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

[dee-luded 2,959]

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?

Size matters !?

ok, we've taggert in the wings, or half forwards?

None of our mids are powerful big men, we need more diverse mids.

We need more mongrel hardness on every line. I would trade watts on this alone, for some New Hard onfield culture...

No more softness at the pill, or the contest, or the chase!!!

Edited August 25, 2013 by dee-luded

[Bombay Airconditioning 6,396]

Look at Freo, when the opposition has the ball they have 18 taggers in the face of their opponents.

[dee-luded 2,959]

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.

absolutely

not just size, but power, & aggression...ability.

melbourne traditionally likes to go for the whiz bang flash of a bobby dazzler.

......how about we go for a Sean Wight type. in todays game he would be a sensational Mid. strength toughness & aggression at the ball & contest.

[dee-luded 2,959]

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.

not only help Jonsey out, but also help us to shift our old outside classy running style back across, to being harder & tougher as a club,,, so we can correct our culture to one comprising a lot more toughness... we can add the frills on an as needs going forward.

you cannot change this culture with a list full of bennells, mortons, watts, daveys, gysberts, bruces, greens, yze's, et al... we need much more of Neitz's, Ox's, JnrMc's, TViney's, Whelans, etc...

our penchant for going for the former is why we have gone sour on the ladder as a club... its a reflection of those who hold sway over the club... nice boys.

.... & the direction our culture has flowed.

[Whispering_Jack 30,140]

I appreciate our deficiencies in the midfield and that we need to focus on that area in the coming trade/free agency and draft period (as well as at least one dangerous crumbing forward) but to me the crux of the matter will be our new head coach and our new midfield coach.

The organisation and structure of our midfield is appalling at the moment and new personnel and a fresh approach to the way our midfield functions will make an enormous difference not only to this vital area, but to the performance of the entire team. I know its obvious but that view has been reinforced in my mind by watching most of the other teams in the competition. I think we can make up a fair bit of ground in this area with the right coaching and direction.

[dazzledavey36 54,944]

not only help Jonsey out, but also help us to shift our old outside classy running style back across, to being harder & tougher as a club,,, so we can correct our culture to one comprising a lot more toughness... we can add the frills on an as needs going forward.

you cannot change this culture with a list full of bennells, mortons, watts, daveys, gysberts, bruces, greens, yze's, et al... we need much more of Neitz's, Ox's, JnrMc's, TViney's, Whelans, etc...

our penchant for going for the former is why we have gone sour on the ladder as a club... its a reflection of those who hold sway over the club... nice boys.

.... & the direction our culture has flowed.

Spot on. This is why GB said we needed mongrol because for too long we have been percieved as very soft and so we bloody should! Though i believe tToumpas will be a good player it should have started off by picking up Wines first. The formidible duo him and jack viney would have made would have set the tone for this club and the future. If we had Wines i would been all for Aish but we need Headunters and physical grunt! This is why we should be chasing Dunstan hard. The guy is tough as nail and will make the same impact as what Wines did this year. Im so over skinny outside class atm we are in desperate need of grunt. We have jones viney and Mckenzie.. thats it.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Spot on. This is why GB said we needed mongrol because for too long we have been percieved as very soft and so we bloody should! Though i believe tToumpas will be a good player it should have started off by picking up Wines first. The formidible duo him and jack viney would have made would have set the tone for this club and the future. If we had Wines i would been all for Aish but we need Headunters and physical grunt! This is why we should be chasing Dunstan hard. The guy is tough as nail and will make the same impact as what Wines did this year. Im so over skinny outside class atm we are in desperate need of grunt. We have jones viney and Mckenzie.. thats it.

... of course not knocking the le toump pick... we could have gone either way with him or Ollie...

but the inner theme of the club & training rooms changes depending on the leaders. if there all nice boys guess watt? if they're mostly hard nuts guess what type of spots most kids will adopt.

our culture is a reflection of the walls around the northern stand & the contact the players have. our boards, & our administrators are heavily influenced by these conservative attitudes, & our players adopt this style from those leaders there, who influence them into what we've seen over much time...

this is not how to be a winning combative Club... this is how to be a businessman. its Not how to be a soldier in combat.

[Don24 103]

definitely a lot to work with.

I see it like this: (in 2 years time)

Core Midfield

Jack Viney

Jimmy Toumpas

Jack Trengove

James Aish

Jordie Mckenzie

Nathan Jones

Colin Sylvia

Jack Grimes

MOST IMPORTANT for us to really charge back up the ladder, from the group below , we need 3 or 4 players who can push through the middle when required as well as play other roles, forward or back, and at least 2 players from this group to bob up, show significant development and become top line midfielders.

Dom Barry

Sam Blease

Rory Taggert

Luke Tappscott

Michael Evans

Dean Kent

Matt Jones

Dean Terlich

Mitch Clisby

Would also expect to add 2-3 players through draft to this list over next 2 years.

Plenty of potential but both groups need to get a lot better and that second group will be crucial.

[McQueen 17,864]

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

Mahoney and Craig pre game against Freo at Western Demons supporters function.

[Return to Glory 8,441]

not only help Jonsey out, but also help us to shift our old outside classy running style back across, to being harder & tougher as a club,,, so we can correct our culture to one comprising a lot more toughness... we can add the frills on an as needs going forward.

you cannot change this culture with a list full of bennells, mortons, watts, daveys, gysberts, bruces, greens, yze's, et al... we need much more of Neitz's, Ox's, JnrMc's, TViney's, Whelans, etc...

our penchant for going for the former is why we have gone sour on the ladder as a club... its a reflection of those who hold sway over the club... nice boys.

