exposed to me

I think we just haven't got enough games out of the correct players tbh.

Slow: Nank, Hopper, TT, Prestia, Ryan, Ross, KMac to a lesser extent

Quick(er): KMac2 but injured, Dow but I don't rate him too highly, gee that's a short list of blokes with some pace!

Dow is not quick in fact like the others exasperates the problem.

[the claw]

End of season - CBA stats -


Toby Nankervis   457   83%   31yo his style of play likely means when the end comes it will come quickly.
            
Jacob Hopper   466   81%   29yo Hopper a good inside mid but has little pace and is found wanting on the spread    
      
Tim Taranto   428   81%   28yo See Hopper total liability defensively too often because of his lack of pace.    

Dion Prestia   189   68%   33yo  been a great servant but is  slowing and it kills us again on the spread and unable to run defensively. up its time to delist or make sure he is there only for cover and depth.    trouble is when clubs keep these types they cant help themselves and they play all year just look at McIntosh. Mid numbers are horrible reckon all of Dow Ross and Prestia will stay not because they are going to take us anywhere   but for depth due to those poor numbers.
                                       
Kane McAuliffe   70   59%   A kid who has very good pace who crunches tackles and should become a good player.                              
                                          
Samson Ryan   25   56%   Looks a flop atm he will enter his 6th season next year and turns 25 this december.
                                                                  
Thomson Dow   130   44%   Slow battler has no real weapons and kills us on the spread.   
                           
Jack Ross   194   34%   25yo 92 game plodder who needs to go. He is typical of clubs making the same mistake over and over and not making a tough call. will be another very ordinary player we have got to 100 games. Early days it was okay but now we need to use games he is getting on kids and actually replace him with a mature mid WHO CAN ACTUALLY PLAY CONSISTENTLY WELL..

Kamdyn McIntosh   135   24% delisted.

Can see all of them being retained this year bar McIntosh obviously. but we sure as hell need to not only replace them but get our mid numbers up to a sustainable level without them on the list.
In Three years time it is not inconceivable, indeed likely all of them are gone bar McAuliffe hopefully  and probably Taranto maybe Hopper as well as vets..

This year lets say we dont cut any genuine mids at all i would go something like this in this draft.

2024 crop
Lalor
Hotton
Smillie
McAuliffe

Pick 2 2025 mid
Pick 3 2025 mid
f/s Kellaway 2025 mid.
ND pick that we get in. Use on a ruckman. so there is a young ruckman.

F/A 2025. mature bodied mid if available or small forward or ruckman.
PSSS , MSD , PSD  and Rookie Draft  2025.Utilise at least 2 of the rookie sytems  Target a few state league types may not be on mids but flankers. Get 8 new faces in make sure we get 5 mids of differing types a ruckman and a small forward

Our mid numbers would then be where they need to be .
The current mids we have plus 5 this off season would equal 15. Pretty sure we are going to take at least three regardless and we would still have to cut the likes of ross dow Sonsie and retire Prestia over the coming seasons so still work to do over a three year period.

[Andyy]

Like button for you clawski

[MintOnLamb]

End of season - CBA stats -


Toby Nankervis   457   83%   31yo his style of play likely means when the end comes it will come quickly.
            
Jacob Hopper   466   81%   29yo Hopper a good inside mid but has little pace and is found wanting on the spread    
      
Tim Taranto   428   81%   28yo See Hopper total liability defensively too often because of his lack of pace.    

Dion Prestia   189   68%   33yo  been a great servant but is  slowing and it kills us again on the spread and unable to run defensively. up its time to delist or make sure he is there only for cover and depth.    trouble is when clubs keep these types they cant help themselves and they play all year just look at McIntosh. Mid numbers are horrible reckon all of Dow Ross and Prestia will stay not because they are going to take us anywhere   but for depth due to those poor numbers.
                                       
Kane McAuliffe   70   59%   A kid who has very good pace who crunches tackles and should become a good player.                              
                                          
Samson Ryan   25   56%   Looks a flop atm he will enter his 6th season next year and turns 25 this december.
                                                                  
Thomson Dow   130   44%   Slow battler has no real weapons and kills us on the spread.   
                           
Jack Ross   194   34%   25yo 92 game plodder who needs to go. He is typical of clubs making the same mistake over and over and not making a tough call. will be another very ordinary player we have got to 100 games. Early days it was okay but now we need to use games he is getting on kids and actually replace him with a mature mid WHO CAN ACTUALLY PLAY CONSISTENTLY WELL..

Kamdyn McIntosh   135   24% delisted.

