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Melbourne's woes in 2011 centred around a dysfunctional midfield that lacked consistency and class. As is it in psychology, diagnosing the problem is always easier than solving it. The loss of Tom Scully for me was most disappointing for the fact that he loomed as the figure most likely to lift the mids in 2012, and with trade week over, it appears Moloney, Sylvia and Mckenzie are once again the likely canditates for first crack at the pill come round 1 next year. I can't help but feel un-inspired. Whether Neeld is inspired by that trio is another story. Here are a few things I would love to see him trial in 2012 as a means of seeing whether we can manufacture a more inspiring midfield with the current crop, at least until the Jacks (Viney and Trengove) reach their full potential. 1. Rotate Jeremy Howe through the midfield. While Howe is an excellent marking forward and good set shot, he also has outstanding hands on either side of his body, quick reflexes and general football nous. After watching him at training and in games, his ability to dish to the ball off in traffic and to hit up targets with left and right boot is should not be underestimated. He also comes to the club boasting a high beep test (dunno of top of my head). At 190cm he adds good height. I want him in the forward line, but if fit, would be interested to see how he went further up the ground. 2. Put Morton on the ball. Cale Morton is a strange bird. Unlike many footballers who respond well to a good kick up the arse, I reckon Cale needs a behavioural psychology approach - that is, get him to learn through experience, combined with positive reinforcement. He is not learning while watching the ball from 80 metres away on an empty wing. Watching Cale flailing around like a rabbit in the headlights against the Doggies this year was depressing. He had lost all confidence, and constant sprays and looks of disgust from James Frawley only made him play worse. I can understand Frawley's grievances, Cale was letting a good backline down. However, he is a confidence player who needs different forms of motivation. Putting him on the ball - not at the beginning of the game - but in the later stages of the quarters - will give him an opportunity to utilize a key weapon - elite running. The great mids get to more contests - if Cale help the team by getting to contests, rather than getting forward of the contest, he has a better chance of winning back the support of his teammates and growing in confidence. 3. Get Grimes in the Centre. While Jack Grimes has found a niche as a half back flank, the loss of Scully could become the making of Grimes as a mid. While I love Jordie Mckenzie, he has not yet become an elite tagger (certainly an elite tackler) and must become more potent by foot to assure himself a spot in the midfield when competition for spots heats up. Some will remember that Grimes was used to tag Bryce Gibbs in the Vic Vs SA under 18s championships. While his kicking is not quite that of Luke Hodge, as a tagger his foot skills would be considered excellent. He inspires those around him with his courage and is a gut runner. I would like to see Grimes trialled as a tagger who must be respected by the opposition as someone who can use the ball well. 4. Get Watts and Jurrah on the wing more often. LJ was smashed by Jimmie Bartel earlier in the year when he lined up against him on the wing at Skilled stadium. But the whole team was smashed and LJ shouldn't be given up as part time winger. Both he and Watts have such beautiful skills by foot, are excellent marks and have dynamic speed that playing off a wing for parts of the game could be used to great effect. Considering they are still undersize, and there are now more appropriate players to line up for contested marks in the forward line, it might be a valuable strategy. I might be clutching at straws - but we can't go into 2012 with the same midfield squad hoping they'll just improve. Happy to hear where I've gone wrong, and what others might choose to do.