The Mitch Clark Thread

[Lil_red_fire_engine 10,162]

Clark is a great get and gives us a much better structure. IMO it looks more like:

Howe Watts Sylvia

Jurrah Clark Davey

Does ask the question about where Bate, Green, Petterd and Dunn fit in.

This is about how I see it as well. I would be moving on at least one of Bate, Petterd, Dunn.

[Biffen 12,323]

Petterd is a great player and we will keep him for sure .Bater wants to go the the dogs ,given his lack of opportunity .Maric gone too .

I think we need some crumbers now ,who can kick .Green will be a wingman or half back .

[mrtwister 650]

Devil's advocate time

FF Fev Clark Jurrah

HF Sylvia Watts Howe

Nice. If Fev does a Fevola and acts the [censored] then replace him with Green/Wonna/Petterd. ie nothing to lose by giving him a go.

Edited October 16, 2011 by mrtwister

[PaulRB 5,919]

No chance (if ever there was one) on Fev with recruiting Clark.

Simply don't need him.

Gotta focus on the midfield now.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

One thing I hadn't thought of through all the excitement of getting Clark is that he is a great backup if Juice Newton breaks down.

I would normally expect this humour from DA. Love it.

[Deeoldfart 7,720]

I was stoked to wake up to this news this morning. Mitch Clark is exactly what our forward line needs. Well done to all involved at MFC.

[kongwacker 65]

Just "announced" on Offsiders that Mitch Clark has had a change of mind/heart and will go to MFC.

[Ouch! 2,034]

Devil's advocate time

FF Fev Clark Jurrah

HF Sylvia Watts Howe

Nice. If Fev does a Fevola and acts the [censored] then replace him with Green/Wonna/Petterd. ie nothing to lose by giving him a go.

Yeah not sure Fev will get to the Dees, but this and the other forward line (mentioned in the last couple of pages of this thread) still seems a little big. If Wonna can get himself match fit, I would prefer to see him or someone like Jetta or dare I say it Davey up there somewhere as a crumbing forward.... Howe, Green, Petterd are more Mid sized marking options.... Bloody excited to see Clark at the Dees though!!!

[GawnWithTheWind 604]

Our Lineup can change heaps now

FB: Garland - Frawley - Tapscott

HB: Grimes - Rivers - Blease

C: Trengove - Sylvia - Jones

HF: Howe - Watts - Petterd

FF: Jurrah - Clark - Green

R: Jamar - Moloney - Davey

I: Martin - McKenzie - Gysberts

S: Bail

E: Morton - Bennell - Dunn - Bartram

Sylvia = Now with Clark playing our dominant forward, it will allow Sylvia to train as a midfielder and give some much needed size and raw talent into that group

Petterd = Petterd can be swapping with Sylvia, I see this guy as the same sort of player, big engine with a good preseason and plenty of talent

Green = Boy watch him have a good year without the pressure of all of our forward entries ontop of his head. He will take the third defender and shred some teams in half

Jurrah = Has a big step ladder to climb on now. Pressure off him too and will love having a 200cm 100kg player backing him up down there

Watts = Watts + Clark as the twin towers.

Martin = Ultimate Utility now, 2nd ruck but can seriously now do a job where ever we need him

I am excited

Edited October 16, 2011 by daveytrain1

[darkhorse72 1,724]

great news and a big turnaround....I think Clarks family went...take it son, we'll support you.

[Scoop Junior 2,963]

Agree Big Red and Old.

Watts and Clark will play as the two key talls.

Can't play too many mid-sized half forwards as we will be too top heavy, reducing our crumbing ability, pace and ability to apply forward pressure.

Two of Green, Howe and Jurrah to play as the mid-sized marking forwards. This makes it difficult for Bate - hopefully we can secure a trade deal for him in the next two days.

I think Petterd needs to become more of a midfielder who can go forward, rather than a forward who can go into the midfield. He has played a couple of great games for Casey in the midfield and I think he has the talent to develop into this type of player.

None of our small forwards have established themselves as a guaranteed starter. This position is up for grabs and I would be happy to look at drafting a small, quick forward in the National Draft / Rookie Draft.

[Ungarie boy 233]

Our Lineup can change heaps now

FB: Garland - Frawley - Tapscott

HB: Grimes - Rivers - Blease

C: Trengove - Sylvia - Jones

HF: Howe - Watts - Petterd

FF: Jurrah - Clark - Green

R: Jamar - Moloney - Davey

I: Martin - McKenzie - Gysberts

S: Bail

E: Morton - Bennell - Dunn - Bartram

Sylvia = Now with Clark playing our dominant forward, it will allow Sylvia to train as a midfielder and give some much needed size and raw talent into that group

Petterd = Petterd can be swapping with Sylvia, I see this guy as the same sort of player, big engine with a good preseason and plenty of talent

Green = Boy watch him have a good year without the pressure of all of our forward entries ontop of his head. He will take the third defender and shred some teams in half

Jurrah = Has a big step ladder to climb on now. Pressure off him too and will love having a 200cm 100kg player backing him up down there

Watts = Watts + Clark as the twin towers.

