31 minutes ago, The Hallowed Turf said:

We need Dom Tyson to get back to his 2014 form. I am referencing the club website here but he finished 2nd in our B&F and polled 11 Brownlow votes (3 times three votes in a losing side) in 2014. It's fair to say he stagnated last season but he has got the the talent. I am tipping a marked improvement in 2016.  

He was carrying a leg injury for a fair chunk of 2015, so hopefully that'll all be 100% by the time round one rolls around.

Vince 29

Jones 27

 

VB 23 

Trengove 22 (still an unknown because of injury)

Tyson 21

Viney 20

Angus 19 

Salem 19

Petracca 19

Oliver 18

Stretch 18

 

Taking age into account, from VB down its only age and experience holding these players back.

 

 

 

Teams like us and the Saints don't feature highly in the article but have some great young talent coming through.

What we have right now is a highly combative midfield that is lacking in weapons.  We have a whole bunch of players who will win contested ball and tackle.  Most of them are pretty reliable with the ball as well which is nice.  What we lack are really good ball users and significant pace.  There's also a bit of a question mark over the hands of a few, as in their ability to grab the ball on the first attempt.  I think that a lot of faith has been shown in a few young fringe players to develop into first team regulars to help fill these voids.  Guys like Mitch White, Stretch and Hunt need to come on and give us those outside weapons to complement the rock hard core.  If we see that, then we're going to be much better than 15th ranked in the league. 

Listening to SEN around 10.30 this morning, one of their regular commentators was on (missed who it was) and they picked Port Adelaide and Melbourne to be the big improvers in 2016.

who knows, so many variables

Tyson at best is A grade, but will he find consistency

Trengove could be an A grader if he can make it back

Petracca could have a Hogan like impact.. could

Oliver could have a Wines like impact.. 

 

the real key will be if Gawn can play a full season at the level he showed last year, if he can, he can push All Australian and make life alot easier for our mids, funny how mids suddenly become rated much higher when your ruck gets his hands on the ball a bit more.

13 hours ago, Peter Griffen said:

who knows, so many variables

Tyson at best is A grade, but will he find consistency

Trengove could be an A grader if he can make it back

Petracca could have a Hogan like impact.. could

Oliver could have a Wines like impact.. 

 

the real key will be if Gawn can play a full season at the level he showed last year, if he can, he can push All Australian and make life alot easier for our mids, funny how mids suddenly become rated much higher when your ruck gets his hands on the ball a bit more.

Gawn has always got hands to the ball but has only recently made the progression to effective ruck work. Great midfielders will shark the oppositions poor taps but I think we're now past that.

a fit Gawn is super important - no doubt.

I think Melksham is vastly under estimated in terms of what he could add to the team in 2016. 

Marure mid, hbf with run and penetrating kick. Will do damage.

5 hours ago, PaulRB said:

I think Melksham is vastly under estimated in terms of what he could add to the team in 2016. 

Marure mid, hbf with run and penetrating kick. Will do damage.

 

Who is a 'competitor' that drops in and out of games, showing his obvious talent only infrequently for the highlight reels.

I'm not disappointed with him as a pick-up, but I don't expect him to hit the ground running. I expect he'll need to spend some time under a good development coach before he becomes a consistent player for us.

We need a courageous gut runner to replace Cross. Think his contributions were a tad underrated.

19 hours ago, PaulRB said:

I think Melksham is vastly under estimated in terms of what he could add to the team in 2016. 

Marure mid, hbf with run and penetrating kick. Will do damage.

Totally agree. Melksham will prove to be a great pick up.

I back Goodwin to get the best out of him. He's a very talented player.

 

20 hours ago, PaulRB said:

I think Melksham is vastly under estimated in terms of what he could add to the team in 2016. 

Marure mid, hbf with run and penetrating kick. Will do damage.

Especially, when no one is expecting him to be a star for us.

2 hours ago, Redleg said:

Especially, when no one is expecting him to be a star for us.

Proof of the pudding Mr. Leg!

Bugg will be a very solid player

52 minutes ago, old dee said:

Proof of the pudding Mr. Leg!

Is someone denying that pudding exists again?

I would question how much thought went into the rankings outside of 2015 stats and new signings. Two of our three best midfielders were hampered by injury last season. Bring both of them back into the frame along with Vanders at full fitness and that alone can make a sizeable difference. Couple that with several of the u23s taking a stride forward, I can definitely see the midfield comfortably sitting in the middle of the pack in 2016.

The absence of Stretch is a really poor oversight on the part of the AFL website given he is very capable of cementing a spot next season. I do however like that he is going under the radar.

