Clean out to suit modern game

[bjDee 1,249]

Stalin would have a good solution for this lot

And it wouldn't cost much either

I've lost so much interest I couldn't be stuffed chipping in for the cost of the bullets.

[Norm Smith's Curse 2,588]

Did you start barracking for Melbourne this year or something?

Midfield is the start of the problem

You jest - no one in their right mind would start barracking for the Demons this season...

Sure, never said otherwise but a midfield wont stop the ball being pressed into our defensive 50 until we cough it up. Watch and learn.

[Norm Smith's Curse 2,588]

Jack watts was our best player tonight you are a bad fan mate. Im angry at the club but dont knock a kid down on form when he gets 34 touches in his come back game he was great tonight and i think he found a spot going forward. Looked great around the pack's and seem's to have alot of time sam fisher like.

I guess I was a bit harsh but it was those sections of the game where he turned it over twice in les than 20 seconds that p!ssed me off

[stranga 328]

Not so, 2 to 3 years would probably do it, we do have some players that can hold their own, it's just that we need some midfielders to balance up the side. At the moment the forwards have little to do and the Backs are overwhelmed. We need to get some quality in the middle of the ground so we can control the ball instead of chasing the opposition with little or no hope of catching them.

I don't see more than 5 or 6 of the current group as part of the future. It would need to be a complete clean out to rid the club of the current issues. Anyway 2 to 3 years is too long also. I'm not interested in watching another rebuild, and I'm sure many feel the same way.

[Striker475 696]

Sourced from http://www.bigfooty....ad.php?t=767361

Contracted to End of 2011

Jack Fitzpatrick

Joel Macdonald

Contracted to End of 2012

Rohan Bail

Clint Bartram

Matthew Bate

Jamie Bennell

Sam Blease

Lucas Cook

Troy Davis

Lynden Dunn

Colin Garland

Brad Green (Upgraded to Veterans List)

Jeremy Howe

Mark Jamar

Neville Jetta

Nathan Jones

Liam Jurrah

Tom McDonald

Jordan McKenzie

Brent Moloney

Ricky Petterd

Jared Rivers

Jake Spencer

James Strauss

Michael Evans (2nd year Rookie)

Kelvin Lawrence (2nd year Rookie)

Daniel Nicholson (2nd year Rookie)

So, from this list.

Hope for free agency departure and resulting compo picks:

Moloney

Bate

Dunn

Meh either way:

Jamar (heard a rumour Collingwood want to pinch him)

Rivers (if he stays well and good, but not paying overs for him if he gets a big FA offer)

Delist:

Bennell

Dunn (if not FA)

Bate (if not FA)

Bail

Spencer

Green (if not FA)

Moloney (if not FA)

Spencer

Trading block:

Sylvia

Davey

Morton

That gives us a bracket of 8-11 players to bring in. We use the draft picks for top mids as by my count we are delisting 5 of them (Viney + 2/3 first rounders depending on ladder position). Also bring in a small forward through the draft, or consider other options (Manson as an example).

MFC 2013 best 22 in my book:

B: Bartram Frawley Strauss

HB: Grimes Rivers Garland

C: Blease Viney Trengove

HF: Howe Watts Jurrah

F: ??? Clark Petterd

R: Jamar Jones ???

I/C: ??? Gysberts Martin ???

??? can be players brought in. Obviously, beyond this there will be depth anyway. TMc is part of said depth as one example, but we will bring in others. Later picks go for proven VFL, SANFL, WAFL players. Guys that are craving the step up. Or do the GWS swoop on the retirees. Simon Black doesn't get a new deal? Swoop. Shane Tuck? Swoop. Geelong players? Swoop. Anyone and everyone who we think we can get an extra year out of simply to show these pricks what's what, even if they're on the rookie list. I don't give a rats. Pick them up.

Edited May 19, 2012 by Striker475

[scarlett 247]

how many essendon supporters sat in this same position and said the same thing about their midfield being horrible and no chance of improvement, west coast of '10 sat here and told everyone how there midfield turned it over too much and had no defence with no one to cover glass. These are drastic turn arounds but confidence size and fitness can turn things around, I'm not saying we'll jump up the ladder like these teams but improvement will come. I suppose it also depends on how much the other teams improve as well but I dont believe our improvement will jump up the ladder till our young players are our middle age players if that makes sense.

