Our midfield

[ajGreen]

Kane McAuliffe playing at least some of the intra club game on a wing -  interesting to see.

Makes some sense too with; Grlj, Cumming, Lalor, Smillie, Hotton.

Giving him a fight for midfielder spots. In the kling term.

Hopefully he can improve outside traits

[Andyy]

Kane McAuliffe playing at least some of the intra club game on a wing -  interesting to see.

Makes some sense too with; Grlj, Cumming, Lalor, Smillie, Hotton.

Giving him a fight for midfielder spots. In the kling term.

Hopefully he can improve outside traits

Nah, not for me. I want him playing inside where he dominates at VFL so far.

I think he's ahead of Grlj and Cumming to date. Smilie hurt. Lalor and Hotton going forward at times.

Should be plenty of opportunity in the mid for KMac2.

[ajGreen]

 * The match report says "Tyler Sonsie, Hugo Ralphsmith, Patrick Retschko and Kane McAuliffe started on the wings".


 * Last seasons mid mins as a rough guide going forward; "  End of season - CBA stats -
         
Jacob Hopper   466   81%     
Tim Taranto   428   81%     
Dion Prestia   189   68%     
 Kane McAuliffe   70   59%                                                                                                 
Thomson Dow   130   44%     
Jack Ross   194   34%     
Kamdyn McIntosh   135   24% "

Note: McAuliffe not many appearances @ 70. Cumming. Grlj not on the list. Lalor. Smillie. Hotton. Some combination of being hurt or returning from injury. Plus first year , not expected to play too much inside yet.


 * Smillie being hurt now. Is hopefully irrelevant , to the long term mid make up. Ideally he plays in the guts 50%+, minimum. It'd be suboptimal to draft a big, top 10 mid in a super draft. And not play him there.   


* If grilj. Cumming. Lalor. Smillie. Hotton develop as expected (hoped).  It's going to be challenging for macca & other young kids,  to crack mins inside. At least in the first or even 2nd rotation.


 * This is not accounting for Ross, Taranto, Hopper too. The fringe players are going to have to develop more string to the bow to get a run. Macca being a talented young player hopefully he can work it out. Even if not his natural role.

[Andyy]

* The match report says "Tyler Sonsie, Hugo Ralphsmith, Patrick Retschko and Kane McAuliffe started on the wings".

 * Last seasons mid mins as a rough guide going forward; "  End of season - CBA stats -
         
Jacob Hopper   466   81%     
Tim Taranto   428   81%     
Dion Prestia   189   68%     
 Kane McAuliffe   70   59%                                                                                                 
Thomson Dow   130   44%     
Jack Ross   194   34%     
Kamdyn McIntosh   135   24% "

Note: McAuliffe not many appearances @ 70. Cumming. Grlj not on the list. Lalor. Smillie. Hotton. Some combination of being hurt or returning from injury. Plus first year , not expected to play too much inside yet.

 * Smillie being hurt now. Is hopefully irrelevant , to the long term mid make up. Ideally he plays in the guts 50%+, minimum. It'd be suboptimal to draft a big, top 10 mid in a super draft. And not play him there.   

* If grilj. Cumming. Lalor. Smillie. Hotton develop as expected (hoped).  It's going to be challenging for macca & other young kids,  to crack mins inside. At least in the first or even 2nd rotation.

 * This is not accounting for Ross, Taranto, Hopper too. The fringe players are going to have to develop more string to the bow to get a run. Macca being a talented young player hopefully he can work it out. Even if not his natural role.

See, for KMac2 that's quite a lot of minutes despite less opportunity. I think that is a good thing.

My main point is that I don't think he should be pushed to the wing *at this stage* in anticipation of guys like Cumming (should fit in), Grlj (?hbf initially) or Smillie (injury) getting fit and developed for AFL midfield time. Long-term we'll eventually move past Hop and Taz and will still need a good 5-6 mids in the side.

We're aiming for something like Hopper, Taranto (3-4 years worth), then followed by Smillie, Cumming, KMac2, guys like Lalor/Hotton will be rotating forward. Ross will hopefully be obsolete by this stage.



Ironically when we drafted Ross he looked like a great inside mid option but oh no, we moved him to the outside, and from there he's remained modest IMO. Be a shame if we did this to KMac2 also.

[Hard Roar Tiger]

Based on game sim, will Taranto more of a high hf role like a Toby Greene and pinch hit in midfield? 

[Andyy]

Based on game sim, will Taranto more of a high hf role like a Toby Greene and pinch hit in midfield? 

I see him as more of a Josh Caddy type medium forward than a Toby Green type

[ajGreen]

Based on game sim, will Taranto more of a high hf role like a Toby Greene and pinch hit in midfield?

Based on the match sim. It looks like macca might be used on a wing? I'd happily give him a chance inside.

That said , I'd go -


Banks. Miller. Brown.
Balta. Vlastuin. Trainor.
Grlj. McAuliffe. Hotton.
Taranto. Lynch. Campbell.
Lalor. Faull. Armstrong.
Nankervis. Smillie. Cumming.
Algar. Sims. Gibcus. Rioli. Hopper.


Retscheko. Trezise. Mansell.


 

Yet I question how realistic this is with; prestia. Hopper. Taranto. Ross. Grlk. Cumming. Lalor. Smillie. Hotton. Etc.
*At this stage*

Good teams don't tend to rotate too much:

Neale, Dunkley, Mccluggage 70%+
Ashcroft W 50+%

Martin. Cotchin. Prestia. 70%+
Bolton. Edwards. 50%+
(2020 season)

The smillie injury won't matter in the mid-long term.

Hotton was apparently BOG, or there about playing in the guts.

The coach is obviously high on the idea of lalor. Cumming getting time there too. Hotton/Lalor etc. Should play forward but it's unlikely that's where the coach wants them if they come good in the big picture.

Hopefully Grlj is good enough to push for that position.

Taranto is 28. He is still going to get many mins inside even if used forward more.

Hopper not being versatile complicates matters too.

Best case is 
 Richmond have 5 younger more talented mids than macca who will be A grade and need time playing midfield proper.

Then you have the next tier like Campbell, Rioli.

The likes of sonsie and macca are going to need to play other positions too