The Middle Ground

[beelzebub 22,730]

Im not personally keen on putting Davey in a pocket... far too limiting..( for mine ) is more a position for a crumber. Yes Davey can crumb but hes so much more. Davey on either or any of the flanks works fine for me depending upon the balance of the game . Maric or Wonna are better suited to the pockets. I really dont see Maric as a higher caliber mid.. but a very lethal forward..

The game has evolved so that really other than the FF..CHF..CHB FB and possibly the inclusion of respective pockets all other positions are somewhat fluid ( as is the game ) The game will also dictate whether your floaters are front or back...but your position on run throughs caters to this.

As the game is now far more posessional than positional the notion of positions is all but for the team sheet... Bit like notes after a meeting...invariably useless after 5 mins !! :D

[MrReims 308]

This probably wont surprise any ...however if McDonald is not actually in the best 22 come the start of round one...why does he get an auto leg up ?? Are we now going to perpetuate a maxim..of 'the "nearly best " to play.?

If he is..then fine. if he isnt Im not sure that gives the right message. All players need to earn their spot...captain or no captain. Having said that he is amongst our best run-withs..( when and if fit ) I can see him either playing tag roles or spending some time on the pine. He will need to be managed well. Oll Junior is a much admired quieter achiever. Just not convinced he will be in the top 22 all year. Quite a few champing at the bit...do we deny them game time. Bails is all about getting games into them..only one way to do that.

Not sure the directives of some questions work as i dont think Davey will be part of any starting midfield..yet I couldnt not answer the last question ( I didnt answer yes to both )

6 isnt enough to limit within the bounds of the mids really...but if thats your intent..I'll play along.

McDonalds onfield leadership and tackling alone surely get him over the line. He is also deceptively quick over short distances (seen him towel up Cyril a few times) and one touch usage is incredible. Our tackling has improved out of sight since he has bee captain, can't be just a coincidence. When fit, he needs to be on the park

[Adelaide Demon 0]

Thanks for making these polls. They have been interesting.

My best 22 is

Frawley Warnock Rivers Grimes Garland Bruce McDonald

Jamar Martin*

Davey Scully Jones Moloney Trengove Morton

Jurrah Green Bate Watts Sylvia Wonnaeamirri + one other (of Petterd, Strauss, Blease etc.)

*If Jamar played forward more often, I'd probably prefer Meesen in there.

I say + 1 out of Petterd, Strauss, Blease etc, because our positioning of players can be very flexible considering we have the likes of Davey, Sylvia and Morton to switch around if need be. I can really only see about 3-4 places up for grabs if there are no injuries and no serious drops in form - and they are probably Wonna's, one of the backmen's positions (McDonald...), the second ruck spot, and if Watts, Scully or Trengove aren't ready (but I reckon all three will be).

Edited November 7, 2009 by Adelaide Demon

[DirtyDees DDC 171]

Do we need a spot in the 22 for a designated tagger, such as Jones of St kilda or Cameron Ling? If so, who will it be? Is lynden Dunn up for this type of role (he did a good job on pavlich in rd 20) or Bartram? Or could Moloney be turned into a tagger? I'm thinking about Bartel's key role in tagging Lenny Hayes in the GF, and Ling on Del Santo.

[rpfc 27,692]

Thanks for making these polls. They have been interesting.

My best 22 is

Frawley Warnock Rivers Grimes Garland Bruce McDonald

Jamar Martin*

Davey Scully Jones Moloney Trengove Morton

Jurrah Green Bate Watts Sylvia Wonnaeamirri + one other (of Petterd, Strauss, Blease etc.)

*If Jamar played forward more often, I'd probably prefer Meesen in there.

I say + 1 out of Petterd, Strauss, Blease etc, because our positioning of players can be very flexible considering we have the likes of Davey, Sylvia and Morton to switch around if need be. I can really only see about 3-4 places up for grabs if there are no injuries and no serious drops in form - and they are probably Wonna's, one of the backmen's positions (McDonald...), the second ruck spot, and if Watts, Scully or Trengove aren't ready (but I reckon all three will be).

That looks like a good balanced team.

Not too big in the fwd line, but when your talent isn't big, why go big?

[Crystal Dees 372]

This probably wont surprise any ...however if McDonald is not actually in the best 22 come the start of round one...why does he get an auto leg up ?? Are we now going to perpetuate a maxim..of 'the "nearly best " to play.?

If he is..then fine. if he isnt Im not sure that gives the right message. All players need to earn their spot...captain or no captain. Having said that he is amongst our best run-withs..( when and if fit ) I can see him either playing tag roles or spending some time on the pine. He will need to be managed well. Oll Junior is a much admired quieter achiever. Just not convinced he will be in the top 22 all year. Quite a few champing at the bit...do we deny them game time. Bails is all about getting games into them..only one way to do that.

Not sure the directives of some questions work as i dont think Davey will be part of any starting midfield..yet I couldnt not answer the last question ( I didnt answer yes to both )

6 isnt enough to limit within the bounds of the mids really...but if thats your intent..I'll play along.

At the risk of being accused of blasphemy I totally agree with you in regards to Junior. MFC watchers know how good this guy has been for us over the years. On top of that he is the best bloke at the club. Always has time, a smile and a chat for all supporters and usually last off the track at family events. I accept he is the ideal role model for Scully and Trengove and all players for that matter. I just think there were signs mid season with him doing some very un-junior like things (maybe it was injury related).

