Farewell James Harmes

[drdrake 3,045]

13 minutes ago, The Jackson FIX said:

Tell me two games since 2018 he played the majority of the match in a tagging role? 

It doesn't matter, we back our mids to go head to head and there is no room for Harmes in our midfield rotation. 

[MoeSyzlak 571]

3 minutes ago, The Jackson FIX said:

Tell me two games since 2018 he played the majority of the match in a tagging role? 

I’ll go one better. Rather than just have my opinion, here’s 3 games where it was reported. Anyone who’s watched them play it’s been pretty obvious he’s been e played as a tagger plenty of times. 

Round 15 2022

source: https://www.afl.com.au/news/823736/pride-of-lions-to-help-neale-fight-tag-says-skipper/amp

Round 11 2021

source: https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/949742/harmes-the-tagger-returns-to-his-best

Round 9 2021

Tagged Walsh. Gawny explains in his captains diary. 
 

source: the book obviously but it’s also quoted here: https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2023/sep/15/wasteful-melbourne-still-learning-the-hard-way-as-carlton-party-like-its-1999

[MoeSyzlak 571]

19 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

That's because you're right, he hasn't.

Sometimes I wonder if posters even watch footy.

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/949896/rd-11-post-match-james-harmes?videoId=949896&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1622448553001
 

At 1.28 “It’s good to have a tagging role again”

James Harmes. 2021. 

Or he somehow has his role wrong and you’re right?

Edited October 1, 2023 by MoeSyzlak

[The Jackson FIX 2,296]

24 minutes ago, MoeSyzlak said:

I’ll go one better. Rather than just have my opinion, here’s 3 games where it was reported. Anyone who’s watched them play it’s been pretty obvious he’s been e played as a tagger plenty of times. 

Round 15 2022

source: https://www.afl.com.au/news/823736/pride-of-lions-to-help-neale-fight-tag-says-skipper/amp

Round 11 2021

source: https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/949742/harmes-the-tagger-returns-to-his-best

Round 9 2021

Tagged Walsh. Gawny explains in his captains diary. 
 

source: the book obviously but it’s also quoted here: https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2023/sep/15/wasteful-melbourne-still-learning-the-hard-way-as-carlton-party-like-its-1999

You have some evidence of his tagging, respect. 
 

Genuinely couldn’t recall him in that role in the last 5 years, maybe because it was for only 3 of the last 120-odd games.

[adonski 9,208]

If yze grabs Harmes, it'll show you how much he rates Goody's coaching 

[grazman 6,544]

1 hour ago, adonski said:

If yze grabs Harmes, it'll show you how much he rates Goody's coaching 

Alternatively, it might say something about how he rates Richmond's list. 

[adonski 9,208]

17 minutes ago, grazman said:

Alternatively, it might say something about how he rates Richmond's list. 

Harmes, Hopper, Taranto in the same midfield

I'd need counselling after every game 

[Dee tention 611]

I am a James Harmes fan with what he sacrifices and brings to the team. I rate him highly as a defensive mid and he is probably the best in the comp at this role. It is what the team craves…

As for Simon Godwin’s coaching. It carry questionable and average at best.

[Jaded No More 58,515]

4 hours ago, adonski said:

If yze grabs Harmes, it'll show you how much he rates Goody's coaching 

No it wouldn’t. It would show you how poorly Richmond’s midfield is going to be next season. Yze will probably use Harmes in a run with role to limit the damage of quality opposition mids, since Richmond can no longer compete with them head to head. 

[Redleg 37,891]

1 hour ago, Jaded No More said:

No it wouldn’t. It would show you how poorly Richmond’s midfield is going to be next season. Yze will probably use Harmes in a run with role to limit the damage of quality opposition mids, since Richmond can no longer compete with them head to head. 

Love James for what he has done for us, but unfortunately his disposal and decision making is now really poor.

Wish him all the best wherever he lands, be it Tigers or Bombers.

[deanox 8,705]

I never understood the decision to move Harmes to the HBF as I thought he played his best footy in the Tom Sparrow HFF/mid-rotation role.

He has reasonable hands overhead for his size and I felt he was always a chance to cause trouble drifting around the flank. He did this a couple of times, but not consistently.

But I never thought he had the kicking skills or defensive accountability to play HBF.

[picket fence 15,349]

So.. Harmes, Jordan and Dunstan will not be with us next year!! Anyone else worried about our Midfield depth???

[layzie 29,141]

1 hour ago, Jaded No More said:

No it wouldn’t. It would show you how poorly Richmond’s midfield is going to be next season. Yze will probably use Harmes in a run with role to limit the damage of quality opposition mids, since Richmond can no longer compete with them head to head. 

It's the kind of move you make as a rebuilding club from the bottom 6 IMO. Experienced head to bolster the mid depth.

[chookrat 3,778]

15 minutes ago, picket fence said:

So.. Harmes, Jordan and Dunstan will not be with us next year!! Anyone else worried about our Midfield depth???

I suspect we will draft a quick, classy mid or half back with pick 5 as well as McAdams. If Harmes goes then we will need another mid for depth and depending on whether Gus retires we may need a total of 4 players to play midfield, half back or half forward.

[Diamond_Jim 11,938]

10 minutes ago, picket fence said:

So.. Harmes, Jordan and Dunstan will not be with us next year!! Anyone else worried about our Midfield depth???

How did we end up with so many Laurie "type" players. If you include Spargo and Bedford we probably have 6 of these players of the same type, height and skill level.

