What do we do with Joel?

[jeemak]

Wing or half forward, with stints in defence or the middle if we need to change things up.

We have plenty of inside quality around the ball but not nearly enough outside on the wings and forward of the ball. As much as he'd be learning how to be really good inside he'd just be pushing someone who's already better inside and who isn't as competent outside to an outside role and I don't think that's best for the team.

Joel can really help us be a more rounded side if he commits to making his outside game a priority, gets as fit as **** and just runs his arse up and down the field all day.

[54Bulldog16]

It’s a great question Mantis. He’s a star in the making, any other club would be thrilled to have him within their midfield, that’s where he can do the most damage. An attacking goal kicking midfielder.
Spending a full preseason training midfield will see some natural development.
Longer term I see him taking Bonts spot, with Butters and Ed our starting 3. Bont to the 1/4 back role, the general down back, setting up our transition with his elite kicking, but not for a few years yet.

[Scorlibo]

Half back makes sense to me - it's an area of need right now. At times this year it was Bailey Dale or bust for us and the few clubs that worked that out and went with a hard tag on Dale reaped the rewards. Joel can be another genuine playmaker back there, taking JJ's spot who looks a lot closer to the end than Libba right now (whose spot Joel would be taking presumably as a first-choice centre bounce mid. Would also be good for his development to work on his defensive craft, which is a bit lacking compared to the seasoned Libba and Bont in particular.

[ArsenalFC]

What ever we do, we need to stick to it and give him the time to own whichever space we move him into. I hope we don't throw him around different postions which can also create uncertaintiy and form dropoff.

[FrediKanoute]

Midfield for me.

He’s a dynamic player who can win and receive, break lines, kick well and impact the scoreboard. We have very few with his attributes. He hasn’t quite (at this early stage of his career) put all the tools together, but I don’t think it’s far off

Im with you. Alongside Ed Richards, he is the only real linebreaker in the midfield. Hi size means that he is going to be a big bodied mid and itis something we will need when Bont begins to slow down.

[dukedog]

Im with you. Alongside Ed Richards, he is the only real linebreaker in the midfield. Hi size means that he is going to be a big bodied mid and itis something we will need when Bont begins to slow down.

can we just not please.

[SonofScray]

Ideally, and it is going to take a big step up, he pushes Libba out of the midfield ahead of time and really adds something there to build own the different look Ed gave us.

Ideally, the disruption this generates to the midfield causes a senior player to slide back into a HB role aka Matthew Boyd 2015-2016 but I don't think we have that quality of player with that level of adaptability.

Given that, Freijah goes to HBF and is challenged to be a line breaking, bullocking force on the counter.

[Sedat]

For mine, we are already very attacking and aggressive in the back half as it is - if we add another elite attacking weapon off half back who is going to actually defend? Freijah has grown significantly in the midfield (he ran out of puff late in the season) but what he can do in the midfield is elite and he will only get better in there. The Sydney game was basically won by him off his own boot (honourable mention to Bramble), which not many 19yo can do. The media would be absolutely drooling over him if he played for the filth.

I'd rather deploy Treloar and Libba elsewhere (or out of the team) rather than use Joel as a Mr Fix-it everywhere else just to fit these two in the midfield. He should be permanent mid all pre-season, with a view to taking over as the Big Dog from Bont in a couple of years time (with Bont causing carnage 50/50 forward mid later in his career a-la Dangerfield). I think Freijah can be that good - we're only scratching the surface with him after 2 years in the system, and he will be borderline unstoppable with another 2-3 pre-seasons under his belt.

[ledge]

Let him play where he wants . I don’t want to hear “I am leaving because I am not playing where I want to”again.

[Bornadog]

I cannot see Freijah playing in the backline. He was basically moved out of there this year and he played a bit of HFF/Mid. The Sydney game he showed us he can be so useful in that role. He will eventually transition into the mid role rotations.

[Twodogs]

Half back in 2026 to learn more about the game and then moves into the midfield after that