Was getting excited about the season ahead but have succumb to my usual pessimism which stems mainly from our appalling stocks of midfielders. I went through the entire list and besides Jones, who else is going to play there for us in 2013?

Trengove - ? (probably but I'm still not sure if he's a midfielder or not, reminds me of Brock McLean a bit)

Grimes - ? (seems more suited to the backline, not sure he's a midfielder)

McKenzie - ? (seems to be Simon Godfrey 2.0)

Sylvia - ? (not convinced he's a midfielder)

Rodan - ? (too old to be an effective 4 qtr midfielder)

Toumpas - ? (too young and slight to play a significant role in the 2013 midfield)

Viney - ? (hopefully will be a star but this year I expect him to be a bit part player)

Blease - ? (outside player, but will he be able to overcome the curse of injuries)

Howe - ? (is he a mid or a flanker?)

Evans - ? (haven't seen enough of him)

Barry - ? (too young and slight for this year)

Tapscott - ? (does he have the tank for the midfield or is he yet another half forward flanker, our list seems to be full of)

Taggert - ? (haven't seen enough of him, so question marks over him)

M. Jones - ? (depth player at best, as with most MFC players hope my low expectations of him are well and truly exceeded)

Have I forgotten anyone?

I'll echo what just about everyone else on the forums has said before, this midfield is worse than 3rd world.

It's going to be a frustrating 2013 for those expecting more wins I think. I'm lowering my expectations accordingly and hoping like hell that I see an ongoing improvement throughout the season in fitness, skills, teamwork and match-day tactics.

Mods feel free to merge this with whatever thread you deem most appropriate, I had a search for "midfield" as a thread title and came up blank

Was getting excited about the season ahead but have succumb to my usual pessimism which stems mainly from our appalling stocks of midfielders. I went through the entire list and besides Jones, who else is going to play there for us in 2013?

Trengove - ? (probably but I'm still not sure if he's a midfielder or not, reminds me of Brock McLean a bit)

Grimes - ? (seems more suited to the backline, not sure he's a midfielder)

McKenzie - ? (seems to be Simon Godfrey 2.0)

Sylvia - ? (not convinced he's a midfielder)

Rodan - ? (too old to be an effective 4 qtr midfielder)

Toumpas - ? (too young and slight to play a significant role in the 2013 midfield)

Viney - ? (hopefully will be a star but this year I expect him to be a bit part player)

Blease - ? (outside player, but will he be able to overcome the curse of injuries)

Howe - ? (is he a mid or a flanker?)

Evans - ? (haven't seen enough of him)

Barry - ? (too young and slight for this year)

Tapscott - ? (does he have the tank for the midfield or is he yet another half forward flanker, our list seems to be full of)

Taggert - ? (haven't seen enough of him, so question marks over him)

M. Jones - ? (depth player at best, as with most MFC players hope my low expectations of him are well and truly exceeded)

Have I forgotten anyone?

I'll echo what just about everyone else on the forums has said before, this midfield is worse than 3rd world.

It's going to be a frustrating 2013 for those expecting more wins I think. I'm lowering my expectations accordingly and hoping like hell that I see an ongoing improvement throughout the season in fitness, skills, teamwork and match-day tactics.

Mods feel free to merge this with whatever thread you deem most appropriate, I had a search for "midfield" as a thread title and came up blank

Well, it is boiled lollies and we are hoping for a footy transubstantiation! I think we need to poach one good mid and bank on the development of kids. Only three need to make it, but they need to make it as genuine A graders. viney, blease, toumpas and taggert have the potential I reckon. If trengove, grimes, evans and M Jones prove to be B to B+ mids, we'll smash it.

We have the worst midfield in the league IMO.

Until we trade in midfield talent we are going nowhere. We can't keep banking on kids in hope. We've done this for decades and it's got us nowhere. It's time we took a hint from the Swans and go get some midfield talent from other clubs. If we can bring across a Josh Kennedy type then we get talent, experience, and skill. Until that happens we won't move out of the bottom 4, let alone challenge for a flag. It's bloody frustrating!

Jones

Grimes

Mckenzie

Viney

+ Jamar

This is what the centre square will look like at 1.30pm on the 31st. I doesn't fill me with confidence. Will will only beat sub par teams with this.

Agree bring in some mids 22-28 year olds so many times on this board have I read " he still needs time to develop" so sick of hearing that we must buy other players simple as that

Well, it is boiled lollies and we are hoping for a footy transubstantiation! I think we need to poach one good mid and bank on the development of kids. Only three need to make it, but they need to make it as genuine A graders. viney, blease, toumpas and taggert have the potential I reckon. If trengove, grimes, evans and M Jones prove to be B to B+ mids, we'll smash it.

Trengove will be an A grader, too much talent and works too hard not to be. Being marked to hard on last season.

