2013 - Mid Season Report Card - The Midfielders

[Go_Dogs]

The next addition of the Mid Season Report Cards, the Midfielders. Over the next few days we will post up the report cards for each midfielder.

Tom Liberatore
Season so far:
Tom has had an outstanding start to the season. He's had a few quieter weeks and needs to continue to work on his consistency a little, but his numbers are very impressive.
He currently sits 2nd in total clearances for the AFL, 5th in total tackles for the AFL and 6th for total contested possessions. Amazing numbers for a third year player.

He has shown he has a very good nous for reading the ball off the ruck contest and often finds himself in the perfect position. His ability to release by both hand and foot is good and he has a hard edge to his game as well as his strong defensive work ethic.

Outlook:
I see Liberatore continuing to develop into one of the premier inside midfielders in the AFL with his relentless attack on the contest. If he can narrow the gap between his best and worst games a little, he will very soon sit comfortably amongst the most elite midfielders in the AFL - he's already on his way.
Rating:
G#16 A

[Cyberdoggie]

I'd give him a B+

Started excellently but up until last week had been dropping off in his numbers.

The challenge for Tom is to maintain that standard every week, which i'm sure he will in seasons to come.

Has definitely gone up another notch though, pity his offsider Mitch Wallis hasn't.

[F'scary]

Libba Jnr: Attitude A++. Bounced back really well from the premature end to his season 2012.

[Remi Moses]

Outstanding season thus far. A+
Would be third in the b+f , I'd reckon.

[boydogs]

B for me, started well then went quiet

[Go_Dogs]

Liam Picken
Season so far:
Liam has played each game this year, but his performances have been perhaps down a little on previous years. He's played a few different roles this year, spending quite a bit of time down back as opposed to his usual run with roles.

Despite having some concerns over his disposal this year the stats say his is tracking at 71% efficiency. He continues to do his best to frustrate key opposition players and provide on-field leadership to his younger teammates. It's a bit of a transition year for Liam but based on his past few weeks in which he has played some good roles it appears he is settling in to his more versatile role.

Outlook:
Liam will have to continue to be versatile for the balance of the season between back and midfield duties. He seems to be adapting well (albeit after a period where he performed a little below expectation) and there is no reason to think he can't continue to build over the course of the season.
Rating:
G#16 C+ (I realise the rating may be a bit harsh in comparison to some others I've given, but I guess that's what comes with expectation)

[Remi Moses]

Find it hard to have two negating mid types. Negating old fashioned back pocket role looks the way forward.
He's been a bit down on previous seasons ( lower's taken his spot ) but I'd still give a C

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Picken's last few weeks have been better. Prior to that, I'd of had him at D.

[Go_Dogs]

Nick Lower
Season so far:
Nick was recruited to the club as a mature recruit and seems to be a very astute selection thus far, playing every game. He has predominately played as a tagger and his best work has been against the inside types who win the contested ball and clearances. He's best suited to players who aren't speedsters as Nick doesn't have the electrifying pace to go with some of the quicker inside midfielders (although most of the really good ones with those skill sets are just about un-taggable).

He currently sits 19th in the AFL for total tackles and has shown his fierce defensive abilities often. His job on Boak last weekend was a highlight for mine as Boak has been in great form this season, as well as his game against North in which he recorded 15 tackles.

His disposal and poise with the ball needs to continue to improve but he has the ability to develop into a well rounded player with a neat (although not damaging) offensive ability.

He's a fan favourite already with his eagerness to fly the flag for his teammates and annoy opposition players.

Outlook:
Nick is a lock for the balance of the season for mine and I see no reason why he can't continue to be an important part of our best 22 over the next few seasons. He has some versatility to his game in that he can also play back or forward if need be although we haven't seen him showcase the latter much yet.

Rating:
G#16 B

[bornadog]

These are great assessments Griffen#16.

Lower had been a very good addittion to the midfield. His only negative being lack of pace. Love the way he is annoying opposition players but not in a dirty way.

[Go_Dogs]

Ryan Griffen
Season so far:
Ryan was already our best player, but has taken his game to the next level this year demonstrating a more well rounded game and greater level of consistency thus far. His ability both inside and outside of the contest, as well as his defensive work rate are all at the elite level.

He currently sits 8th for average disposals and 2nd for average inside 50's, 8th for average contested possessions and 10th for average clearances per game. If he hadn't missed a few weeks he'd be right up there in the AFL totals in a lot of these areas. One aspect of his game that I have noticed significant improvement in is his goal kicking, he can now be relied upon to nail shots that perhaps previously he wouldn't have. Averaging 27 disposal per game and having 7 goals to date are impressive numbers.

