Best/worst midfield 2019

[Suma Magic]

With the backline and spine threads, seems inevitable...

The number of midfielders varies by team, but a potential standard template for a team is:
7 defs: (2-3 tall and 4-5 small/medium)
1 ruck
7-8 mids: (4-6 general, 2-3 outside)
6-7 fwds: (1 fwd/ruck, 2 talls, 3-4 small/mediums)


So West Coast's 2 rucks and 7 mids would be:

Ruck and back-up: Hickey (Natanui) & Vardy
General mids: Yeo, Shuey, Redden, Sheed, Hutchings
Outside mids: Gaff, Masten


I'd say that this would sit mid-tier in the comp. It still doesn't look great on paper, but it managed to defy expectations in 2018.

Be interested to compare the different midfields after the trade period.

 

[KermitJagger]

With the backline and spine threads, seems inevitable...

The number of midfielders varies by team, but a potential standard template for a team is:
7 defs: (2-3 tall and 4-5 small/medium)
1 ruck
7-8 mids: (4-6 inside, 2-3 outside)
6-7 fwds: (1 fwd/ruck, 2 talls, 3-4 small/mediums)


So West Coast's 2 rucks and 7 mids would be:

Ruck and back-up: Hickey (Natanui) & Vardy
Inside mids: Yeo, Shuey, Redden, Sheed, Hutchings
Outside mids: Gaff, Masten


I'd say that this would sit mid-tier in the comp. It still doesn't look great on paper, but it managed to defy expectations in 2018.

Be interested to compare the different midfields after the trade period.

Ruck and back-up: Ben McEvoy, Jon Ceglar
General mids (sounds better than inside): Tom Mitchell, Jaeger O'Meara, Chad Wingard, Liam Shiels, James Worpel
Outside mids: Isaac Smith, Tom Scully

Hawks generally rotate a lot of players inside our stoppages; James Worpel, Dan Howe, Shaun Burgoyne all have a good claim to that last spot.

I'm biased but on paper that sounds like a pretty challenging midfield unit to line up against.

Tom Mitchell, Isaac Smith, a fit Tom Scully are all huge work rate players which make it difficult for opposition midfields to keep up. O'Meara and Wingard add a lot of the mercurial and the dynamic, which complements the other guys well. It'll be interesting to see how it lines up with expectations vs reality.

 

[pieman123]

I know i am a Collingwood supporter but this is definately the best on paper: Grundy, Pendles, Beams, Treloar, Adams, Sidebottom, Sier, Phillips

 

[WWSD]

1. Collingwood
2. Geelong
3. GWS
4. Melbourne

 

[Sentinel]

I know i am a Collingwood supporter but i think we definately have the best midfield now with Beams coming in. Rucks and back up: Grundy and Cox/Roughead General Mids: Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Treloar, Beams, Adams, Sier Outside mids- Phillips, Mayne, Aish

Easily the best IMO.

My attempt at the Dogs:
Ruck and back-up: Boyd/English/Trengove (no idea who'll be starting ruck come round 1)
General mids: Macrae, Bontempelli, McLean, Dunkley, Liberatore (if he signs)
Outside mids: Hunter, Richards/JJ

 

[schmuttt]

1. Collingwood
2. Geelong
3. GWS
4. Melbourne

Geelong horribly overrated, look at their clearance numbers in 2018. 13th for clearance differential and 14th for center clearance differential.

Pies
Dees
Dogs
GWS

If Eagles got NN back they'd challenge, they've improved a hell of a lot in the middle of the ground.

 

[Chaisa]

Ruck and back-up: Sinclair, Naismith
General mids: Kennedy, Parker, Heeney, Hewett, Mills
Outside mids: Florent, Cunningham, Jones

Best overall is the Pies, their midfield looks as good as any in the last 10 years. Melbourne and Geelong (even though their raw clearance numbers are weak) also have really good ones. West Coast's starting one is great but it lacks a bit of depth, and the ruck lacks punch without Naitanui. Same case with GWS.

Worst is probably still Carlton despite the presence of Cripps, unless their younger guys really click (possible)

 

[Suma Magic]

Seems like the Pies, Dees and Giants have the best midfields on paper heading into next year. The poor performance of the Cats' midfield in 2018 rules them out from being considered as one of the best.

 

[Milanista28]

Bellchambers and Mckernan/Draper
Combination of Heppell, Merrett, Shiel, Smith, Zaharakis, Langford, Parish, Mcgrath and Myers.

 

[HairyO]

1. Collingwood
2. Geelong
3. GWS
4. Melbourne

Demons struggled against us with no O'Meara and Mitchell having a busted shoulder early in the 1st. Definitely overrated.

As for Geelong, that cant be serious?

Pies and GWS definite top 2.

 

[Turnover]

Demons struggled against us with no O'Meara and Mitchell having a busted shoulder early in the 1st. Definitely overrated.

As for Geelong, that cant be serious?

Pies and GWS definite top 2.

Definitely have to write off the dees for 2019 then.

