Given we're playing the Pies this week, thought it would be worth having a look at how the Prince has settled in...

Looking at his stats it looks ok, with Frees Against high.

He's had his moments, such as the intercept goal after Toumpas had a brain fade, but to be honest, I've been a little bit disappointed with what feels like a series of cameo performances rather than any full blooded four quarter efforts.

I'd expected him to gain more meters and penetrate more.

Hope he is fired up for the game against his old mob, noted Buckly say "he'd been good earlier in the year" and he did have a good preseason.

He has struggled, and will be much better off at his natural half back and hopefully he will be able to swap with Salem later in the season

Would love to see Salem in the midfield

I'd say his defensive efforts have been mostly good but offensively and how he's using the ball have been average. He also has not been getting enough of the ball for me.

Early form was good, last 4-5 weeks average.

Does a lot for us off the ball in terms of pressure, directing, tackling, harassing, shepherding etc. which goes unnoticed.

But in comparison to his NAB cup form, is down on form, but still well and truly in our best 22.

He has struggled, and will be much better off at his natural half back and hopefully he will be able to swap with Salem later in the season

Would love to see Salem in the midfield

Yep.

He is lost starting through mid field. Excellent in his natural role as a HBFer. Play him here and watch him blossom again. Loves to see the paddock and play unfolding in front of him rather than around him using his pace and break away spead to run the lines and kick balls into our 50 on the rebound.

Currently rank him about middle of the pack so far this year so room for improvement IF Roos plays him where he performs best.

Edited June 3, 201510 yr by Rusty Nails

Shouldn't be playing so much in the midfield, should be running off half back more, that's the problem.

Edited June 3, 201510 yr by stuie

Is Salem ready to swap into the midfield?

Grimes can't make the midfield switch, or does Heritier just need more time to transition into being a mid?

Is Salem ready to swap into the midfield?

Grimes can't make the midfield switch, or does Heritier just need more time to transition into being a mid?

Both Salem and H play their best footy off half back, so to me it's not about a switch it's about the fact that our midfield is that bad we have to take from elsewhere.

He's hardly impacted a game.

He's hardly impacted a game.

You don't like Lumumba? Now there's a surprise....

You don't like Lumumba? Now there's a surprise....

What do you mean ?

Rubbishly, quite frankly. Looks like he's played with us for years.

Poorly, IMO.

I think his leadership down back is important and I think his one-on-one stuff is fine, but we're getting so little run from him off half-back, he isn't taking the game on and breaking lines, isn't running hard enough, and we're not seeing him generating inside 50s like he used to at Collingwood.

I want more from him.

I am pleased with him so far. Not his fault we are absolute shite. When we are more competative he is the kind of player that will give us an edge in tight games.

Edited June 3, 201510 yr by america de cali

He can't tackle.

Another wasted pick.

he points all the right fingers.

he can't kick, he doesn't tackle (unless it's high), and he's not playing the link-up role that i expected, nor is he playing the half-back sweeper role that he did at the pies - perhaps these are all indicators that he's not the wingman we wanted, or he's going to take a while to adjust to the caper.

unfortunately we seem to have a surfeit of 'third tall' defenders who're expected to cut off attacks, sweep, and rebound the footy but all struggle to hit a target consistently and impact the play - garland, grimes, lumumba, howe all play essentially the same role. the latter struggles to kick down back, struggles to get a kick when up forward, h as mentioned can't hit a target either, and we've had grimes and garland battling away for the entire time we've been a shockingly poor side.

i still think we need two to go. garland could walk as a free agent, potentially netting us a pick tied to our second rounder (so somewhere in the 20-25 range, more than likely) whilst gws wanted howe for pick 7 last year, so he must have some value.

big decisions await this post-season.

Really hope Garland doesn't walk

Has been one of our best this year

He is playing like he is old and tired. When he is required to chase, it is most obvious.

Given the lack of press this week from the club it may suggest the club is not especially happy about his work to date. maybe?

By car, but he has to pick up Jeffy Garlett now as he has lost his licence .

He has struggled, and will be much better off at his natural half back and hopefully he will be able to swap with Salem later in the season

Would love to see Salem in the midfield

I don't think we need Salem in the midfield yet, he probably needs another pre-season in the gym.

With a smaller body, in the midfield, Salem would be too hard for his own good.

Eventually he will be a midfielder, and I anticipate, probably the best midfielder we've seen in a long time - at least at MFC.

But at present, IMO, we have bigger issues than Christian Salem, I mean, Dom Tyson is down on form, Toumpas.. Watts..

Grimes has at least improved lately. That is a good sign.

As for Lumumba, back on topic. I think he has had a reasonable year. I like him out there, he has a lot of mongrel in him. I think we need a guy like Heritier out there, he doesn't drop his head, he mostly gives his all - even if he is a bit limited. He is necessary IMO.

Probably by Vespa.

We're getting less than what we thought we'd get from HL.

We're getting more that what we thought we'd get from Garlett.

Lumumba isn't in our bottom 5 players each week. He also isn't in our top 5 so that sums it up for me.