He has also continued to build his leadership qualities and now seems very much a leader at the club and a highly respected teammate.

Outlook:
Griff will continue to do what he does best, win the contests, create run and spread, smash taggers and genuinely be the bloke the side looks at to drag us over the line in tight games. I think he'll be right up their in our B&F come years end and won't be surprised to see him claim his second club champion award.

Rating:
G#16 A+

[KT31]

Ryan Griffen
Season so far:
Ryan was already our best player, but has taken his game to the next level this year demonstrating a more well rounded game and greater level of consistency thus far. His ability both inside and outside of the contest, as well as his defensive work rate are all at the elite level.

He currently sits 8th for average disposals and 2nd for average inside 50's, 8th for average contested possessions and 10th for average clearances per game. If he hadn't missed a few weeks he'd be right up there in the AFL totals in a lot of these areas. One aspect of his game that I have noticed significant improvement in is his goal kicking, he can now be relied upon to nail shots that perhaps previously he wouldn't have. Averaging 27 disposal per game and having 7 goals to date are impressive numbers.

He has also continued to build his leadership qualities and now seems very much a leader at the club and a highly respected teammate.

Outlook:
Griff will continue to do what he does best, win the contests, create run and spread, smash taggers and genuinely be the bloke the side looks at to drag us over the line in tight games. I think he'll be right up their in our B&F come years end and won't be surprised to see him claim his second club champion award.

Rating:
G#16 A+

Great write up.
Lot of talk of Big Will being AA, surely Griffs name must also come up in the talks next week.

[Bulldog Joe]

Great write up.
Lot of talk of Big Will being AA, surely Griffs name must also come up in the talks next week.

Griff is clearly our best player.

Was probably out of AA contention only because of the games he missed, but must be tracking highly now.

If he maintains about 90% of the form from the last 2 weeks he will not only be almost a certainty for AA and Club Champion, but a genuine chance at the Brownlow.

[Maddog37]

Is Griff better now than Cooney was at his peak?

[Happy Days]

Is Griff better now than Cooney was at his peak?

Griff is one year younger than Cooney.

Cooney never got to reach his peak.

[Maddog37]

Very true but the peak he was allowed to get to..............was it better than Griff is now?

[Go_Dogs]

Very true but the peak he was allowed to get to..............was it better than Griff is now?

For mine, no. Cooney in full flight was a beautiful thing, but I think Griff's ability to now smash a hard tag and play both sides of the game very effectively is hard to match. It's really tough to judge though because the game has changed a bit over the past five years.

Would be interested in others thoughts.

[Maddog37]

Griff is power and Cooney is/was speed. Imagine if Coons was peaking now too, what an awesome one two punch that would be.

[Remi Moses]

Griffen's been outstanding . Taken his game to another level, and one of the knocks was his lack of not being able to handle a tag. Well that's been smashed to pieces.
A+

[stefoid]

Grif is more of a blunt instrument than Coons.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Cooney was better.

His ability to use his burst of speed to open up the game was second to none, and he also had the ability to hit the scoreboard in a big way.

Griff is still a very good player bordering on elite, but I think we forget just how damn good Cooney was.

[Go_Dogs]

Matthew Boyd
Season so far:
Boydy has only played 6 games thus far due to missing with a couple of calf injuries, but still sits 6th for average possessions per game, 11th for contested possessions and 27th for clearances.

Boydy's tendency to sometimes try to do too much with his disposal is well documented but he's had some cracking games this year where he has played a strong role and his disposal has been of the safer variety. He continues to be a true workhorse around the contested situation and adds another hard body which helps protect some of our younger midfielders.

As always he continues to set a great example to our younger players insofar as his dedication and professionalism off the field.

Outlook:
Injuries to one side, Matty will continue to be an important part of our side for the balance of the season. He now doesn't need to do as much grunt work as he previously did with Griffen and Liberatore having great seasons inside the contest and I hope he can adjust to a slightly more rounded role and continue to look for safer options with his disposal rather than trying to do everything.

Rating:
G#16 B

[bornadog]

I think that is a fair assesment of Boyd. His interrupted start to the season certainly hasn't helped him at all. His Saints game was one of his best games he has played, whereas he struggled in the Suns game the previous week.

[Go_Dogs]

Adam Cooney
Season so far:
Adam has seemed a rejuvenated man this season after having his knee worked on overseas over the summer break. He's shown glimpses of his famous dash and ability to create separation with a few very quick paces to release himself from tight situations.