Did we come up with a Hibberd understudy.... can't think of one

[Demonsterative 2,006]

24 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

How did we end up with so many Laurie "type" players. If you include Spargo and Bedford we probably have 6 of these players of the same type, height and skill level.

Did we come up with a Hibberd understudy.... can't think of one

McVee

[spirit of norm smith 13,143]

3 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

How did we end up with so many Laurie "type" players. If you include Spargo and Bedford we probably have 6 of these players of the same type, height and skill level.

Did we come up with a Hibberd understudy.... can't think of one

Not sure if Harmesy stays or goes. But I’m banking on JT picking up the midfield runners and skilled youngsters.  
 

Edited October 1, 2023 by spirit of norm smith
P

[Stiff Arm 4,413]

15 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

How did we end up with so many Laurie "type" players. If you include Spargo and Bedford we probably have 6 of these players of the same type, height and skill level.

Did we come up with a Hibberd understudy.... can't think of one

You do know that Bedford doesn't play for Melbourne? And that Hibberd isn't a "Laurie type" player? Or that most of those players aren't the same height or skill level? Eg Spargo isn't the same 'type' as Harmes or Jordan

[chook fowler 18,327]

16 hours ago, picket fence said:

So.. Harmes, Jordan and Dunstan will not be with us next year!! Anyone else worried about our Midfield depth???

I'm available

[Bring-Back-Powell 13,321]

Harmes's papers were surely stamped in his final 2 games for the club this year.

In the game against Richmond he missed 2 elementary set shots at goal within the space of 5 minutes.

In the game against North at Hobart he couldn't execute a basic 15 metre pass to a spare MFC player near the boundary line and ended up kicking it out on the full.

Hopefully he can get his confidence back and become an AFL regular again, but he's a far cry from the "thread of the needle" kick he executed in the 2021 GF.

[dazzledavey36 48,955]

39 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Harmes's papers were surely stamped in his final 2 games for the club this year.

In the game against Richmond he missed 2 elementary set shots at goal within the space of 5 minutes.

In the game against North at Hobart he couldn't execute a basic 15 metre pass to a spare MFC player near the boundary line and ended up kicking it out on the full.

Hopefully he can get his confidence back and become an AFL regular again, but he's a far cry from the "thread of the needle" kick he executed in the 2021 GF.

Thought it was pretty damming that he wasn't part of the group of players that were left out of the Casey's elimination for the carry over into the seniors.

The fact they preferred Woewodin and Laurie just shows how far down the pecking order he was.

[Diamond_Jim 11,938]

1 hour ago, Stiff Arm said:

You do know that Bedford doesn't play for Melbourne? And that Hibberd isn't a "Laurie type" player? Or that most of those players aren't the same height or skill level? Eg Spargo isn't the same 'type' as Harmes or Jordan

Read the post please

Bedford is a Laurie type who we drafted

The Hibberd comment was a separate point lamenting the fact that we knew Hibberd was slowing down 3 years ago yet we did little by way of recruiting for that position.

The six Lauries are: Spargo Laurie Moniz Wakefield Woewodin Chandler and Bedford (now gone). 6 players in a similar mould. Sure there are minor differences but they are all from a similar bowl of vanilla ice cream

[DeeSpencer 23,256]

19 hours ago, deanox said:

I never understood the decision to move Harmes to the HBF as I thought he played his best footy in the Tom Sparrow HFF/mid-rotation role.

He has reasonable hands overhead for his size and I felt he was always a chance to cause trouble drifting around the flank. He did this a couple of times, but not consistently.

But I never thought he had the kicking skills or defensive accountability to play HBF.

In fairness to the coaches he filled in numerous times at half back after injuries (they day Lever did his knee being one such example I’m 95% sure) and was excellent. Good defensive traits and strong marking for a flanker 

As soon as he moved there full time he tried to do too much both with and without the ball and his lack of feel for the position was found out.

[DeeSpencer 23,256]

1 hour ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Read the post please

Bedford is a Laurie type who we drafted

The Hibberd comment was a separate point lamenting the fact that we knew Hibberd was slowing down 3 years ago yet we did little by way of recruiting for that position.

The six Lauries are: Spargo Laurie Moniz Wakefield Woewodin Chandler and Bedford (now gone). 6 players in a similar mould. Sure there are minor differences but they are all from a similar bowl of vanilla ice cream

Woewodin is a versatile midfielder with decent size. Not sure why he’s in that grouping. Sure, he plays half forward at times as most young mids do.

Including Pickett we had 6 small forwards on the list in 2022, 7 if you count ANB, that probably is too many. But Moniz-Wakefield is a Cat B rookie and you take what you can get for those bonus spots.

Pickett, back up AMW
Chandler, back up/competition Spargo
ANB, back up Laurie

Laurie has looked to be vanilla at AFL level so far. But he’s far from vanilla at VFL level where his skills shine. I have doubts he can do it at AFL level but if he can find a yard of pace and strength he has tricks. So far he’s a rare Jason Taylor misstep but there’s still time for him to change that. 

Joel Smith was the back up to Hibberd in 21/22. Deakyn Smith was a back up lockdown defender. Rosman was trialled until last year. Kye Turner was added to the list to be an athletic 3rd tall defender.

McVee was drafted and we got lucky that he took the back pocket role and did a great job.

I’d be finding the best 188-192cm lock down defender in the state leagues and adding them to the rookie list this year but I’m not too concerned we’ve tried to fill that role with rookie picks. Same goes for Chandler, Bedford and AMW with small forward depth. 

 

[Redleg 37,891]

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Edited October 2, 2023 by Redleg