Stringer to the midfield

[LongWait]

Re: Stringer to the midfield

Good midfielders win you games, not forwards. Good midfielders also kick goals and pump the ball into the forward line and find targets. A forward can be the greatest of all time but if there is no one to kick it to them then how do you win a game.

Wayne Carey, Gary Ablett and Buddy Franklin say hi!

[lemmon]

Re: Stringer to the midfield

Wayne Carey, Gary Ablett and Buddy Franklin say hi!

So do Wayne Schwass, Buddha Hocking and Luke Hodge Someone has to kick it to them

[Hotdog60]

Re: Stringer to the midfield

So do Corey McKernan, John Barnes and Robert Campbell. someone had to tap it to them

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Stringer to the midfield

Exactly, as I said Forwards don't win games.

Bit simplistic though.

You (obviously) need both, and comparing Watson to Crameri isn't exactly fair. Watson v Cloke is closer to the money, or Watson v Kennedy etc.

[lemmon]

Re: Stringer to the midfield

Bit simplistic though.

You (obviously) need both, and comparing Watson to Crameri isn't exactly fair. Watson v Cloke is closer to the money, or Watson v Kennedy etc.

Youve misunderstood me. I was making the Crameri comparison because as a permanent forward that's what kind of player Stringer will be, he isn't going to be a Cloke...but he could very well end up a Jobe

[lemmon]

Re: Stringer to the midfield

So do Corey McKernan, John Barnes and Robert Campbell. someone had to tap it to them

Hahaha perhaps it all came back to the ump who bounced it?

[wimberga]

Re: Stringer to the midfield

Exactly, as I said Forwards don't win games.

Your right, out of Crameri v Watson, 99% of people would take Watson everytime.

What if the choice is Pavlich v Watson?
it becomes a fair bit tougher. I definitely understand the point your trying to make in that midfielders can have a much greater say in the outcome of a game, and to that point I definitely agree.

But lets have a look at the big forwards who can really impact games (in no particular order):

N.Riewoldt
J.Riewoldt
Pavlich
J.Kennedy
Buddy Franklin
Cloke
M.Clarke
J.Brown
Petrie
Tex Walker
Roughead
Tom Hawkins

Now you can make a case for some of those to be omitted due to age or not reaching potential yet, but I would say this list is just about complete for current big forwards in the game who are capable of having a real effect. there are others such as Vickery, C Dixon, Pods etc but they have been omitted as I either dont see them as the same class as those above or dont think they have quite proved that they are able to step up when required just yet.

Now lets look at midfielders who are capable of that:

Ablett
Judd
M.Murphy
Cotchin
Martin
Pendlebury
Swan
Thomas
K.Jack
Hannebury
Goodes
J.P Kennedy
J.Bolton
Boomer Harvey
D.Wells
D.Swallow
Bartel
Selwood
Deledio
Dangerfield
S.Mitchell
Sewell
Hodge
Watson
Hayes
Goddard


Now obviously this list isnt complete and there are others that could be removed or added (D.Martin, Hartlett, Montagna etc).

I spose the point I'm trying to make is having a gun forward is a much rarer event and if Stringer has the ability to play in the middle then by all means put him in there now and again when we need a spark or to get him into the game. But with our forward woes and stocks of currently developing midfielders, I dont want to rob peter to pay paul by making him a pure midfielder and leaving a hole in our forward line.

It's not easy to end this debate as its all opinion, but hopefully this explanation sheds a little light on why I believe we should develop him as a forward who can have stints in the middle but does most of his damage in the F50 as a forward.

[lemmon]

Re: Stringer to the midfield

Its a great post Wimberga and one I cant fault, the only reason I'd go the other way and have him eventually as more of a midfielder is because I don't think at his current height he will ever end up as a Cloke, Riewoldt or Franklin.

Hopefully he just ends up as good as Pavlich and both camps are happy

[boydogs]

Re: Stringer to the midfield

Its a great post Wimberga and one I cant fault, the only reason I'd go the other way and have him eventually as more of a midfielder is because I don't think at his current height he will ever end up as a Cloke, Riewoldt or Franklin.

Hopefully he just ends up as good as Pavlich and both camps are happy

Which player do you think Liam Jones will end up being similar to?

[Bornadog]

Re: Stringer to the midfield

Which player do you think Liam Jones will end up being similar to?

If he can run all day then a Riewoldt type.

[Bornadog]

Re: Stringer to the midfield

It's not easy to end this debate as its all opinion, but hopefully this explanation sheds a little light on why I believe we should develop him as a forward who can have stints in the middle but does most of his damage in the F50 as a forward.

Great argument and hard to fault and all subject to lots of opinions.

I think the reason the MC see him in the midfield is that as far as being involved in a game, the midfielders are the ones where the ball is a large percentage of the game. They rack up the most disposals, and create all the play through the middle of the ground. Its no wonder they get all the brownlow votes.

You want your best players in the midfield not stuck up one end waiting for the ball to come to you. You want your best to go and get the ball. Whether it all pans out this way we will see.

[Greystache]

Re: Stringer to the midfield

If he can run all day then a Riewoldt type.

I think endurance is always going to be an issue for Jones, he may reach satisfactory levels but I doubt it will ever be a strength. I see him more as a Petrie/Tippett/Clark type- Tall, strong overhead mark, quick on the lead.

[LongWait]

Re: Stringer to the midfield

The thing with Stringer is that he will end up being pretty much the complete footballer (I hope) a bit like Pavlich but maybe even better: awesome up forward; brutal in the midfield; and able to swing down back to play the loose man turning back those out of control opposition inside 50's.

I might be wrong, but I think and hope that Stringer will eventually be held in similar regard to Chris Grant, as a complete footballer who is a once in a generation player.

[Dancin' Douggy]

Re: Stringer to the midfield

I'm hoping in 2+ years GWS are saying how the hell did we overlook this guy.

If they're not already saying it, they're idiots.

[Dancin' Douggy]

Re: Stringer to the midfield

Youve misunderstood me. I was making the Crameri comparison because as a permanent forward that's what kind of player Stringer will be, he isn't going to be a Cloke...but he could very well end up a Jobe

Lemmon. With all due respect, Stringer will make those guys look like duds. Seriously.