The Best Midfield in the AFL ???

[Cranky Franky 1,476]

For a couple of years now we have been patting ourselves on the back on the basis that our midfield - Oliver, Viney, Petracca & Brayshaw with service from Gawn is as good if not the best of any in the comp.  

The last few games have been a rude wake up call.  A few weeks ago Bont & McRae pantsed them, last week Steele & Zac Jones were well on top & yesterday 2 slow veterans on Kennedy & Parker gave them a bath.

Something drastic needs to be done. 

 

[Half forward flank 1,022]

Ours is blue collar

[Lord Travis 10,141]

Our midfield is nowhere near the best in the league. At best it's middle of the road.

We have a midfield stacked with inside ball winners, yet we're ranked 15th in the league for clearances. Our one wood has been worked out and is now bottom four. 

I've been complaining for years about the need to re-balance our midfield make-up. I think we're at the point now where we can safely say we need clear out some of the players like Brayshaw and Viney and bring in cleaner ball users. Not only are they not winning enough ball, they're using it poorly when they do get it. Viney in particular has been shocking recently, smashing into his own teammates and having no awareness of structures or his surroundings.

Edited September 4, 2020 by Lord Travis

[DistrACTION Jackson 6,395]

I question our coaching setups more than anything.

How can a side have the most dominant ruckman in the game and get smashed through the middle?

[DeeZee 6,719]

Too many similar types.

We only have one runner in Langdon.

Against the swans Langdon was everywhere and really showed up his flat footed team mates.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Clearances are a huge issue in that unless the ball is tapped down to Gawn’s toes we rarely seem to win the ball and break clear.

[DistrACTION Jackson 6,395]

My view is we work better as a team when Viney isn't in the side.

It could be a blessing in disguise if he is offered a heap of cash to leave.

We would then get a decent pick and could use that money on outside runners with skill.

Petracca, Oliver & Brayshaw as starting 3 with Harmes and Sparrow 4 and 5.

 

[Forest Demon 4,681]

Something definitely needs to change. Build around Oliver and Petracca, but Viney and Brayshaw are up for debate imo.

I think we need another centre square midfielder with a bit of breakaway speed, someone like Lachie Weller from GC (not saying he is up for grabs).

And we need another winger. Someone who can rack up possessions and link up our attack, someone like Lachie Hunter from the dogs.

[drdrake 3,035]

WCE have the best Midfield in the AFL, NIc Nat, Shuey, Gaff, Yeo, Kelly, Redden and others great balance outside Gaff who is a pure outside mid the rest can play in close and get to the outside, a ruck that hits to advantage and mids take advantage off it.  Ours just don't seem to be able to transition to the outside the ball stays contested or in the congestion of the contest.

 

[Lord Travis 10,141]

2020 key midfield stats:

15th for clearances

13 for centre clearances

18th for tackles

16th for opponent uncontested disposals

Those four stats are damning. Poor work rate and poor stoppage setups. Coaches are clueless. Players and confused and lazy. Our midfield is nowhere near the top teams and needs a big re-shuffle. Build around Petracca and Oliver, the rest of the one paced inside mids can be cast aside.

[adonski 9,102]

50 minutes ago, Forest Demon said:

Something definitely needs to change. Build around Oliver and Petracca, but Viney and Brayshaw are up for debate imo.

I think we need another centre square midfielder with a bit of breakaway speed, someone like Lachie Weller from GC (not saying he is up for grabs).

And we need another winger. Someone who can rack up possessions and link up our attack, someone like Lachie Hunter from the dogs.

Hunter would have to be one of the more underrated players in the league. Desperately need someone like him in.

[adonski 9,102]

On paper probs WCE, GWS, WBD 

[Elegt 872]

1 hour ago, Forest Demon said:

Something definitely needs to change. Build around Oliver and Petracca, but Viney and Brayshaw are up for debate imo.

I think we need another centre square midfielder with a bit of breakaway speed, someone like Lachie Weller from GC (not saying he is up for grabs).

And we need another winger. Someone who can rack up possessions and link up our attack, someone like Lachie Hunter from the dogs.

see my thread early in 2018; the need for outside midfielders. not sure why its taken the supporters so long to realise this

[deebug 1,754]

4 minutes ago, Elegt said:

see my thread early in 2018; the need for outside midfielders. not sure why its taken the supporters so long to realise this

I have to agree, i can not understand why the coaches can't see this?

Can someone explain why we don't go for some out side midfielders?

 

[DeeZee 6,719]

1 hour ago, Lord Travis said:

2020 key midfield stats:

15th for clearances

13 for centre clearances

18th for tackles

16th for opponent uncontested disposals

Those four stats are damning. Poor work rate and poor stoppage setups. Coaches are clueless. Players and confused and lazy. Our midfield is nowhere near the top teams and needs a big re-shuffle. Build around Petracca and Oliver, the rest of the one paced inside mids can be cast aside.

This is exactly why we have gone backwards.