Isn't funny how quickly things turn around.. Couple of years ago we supposed to have the best up and coming midfield in the competion.. now we are probably the worst. Half of our midfielders are battlers though.. Magner, Couch, Mckenzie etc.. We really need that elite midfielder that can burst from packs of damage sides in and around the contests. This is why im hoping Viney and Toumpas come good and even Trengove and Grimes. All four were absloute gun midfielders back in the under 18s. Both grimes and trengove reeeally need to step it up this year if we are to move forward.

What about Kent, he looks alright

Kent needs to build his engine up a bit this year. will play half forward with 5 minute burst in the middle.

The more I think about it, the more I realise that we need Trenners to start playing like a true number 2 draft pick this year. He needs to take some games by the scruff of the neck and lead this club out of the mire it finds itself in. He is vital to the success of the midfield group this year and he knows it.

Mckenzie and Trengove both had poor years, if they find form we'll be ok. From what i've seen in the nab cup Magner should be given a chance in the middle. Rodan too, hopefully he still has the pace. With Viney too we have plenty of inside options. I think Grimes is important in defence due to his marking.

Jones

Grimes

Mckenzie

Viney

+ Jamar

This is what the centre square will look like at 1.30pm on the 31st. I doesn't fill me with confidence. Will will only beat sub par teams with this.

A Backman, a tagger who can't kick and a first year player. If the game is won in the midfield then we are in trouble.

It's all about the midfield starting to play as a midfield unit, rather than a collection of assorted midfielders.

The top 4 or 5 simply need to get used to playing together as a unit. They need a string of games where all of them are available, at least 3 of them should be together on the ball at any time, and they should work out and practice a few simple set plays.

At the moment it seems like all our mids in whatever combination play as individuals, with everybody going for the ball, nobody blocking and nobody running into space so the in-and-unders know where to find them from a clearance.

It concerns me that we still haven't settled on our starting midfield A-team. Instead we've used our praccie matches to try out different midfield combinations and as an audition for the newbies.

We won't challenge the top sides until our midfielders do start to work together as a midfield team.

Jones

Trengrove

Viney

Watts

Was getting excited about the season ahead but have succumb to my usual pessimism which stems mainly from our appalling stocks of midfielders. I went through the entire list and besides Jones, who else is going to play there for us in 2013?

Trengove - ? (probably but I'm still not sure if he's a midfielder or not, reminds me of Brock McLean a bit)

Grimes - ? (seems more suited to the backline, not sure he's a midfielder)

McKenzie - ? (seems to be Simon Godfrey 2.0)

Sylvia - ? (not convinced he's a midfielder)

Rodan - ? (too old to be an effective 4 qtr midfielder)

Toumpas - ? (too young and slight to play a significant role in the 2013 midfield)

Viney - ? (hopefully will be a star but this year I expect him to be a bit part player)

Blease - ? (outside player, but will he be able to overcome the curse of injuries)

Howe - ? (is he a mid or a flanker?)

Evans - ? (haven't seen enough of him)

Barry - ? (too young and slight for this year)

Tapscott - ? (does he have the tank for the midfield or is he yet another half forward flanker, our list seems to be full of)

Taggert - ? (haven't seen enough of him, so question marks over him)

M. Jones - ? (depth player at best, as with most MFC players hope my low expectations of him are well and truly exceeded)

Have I forgotten anyone?

I'll echo what just about everyone else on the forums has said before, this midfield is worse than 3rd world.

It's going to be a frustrating 2013 for those expecting more wins I think. I'm lowering my expectations accordingly and hoping like hell that I see an ongoing improvement throughout the season in fitness, skills, teamwork and match-day tactics.

Mods feel free to merge this with whatever thread you deem most appropriate, I had a search for "midfield" as a thread title and came up blank

You can echo for everybody except me, and they say it because the media says it

Magner?

Thought Matt Jones showed a little on the weekend.

Certainly knows how to get it, which is probably the starting point on being a good midfielder.

Has a bit of pace and moves ok.

I know I'm clutching at straws with our poor midfield, but you never know with this bloke.

Wouldn't surprise if he plays 16+ games in the midfield.

Magner?

Wouldn't be the worst option in the world.

Gets a fair bit of it, but disposal lets him down.

Jones, Grimes, Viney, and who else?

That will be the epitaph for this season.

I want competitors.

I want to blood the good kids, forget about the projects and play hardened bodies around Viney, Toumpas, Blease, and Kent when they play.

I do not want to see see us play with all our 'journeymen' but I don't want us to play all the kids - that road is paved with seasons pastand it is a long winter of dicontent.

How about:

• Gysberts
• Morton
• Bennell
• Bate
• Moloney

Let's remember that these players made way for:

• Toumpas
• Viney
• Barry
• M. Jones
• Kent

For crying out loud, is this not an improvement that you're prepared to invest in?

