Jump to content

Who is our midfield leader?

Hellish Inferno
Hellish Inferno
in Melbourne Demons

Featured Replies

Posted

First up, fairly content with the result today and think there's plenty of upside to come. Although it was not perfect by any means.

But during the game I wondered, who actually is our midfield 'leader'? We have a number of top players and arguably the best ruckman in the league, but as the commentators pointed out, we didn't have an answer to the way Freo setup at stoppages and exploited our midfield. We didn't have a leader that realised this and organised the troops. We have too many players that get  in each others way and do their own thing.   

When I think of most teams I can name a clear midfield leader. Freo has Fyfe for example. Who is ours, or has the potential to be?

Viney perhaps. But does he have a strong enough footy IQ to simultaneously organise the play and be the bull he is? Petracca and Oliver are great players but unfortunately don't seem up to that.

Gawn probably should be. But I get the impression he doesn't always grasp when things need to change and when to take charge.

The backline is our strongest and is partly so due to the leadership and organisation provided by May and Lever. I wish our midfield (and forwardline) operated the same way.

  • Quote
    • Like 10
     
     
    • Author
    35 minutes ago, Jjrogan said:

    Oliver. Close thread. 

    He's a freak, but is he a leader that can organise and direct others?

    That's what I'm on about. I don't think he can...yet...

  • Quote
    • Like 4
    • Author
    27 minutes ago, whatwhat say what said:

    from a set up and positioning standpoint, viney

    from the best player in the set-up, petracca

    for the most consistent, oliver

    for the heart, max

    Yep, that's what this thread is about. All the other stuff is important, but isn't as relevant to what I'm talking about.

    But fair point that it won't take just one, but all to perform their role. 

  • Quote

    We don't have one.

    Petracca is too busy trying to do everything for us.

    Oliver is chasing stats instead of the opposition.

    Viney wants to kill everybody.

    Gawn is more worried about hitouts than clearances.

    Love them all as blokes and players, but not one of them is a 'directional' type leader. Viney isn't a communicator and Gawn still has a bad habit of going for a massive random punch forward when he's frustrated.

    Max is the one that needs to add this to his leadership. He's a great front man for our club, a sensational player, but gut feel is he's classed as a leader because he's a great trainer and a great bloke. Not the 'ruthless' leader we really need.

  • Quote
    • Like 11

    The captain of course

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    18 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

    We don't have one.

    Petracca is too busy trying to do everything for us.

    Oliver is chasing stats instead of the opposition.

    Viney wants to kill everybody.

    Gawn is more worried about hitouts than clearances.

    Love them all as blokes and players, but not one of them is a 'directional' type leader. Viney isn't a communicator and Gawn still has a bad habit of going for a massive random punch forward when he's frustrated.

    Max is the one that needs to add this to his leadership. He's a great front man for our club, a sensational player, but gut feel is he's classed as a leader because he's a great trainer and a great bloke. Not the 'ruthless' leader we really need.

    I agree with this.
     

    We will always have those whole quarter lapses and opposition teams will always believe they are in games regardless of score line when playing us.

    The way the Tigers share the ball around and hit certain spots from areas of the ground is phenomenal. They are extremely well led on and off field.

    Initial contest is the focus for us, then after that it is anyone’s guess

    Edited by BW511

  • Quote
    • Like 1
     

    Petracca by the length of the Flemington straight. He is the future of this club.

  • Quote
    • Author
    43 minutes ago, bobby1554 said:

    Petracca by the length of the Flemington straight. He is the future of this club.

    Trac is a ripper, but what makes him a good leader that marshalls the troops and responds in game to opposition tactics?

    I feel our group were hurt more by the loss of on-field runners delivering messages. The best teams are well drilled, disciplined and have senior players that are also coaches on the field

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    1 hour ago, Hellish Inferno said:

    Trac is a ripper, but what makes him a good leader that marshalls the troops and responds in game to opposition tactics?

    I feel our group were hurt more by the loss of on-field runners delivering messages. The best teams are well drilled, disciplined and have senior players that are also coaches on the field

    What makes him a good leader? Because he can do what others can’t 

  • Quote

    Midfield leaders. Viney.  Oliver. Petracca. Take your pick. 
     

    Matthew Lloyd - new rules won’t suit midfields like Collingwood, Melbourne and Giants.  Melbourne has a big and slow midfield.  
     

    Wow. Oliver.  Petracca. Viney. Harmes. Brayshaw. Great at the contested footy. But we need another 1-2 fast outside runners.  

  • Quote
    On 3/21/2021 at 2:49 AM, Jjrogan said:

    Oliver. Close thread. 

    Oliver ain't no leader. Being the best isn't being the leader.

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    On 3/21/2021 at 7:38 AM, Lord Nev said:

    We don't have one.

    Petracca is too busy trying to do everything for us.

    Oliver is chasing stats instead of the opposition.

    Viney wants to kill everybody.

    Gawn is more worried about hitouts than clearances.

    Love them all as blokes and players, but not one of them is a 'directional' type leader. Viney isn't a communicator and Gawn still has a bad habit of going for a massive random punch forward when he's frustrated.

    Max is the one that needs to add this to his leadership. He's a great front man for our club, a sensational player, but gut feel is he's classed as a leader because he's a great trainer and a great bloke. Not the 'ruthless' leader we really need.

    Spot on

  • Quote

    On 3/21/2021 at 12:32 AM, Hellish Inferno said:

    First up, fairly content with the result today and think there's plenty of upside to come. Although it was not perfect by any means.