Can see all of them being retained this year bar McIntosh obviously. but we sure as hell need to not only replace them but get our mid numbers up to a sustainable level without them on the list.
In Three years time it is not inconceivable, indeed likely all of them are gone bar McAuliffe hopefully  and probably Taranto maybe Hopper as well as vets..

This year lets say we dont cut any genuine mids at all i would go something like this in this draft.

2024 crop
Lalor
Hotton
Smillie
McAuliffe

Pick 2 2025 mid
Pick 3 2025 mid
f/s Kellaway 2025 mid.
ND pick that we get in. Use on a ruckman. so there is a young ruckman.

F/A 2025. mature bodied mid if available or small forward or ruckman.
PSSS , MSD , PSD  and Rookie Draft  2025.Utilise at least 2 of the rookie sytems  Target a few state league types may not be on mids but flankers. Get 8 new faces in make sure we get 5 mids of differing types a ruckman and a small forward

Our mid numbers would then be where they need to be .
The current mids we have plus 5 this off season would equal 15. Pretty sure we are going to take at least three regardless and we would still have to cut the likes of ross dow Sonsie and retire Prestia over the coming seasons so still work to do over a three year period.

All sounds good BUT we seem to have no luck in selecting young ruckman and developing them.
I think our last good draftee ruckman was Ottens??

We probably could have got Grundy 2? Years ago, who are the potential 25 y o ruckman going around? If we could target one of them that would be my preference, any comment??

[Andyy]

End of season - CBA stats -


Toby Nankervis   457   83%   31yo his style of play likely means when the end comes it will come quickly.
            
Jacob Hopper   466   81%   29yo Hopper a good inside mid but has little pace and is found wanting on the spread    
      
Tim Taranto   428   81%   28yo See Hopper total liability defensively too often because of his lack of pace.    

Dion Prestia   189   68%   33yo  been a great servant but is  slowing and it kills us again on the spread and unable to run defensively. up its time to delist or make sure he is there only for cover and depth.    trouble is when clubs keep these types they cant help themselves and they play all year just look at McIntosh. Mid numbers are horrible reckon all of Dow Ross and Prestia will stay not because they are going to take us anywhere   but for depth due to those poor numbers.
                                       
Kane McAuliffe   70   59%   A kid who has very good pace who crunches tackles and should become a good player.                              
                                          
Samson Ryan   25   56%   Looks a flop atm he will enter his 6th season next year and turns 25 this december.
                                                                  
Thomson Dow   130   44%   Slow battler has no real weapons and kills us on the spread.   
                           
Jack Ross   194   34%   25yo 92 game plodder who needs to go. He is typical of clubs making the same mistake over and over and not making a tough call. will be another very ordinary player we have got to 100 games. Early days it was okay but now we need to use games he is getting on kids and actually replace him with a mature mid WHO CAN ACTUALLY PLAY CONSISTENTLY WELL..

Kamdyn McIntosh   135   24% delisted.

Can see all of them being retained this year bar McIntosh obviously. but we sure as hell need to not only replace them but get our mid numbers up to a sustainable level without them on the list.
In Three years time it is not inconceivable, indeed likely all of them are gone bar McAuliffe hopefully  and probably Taranto maybe Hopper as well as vets..

This year lets say we dont cut any genuine mids at all i would go something like this in this draft.

2024 crop
Lalor
Hotton
Smillie
McAuliffe

Pick 2 2025 mid
Pick 3 2025 mid
f/s Kellaway 2025 mid.
ND pick that we get in. Use on a ruckman. so there is a young ruckman.

F/A 2025. mature bodied mid if available or small forward or ruckman.
PSSS , MSD , PSD  and Rookie Draft  2025.Utilise at least 2 of the rookie sytems  Target a few state league types may not be on mids but flankers. Get 8 new faces in make sure we get 5 mids of differing types a ruckman and a small forward

Our mid numbers would then be where they need to be .
The current mids we have plus 5 this off season would equal 15. Pretty sure we are going to take at least three regardless and we would still have to cut the likes of ross dow Sonsie and retire Prestia over the coming seasons so still work to do over a three year period.

All sounds good BUT we seem to have no luck in selecting young ruckman and developing them.
I think our last good draftee ruckman was Ottens??

We probably could have got Grundy 2? Years ago, who are the potential 25 y o ruckman going around? If we could target one of them that would be my preference, any comment??

I'd give Draper a go if the price is right.

Otherwise if CDT is available I genuinely think we should consider it, despite the need for mids. Add P4 mid + Kellaway, work with what we have, chase a FA in 2026 eg Butters.