Not good enough, and it’s looking more and more like the coaching 

[TRIGON 4,714]

2 hours ago, Lord Travis said:

2020 key midfield stats:

15th for clearances

13 for centre clearances

18th for tackles

16th for opponent uncontested disposals

Those four stats are damning. Poor work rate and poor stoppage setups. Coaches are clueless. Players and confused and lazy. Our midfield is nowhere near the top teams and needs a big re-shuffle. Build around Petracca and Oliver, the rest of the one paced inside mids can be cast aside.

Wow, where did you get the stats from @Lord Travis? If they're accurate then that's deplorable.

[Lord Travis 10,141]

12 minutes ago, TRIGON said:

Wow, where did you get the stats from @Lord Travis? If they're accurate then that's deplorable.

Footywire has most basic stats for teams and players.

https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/fts_team_rankings?type=TA&year=2020&sby=29

For some of the more obscure stats you need to have access to Champion Data or official AFL Stats Pro. 

Our only positive stat this season is 5th for inside 50s... however we're bottom four for locking it inside our 50 and bottom four for converting. It's useless banging the ball in there if you can't score and it comes straight back out!

[Lord Travis 10,141]

1 hour ago, DeeZee said:

This is exactly why we have gone backwards.

Not good enough, and it’s looking more and more like the coaching 

I think it's both.

We have poor midfield structures, especially around stoppages. 3rd for hitouts, yet 15th for clearances. We can't seem to take advantage of Max's tap dominance. 

Part of it is definitely poor effort from the players though. 18th for tackles is purely work rate, especially when you're getting less of the ball!

Last nights loss was a combo of poor coaching and poor effort. Swans pulled the easiest coaching move in the world that usually always works against Melbourne.... play an extra player behind the ball. We continue to bomb it in to out numbered contests and they sweep it back ad nauseam. Coaches didn't adjust to this all match. Players also put in poor effort though. Watching Brayshaw and Melksham raise an arm as a token attempt to tackle was infuriating. Watching Viney and Petracca jog half pace towards defense while their Swan counterparts sprinted past them was infuriating. We were outworked all across the ground.

[Pickett2Jackson 3,904]

We are 15th in clearances per game.

[dimmy 1,108]

4 hours ago, Lord Travis said:

Our midfield is nowhere near the best in the league. At best it's middle of the road.

We have a midfield stacked with inside ball winners, yet we're ranked 15th in the league for clearances. Our one wood has been worked out and is now bottom four. 

I've been complaining for years about the need to re-balance our midfield make-up. I think we're at the point now where we can safely say we need clear out some of the players like Brayshaw and Viney and bring in cleaner ball users. Not only are they not winning enough ball, they're using it poorly when they do get it. Viney in particular has been shocking recently, smashing into his own teammates and having no awareness of structures or his surroundings.

I would seriously question your statement that Brayshaw is a shocking disposal. He, out of all our midfielders is the bloke who creates going fwd . If he gains the ball between HB & HF we score. (BIt rough on last night he only had 68% plus injury) Even last night at one stage GUs was in the middle of the ground by himself and the ball was taken at HB and he was ignored for a big hooray punt !!! Says it all. Our defence look for Salem ,but ignore our midfielders who are moving.

Last night we had Max have 37 hitouts, but got beaten in clearances ... WHY !!!!

As soon as the pressure goes on our blokes seem to lose confidence in each other and try to do the job themselves. Got to admire their efforts, but not their execution. Libba showed us a couple of weeks ago , how clearing the area is terrific for the team and enables the ball movement to flow. Viney's effort is never in doubt, but is a "ballhog"Oliver and Petracca hade DE over around 50% which means they lose the ball without advantage to the team too often. Look at how Oliver set the game alight last week by RUNNING out of congestion . That is what we need.

[Hellish Inferno 992]

Honestly at times they play an auskick brand of footy like a running scrum of kids following the ball. Getting in each others way, fumbling constantly and handballing to players under the pump instead of a release to a running player that has slipped their man.

Oh what I would give to be in the inner sanctum and know what they are actually training in terms of setups and scenarios. Comes across like a rinse and repeat, stick to what we do attitude. Other clubs seem to do their homework and have a clear plan for us

[WERRIDEE 5,198]

We are a disgrace really. We get silver service from Gawn and we still can't do anything. The midfield besides Trac and Clarry are looking like trade bait.

Edited September 4, 2020 by WERRIDEE

[Half forward flank 1,022]

4 minutes ago, WERRIDEE said:

We are a disgrace really. We get silver service from Gawn and we still can't do anything. The midfield besides Trac and Clarry are looking like trade bait.

I would keep Harmes.  Look to move Brayshaw and Viney or maybe one of. Kill chicken, scare monkey/

[Earl Hood 5,787]

14 minutes ago, WERRIDEE said:

We are a disgrace really. We get silver service from Gawn and we still can't do anything. The midfield besides Trac and Clarry are looking like trade bait.

I am not sure about the silver service. I don’t know what Max was doing last night, he was not obviously tapping the ball to our advantage and I was scratching my head at times at where our guys were positioning themselves at some of the throw ins, is there a detectable system at stoppages? If there is I am not sure they are using the same playbook. Max wins the hit outs but Nic Nat really stands out for me where he is able to palm the ball straight to his mids advantage, that is silver service.