 

[Chaisa]

Demons struggled against us with no O'Meara and Mitchell having a busted shoulder early in the 1st. Definitely overrated.

Struggling = winning by 5 goals now?

 

[HairyO]

Struggling = winning by 5 goals now?

Less than 2 goals up half way through the 4th quarter. Against a team missing its 2nd best midfielder and the best with a busted shoulder.

Definitely have to write off the dees for 2019 then.

They will finish higher than Essendon.

 

[PowerForGood]

Port Adelaide's looks a bit thin on paper now with Polec and Wingard leaving.

Could have been
R: Ryder Lycett
IM: Wines R Gray Wingard Rockliff Powell-Pepper Ebert
OM: Polec Motlop

Leave it to Ken as to who comes through into those two vacancies, I sure as hell dont know.

 

[Baird]

Collingwood
Melbourne
West Coast
GWS

 

[Turnover]

Less than 2 goals up half way through the 4th quarter. Against a team missing its 2nd best midfielder and the best with a busted shoulder.



They will finish higher than Essendon.

Yep, dees and bombers should forfeit the season. Hawks should win it in a canter, unless they get injuries, then other teams may have a chance.

 

[Blues90]

Collingwood is easily the best geelong has starts but dont gel

Gold coast probably has the worst... after Miller and swallow who hardly plays who else is there

On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[dean33]

No mention of the only midfield containing 2 Brownlow medalists and the best player in the comp?
Interesting...

 

[TJASTA]

Jack Graham

 

[Suma Magic]

Rough first crack. Probably need to move some from average to good but can't work out who.

Very good

• Collingwood
• GWS
• Melbourne

Good

• Richmond

Average

• Geelong
• West Coast
• Adelaide
• Port Adelaide
• Brisbane
• North Melbourne
• Bulldogs
• Hawthorn
• Sydney
• Essendon

Bad

• St Kilda
• Fremantle
• Carlton

Very bad

• Gold Coast

 

[schmuttt]

Demons struggled against us with no O'Meara and Mitchell having a busted shoulder early in the 1st. Definitely overrated.

As for Geelong, that cant be serious?

Pies and GWS definite top 2.

Won the clearances by 8 that night. Never change Hawthorne supporters.

 

[schmuttt]

Rough first crack. Probably need to move some from average to good but can't work out who.

Very good

• Collingwood
• GWS
• Melbourne

Good

• Richmond

Average

• Geelong
• West Coast
• Adelaide
• Port Adelaide
• Brisbane
• North Melbourne
• Bulldogs
• Hawthorn
• Sydney
• Essendon

Bad

• St Kilda
• Fremantle
• Carlton

Very bad

• Gold Coast

Underrating your own team they should be in the good bracket, as should Brisbane imo

 

[Iceman!]

No mention of the only midfield containing 2 Brownlow medalists and the best player in the comp?
Interesting...

Geelong have been mentioned silly

 

[KermitJagger]

Rough first crack. Probably need to move some from average to good but can't work out who.

Very good

• Collingwood
• GWS
• Melbourne

Good

• Richmond

Average

• Geelong
• West Coast
• Adelaide
• Port Adelaide
• Brisbane
• North Melbourne
• Bulldogs
• Hawthorn
• Sydney
• Essendon

Bad

• St Kilda
• Fremantle
• Carlton

Very bad

• Gold Coast

Shocking GWS can lose Scully and Shiel, and I still feel like they're placed correctly up there with the top midfields.

Elite:
Collingwood are the obvious #1 particularly with Beams back.

Very Good:
Melbourne's midfield is scary already and still developing, could push Collingwood out of top spot come the end of 2019.
GWS drop a fraction, but still thereabouts.
Richmond still very good, two Brownlow medallists and a very good top end but they have some bit players.

Good:
West Coast with keeping Gaff have a very good midfield unit.
Adelaide on paper with Sloane, Crouch, Crouch, Gibbs are underrated for mine.

The rest are all jockeying for position and we won't know 100% until the season starts. Expect Fremantle to shock a few as they still have some very good talent in there, including the best midfielder in the comp when he's up and running. Hawthorn could surprise a few if Wingard starts in the guts and we can get Scully fit.

The obvious teams that will be struggling are Carlton and Gold Coast.

 

[Scythe94]

Here’s what I’m predicting Melbourne’s mix will be next year.

Rucks: Gawn, Preuss
Pure inside mids: Oliver, Viney
Inside/outside mids: Brayshaw, Harmes, Jones, vandenBerg, Petracca (occasionally)
Pure outside mids: Kolodjashnij, Fritsch

Think Collingwood’s group of Grundy, Beams, Sidebottom, Treloar, Pendlebury, Phillips and Sier is better on paper (and offensively) however, Melbourne’s mix is probably better defensively and in a contested ball sense, so in the end it’s quite even. Hopefully we get a full season out of Viney next year, as he could be the difference.

Those are the two standouts for mine. Richmond has star power, but don’t run as deep as these two sides IMO. Shiel and Scully’s departures knock GWS down to the next tier.