I really thought he would retire at seasons end and be part of the mid field coaching staff with Scott West (what an insirational team they would be). I'd hate to see him go out like Ooze but I've got a feeling he will retire before seasons end and that will be sad also. I'd be so happy to be wrong on this and would love to see him win another 'Bluey' but the 2008 & 2009 draftees will make it hard for junior to be a regular.

You're welcome to have a free hit because I don't like thinking it but hey, I still haven't recovered from Robbie's retirement!

Edited November 8, 2009 by Crystal Dees

[Adelaide Demon 0]

That looks like a good balanced team.

Not too big in the fwd line, but when your talent isn't big, why go big?

Yeah, I mean with that forward line, there are quite a number of difficult match-ups there. Green has the running-capacity of a midfielder (and will probably rotate through at time, and off a wing etc.) but is also a strong mark, and obviously he's a fantastic shot for goal. Bate can work up the ground and plays tall, his weakness in his agility and work below his knees means he has to. Jurrah is a difficult match-up, purely because he has all the attributes of both a tall and a small, and having explosive smaller- to mid-size players like Sylvia and Wonna give the forward line more mobility and unpredictability. Obviously Watts will develop in to our premier tall forward but at this stage our forward line is an interesting, evolving and exciting mix of unpredictability.

[torpedo 33]

Not too big in the fwd line, but when your talent isn't big, why go big?

Maybe ask Footscray that.

Bate plays tall

No he doesn't. His KPF experiment at the start of the year was a complete & total failure, even Bailey conceded that in the press. All his best work has been playing a role similar to a medium forward, despite him being 190+ cm.

[rpfc 27,692]

Maybe ask Footscray that.

I posted "when your talent isn't big." Emphasis on 'your.' The Dogs couldn't fashion Hall out of thin air during the season - go with a fwd line that utilises what you have, not what you wish you had.

No he doesn't. His KPF experiment at the start of the year was a complete & total failure, even Bailey conceded that in the press. All his best work has been playing a role similar to a medium forward, despite him being 190+ cm.

Bate can be a lead up CHF. He can't crash packs but if he can build on what he did in 2009 he will be an important marking component to our forward line.

[torpedo 33]

I posted "when your talent isn't big." Emphasis on 'your.' The Dogs couldn't fashion Hall out of thin air during the season - go with a fwd line that utilises what you have, not what you wish you had.

Just noting that the Doggies recognise the importance of a big forward to structure. We have one or two of those as well.

Bate can be a lead up CHF. He can't crash packs but if he can build on what he did in 2009 he will be an important marking component to our forward line.

No doubt he can and does play as a marking half forward, not a KPF though. To suggest he plays 'tall', when he is 192cm & generally plays off a flank, drawing the 3rd tall defender, is just incorrect. At his size marking ability is a given.

[rpfc 27,692]

No doubt he can and does play as a marking half forward, not a KPF though. To suggest he plays 'tall', when he is 192cm & generally plays off a flank, drawing the 3rd tall defender, is just incorrect. At his size marking ability is a given.

Riewoldt on his searching leads 'doesn't play tall' but that is an important part of his game (IMO the defining part of his game). Riewoldt 'plays tall' when he hits packs and takes contested grabs.

Bate does the first part but not the second.

Does that make him a KPF?

I don't know, and we are destined for another pointless semantical argument. But I will say this - he can do the job of a CHF outside of crashing a pack.

Does that make him a flanker?

I really don't think so.

(Apologies for the rhetorical questions - it's bloody hot.)

[torpedo 33]

Riewoldt on his searching leads 'doesn't play tall' but that is an important part of his game (IMO the defining part of his game). Riewoldt 'plays tall' when he hits packs and takes contested grabs.

Bate does the first part but not the second.

I think we just perceive him as a different player. I would consider Bate an ok contested mark, not necessarily strong and certainly not near a Riewoldt CHF level. I would consider his ball use his greatest strength.

[rpfc 27,692]

I think we just perceive him as a different player. I would consider Bate an ok contested mark, not necessarily strong and certainly not near a Riewoldt CHF level. I would consider his ball use his greatest strength.

He's a smart player, no doubt. Being 2nd in assists to Davey is a great effort.

But he covers a lot of ground, and this is where I see him playing a role for the MFC when Watts and Jurrah are starving other forwards. He'll be the lead up target about 70-80 out swinging around and kicking an ungainly kick to the advantage of LJ or JW.

[Adelaide Demon 0]

I don't know, and we are destined for another pointless semantical argument.

Exactly.

I think what I meant when I said he plays 'tall' is that he absolutely cannot play small, because he is no good when the ball is at ground level or anywhere below eye-level for that matter. I didn't mean to say that he was Jonathon Brown by saying he played 'tall'. Maybe I am not aware of what 'tall' means to most of you. Bate's a good player, that's all.

He'll be the lead up target about 70-80 out swinging around and kicking an ungainly kick to the advantage of LJ or JW.

Couldn't have said it better. Edited November 9, 2009 by Adelaide Demon

[rpfc 27,692]

POLL ANALYSIS

I am aware this is an imperfect science but here goes:

45% of posters see Martin as the back up ruck at the start of 2010. It becomes 73% if the votes for Meesen are removed.

An overwhelming majority 82% of respondents feel McDonald is worthy of a spot in the best 22 at the start of the year.

By far, posters feel the first 6 midfielders picked at the start of 2010 will be Moloney, Davey, Jones, Morton, Scully, and Trengove.

There is a near universal desire to see Picks 1 and 2 play from the start of the season.

66% want McDonald to play in defence, rather than midfield (28%).