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The Need for Outside Midfielders

Elegt
in Melbourne Demons

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We desperately lack outside mids and have far too many slow inside mids in our team, this becomes evident when we play at the mcg or play running teams. on defensive transition our mids are 20m behind their men. I have seen this all season and seen it as our main deficiency. It is disgraceful we have not recruited any runners over the past few years. having dom Tyson in  the side makes this twice as bad. 

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    It might be time to give Baker a run. Good showing yesterday apparently - can anyone expand on his performance yesterday? Does he seem ready?

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    I’m a bit worried about the AFL Changing rules at seasons end, let’s say they bring in zones or something similar I don’t think that suits our contested game style suddenly outside runners could become very valuable if they have the space to open up a game, hunt could potentially dominate for example 

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    Petracca, Oliver, Brayshaw clearly have a way to go with their fitness. As it lifts that will help our midfield transition. God knows the forwards and backs should improve as well.

    As far as the wings go though - I think we need to just pick who we will play there and back them in.

    Fritsch was looking really good. Now suddenly he's a forward again? He's a very good forward but moving him around robs peter to pay paul.

    Gus and Harmes have been tried. Both like to hunt the ball too much IMO. Gus too slow as well. Lacks sustained speed.

    Maybe now Viney is back we commit to Jones playing wing and train him as much as possible to be the outside player.

    The inside mids were obliterated against Port, so we put Tyson on a wing to boost the stoppage play and provide a hard worker with a fit, capable body. But with no pace he doesn't help. So we all know that is only a stop gap. 

    From here I'd go: Jones and Fritsch on the wings, maybe Harmes rotating wing/mid/forward. Add Spargo, T Smith and maybe even Baker or Bugg to the forward mix.

     

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    6 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

    Petracca, Oliver, Brayshaw clearly have a way to go with their fitness. As it lifts that will help our midfield transition. God knows the forwards and backs should improve as well.

    As far as the wings go though - I think we need to just pick who we will play there and back them in.

    Fritsch was looking really good. Now suddenly he's a forward again? He's a very good forward but moving him around robs peter to pay paul.

    Gus and Harmes have been tried. Both like to hunt the ball too much IMO. Gus too slow as well. Lacks sustained speed.

    Maybe now Viney is back we commit to Jones playing wing and train him as much as possible to be the outside player.

    The inside mids were obliterated against Port, so we put Tyson on a wing to boost the stoppage play and provide a hard worker with a fit, capable body. But with no pace he doesn't help. So we all know that is only a stop gap. 

    From here I'd go: Jones and Fritsch on the wings, maybe Harmes rotating wing/mid/forward. Add Spargo, T Smith and maybe even Baker or Bugg to the forward mix.

     

    Neal bullen and stretch on the wings. need the fittest players on them. Jones and Fritsch too slow and unfit 

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    Nah, don't need em. 

    Ask Goody. I arksed him. 

    He only plays inside mids on the wings like Tyson and Harmes and it's the same with half forwards. ANB and Petracca. 

    Ball use, composure and speed is overrated. He thinks it, not me. 

     

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    14 minutes ago, Elegt said:

    Neal bullen and stretch on the wings. need the fittest players on them. Jones and Fritsch too slow and unfit 

    Happy for Stretch to be trialled again. I don't see ANB as a wing at all even with his fitness. If we are to play a guy purely for fitness on a wing it should be Bugg. Did the job there under Roos.

    Fritsch is quick enough, lovely skills. Fitness is good but not great, should improve in future years.

    A lot of our problems come from just not having the experience in our midfield group. They all have to get fitter.

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    1 hour ago, DeeSpencer said:

    Happy for Stretch to be trialled again. I don't see ANB as a wing at all even with his fitness. If we are to play a guy purely for fitness on a wing it should be Bugg. Did the job there under Roos.

    Fritsch is quick enough, lovely skills. Fitness is good but not great, should improve in future years.

    A lot of our problems come from just not having the experience in our midfield group. They all have to get fitter.

    spuds like Sinclair and armitage showed our wings out today. desperately need fitness.