Sounds like its that time of year when everyone has their rose colored glasses on while going over the list. Our midfield is ordinary.

17 hours ago, Jesus Hoganshaw said:

Is someone denying that pudding exists again?

I  have been hearing about the mgic pudding for a decade or more.

I will wait past the 3rd January Talk is cheap!

 

Edited January 2, 201610 yr by old dee

5 hours ago, Munga said:

Sounds like its that time of year when everyone has their rose colored glasses on while going over the list. Our midfield is ordinary.

I agree with this.

Each summer our midfield gets grossly overrated around here and then week after week I watch us lose 5 centre clearances in a row in the first quarter which inevitably costs us the game.

 

3 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

I agree with this.

Each summer our midfield gets grossly overrated around here and then week after week I watch us lose 5 centre clearances in a row in the first quarter which inevitably costs us the game.

 

This is why i still think we are still one or two draft/trade away from being a genuine top 6 team... While we have topped our midfield up quite well the last couple of years we still lack that really classy finisher on the outside who can break open a game.

28 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

This is why i still think we are still one or two draft/trade away from being a genuine top 6 team... While we have topped our midfield up quite well the last couple of years we still lack that really classy finisher on the outside who can break open a game.

And why we won't play finals this year.

4 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

I agree with this.

Each summer our midfield gets grossly overrated around here and then week after week I watch us lose 5 centre clearances in a row in the first quarter which inevitably costs us the game.

 

My reasons for optimism our midfield has significant improvement in 2016

1.Salem and VB back on the park add depth (as well as salems kicking ability and VBs added grunt )

2. Brayshaw will go the distance this season , last year faded later on as you would expect a tired first year player to

3. Patrecca even conservatively  is another 1st season Brayshaw player and most likely another hogan like impact rising star winner or at least top 5 

4.Jones did not have his best season in 2015 by his own standards , and both he and Vince will benefit from depth and further experience of the emerging players,  they will no longer have to carry the midfield, but instead now be supported. 

5. Vineys a beast and takes no prisoners,  can tag elite opposition effectively (e.g Selwood) and win the ball and is now at the mature age level to really assert himself on the comp. Kicking ability is the only hurdle, but then again that didn't stop Viney Sr

6. Tyson to improve on 2015 and can be an A grade midfielder 

7. Stretch and Oliver as impact players during the season and further depth at a minimum, but surely there is more upside . Even half a dozen games from Oliver with a 1st year Brayshaw like impact early on is quite likely . Given our draw we need early wins and a younger players to have an impact before tiring later on.

8. Competition for spots in midfield will be tighter than it has been in over 10 years driving up the intensity and work rate of the playing group to earn their spot. The bar will be raised.

9. Silky finishing to come from the likes of Vince, Salem, Tyson and  Brayshaw,  coupled with hard edged grunt of Viney, Jones, VB and Patrecca and melksham off half back. I think the mix is getting about right, now just need the experience levels to creep up 

10. Impact of Goodwins midfield and Maccas development coaching over past 18 - 24 months to really now show.

IMO we are flying under the radar to outsiders, many will be quite surprised . The difference  from earlier years is we have now have options and actual depth with players challenging for spots, no more walk ups  into the side which will curb any insipid work rate efforts and drop offs like we saw against Carltank last year ....even if only 6-7 off the above actually come to fruition there is still considerable improvement. 

 

Edited January 3, 201610 yr by Delusional demon 82

DD82 don't forget to add Trengrove to your list of midfielders and don't overlook the depth we are creating both forward (ANB, Harmes, Kent, Kennedy,  JKH, Newton, Mitchie, Garlett) and back (Bugg, Melksham, White, HL), many of which are quite capable of rotating through the midfield!

The only players who performed consistently in the midfield last year were Vince and Jones.

 

Everyone else was either hit and miss or hampered by injury. Even Viney who no one can doubt is already in our best mid combo has had injury concerns each year.

 

So much improvement will come down to luck and good injury management.

 

The concern is we are already hearing about injury concerns to the likes of Tyson and Brayshaw - two players we will need to go to the next level in order to be able to compete fully with mid-level midfields, let alone the cream of the crop.

 

 

3 minutes ago, CBDees said:

DD82 don't forget to add Trengrove to your list of midfielders and don't overlook the depth we are creating both forward (ANB, Harmes, Kent, Kennedy,  JKH, Newton, Mitchie, Garlett) and back (Bugg, Melksham, White, HL), many of which are quite capable of rotating through the midfield!

You're spot on with both there  - geez a fit trengrove would be massive . Really hope he can get back and make some sort of impact even if he lacks the pace he had back in 2011