Martin = Ultimate Utility now, 2nd ruck but can seriously now do a job where ever we need him

I am excited

It's really starting to take shape, but I can see Green playing our Quaterback role where his elite kicking skills will set up play forward of centre, whilst he is unlikely to be exposed defensivley (particularily in the air) like Davey can be - an added bonus is that he can be swung forward as needed.

I see Davey now returning to his crumbing role at the feet of our fowards with a license to roam.

That leaves a midfield spot which could be covered by McKenzie, Gysberts and Petterd/Grimes. Whilst Blease, Bail, Nicholson, Evans, Bennel, jetta, Dunn, etc can all float through the remaining flank(s) spot.

The major bonus though is if Wonna gets back to his best, freeing up the Davey/Petterd/Sylvia etc.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

I was listening to "Name Drop Radio" AKA "Off The Bench" on SEN yesterday morning and through all the dribble from Craig Hutchison and Liam Pickering, Pickering did say something interesting that he was with Jade Rawlings when he got a call from Mark Neeld saying "meet me at the airport in an hour, we are going to see Mitch Clark". It literally happened that quickly.

Edited October 16, 2011 by Clint Bizkit

[PaulRB 5,919]

I'd be happy to see Tapscott return to HFF and use his long precise kicking to Clark 30m out directly in front. Move Green into the half back as UB suggested...

[DEEmolisher 0]

Just read his bio on the Lion's website - very impressed

http://www.lions.com...io/default.aspx

Only thing that worries me is the amount of injuries he's had... can he stay fit?

[Rogue 585]

McLean or Clark?

[Jordie_tackles 354]

Only thing that worries me is the amount of injuries he's had... can he stay fit?

That is the Mission......

[Jack7 463]

Amazing,Mitch Clark has gone from a 6 season unfulfilled talent to a champion overnight,we might have our first 100 goal a season full forward!!!

Settle down guys.

[Macca 16,173]

Mark Neeld , the difference maker !

Green has played his best footy as a forward so that's where you play him . Alongside Clark .

And Stef Martin for Centre Half Forward - he reminds me of Earl Spalding .

Jurrah to have a roving commission and Watts as a Utility .

[Hannibal 5,814]

I agree, we probably paid too much but I don't care, it is a statement by the club and a good one.

It's not a "statement", it's an attempt to address short-comings on the playing list. Don't read more into than that.

[Axis of Bob 10,207]

Exactly. This trade has nothing to do with some 'statement' and everything to do with getting a really talented player to fill a role that is vital to our structure.

Neeld is likely to have us play in a much more contested, defensive style and we need a forward to be able to contest consistently against superior opposition numbers.

The trade means that we can play the style of game that we want to. Where we find the extra gold in the deal is that Clark is a really talented player that seemed out of reach.

[Yoda 33]

Just in off Mitch Clark's Twitter feed ...

MitchClark1 Mitch Clark

Thanks 4 the support guys. I'm very excited about the chance to play for such a proud club. Looking fwd to earning the respect of my tmates

31 minutes ago

[Choko 493]

Maybe because they are on TV a lot, but I have watched a lot of Brisbane. Last yr I watched them live a few times, and I actually remember thinking that Mitch Clark was exactly what we needed. A mobile, tall, focal point that can convert and doesn't get pantsed at ground level.

I am extremely excited, because aside from Clark's undoubted ability, there is the added benefit that now, one of he and Watts gets the best backman, the other doesn't. Then Jurrah, Howe, Petterd get 3rd, 4th and 5th. It will make them all more effective footballers.

I think our backline and forward line are sorted (with some assumptions, such as Wonna being fit). Now just growth/development of our midfield, and we're in a good place list management wise!

Go dees!

Edited October 16, 2011 by Choko

[Arrow 1,257]

For anyone who played Ultimate Footy this year with me, it is solely based around a few statistics of each player.

This year I decided to pick up Mitch Clark and thus watched him closely each and every week and position myself to be moderately confident in discussing him.

There is alot of talk about Clark's ability in the ruck vs. the forward line.

From this year's watching I am 100% sold on him being a KPF as opposed to a ruckman. For my fantasy team I was hoping he'd be more active in the ruck but he was not this year and with Brown's injury often played deep.

One of the things I noticed alot of Clark was his assists. Unlike soccer there is no actual 'assist' column in the paper but Clark would be huge.

Consistently taking marks inside or around 50, I often was frustrated at how often he would handball to the runner streaming through or center a ball when inside 50. It may be a good attribute but I often like forwards who are confident to have a go when inside 50.

I couldn't find a reason for his negativity at kicking for goal- he is actually quite accurate albeit with the occasion squib but it will be interesting to see what he is like next year.

Finally, the dukes he has are exceptional. I don't know what else I need to say other than this video..

[Demondeb 8]

I remember both the pre-season and main season games v Lions and cursed Clark numerous times for his work in those games.

If he can be that tall option in the forward line our entry into the forward line may be far more direct. I recall the times we blitzed those teams we got it from one end to the other quickly and made it hard for the backmen but still lacked that one important cog... he is our cog . This will straighten us up and even if he doesn't mark everything, his height and reach will be a major hurdle to opposition backs. What spills can be mopped up by our crumbers and goals aplenty.