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Midfield Issues.

ickey_11
ickey_11
in Melbourne Demons

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Posted

The midfield all year has become too one dimensional and predictable. Gawn and 3 similar hard at the ball types. There is lack of spread as all 3 are attacking the ball and getting killed when the ball is turned over by all being too close the contest. You see it when 1 opposition player handballs or pushes the ball out wide and off the it goes

Plan B is to put more ball hunters in there like Petracca.

Need to include the better users of the ball (Salem,  Hibberd & Melksham - when back from injury) in there AND players that will play the role and stay outside and add some pace (perhaps Hunt, Baker or Fritsch).

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    We need to do some serious trading. What we have, is not good enough yet

    Same goes for the Coaching staff. 

    Not acceptable. 

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    Time for a rebuild. Look to trade out Viney, Brayshaw, MacDonald and Petracca to get 5-6 top 20 picks.

     

    Use them to bring in 2 Key forwards, 2 Outside mids and 2 inside mids who can actually hit a handpass

    Edited by olisik

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    Our midfielders just do not work hard enough when they do not have the ball.  Are hand-ball happy when the ball comes their way but that is it.  Stats aside, none of Brayshaw, Harmes, Viney or Oliver had much impact today. 

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    Lazy.

    Got taught an absolute lesson on work rate and 2 way running.

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    8 minutes ago, olisik said:

    Time for a rebuild. Look to trade out Viney, Brayshaw, MacDonald and Petracca to get 5-6 top 20 picks.

     

    Use them to bring in 2 Key forwards, 2 Outside mids and 2 inside mids who can actually hit a handpass

    Hahahahaha!!!!!! Bwahahahahaaa!!!!!

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    Zorko killed us. Needed a hard tag today.

    Holistically speaking, we have not had the right balance all year.

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    •  

    Oliver has wonderful loose ball winning in space and can make things happen.
    Harmes has a great running game.
    Brayshaw can really accumulate the ball around the ground and can be creative around the ground, aside from sloppy kicking his biggest problem right now is he's slow defensively at the contest.

    I'm not against trading. In fact I'd strongly consider it. But I'm also a big believer that these guys can all take a huge leap forward with a preseason.

    I'd love to get Salem in to the midfield and I'd like to get Petracca rotating through more often but we need more quality forward and back before we move them.

    Our wings often don't offer a lot at the contest which is part of the problem and are inexperienced around stoppages. Fritsch and Baker spent most of last week running their backsides off chasing Langdon and Hill. Not surprise at all that on the road they struggle to play well against a strong Brisbane midfield.

    Our mids got a nice touch up today but after a terrible start with spreading and a whole year of lazy inside 50 ball more often than not they are still doing the job at the contest most weeks. Suggesting throwing the baby out with the bathwater in the midfield isn't a good idea.

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    2 minutes ago, Moonshadow said:

    Hahahahaha!!!!!! Bwahahahahaaa!!!!!

    Exactly what the rest of the AFL World are doing at us at our inability to do what’s needed after 55 years of being losers.

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    Unfortunately my favourite player is getting leather poisoning, but having absolutely no impact on the game. Someone needs to tell Oliver that he doesn’t need to always fire off handballs, or kick it 40 metres into the air. Less possessions, but giving the ball to a team mate with a pass or a handball to a team mate in the open will be far more effective. 

    Thought Smith showed he is VFL standard and nothing more. A couple of possessions and he passes from 35 out and turns it over, just moronic. 

    Hunt terrible. Tom Mac’s second half terrible. 

    No pace or small forwards and terrible skill by most except Salem and May. Hannan’s Kick across the ground to a 2 on 1 was as moronic as Smith and with Tom’s dropped sitter started the avalanche. 

    ANB good first half to give him his due. 

    We desperately need to bring in crumbing forwards and skillful players over the summer, or next year might be a repetition of this one.  

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    12 minutes ago, Redleg said:

    We desperately need to bring in crumbing forwards and skillful players over the summer, or next year might be a repetition of this one.  

    I agree but would add, we desperately need consistency on the wings. Stop dumping players(typically slow inside mids) out there and play genuine wingmen out there who know how to play the wing, can run to position all day and deliver the footy into the forward line.

    The genuine wingmen on our list:

    Fritsch

    Mind the gap...

    Stretch

    Baker learning the ropes

    Not sure about KK yet. It suits his skillset but has had better results elsewhere.

     

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    Whilst he struggled today, I’m quite optimistic about Baker’s prospects.

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    47 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    Lazy.

    Got taught an absolute lesson on work rate and 2 way running.

    Yep and so slow.

