Rate the midfields.

[hellfire]

As far as Collingwood are concerned I am aware they rotate Davis and Didak through the middle for spells and both are good users of the ball but I wouldn't say they are true midfielders. That really applies to Thomas as well at this stage of his career. Pendlebury is by no means a one man band. The likes of Swan, O'Bree and Johnson (who I think has really come on as a player) work really hard to put him in a position where he can make the right decision.

Davis spends more time in the midfield than Johnson. O'Bree, Pendlebury and Swan are our permanent midfielders, Davis spends the next most time, followed by Didak (forward), Johnson (half-back) and Thomas (half-forward). I have no evidence of this, just my observations from watching all the games. Obviously the young guys like Wellingham, McCarthy and Cook get runs through, and so does Clarke, but not as much as the others.

So I'd rate us as: Fraser / Pendlebury, Swan, OBree, Davis, (any one of several, take your pick).

 

[Palmer Stoat]

As far as Collingwood are concerned I am aware they rotate Davis and Didak through the middle for spells and both are good users of the ball but I wouldn't say they are true midfielders. That really applies to Thomas as well at this stage of his career. Pendlebury is by no means a one man band. The likes of Swan, O'Bree and Johnson (who I think has really come on as a player) work really hard to put him in a position where he can make the right decision.

Last year Didak and Davis basically played as midfielders. Before he was suspended by the club, Didak led the competition for kicks. You don't do that if you're not spending most of your time in the midfield. They will both spend some time in the forward line, as MM is keen on his rotations, but these days they should be regarded as midfielders who spend some time forward not vice versa. Thomas, though, is the reverse. Up till now, MM has played him primarily as a forward, with the occasional spell in the middle. (As for Johnson, he's ordinary and IMO will struggle to hold his spot in our best 22.)