It is for me.

I'd like to see Nathan Jones and Matt Jones rip the first 6 games apart....then see the headlines in the papers saying "Keeping up with the Jones's"

How about:

• Gysberts
• Morton
• Bennell
• Bate
• Moloney

Let's remember that these players made way for:

• Toumpas
• Viney
• Barry
• M. Jones
• Kent

For crying out loud, is this not an improvement that you're prepared to invest in?

It is for me.

Don't know yet.

How about:

• Gysberts
• Morton
• Bennell
• Bate
• Moloney

Let's remember that these players made way for:

• Toumpas
• Viney
• Barry
• M. Jones
• Kent

For crying out loud, is this not an improvement that you're prepared to invest in?

It is for me.

More than happy to invest in and support the new breed, but they are still young. They will hopefully become better players than the 1st list over time, but im not sure they will be much more valuable to us on field in 2013 than the guys we let go.

Moloney is a B&F winner who played some very good games in the jumper. Morton, Gysberts & Bate were selected with high picks and played some decent games at time - the new list of names dont sit any higher in my mind's pecking order until i see them prove themselves on the 'G.

Was getting excited about the season ahead but have succumb to my usual pessimism which stems mainly from our appalling stocks of midfielders. I went through the entire list and besides Jones, who else is going to play there for us in 2013?

Trengove - ? (probably but I'm still not sure if he's a midfielder or not, reminds me of Brock McLean a bit)

Grimes - ? (seems more suited to the backline, not sure he's a midfielder)

McKenzie - ? (seems to be Simon Godfrey 2.0)

Sylvia - ? (not convinced he's a midfielder)

Rodan - ? (too old to be an effective 4 qtr midfielder)

Toumpas - ? (too young and slight to play a significant role in the 2013 midfield)

Viney - ? (hopefully will be a star but this year I expect him to be a bit part player)

Blease - ? (outside player, but will he be able to overcome the curse of injuries)

Howe - ? (is he a mid or a flanker?)

Evans - ? (haven't seen enough of him)

Barry - ? (too young and slight for this year)

Tapscott - ? (does he have the tank for the midfield or is he yet another half forward flanker, our list seems to be full of)

Taggert - ? (haven't seen enough of him, so question marks over him)

M. Jones - ? (depth player at best, as with most MFC players hope my low expectations of him are well and truly exceeded)

Yet another exercise in pessimistic delusion (I use delusion because people keep telling me I'm deluded for being optimistic).

Trengove - Heaps of talent and will bleed for the MFC.

Grimes - One of the silkiest ball players I've seen. Can run onto a ball and take the game on.

McKenzie - Every team needs a McKenzie. One of the best taggers in the comp.

Sylvia - ? Yeah, not sure, but if the team is up and going he can be a game breaker.

Rodan - Have you watched him? He has the smarts and the strength to get the hard ball and then extricate himself from a pack. Good value pick up.

Toumpas - Can't expect him to smash it first up but he's a classy kid who can kick goals.

Viney - Only his courage will prevent him from making an impact. I'm worried he's going to get hurt.

Blease - Fast, damaging outside player.

Howe - He's a flanker but useful for the odd stint in the middle.

Evans - ? (haven't seen enough of him)

Barry - ? (too young and slight for this year)

Tapscott - Can become a damaging forward with the capacity to run off the line into the centre contest and play a blocking/stopping role at stoppages.

Taggert - Saw a bit of him as a schoolboy. All the right attributes. Time will tell.

M. Jones - Will offer some depth but could well surprise.

Just another way of looking at it.

GO DEES!

What this shows is how poorly we have recruited and developed midfielders in recent times. It really is pathetic that with all the early picks we have had in recent years that at this stage we only have one A grade midfielder. While it is too early to tell on recently acquired midfielders like Trengove, who no doubt could develop into an A grader, you only need to look at early picks dating as far back as 2001 to realise how we've blown many chances to acquire A grade midfield talent.

The best midfields appear to have a core of about 6 players, usually about three elite (A grade) midfielders and three very good (B+) midfielders. They are then supported by fringe midfielders who can play a role and add value in different areas but are not necessarily themselves great players. It is these types who look better when supported by elite midfielders and would be more exposed in poor midfield groups.

That's what we need to aim towards and the only way to get there is through recruiting and developing what we have. People can go on and on about midfield depth and having an even group of midfielders, but until we have some other players joining Jones in that elite/very good core of 6 or so players we just won't be able to compete with the best midfields in the competition.

The good news is that we do have a few players on the list capable of getting there. If they can develop and push themselves into that core and we add another 1 or 2 through the draft / trades then we can get there. It will take work though and some smart decision-making.