At times he has been played behind the ball which is a role I quite like for Cooney, particularly if it can see him have a bigger impact for longer over the course of the season. He's currently averaging 23 disposals a game and has hit the scoreboard for 9 goals, underlining his ability to get dangerous goal side which our midfielders must continue to do, given our developing forward line.

Having a fit(ter) Cooney will be a huge asset over the next few years as it will mean our midfield has many options making us difficult to nullify.

Outlook:
It seems as though Cooney will be ready to return after the bye and although there may be times he needs a rest, I think the expectation should be that he plays every game for the rest of the season. Hopefully he can keep his body right and continue to build on the form he has shown thus far.

Rating:
G#16 B+

[Bulldog Revolution]

Cooney was better.

His ability to use his burst of speed to open up the game was second to none, and he also had the ability to hit the scoreboard in a big way.

Griff is still a very good player bordering on elite, but I think we forget just how damn good Cooney was.

Yes fine post TBB,

Its a real shame that early in the finals campaign of his Brownlow year he was running around with a cracked knee cap or something like that

He was blistering that year, just burst away from people and broke the game up with clearances, goals, assists etc

[Go_Dogs]

Koby Stevens
Season so far:
Koby has had a solid start to his Bulldog career, playing 9 matches so far for the season. He has played as a sub at times and in the match against Port was quite restricted in what he could do due to injury.

He has however demonstrated he has a strong appetite for the contest, he has no hesitation attacking the ball and the man. He's also got a bit of pace and seems to be a relatively effective user of the ball. He needs to continue to develop his fitness so he can spend more time on the field in each game. He's averaging 68% time on the ground and needs to get that number up to around the 80-85% mark. He's disposal efficiency is tracking at 72% which is impressive and in his limited game time he's averaging 17 disposals a game.

He has also kicked 4 goals for the year showing he has the ability to go forward and have an impact on the scoreboard. His game against Port sticks out as one of the more impressive efforts I've seen from a young player to push through discomfort and have an impact on the game.

Outlook:
I feel Koby will continue to earn his place for the balance of the season, injury and fitness being the only constraints. He may need a rest at certain stages and perhaps will spend another game or 2 as the sub or being subbed off. There's a lot of improvement left in him as he sorts out his fitness and it seems he'll be a good long term addition to the side.

Rating:
G#16 B-

[Go_Dogs]

Clay Smith
Season so far:
Clay has had a relatively solid year thus far, playing 9 games for the season. He was the standout performer in a disappointing side against West Coast, finishing with 26 touches and 2 goals. Clay can be relied upon to be uncompromising in the contest and attack the ball and the man ferociously.

His contested ball ratio is very high for a player who averages a pinch under 15 disposals a game. It's an area of his game that he needs to continue to develop to work hard to get involved with a link up hand ball or running to position to create an option. Interestingly he is our highest possession winner on the wings which may be a coaching direction given his disposal by foot can at times be suspect.

His ability to hit the scoreboard is also a big advantage to him and he has the ability to rotate forward for patches and be very effective down there.

Outlook:
Smith is another one I think will continue to build as the season develops. He's such a fierce competitor that I bet everyone loves going to battle with him. He needs to continue to work on his disposal by hand and foot and play within his limitations. I'd like to see him spend time inside the contest in the middle and rest forward and avoid using him off a wing. He may also be able to play some roles on opposition midfielders.

Rating:
G#16 B-

[azabob]

Griffen #16, great effort so far.

Can you look into your crystal ball for me and answer this -
Towards the end of 2015 do you see Picken, Stevens, Lower, Smith and Wallis all playing in the same side? If so, where?

I think for our team to develop we need one of the above to develop a more attacking game. Perhaps Stevens is the most likely candidate.

However as you said I am also impressed with Smith's knack for kicking goals. If he can improve his marking he may be an option to play as a defensive forward as from my observations he is quite an accurate kick for goal.

[Go_Dogs]

Griffen #16, great effort so far.

Can you look into your crystal ball for me and answer this -
Towards the end of 2015 do you see Picken, Stevens, Lower, Smith and Wallis all playing in the same side? If so, where?

I think for our team to develop we need one of the above to develop a more attacking game. Perhaps Stevens is the most likely candidate.

However as you said I am also impressed with Smith's knack for kicking goals. If he can improve his marking he may be an option to play as a defensive forward as from my observations he is quite an accurate kick for goal.

Thanks mate.