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    8 hours ago, Elegt said:

    We desperately lack outside mids and have far too many slow inside mids in our team, this becomes evident when we play at the mcg or play running teams. on defensive transition our mids are 20m behind their men. I have seen this all season and seen it as our main deficiency. It is disgraceful we have not recruited any runners over the past few years. having dom Tyson in  the side makes this twice as bad. 

    No we don't.

    We lack running mids who go. we lack pace and foot skills.

     

    But we do not want or need pure outsiders.  see garlett.

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    8 hours ago, John Demonic said:

    Murphy signed for 2 years today didn't he?

    God I hope he didn't mean Bob Murphy?

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    Without a fit and in form Jayden Hunt we look so slow: miss him when he's at his best so badly

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    6 minutes ago, sisso said:

    Without a fit and in form Jayden Hunt we look so slow: miss him when he's at his best so badly

    With Hunt and Jeffy playing good footy, we are a far more formidable team.

    ATM we are probably the slowest team in the AFL.

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    19 hours ago, The Swimming Dee said:

    It might be time to give Baker a run. Good showing yesterday apparently - can anyone expand on his performance yesterday? Does he seem ready?

    Hope he's fitter than Petty.

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    2 minutes ago, Redleg said:

    With Hunt and Jeffy playing good footy, we are a far more formidable team.

    ATM we are probably the slowest team in the AFL.

    Yep the form of these two have hurt us this year badly, besides Gaff I'd like us to bring in some Saad types, I can't even think of any worth pursuing that's close to out of contract, anyone have any ideas?

    We have tried but kind of failed in Scully, Toumpas, Salem didn't turn out to be the pacey player I thought.

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    19 hours ago, Elegt said:

    gaff for brayshaw is looking like a solid trade 

    No way would I do that or even nearly do that. Brayshaw is trending upwards in a massive way. Great month of footy and is improving every game. He would be our most improved this year. Gaff is a vanilla mid, who whilst I acknowledge he is mostly an outside mid, he is a slow outside mid. We need a Tim Kelly type mid - blistering on the outside. Personally I wouldn't even entertain a straight swap of Brayshaw for Gaff. Gaff is a FA and if WC match him then they can have him. Gaff is massively overrated on this board. 

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    1 minute ago, willmoy said:

    Hope he's fitter than Petty.

    Baker will go very well at AFL level. Give him a license to run. Petty was never going to go well as he was playing a difficult position and was more or less thrown to the wolves. As stupid of an inclusion as I have seen. Baker will be coming in and playing an easier position, where his strengths are exactly what the position calls for (run, run, run). Petty's position calls for him to be strong and accountable. He was neither and it wasn't his fault. With experience comes accountability (as you learn to be accountable because you know full well the cost). It was stupid to include Petty. It would be smart to bring in Baker.

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    26 minutes ago, sisso said:

    Without a fit and in form Jayden Hunt we look so slow: miss him when he's at his best so badly

    We have a few who are quick, but have average foot skills or just don't get enough of it. Hunt is a poor kick, Stretch goes missing, Baker is apparently a poor kick as well.

    Then we have a number who aren't quick but have good foot skills, e.g. Salem, Jetta. 

    Unfortunately, Lewis and Vince now struggle with both. 

    Would be ideal to pick up/trade for someone quick off the mark who can use it well

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    37 minutes ago, KingDingAling said:

    No way would I do that or even nearly do that. Brayshaw is trending upwards in a massive way. Great month of footy and is improving every game. He would be our most improved this year. Gaff is a vanilla mid, who whilst I acknowledge he is mostly an outside mid, he is a slow outside mid. We need a Tim Kelly type mid - blistering on the outside. Personally I wouldn't even entertain a straight swap of Brayshaw for Gaff. Gaff is a FA and if WC match him then they can have him. Gaff is massively overrated on this board. 

    This post is just odd.

    Gaff is vanilla? 

    Tim Kelly is blistering on the outside?

    Next you will be telling us that Brayshaw is an elite kick. 

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