Strategy MIDFIELD - 2015

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yes, but his choice was odd

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HARKER said:
It's the one thing I was very concerned about 2-3 years ago.
Players being touted as future leaders just couldn't/didn't step up.....McCarthy, O'Keeffe, Mitchell.....

Hearing really good things about this years kids in DVR, Boekhorst, Walsh, Foster etc.
When the work ethic is strong through the younger end of the squad, it will invariably push the established players a little harder also.

It's one of those things that's hard to prove, yet common sense tells you that it just does.
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It absolutely does, the same principle applies across businesses. In the past I have specifically hired particularly driven, motivated young guns to push the older, more settled employees to perform better.
 
MEB_ said:
It absolutely does, the same principle applies across businesses. In the past I have specifically hired particularly driven, motivated young guns to push the older, more settled employees to perform better.
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I'm not working for you so stop cranium stalking me...............
 
It's amazing how Gibbs' stature has risen in the Malthouse years. With Ratten he was always focusing on getting his footy right but Malthouse has really got the best out of his leadership capabilities. He's rented out his old place to Cripps, Byrne and Giles, mentors the draftees, leadership group and bringing a child into the world. Massive two years gone for Bryce, many bigger things to come for our new father figure!
 
zeeCFC said:
It's amazing how Gibbs' stature has risen in the Malthouse years. With Ratten he was always focusing on getting his footy right but Malthouse has really got the best out of his leadership capabilities. He's rented out his old place to Cripps, Byrne and Giles, mentors the draftees, leadership group and bringing a child into the world. Massive two years gone for Bryce, many bigger things to come for our new father figure!
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Wasn't Gibbs a tagger or a "run with" player under Ratten?
 
zeeCFC said:
Early Ratten years he was a midfielder, then after success in doing roles on Adam Goodes he became a gap filler in the back line and when we needed a defensive player on a utility type. It was just asking to stunt his development.
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or maybe all those early boring defensive roles make him a bloody good 2015 Brownlow medalist:p:p
 
Our midfield seems to be developing it's own style, or dare I say it, perhaps Malthouse's style. We seem to be developing a very big midfield and really a big team. I remember being very critical of us around 2012 for being too small and being critical of our attempts to overcome this by picking up slow, poorly skilled types. We've drafted some monsters recently like Cripps, Whiley, Bell, Curnow, Smith and Walsh. Some of our older boys like Gibbs and Judd who were never really overly big in the upper body look to have put on a bit around the shoulders over this summer as has Graham and Docherty. Murphy is a strong player these days, very hard to pin down. In fact Judd and Gibbs look stronger than they have ever been from the content coming out of the club. Add Kreuzer to this, a ruckman who likes to get involved at ground level and we potentially have one of the biggest midfields going around.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. It wasn't that long ago Judd was our biggest and strongest midfielder and was supported by Murphy, Carrazzo, Simpson, Robinson, Mclean, Scotland and Ellard who apart from Robinson weren't really regarded as big, strong AFL footballers and we got physically punished at the time by many of the better/stronger sides like Hawthorn, Adelaide, Sydney, Essendon* etc. We bullied slower sides who weren't good enough to physically beat us but really we didn't have the size/strenght to compete in the contests.

Its great to see some of our players in the photos really looking like footballers now. Henderson, who I've always said lacked a bit of size/strength for the forward line looks to have bulked up and looks more the part, Rowe looks super strong, Casboult has always been big but he looks fitter and stronger. Some who attend regularly may back like to confirm this. There really looks like a concerted effort has been made at the club to improve this area. Perhaps we are looking at embracing the more rugby like heavily packed nature of the modern AFL midfield and get our tackling and tackle breaking abilities up.

The big question will be our speed and particularly that speed over the first few steps which is so important to an Aussie rules midfielder. In many ways it's got me excited because I can't see us being physically beaten too often though size isn't everything. You get wiry powerful guys like Fyfe, Judd and Langford, they are powerful and really hit with momentum and it's that speed off the mark that will trump big slow guys every time. Not saying our boys haven't got that or they are slow, there are no brock Mclean types at the moment, not at all but it will be very interesting to see how we go and if our big mids can run and handle the footy then look out.

Couldn't be more please with how our players are looking, it's just a matter of seeing how they go out on the field.
 
I never rated Gibbs as a tagger at all, he never found the ball when he tagged and on a few occasions got cut up, all be it by some very good players. Gibbs has always been at his best hunting the footy. The good job on adam Goodes, pretty sure Goodes still had 20 something possessions kicked a goal and wasn't fit (typical of some of our supporter base how we've developed really low standards over the years). Either way he's going brilliantly, his ability to get first hands to it off the ruck because he's tall and also get his arms free is top shelf and he's learnt to use his body and hit the footy hard, then he goes forward and kicks goals. Was easily our most damaging player last year and he's looking very fit and stronger this season, could become a really good extractor of the footy. Gibbs and Murphy (game V Freo a prime example) really grew as players last year and began to play like senior footballers and leaders of the team and really demonstrated some assertiveness on the field which was great.
 

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Eugenio94 said:
Blaine Johnson Impressed me against st kinda last year and since then ive kept closer look on him. Naturally a medium sized forward but could be used as a mid at times. Very much a good depth
Player who could be used at stages this season if there are injures and suspensions or want to rest a few against the weaker sides when we make our run To September!
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Needs to step up his fitness. Showed in one game he could find the pill.
 
Its the guys like Cripps and his and others enthusiasm that got Juddy to play on. Cripps could be the massive improvement for us this year, runner up in the Northern Blues B and F even after breaking a leg, full pre season and he could come out and tear the Tigers a new one in round 1..
 
Love what I'm hearing re Cripps tailing Juddy and Gibbs on the inside at training drills.
Gibbs is looking absolute massive. Which points to him playing as an inside mid.
I'd say so far it looks like Judd Gibbs Carrots and maybe Whiely and Cripps
will play as the inside mids.
Can see Judd and Gibbs killing it in clearances this year.
 
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Would be great if we had others to play the inside extractor role and allow Juddy to finally play the outside midfielder that he was when he 1st came into the league, with him playing that role we could get lucky and get him to play on again after this season.
 
Need at least 10 players rotating through the midfield these days. Think we need to fast track Cripps Boekhorst and Whiley all have different attributes that would complement our current midfielders.

Murphy Gibbs Judd Thomas Curnow Simpson Carrazzo Cripps Boekhorst Whiley doesnt look like a bad 10
 
TBellicious said:
What are peoples thoughts on what Carrazzo will bring to the team this year? Me personally, not much, unfortunately.
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I don't think he can get back to his best, to be honest. I just feel like he has been too injured and hasn't had the continuity he needs to return to form. I mean, he might have some good games, but he won't be utterly dominant on whoever he plays on and get thirty touches the other way any more. Hope he proves me wrong, though.
 
Carrazzo is at his best when he's getting it 25-30+ times and playing an accountable footy in the midfield. He's not the greatest or most penetrating kick but he's decent enough with it in hand. He used to be able to kick the odd goal but we haven't seen a lot of that recently. Fitness and staying injury free will be his key, it will be interesting to see what he offers. He's a quality player when fit and in form.
 
passmark said:
Carrots best footy is as a VERY accountable midfielder, but he's been nowhere near it for a few seasons now because of injury.
I can see him having to show his ability to cover and beat an opponent in the VFL for a few games.

I think he can do it.
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Great post...

He needs to get back to being a full time shut down mid who gets inside ball and feeds it out.

This will be his only chance of continued football!
 

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Strategy MIDFIELD - 2015

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