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    Nobody playing an outside mid role at all. Every one is a bull-at-a-gate hard ball seeker. Coach is to blame for that.

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    13 minutes ago, ProperDee said:

    Nobody playing an outside mid role at all. Every one is a bull-at-a-gate hard ball seeker. Coach is to blame for that.

    Think we have clearly been worked out.

    Evident from StKilda and Collingwood last year and the prelim.

    Two slow midfielders to go and don’t think it should be an AA,  Brayshaw , Harmes ,Petracca  or Salem.

    Some really hard decisions may need to be made.

    Have we got the Hawthorn like stones to pull the trigger?

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    Forced to choose........Harmes and Petracca. Gus and Salem have the edge in class.

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    As a Brisbanite, I don't get to see many games live. What really struck me today at the game was that a major factor in Oliver and Viney's disposal issues is the gameplan itself.

    They are brilliant at winning the ball, but when they win it, all the other dees players (as we and every other team knows) are in at the contest, so there's no one to go to. And this results in them either disposing of the ball to another player (also in at the contest) who is already under pressure, a random kick or handball to no one (which the lions players positioned outside the contest are generally first to), or an overly ambitious kick to a Dee downfield which doesnt work out.

    Maybe I'm slow in working this out, but it really stuck out to me watching it live.

    I'm kind of relieved. Their poor disposal is less of a skill issue per se than not having any options under the gameplan.

    Overall, our ills are still overwhelmingly gameplan rather than personnel related. Yes, bring in some run and pressure forwards (they dont have to be stars), but I wouldnt be trading any of our best midfielders.

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    1 hour ago, olisik said:

    Exactly what the rest of the AFL World are doing at us at our inability to do what’s needed after 55 years of being losers.

    Haahaaaahaaaa!!!! Bwahahahahaaa!!!!

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    1 hour ago, clark's kick said:

    As a Brisbanite, I don't get to see many games live. What really struck me today at the game was that a major factor in Oliver and Viney's disposal issues is the gameplan itself.

    They are brilliant at winning the ball, but when they win it, all the other dees players (as we and every other team knows) are in at the contest, so there's no one to go to. And this results in them either disposing of the ball to another player (also in at the contest) who is already under pressure, a random kick or handball to no one (which the lions players positioned outside the contest are generally first to), or an overly ambitious kick to a Dee downfield which doesnt work out.

    Maybe I'm slow in working this out, but it really stuck out to me watching it live.

    I'm kind of relieved. Their poor disposal is less of a skill issue per se than not having any options under the gameplan.

    Overall, our ills are still overwhelmingly gameplan rather than personnel related. Yes, bring in some run and pressure forwards (they dont have to be stars), but I wouldnt be trading any of our best midfielders.

    It’s all Coaching and planning. 

    Training skills...

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    1 hour ago, clark's kick said:

    As a Brisbanite, I don't get to see many games live. What really struck me today at the game was that a major factor in Oliver and Viney's disposal issues is the gameplan itself.

    They are brilliant at winning the ball, but when they win it, all the other dees players (as we and every other team knows) are in at the contest, so there's no one to go to. And this results in them either disposing of the ball to another player (also in at the contest) who is already under pressure, a random kick or handball to no one (which the lions players positioned outside the contest are generally first to), or an overly ambitious kick to a Dee downfield which doesnt work out.

    Maybe I'm slow in working this out, but it really stuck out to me watching it live.

    I'm kind of relieved. Their poor disposal is less of a skill issue per se than not having any options under the gameplan.

    Overall, our ills are still overwhelmingly gameplan rather than personnel related. Yes, bring in some run and pressure forwards (they dont have to be stars), but I wouldnt be trading any of our best midfielders.

    100% agree with this and nice to see some measured commentary.

    I really don't think we need to trade any of Oliver, Viney, Harmes, Petracca or Brayshaw.

    What we do need to do is 1)get them all through a full pre-season and 2) bring in some high presssure/skilled players.

    A backline of Lever, May, Frost, Hore, Hibberd and Jetta is one of the best in the league.

    With Melksham back and McDonald back in form our forward line is solid enough. Probably need another high pressure forward.

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    We started the year with  backline issues, then forward issues and now it’s the midfield- I guess that means we are a basket case. And don’t forget the coaches box.

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    3 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

     

    I'd love to get Salem in to the midfield and I'd like to get Petracca rotating through more often but we need more quality forward and back before we move them.

     

    Salem is an amazing ball user and would be best used in this side as the last bloke to touch it before it goes inside 50.  We just need to lower the eyes and find the target inside 50.  He can do that. 

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