    But during the game I wondered, who actually is our midfield 'leader'? We have a number of top players and arguably the best ruckman in the league, but as the commentators pointed out, we didn't have an answer to the way Freo setup at stoppages and exploited our midfield. We didn't have a leader that realised this and organised the troops. We have too many players that get  in each others way and do their own thing.   

    When I think of most teams I can name a clear midfield leader. Freo has Fyfe for example. Who is ours, or has the potential to be?

    Viney perhaps. But does he have a strong enough footy IQ to simultaneously organise the play and be the bull he is? Petracca and Oliver are great players but unfortunately don't seem up to that.

    Gawn probably should be. But I get the impression he doesn't always grasp when things need to change and when to take charge.

    The backline is our strongest and is partly so due to the leadership and organisation provided by May and Lever. I wish our midfield (and forwardline) operated the same way.

    Ditto ditto ditto 

  • Quote
    On 3/21/2021 at 8:38 AM, Lord Nev said:

    We don't have one.

    Petracca is too busy trying to do everything for us.

    Oliver is chasing stats instead of the opposition.

    Viney wants to kill everybody.

    Gawn is more worried about hitouts than clearances.

    Love them all as blokes and players, but not one of them is a 'directional' type leader. Viney isn't a communicator and Gawn still has a bad habit of going for a massive random punch forward when he's frustrated.

    Max is the one that needs to add this to his leadership. He's a great front man for our club, a sensational player, but gut feel is he's classed as a leader because he's a great trainer and a great bloke. Not the 'ruthless' leader we really need.

    Some interesting observations and not without merit.

    A working definition of a leader in the footy world for me is someone who inspires players to give their all as well as being prepared to be selfless for the good of the team. (Like S.May in the backline).

    All of the players have the ability to do this but agreed no one really stands out.

    I believe Trac is becoming more mature and will be the most likely to perform this role.

     

  • Quote

    The fact that one of the pre season themes was to be more 'selfless' as players says it all does it not?

    When I think of our midfield, I think of a bunch of individuals with amazing individual potential and talent. 

    Directional talk, selfless gives and blocks, sacrificial defensive running etc is not something that comes natural to any of them.

    Gawn probably less in that category but the lack of awareness surrounding his tap work and boundary throw in positioning surprises me every game.

    Edited by JimmyGadson

  • Quote
    •  
    17 hours ago, Queanbeyan Demon said:

    Um . . . who is our leader full stop?

    I think Lever & May are our best on field leaders 

    Would like to see Lever as our next skipper

  • Quote
    • Like 2
    8 hours ago, Billy said:

    I think Lever & May are our best on field leaders 

    Would like to see Lever as our next skipper

    Reckon it should be May.

    He is uncompromising in every aspect of his game, he is passionate, he gives his all and demands that others do as well (2019 incident with Frost).

     

  • Quote

    • Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

    Guest
    Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
    Reply to this topic...
    Go to topic listing

    Featured Content

    • REPORT: West Coast

      On a night of counting, Melbourne captain Max Gawn made sure that his contribution counted. He was at his best and superb in the the ruck from the very start of the election night game against the West Coast Eagles at Optus Stadium, but after watching his dominance of the first quarter and a half of the clash evaporate into nothing as the Eagles booted four goals in the last ten minutes of the opening half, he turned the game on its head, with a ruckman’s masterclass in the second half.  No superlatives would be sufficient to describe the enormity of the skipper’s performance starting with his 47 hit outs, a career-high 35 possessions (22 of them contested), nine clearances, 12 score involvements and, after messing up an attempt or two, finally capping off one of the greatest rucking performances of all time, with a goal of own in the final quarter not long after he delivered a right angled pass into the arms of Daniel Turner who also goaled from a pocket (will we ever know if the pass is what was intended). That was enough to overturn a 12 point deficit after the Eagles scored the first goal of the second half into a 29 point lead at the last break and a winning final quarter (at last) for the Demons who decided not to rest their champion ruckman at the end this time around. 

        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PREGAME: Hawthorn

      The Demons return to the MCG to take on the High Flying Hawks on Saturday Afternoon. Hawthorn will be aiming to consolidate a position in the Top 4 whilst the Dees will be looking to take a scalp and make it four wins in a row. Who comes in and who goes out?

        • Thanks
      • 103 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PODCAST: West Coast

      The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 5th May @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we analyse the Demons 3rd win row for the season against the Eagles.
      Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show.
      If you would like to leave us a voicemail please call 03 9016 3666 and don't worry no body answers so you don't have to talk to a human.

        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 18 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • POSTGAME: West Coast

      Following a disastrous 0–5 start to the season, the Demons have now made it three wins in a row, cruising past a lacklustre West Coast side on their own turf. Skipper Max Gawn was once again at his dominant best, delivering another ruck masterclass to lead the way.

        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 212 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • VOTES: West Coast

      Max Gawn leads the Demonland Player of the Year from Jake Bowey in 2nd place. Christian Petracca, Ed Langdon and Clayton Oliver round out the Top 5. Your votes for the win over the West Coast Eagles in Perth. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1.

        • Thanks
      • 40 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • GAMEDAY: West Coast

      It's Game Day and the Demons have a chance to notch up their third consecutive win — something they haven’t done since Round 5, 2024. But to do it, they’ll need to exorcise the Demons of last year’s disastrous trip out West. Can the Dees continue their momentum, right the wrongs of that fateful clash, and take another step up the ladder on the road to redemption?

        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 669 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland
    View All