How many Outside Mids do we Pick?

[mjp]

Does Talent rule over role players? If you are talented, shouldn't you be able to play other roles?

Are you talented because you can play any role or are you a player who is ELITE at playing a particular role?

There's nothing wrong with being an excellent player in one position but merely 'average' at others. I think you would agree that Liber is at his best in the mids, and whilst he 'CAN' play as a half-forward, he isn't the same calibre hf as he is inside mid?

[Mantis]

There's nothing wrong with being an excellent player in one position but merely 'average' at others. I think you would agree that Liber is at his best in the mids, and whilst he 'CAN' play as a half-forward, he isn't the same calibre hf as he is inside mid?

Given Libba is seen as 1st choice midfielder a better or real example might be Macrae who dropped out of the midfield rotation last year and his skill-set doesn't really transfer across as a HF.

[mjp]

Given Libba is seen as 1st choice midfielder a better or real example might be Macrae who dropped out of the midfield rotation last year and his skill-set doesn't really transfer across as a HF.

I guess ultimately it doesn't matter...my point was that it is a pretty rare player who is elite in multiple roles. I know we expect them to be, but it simply doesn't work that way...

[whythelongface]

Ultimately it comes down to the question if a player who plays multiple roles whether their impact is better than player x, y or z in that specific role? It all depends on the quality available. For example last year the match committee may have thought Macrae was better suited to play HF with stints in the midfield than West purely as a HF.

I would rather have players play specialist roles. We would better off with 2 to 3 specialist small forwards than having a mid rest there who doesn?t play the position well. Macrae was a case in point last year - for whatever reason he continued to play there. This year we could have West, McNeil, Clarke and Cody as our small forwards with Harmes and maybe Treloar (along with Bont) spending time in the forward line. If this means a very good mid misses out on selection then so be it. Whether it happens this way we shall see.

[MrMahatma]

I'd prefer we play guys in their preferred position... which means some VERY good players at other positions are in the VFL... and I don't even have the courage to list them, let alone being on the MC and having to actually DO that.

[Mantis]

I'd prefer we play guys in their preferred position... which means some VERY good players at other positions are in the VFL... and I don't even have the courage to list them, let alone being on the MC and having to actually DO that.

It's a tough one for sure... but coming off 2 very mediocre seasons whereby we've tried to fill our team with a thousand mids you would think we would change our strategy now? Surely the credits are out and we've acknowledged that our tactics haven't worked?

[mjp]

It's a tough one for sure... but coming off 2 very mediocre seasons whereby we've tried to fill our team with a thousand mids you would think we would change our strategy now? Surely the credits are out and we've acknowledged that our tactics haven't worked?

It's not just the fact that they are mids though. We are talking about a group of AA quality players who have a lot of pride in their performances and - I have no doubt - see themselves through the lens of "I am a good player" (of course) but also have a clear vision of what they are doing when playing well...and it involves winning clearances, winning the footy etc.

For players to be successful in 'other' roles - and I don't just mean for a week or two, but longer term - they first have to adjust how they perceive what 'good footy' looks like and that's very hard.

[Go_Dogs]

No idea what we do but I love the thread. It?s our biggest issue going into round 1, we can?t just pick our best 22 players and wedge them into positions they can?t/don?t play.

It FEELS like we?re trying to get better at this - we?ll know for sure in a few weeks. If we go this way, we?ll pay the price fairly quickly as other sides will be more agile, faster and better able to execute their game plans. Hopefully the coaching group see this and while some unpopular calls may be made with some more established players not being named from time to time, them keeping those selected in the preferred positions honest and us having selection integrity based on ability to execute the plan (whatever it is) must be the approach.

If not a coaching change could come quickly.

[Grantysghost]

Well all the players we are talking about on a wing none have actual speed, maybe Baker .
If we want speed wouldn?t JJ and VDM move into a wing ?
According to the media it?s all about speed this year.

JJ on a wing is an interesting one.

I'd say it's that moment in the 2016 PF that answers that question.

He breaks lines with his speed and that is more useful as a HB as he has more space to accelerate into.

[bornadog]

JJ on a wing is an interesting one.

I'd say it's that moment in the 2016 PF that answers that question.

He breaks lines with his speed and that is more useful as a HB as he has more space to accelerate into.

The roar at the ground when Bont kicked the goal - it sounded like 50000 there

[Grantysghost]

The roar at the ground when Bont kicked the goal - it sounded like 50000 there

Was insane

[mjp]

The roar at the ground when Bont kicked the goal - it sounded like 50000 there

I went to the final in Perth (obviously) and the two in Melbourne...but didn't go to Sydney.

Why do I continuously feel like I somehow missed the main event? The problem was, I had to choose between going to the Giants game and probably having to miss the GF or risk us losing the PF in order to secure GF flights etc...I mean, I know it's the Dogs but I do have a budget of some sort...

[chef]

Was insane

Still get tingles watching that.

[ledge]

JJ on a wing is an interesting one.

I'd say it's that moment in the 2016 PF that answers that question.

He breaks lines with his speed and that is more useful as a HB as he has more space to accelerate into.

But in that video look where the ball went, about 60 metres from goal put him on a wing and he puts it ten metres out .

[kruder]

FWIW Kingggy was sitting near me the other day and one of his concerns are our group of small forwards/ high half forwards and the fact outside of Cody(flys for marks too often) none of them are basically specialists at the role.

Nothing we haven't discussed but I thought it was worth mentioning it in this thread.