Our Midfield: an optimist's short story....

[PartyTimeJohnny 537]

A Future Melbourne Midfield:

Jack Viney

Jimmy Toumpas

Jack Trengove

James Aish

Jordie Mckenzie

Nathan Jones

Dom Barry

Sam Blease

This isn't too bad if we get our development right is it?

[Disco Demons 92]

Jordie McKenzie I like. But I'm not sure he has done enough this year. To persist long term.

Blease doesn't have the tank or defensive mindset to play midfield.

Barry hasn't played a game. Reports from Casey ate he is finding his feet.

Think we are missing five more midfield players

[Goodvibes 3,596]

Where are the other 4 - 6?

[PartyTimeJohnny 537]

Yeah definitely another 4 or so needed.

But the stimulus is there isn't it

[Return to Glory 8,448]

Viney, Toumpas, Jones, Aish, Swallow and a slider in this years draft such as a Dom sheed or similar -now that reads better.

Blease no chance IMO

[Return to Glory 8,448]

Add an improver such as Michael Evans and it looks considerably better

[Goodvibes 3,596]

We also need some more size in the engine room. Your list looks very short. We need a Scotty Thompson or a Josh Kennedy or a Jobe Watson or maybe all three.

[Machsy 2,858]

Michael Evans?

Dean Kent?

Dean Terlich?

I'd be quite happy to introduce a Scharenberg, too.

[PartyTimeJohnny 537]

Evans if we can get his kicking right

I see Kent as a forward and Terlich as a HBF

[Return to Glory 8,448]

I agree with Evans kicking but the boy has footy smarts which is a rare commodity here.

[PartyTimeJohnny 537]

We also need some more size in the engine room. Your list looks very short. We need a Scotty Thompson or a Josh Kennedy or a Jobe Watson or maybe all three.

Yeah we are short aren't we....bugger. Would you take a taller mid over Aish on that?

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

really need at least one older mid to guide this group, think sewell or dal santo

[Crackers 67]

You need 12 midfielders. Melbourne coaches, cant remember who, lamented that we only had 8 who could run through the middle to other sides 12

[Goodvibes 3,596]

Yeah we are short aren't we....bugger. Would you take a taller mid over Aish on that?

No I'd take Aish but trade Watts and Jamar and get ourselves a pick that could nab Freeman who I like. He would at least give us the Dangerfield breakaway pace our midfield needs and then I'd release the compromising photos of Andrew Demetriou I own (don't ask!) and ensure we get a priority pick at the pointy end of the draft that could get us Scharenberg. He might have played a lot of footy outside of the midfield but he looks to have all the tools and the size to be Rolls Royce version of Josh Kennedy.

[Goodvibes 3,596]

Oh and Taylor Adams in the pre-season draft would be handy too! Aish, Freeman, Scharenberg and Adams. Now that would be a revolution.

[Blue-and-red 91]

Mckenzie not up to it, anyone with pace burns him off, goof trier, but no footy smarts, he never want to kick the ball, always looking to give-off, doesn't want to take the responsibility for the kick - can't have this in a successful midfield

I doubt whether blease will make it, too inconsistent, selfish & always injured

[Goodvibes 3,596]

Mckenzie not up to it, anyone with pace burns him off, goof trier, but no footy smarts, he never want to kick the ball, always looking to give-off, doesn't want to take the responsibility for the kick - can't have this in a successful midfield

I doubt whether blease will make it, too inconsistent, selfish & always injured

Dangerfield and Ablett might disagree. Jordie is an absolute keeper.

[dazzledavey36 55,458]

Im still on the Luke Dunstan bandwagon and also nathan freeman. Both strong physical players that can crash pack and add massively to our midfield. Aish would be good but we really do need some inside grunt to help Jonesy out.

[stuie 7,374]

Next years possible young midfield group (only counting picks and trades that are a decent chance):

Viney, T. Adams, Barry, Scharenberg, Toumpas, Dunstan

[DeeSpencer 26,091]

Need at least 11-12 mids per game. (Plus 5 defenders, 1 ruck, 1 ruck/forward, 2 key forwards, 1-2 designated small/medium forwards)

Starting inside mids: Nathan Jones, Viney, Mckenzie (tagger)

Starting outside mids: Toumpas, Evans

Forward/mids: Kent, Howe, Sylvia

Half back mid: Grimes

Bench mid with flexibility: Trengove

Sub: Blease (barely rate)

Back up inside mids: ???

Back up outside: Matt Jones, Barry (wont be nearly fully ready by next year I'm confident)

Other possibilities - Taggert, draft picks/mature age additions

Don't rate: Tynan, Nicholson, Magner, Couch, Bail, Tapscott, Rodan, Byrnes as a mid

So I think the best 11 isn't the worlds worst but the problem is we just don't have any real depth. Kent, Toumpas and Howe are inexperienced as midfielders as is Evans really. Trengove can barely get a kick and any list with Sam Blease is a shocker. Viney is carrying too much load. So we look again to next years draft and we replace guys like Rodan, Magner and some proper depth who we believe in. Then maybe Sylvia can spend time forward because he isn't a legitimate mid. The number 2 draft pick can rotate between AFL/VFL with guys like Toumpas, Kent and Evans either holding their spot or at least keeping said draft picks honest.

I'd say you add an experienced player from AFL/VFL but get it right this time, a trade for a ready to go like a Taylor Adams and our top picks are classy and ready then I might be optimistic. There's not enough to be optimistic about yet. Even if we do develop what we have now for next year it's not enough at the moment

Edited August 24, 2013 by the master

[Je Roos Salem 661]

Toumpas needs some evasive skills, a harder edge and more of an attacking mindset before I'm gonna get excited about him as a midfielder.

[Bombay Airconditioning 6,464]

Dangerfield and Ablett might disagree. Jordie is an absolute keeper.

No he's not. So his job is to shut down players yet could only manage two tackles yesterday. I didn't watch the game but can only assume he ran in circles. Thompson killed us. He couldn't even average 1 tackle a qtr. If your disposal is as poor as his you need to bring something. No attacking mindset, a good tagger hurts teams going the other way, he doesn't/can't do this. I thought the job on Ablett was a combined effort. He's had plenty of chances, he must only be a depth player until his contract runs out.

[dazzledavey36 55,458]

No he's not. So his job is to shut down players yet could only manage two tackles yesterday. I didn't watch the game but can only assume he ran in circles. Thompson killed us. He couldn't even average 1 tackle a qtr. If your disposal is as poor as his you need to bring something. No attacking mindset, a good tagger hurts teams going the other way, he doesn't/can't do this. I thought the job on Ablett was a combined effort. He's had plenty of chances, he must only be a depth player until his contract runs out.

Jordie was tagging Dangerfield. Not his fault thompson ran amok.

[whatwhat say what 23,109]

based on this proposed midfield, we would lack depth and look short and slow.

blease, barry and evans are the only ones with genuine pace; one is not up to being a midfielder, one is unproven and very skinny at this stage, and the last can't hit the side of the garage from 10m away.

Edited August 24, 2013 by DemonAndrew

[Bombay Airconditioning 6,464]

Jordie was tagging Dangerfield. Not his fault thompson ran amok.

Fair call , Danger had 21 touches and 5 tackles. Every player should at least be able to make 1 tackle a qtr. Regardless we have seen Jordie's best and in my opinion it's not good enough. I'm aware he never gives up and has great endeavour and is probably loved by all at the club, but if we are to move forward we need to make these decisions. Next year I want Jones, Viney and the mid we trade for starting in the guts. Toumpas on a wing and Trengrove on the other. Let our mids play man on man and become accountable.