Interesting question you pose and hard to disagree with your assessments. I think Picken and Lower should both still be in the side in the purely defensive roles, Lower on the slower inside types and Picken on the quicker outside types or small forwards.

Stevens seems the best placed to develop a good mix of inside/outside as I think he's got enough pace and should develop into a player who can receive and use it effectively, as well as win his own ball.

Wallis I see filling the Cross/Boyd type role longer term and has shown enough to suggest he can develop into a good inside player who although not damaging by foot should be neat enough. His work by hands in close may end up being his strength.

Also agree on Smith - the fact that he can play forward will really help him as it offers us some versatility and in his short career he's shown he can kick multiple goals up forward. He's a strong player over the ball too and I think he's someone our coaching staff will continue to like because of his work ethic and team orientated play.

Going to be very interesting to see how they all develop together but I'm pretty confident we can fit them all in.

[Go_Dogs]

Mitch Wallis
Season so far:
Mitch has had a slow start to the year but has still managed 8 games for the season thus far, although has been used as a substitute. He's averaging just under 19 disposals a game and 8.5 of those are contested. He's also averaging 3.5 clearances a game and 4 tackles which demonstrates his ability to work well inside the contest.

Mitch has a lot of scope for improvement with respect to his outside game. His disposal lacks a little bit of penetration and polish at times but there is no reason he can't develop a hard running outside game where he works hard to make position to receive and then can play a short offensive game.

He's also got the ability to work hard defensively and should be aiming to be one of our hardest working players on the defensive transition. His attack on the ball and the man is good as is his work ethic.

Outlook:
I expect Mitch may move in and out of the side a little more throughout the season, but I don't see a big issue with that - I'm pretty confident he'll play 200 games for the club and will play some good football. He just needs to get a bit smarter with his ball use and work out how to play within his limitations and be as damaging as he can. Whether that be becoming a defensive beast, playing more inside the contest as our older blokes transition out or becoming a running machine who can link up and help with out spread around the contest.

Rating:
G#16 C+

[bornadog]

To me Wallis has not progressed at all and I am starting to worry he won't be as good as we thought he might. He seems to hurry his kicks and ends up with a lot of turnovers. He really needs to improve his kicking and accuracy or he may just be an average player.

[Go_Dogs]

Daniel Cross
Season so far:
Daniel's form this year has been well documented - not to say it hasn't been much of the same from Crossy but as the game has moved forward and the way our list is being developed he's dropped off a little and lost his place in the side in recent weeks.

On the numbers, he's averaging 21 disposals, 8.5 contested possessions and 4 tackles a game. He continues to be a real workhorse who will run all game and also maintains his manic attack on the contest often putting himself at risk of serious injury for the team.

It's a real testament to Crossy how he's taken his demotion and will be a greater indication of his love for the team how he takes on his role at Williamstown and really helps drive the standards and improvement in his younger teammates.

Outlook:
I think Crossy will certainly play more games this year because of form or injury but it's hard to see him forcing his way back in at present given the number of younger inside players we have who have either a bit more speed or a bit more offensive ability with their ball use. He's a great club man and will be a terrific mentor so I'd really like to see him go around again next year in some capacity even if as a player for the reserves side. It'll be sad to see him go but he can know he left absolutely no stone unturned in getting the most out of himself.

Rating:
G#16 C+

[F'scary]

Clay Smith
Season so far:
Outlook:
I'd like to see him spend time inside the contest in the middle and rest forward and avoid using him off a wing.
Rating:
G#16 B-

Could not agree more - they played him on the wing all day against Richmond in round 3 and he did not look his usual self (played a shocker in fact). He just is not an outside player.

In the footage of Stringer's amazing shove & dribble goal against West Coast in Round 6, Smith feeds Stringer the half opportunity from the wing - but watch it and you will see all of his uncomfortableness at outside plays in evidence.

He is good on the ball inside, he is also quite good up forward because he is a reliable kick at goal on the run and knows how to use his physical strength to advantage in the forward line clinches.

[Go_Dogs]

Will Minson
Season so far:
Will has had his best year of AFL footy to the half way mark. He leads the AFL for hitouts and hitouts to advantage and has been a dominate force around the clearances, averaging just over 4 per game. He's also averaging about 3.5 tackles a game which is a good effort for a big man, along with 3 1%ers showing his ability to apply blocks and assist his running brigade around the contest.

There are still areas of improvement left in Will's game too. He's taken 6 contested marks for the year and averages only 1.6 marks per game which are two areas he can continue to improve. He's also managed 2 goals for the year and an increased ability to impact the scoreboard would see him become a very well rounded and damaging ruck, one of the elite.

