Team Mgmt. Talk about the makeup of our list - midfield balance, height profile, endurance runners

[citizen-erased]

Maybe, but I get a little concerned when our top draft pick (top 10) in the previous draft does not get a gig in Round 1.

i think there were some expectations that the midfield was deep and getting a game would be tough

There'd be concerns also if Hobbs walked into a midfield unit of Merrett, Parish, Shiel, Caldwell, Langford, McGrath & a tentative Stringer, and didn't set the world on fire as Rowell and Judd did.

Big question - do you debut him against the Lions and let him learn from the heat of the Dees, then let that roll through Crows, Pies and Dockers games.
or wait and debut him against Adelaide?

And is he ready?

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

i think there were some expectations that the midfield was deep and getting a game would be tough

There'd be concerns also if Hobbs walked into a midfield unit of Merrett, Parish, Shiel, Caldwell, Langford, McGrath & a tentative Stringer, and didn't set the world on fire as Rowell and Judd did.

Big question - do you debut him against the Lions and let him learn from the heat of the Dees, then let that roll through Crows, Pies and Dockers games.
or wait and debut him against Adelaide?

And is he ready?

I've always believed that a young mid or any mid in general, if you are a midfielder than you can play forward or back and are a better option than your standard flankers for the most part.

Maybe thats old thinking and the game has changed a bit but a genuine top 10 pick performing well should be pushing out a Guelfi, Ham or a Smith.

 

[BrunoV]

Dangerfield is one of the harder matchups in the league, you need the size to stand him, and the tank to run with him. Very few players have both.

That's why Martin / Petracca / Dangerfield are so unstoppable, the combination of size, speed, strength and tank isn't something most teams have.

And that's why you need a beast to throw at then to break up a centre bounce pounding.

Did I use the word tag anywhere?

 

[faible]

And that's why you need a beast to throw at then to break up a centre bounce pounding.

Did I use the word tag anywhere?

So you want Laverde to start in the centre circle?

 

[BrunoV]

You think you're catching me out based on things I've said in a post you probably haven't read and are getting hung up on a agendas.

This is boring.

 

[The Devils Advocate]

Our backline wasn't the issue, it was our midfield's lack of chase. At one stage Selwood had the ball, and Pidge was just jogging behind him, 100% had the pace to catch him if he wanted, but he'd given up.

 

[faible]

You think you're catching me out based on things I've said in a post you probably haven't read and are getting hung up on a agendas.

This is boring.

It's boring because you're struggling to articulate what it is you want and how it would play out in reality?

 

[ant555]

That's a disagreement about whether Laverde is suitable.

We can argue about that until the cows come home, and ant555 and I generally do.

Difference with us now days is you say yes . I say no . You say yes . I say no and the we watch the cows come home

 

[CBombers17]

And that's why you need a beast to throw at then to break up a centre bounce pounding.

Did I use the word tag anywhere?

In the absence of much real physical presence in the middle this is the sort of move we need to try. You don't need to have the exact equivalent specimen to play that role either. Just someone willing to do put some work into him, take the punishment and stem the bleeding.

Surely Essendon cant still be learning that our mids (minus Stringer) can't handle the big boys? Not sure why is this so controversial?

 

[BrunoV]

It's boring because you're struggling to articulate what it is you want and how it would play out in reality?

Let's play the game of comparing what I said originally and how far that departs from what you think I said.

 

[faible]

Let's play the game of comparing what I said originally and how far that departs from what you think I said.

Ok.

I'd be adding Laverde to the midfield rotation purely as a defensive player.

I specifically said I'd use him as an outnumber player from half forward and even throw him in when Danger is running riot. That's not midfield.

 

[BrunoV]

Ok.

So you're basing this on a selective/edited quote, excluding reference to using Laverde in the middle as an outnumber player from half forward and then "throwing him in" in a scenario when Danger is running riot.

That's not a midfielder, not in the sense of a true on-baller. Just as Stringer is not a midfielder. You're involved here enough to know that.

The work rate is not the same and it's a much less midfield specialist role (in terms of knowing the running patterns that the ball magnets rely on to get as much of the ball as they do.

 

[faible]

So you're basing this on a selective/edited quote, excluding reference to using Laverde in the middle as an outnumber player from half forward and then "throwing him in" in a scenario when Danger is running riot.

That's not a midfielder, not in the sense of a true on-baller. Just as Stringer is not a midfielder. You're involved here enough to know that.

The work rate is not the same and it's a much less midfield specialist role (in terms of knowing the running patterns that the ball magnets rely on to get as much of the ball as they do.

Seems to me like you're not really articulating well how you expect it to work out.

Snelling plays as an outnumber player from half forward and is close to our highest distance covered player per game, for example.

 

[BrunoV]

Well, however you want to cut it up, Laverde's played half forward for 6 years and has played and trained on ball.

He's a brute and runs with someone the quickest players in the AFL on the lead.

Our midfield is weak as piss.

There are a number of good arguments to be made in support of the move. You don't have to agree or be blindly obedient to an idea you had 6 years ago to acknowledge it.

There is also no alternative.

 

[ant555]

 

[Shane Heard]

Bring back Jason Johnson

The granite lined steamroller

God I miss those days…

 

[TheGrizz]

Shiel to come back in is handy.

But ultimately, it's time Pidgeon and Caldwell showed us what they've got. We are about to find out with more prominent roles in the midfield.

 

[andleanback]

Shiel to come back in is handy.

But ultimately, it's time Pidgeon and Caldwell showed us what they've got. We are about to find out with more prominent roles in the midfield.

Caldwell was very good Saturday. Would be more than happy if this means he gets way more time on ball. Could be his parish moment.

 

[faible]

Caldwell was very good Saturday. Would be more than happy if this means he gets way more time on ball. Could be his parish moment.

Shiel also has to come back in, might mean Ham stays for another week…

 

[andleanback]

Shiel also has to come back in, might mean Ham stays for another week…

I didn’t think ham was too bad on Saturday, could stomach him getting another week for now. Hopefully merrett on the walsh side on syndesmosis not the Mcgrath.

 

[DapperDon]

might mean Ham stays for another week…

**** that, Bring Hobbs in

 

[citizen-erased]

Make or break time for mcgrath as both a future leader and full time mid.
As Parish did last year when shiel went down....time to step up

 

[Wilbursaurus]

Surprised by the negativity amongst all you Essendon fans while reading this thread. You smashed us in that first quarter, were well in the game for 2 and a half quarters and have one of the better young sides in the competition. With a midfield that has Merrett, Caldwell, Shiel, McGrath and Parish in it, one of the better young rucks as well, I think there's plenty ahead ......
I think you are much better placed than Geelong, Hawthorn, West Coast, Richmond, GWS, Freo, St Kilda, Collingwood, Adelaide for example.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Surprised by the negativity amongst all you Essendon fans while reading this thread. You smashed us in that first quarter, were well in the game for 2 and a half quarters and have one of the better young sides in the competition. With a midfield that has Merrett, Caldwell, Shiel, McGrath and Parish in it, one of the better young rucks as well, I think there's plenty ahead ......

And soon as Berry shut Merrett down after quarter time you overran us. Huge loss

 

[Wilbursaurus]

And soon as Berry shut Merrett down after quarter time you overran us. Huge loss

That's true, I still think he did a decent job even under Berrys attention though. Very surprised the same thing wasn't done with Lachie to be honest. Thought the lack of putting someone to do a job on him was a big reason for the final result.