.... & the direction our culture has flowed.

Unfortunately, I think you are on the money in regards to recruiting uncompromising footballers. I don't agree with every name I.e Davey was an elusive forward so horses for courses but your sentiment is right IMO

[Return to Glory 8,441]

For some reason, I have little faith in Blease in terms of playing a role. He just doesn't show the desperation that a young bloke should to want to make it. That's the problem with getting an easy game based on draft selection.

[dimmy 1,307]

Get some bloke out to run Jack Watts & Jimmy Toumpas until he breaks the 9 sec barrier 10 times in a row. He would be a great Outside Mid fielder alongside Toumpas. Both of them have got really good delivery skills. Solves our excess of forwards too !!

Then get Watts /Toumpas (in their breaks from 200m Reps to teach Michael Evans to kick.

Get Jack Grimes to do 500 15 yd sprints as well .

ANd then we are all laughing !!

[DemonFrog 1,354]

You kown it wrong to make a false advertising in a Thread title.

Melbourne and a good Mid Field can not coexist.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Unfortunately, I think you are on the money in regards to recruiting uncompromising footballers. I don't agree with every name I.e Davey was an elusive forward so horses for courses but your sentiment is right IMO

yeah my theme is to recruit harder types to aid shifting our culture via the player style types, & via the next coach, & hopefully together we'll have a chance to shift the complete club culture, from list to us..

we have to all get behind our boys when they play take no prisoners rough & rugged footy, even if they give away some silly free kicks as they learn.

Once we have become more rugged, then we can learn to be ruthless... then add more flash & flair.

I think if we keep adding the quick soft spindly types who aren't robust enough to to tackle & throw down their prey, we won't be able to completely throw off this culture embedded into our longterm ethos.

we've generation of running the wings out in space & this game of rotations doesn't allow much of this anymore. our culture likes lots of real estate.

[dee-luded 2,959]

For some reason, I have little faith in Blease in terms of playing a role. He just doesn't show the desperation that a young bloke should to want to make it. That's the problem with getting an easy game based on draft selection.

I don't think we can really accurately judge our players, because of the prevailing culture that causes our players learning to be stunted...along with their confidence.

I think Blease has the necessary natural gifts, but he needs to be able to develop emotionally, so he can adjust himself into a learning curve where he can learn deep, (intuitively) to run in different patterns, to change his inner visualisation of how he plays.

I wonder if his intuitive pattern is of how he learnt in school & U-18's where he had more space & more time. the space in footy has reduced a lot in the time he's switched from TAC to AFL...

confidence & team confidence has a big bearing on peoples ability to develop & change.

whilst frustrating, I think Bleasy has the tools to make it.

If only we could get a Roosy over the line...

[Bitter but optimistic 22,241]

This a fantasy thread so I'll give mine. (My football one) Just watching the Bullies getting touchedup. How would you like Rich in our midfield. He's 23 and played 90 odd games. Can do it all and has 8-10 years in front of him.

I'll wake up now.

[DemonFrog 1,354]

This a fantasy thread so I'll give mine. (My football one) Just watching the Bullies getting touchedup. How would you like Rich in our midfield. He's 23 and played 90 odd games. Can do it all and has 8-10 years in front of him.

I'll wake up now.

How was the nap?

[Return to Glory 8,441]

This a fantasy thread so I'll give mine. (My football one) Just watching the Bullies getting touchedup. How would you like Rich in our midfield. He's 23 and played 90 odd games. Can do it all and has 8-10 years in front of him.

I'll wake up now.

BBO, you think it's some kind of joke to come on here and make sense? Try again but this time substitute Rich with Raph Clarke or his brother Xavier

[rpfc 28,433]

Just on Jordie - his attitude is what a good club culture can be built upon.

Those that just waive away his desire and hardness and attitude simply because of his skills are not giving enough thought to the type of club we want to build.

We need to surround these kids with some big bodies and tough minds by the way. Don't give up much for them and don't attack the club for getting them either. If I could get Sewell, Cross, and Thompson while keeping picks in the 40s I would do it.

[rjay 24,928]

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.

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.

As you say 'Al', you didn't watch the game. 7 of Dangerfields kicks were frees thanks to Ablett. He was fairly ineffective for the game and I think Jordie was one of our few break evens to winners for the day. He didn't give Danger a clear run at it to use his break away pace.

[rjay 24,928]

Aish is more than just class, he's a very, very good footballer. It's going to depend a lot on what picks we get but if we don't get pick one, Boyd but have the chance on Aish I would take him. Good inside and out, great disposal and awareness under pressure.

If you want mongrel then that is hands down Couch, the kid would kill you if you were betwee him and the ball. Check out the interview with the brothers, interesting story around the 3 minute mark and 4.30, tough kids.

[ignition. 1,466]

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?

I always like optimism, although unfortunately I was thinking similar things a few years ago just after the recruitment of Morton and Scully (+ Jurrah and Watts in the Fwd line). Now I'm not trying to get my hopes up, especially with the likes of Barry and Bleas because everytime I do somehow the MFC crushes them. Until I start seeing runs on the board (or at least a good midfield coach), then I will get excited.

[old dee 23,791]

We current have one genuine midfielder and two kids that show potential.

The others are either half forwards / half backs

The rest are VFL standard on their good days.

We need to recruit a minium of 6 midfielders of which half are experienced over the next two years.

Having achieved that we will have a chance of matching the bottom 10 sides.