That being said, he is being asked to do the bulk of the heavy lifting by himself which perhaps prevents him from spending too much time resting forward or working too hard to create an option to receive. Once Cordy is back and able to provide more of a chop out in the ruck I'd like to see Will given more licence to run/rest forward and try to impose his big frame on the marking contest.

Outlook:
It's been a big point of discussion that Will is certainly right in the mix for AA selection to the half way point of the season. He's played some ripper games and seems to have finally found the consistency in his game which is something that had alluded him in previous years. If he can maintain this form an AA nomination seems very likely and I expect we may see him feature in the top 10 (or much higher) in the B&F although based on last year, who knows.

Rating:
G#16 A

[Remi Moses]

Cross, unfortunately the end is near
C
Minson , outstanding clearly favourite for All Australian
A+
Wallis, disappointing year so far, he seems to panic and needs to show more composure.
C
Smith, coming along nicely and he'll be up and down as a young player.
B

[Ghost Dog]

Cross, unfortunately the end is near
C
Minson , outstanding clearly favourite for All Australian
A+
Wallis, disappointing year so far, he seems to panic and needs to show more composure.
C
Smith, coming along nicely and he'll be up and down as a young player.
B

Not too sure about this. We just have a glut of that type of player.

[Remi Moses]

Not too sure about this. We just have a glut of that type of player.

So you don't think the end is here for Cross?
Like to see him in a coaching playing role next season.
We must move forward

[bornadog]

So you don't think the end is here for Cross?
Like to see him in a coaching playing role next season.
We must move forward

Coach has told him he isnot in the best 22, so I think its all over for him.

[F'scary]

Coach has told him he isnot in the best 22, so I think its all over for him.

He has looked pretty ok to me when he has played this year. He is a victim of the need for a youth policy. Pearce & Hunter spring to mind as blokes who really should get some games into them in 2013.

[Go_Dogs]

Jackson Macrae
Season so far:
Jackson has been the pick of our first year players thus far, playing 6 games for the season. Given his body shape at the time of his drafting it's a huge testament to him how quickly he's been able to step up and not seem overawed at AFL level. He's averaging just under 18 possessions a game, 6.3 of which are contested. He's going to be more of an outside/in player rather than a contested ball beast but his numbers inside the contest for a younger player who needs more size and strength are very good.

He's averaging 1.5 clearances per game along with 2.5 inside 50's. He's hit the scoreboard for 2 goals and has 3 goal assists to go with that too.

His ability to lay a tackle and withstand the physical pressure which has been applied to him (particularly against St Kilda where he copped a bit of treatment) has been very impressive. His sidestep is fast becoming a trademark move and he seems to have the time and poise to think situations through and make good decisions. His kicking can be a little dinky at times, I'm not sure if he's trying to do too much or not but there is some improvement there for him.

Outlook:
I'd love to see Jack play out the rest of the season, resting when he needs to so as not to cause too much fatigue and risk of injury. For first year players just getting through a whole season and playing as much as possible is the best thing for their long term development for mine. He can play a mix of roles and I'd like to see him at times off a half back flank, as well as off the wing and forward flank so he can continue to develop his versatility.

Rating:
G#16 B

[Go_Dogs]

The Others - Nathan Hrovat, Jason Tutt
Season so far:
Hrovat has came into the side recently after having an untimely injury interrupt his pre-season at the last moment. He's been impressive so far, averaging 16 disposals per game over half of which are contested. His disposal efficiency is at 75% and he has shown he has good poise and skill.

Tutt has played the 4 games for the season, at times more as a forward than a midfielder where he has had moments of being effective and other games where he has hardly been able to get a handle on the ball. He's only averaging 8.5 possessions a game and needs to double that average to have any hope of forging a successful career with his skill sets.

Outlook:
Hrovat seems a lock to continue to play as much football as possible and it's hard to see him being displaced from the team as he can play midfield and forward and is another who needs as much game time at AFL level as possible.

Tutt is an interesting one and if he can knock the door down at VFL level he's a good chance to earn a recall. His best position for mine is still as a winger who works hard to spread and receive - he may be able to rest forward at times with effect but he lacks the nous to play as a small, creative forward at this stage of his career. I like a lot of his attributes such as his running ability, speed and kicking skill but he simply needs to get more ball to demonstrate those qualities more often at AFL level.

Rating:
G#16 Hrovat - B
Tutt - C-