[Norm Smith's Curse 2,588]

Assuming Jurrah doesnt go to jail. Blease and Gysberts have potentiall.

[The HuLK 139]

We need to do what hawthorn done in 2005... clarko came in seen where the problems were and got rid of the rot. Neeld must do the same.

[Norm Smith's Curse 2,588]

We need to do what hawthorn done in 2005... clarko came in seen where the problems were and got rid of the rot. Neeld must do the same.

I think you are right.

[Dr. Mubutu 812]

Definitely. Would love an influential former gun player to come in.

Like Brian Royal? O_o

[Dr. Mubutu 812]

how many essendon supporters sat in this same position and said the same thing about their midfield being horrible and no chance of improvement, west coast of '10 sat here and told everyone how there midfield turned it over too much and had no defence with no one to cover glass. These are drastic turn arounds but confidence size and fitness can turn things around, I'm not saying we'll jump up the ladder like these teams but improvement will come. I suppose it also depends on how much the other teams improve as well but I dont believe our improvement will jump up the ladder till our young players are our middle age players if that makes sense.

The difference is that they had decent senior players.

[drdrake 3,151]

The funny thing is our game style from the past few years is half of the modern game. More teams are back using the coridor and have the attacking flare, the difference with those teams are they attack hard but also defend very hard, we now have neither right. We have focussed on defending hard that we have forgotten how to attack and when you can't attack you are constantly defending and your defenses will crack. We are so focussed on finding our man we lose focus on the footy which is why we dominate the hit outs but get smashed in clearances.

I don't think we are as far off as many, you can read many posts in the pre season most people picked we would be 1-10, 2-9 and at best 4-7, we all knew that our midfield was our weakest link and our senior players go missing against good sides, nothing has changed. The issue remains with keeping our young players fit, we need to see Gysberts, Blease, Tapscott, Strauss get fit and play good footy in the back half of the season. We need these four plus Watts, Grimes and Trengove to really improve as AFL footballers. I don't hold much hope in luring any decent player to us in the off season, we will need to develop more young players, add in Viney with another 2 maybe 3 first round picks midfielders and maybe a running half back. I was happy with Tynan and impressed the Taggart at Casey he can at least kick the footy well.

We will have a min of 6 changes to our list at years end, start with Green, Davey I expect one of Moloney or Jamar to go as a free agent, one of Bate or Dunn delisted or traded, on of Fitzpatrick or Spencer delisted and either Morton or Sylvia will be traded.

One thing we have to do is stop comparing us to any other team, the rebuild that we have been and still are required to do is builing a new team with little foundations. The players that should be the pillars are just not good enough.

[Geddy Lee 582]

Some people here might want to waste a few more seasons on duds like Morton and Watts but its pretty clear both are tambling material for mine.

We heard you the first time.

Morton has been the least of our problems this year.

[Adam The God 29,941]

You must be watching a different game. Im watching the one were the defenders have spent the last 10 minutes passing between each other in a panic until the turnover inevitably happens... We cant even get it out of the back 50 - the saints kept it in there for the last quarter, similarly last week - just press it in and wait for the dees to turn it over or panic.

Why would they be kicking it back and forth? Because the midfield won't present for them. If they just kick it long in hope (which they do quite a bit) it'll be rebounded and shot against them, because our midfield won't run.

[Adam The God 29,941]

You jest - no one in their right mind would start barracking for the Demons this season...

Sure, never said otherwise but a midfield wont stop the ball being pressed into our defensive 50 until we cough it up. Watch and learn.

Um, yes it will. That's exactly what it'll do. If they presented up field and ran hard to block and cover for each other, the defenders would have somewhere to kick it.

Edited May 22, 2012 by AdamFarr

[Norm Smith's Curse 2,588]

Um, yes it will. That's exactly what it'll do. If they presented up field and ran hard to block and cover for each other, the defenders would have somewhere to kick it.

Ok I guess you got me there. Midfield pressure has ofcourse been pathetic this year.