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GVGjr
19-12-2020, 12:24 PM
Mick McGaune rats our midfield as the 4th best in the AFL (https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/news/afl-list-analysis-mick-mcguane-rates-every-afl-teams-midfield-from-118/news-story/c44f415bc4c62ced5c2eecf6e13e20e4)

Teams ranked ahead of us are: Geelong, Port and Richmond

4. Western Bulldogs

The top liners: Marcus Bontempelli (18, 114), Adam Treloar (10, 104), Josh Dunkley (12, 104), Bailey Smith (18, 92), Jack Macrae (18, 119), Lachie Hunter (10, 112), Ed Richards (17, 58), Tom Liberatore (16, 105), Patrick Lipinski (13, 78)

The top-ups: Roarke Smith (6, 60), Lin Jong (3, 72)

McGuane says: Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Macrae, Tom Liberatore, and winger Lachie Hunter are four very good players and can match it with any opposition on any given day. Josh Dunkley is a strong inside midfielder also. They all have the capabilities of winning a lot of possession around stoppages, and the recruitment of Adam Treloar will only add to that. He will also compliment another strong feature of their game — their shape off that contest. It gives them the opportunity to chain possession out of stopages through handballs, something Treloar loves to do. They have a great understanding of where each other are, they play their roles and play to their structure and that is a reason why they can fire off those quick one, two or three-metre handballs. Their clearance differential and their centre bounce clearance differential must improve — ruckman Tim English must spend another summer in the gym. Stef Martin has been recruited to help change that trend and offer much-needed support for English. Bailey Smith is also a player that is a clean ball-handler, a linebreaker and he gives his forwards some good looks when kicking to them.

Jeanette54
19-12-2020, 02:01 PM
It would be interesting to hear Adam Treloar's assessment of the midfield after he completes the first half of the season. An honest comparison with the pies midfield would make good reading.

bornadog
19-12-2020, 03:21 PM
If English could take the next step, we will have the best midfield in the AFL

Nuggety Back Pocket
19-12-2020, 05:16 PM
If English could take the next step, we will have the best midfield in the AFL

An improved delivery into our forward line would help.
If Martin can carry the ruck then English might prove a better option as a key forward

boydogs
19-12-2020, 10:38 PM
I don't think any of Geelong, Port or Richmond bat as deep as us

Happy Days
19-12-2020, 11:27 PM
Well given that its the best midfield of all time I would've thought we'd piss this in.

Why do we care what Mick McGuane, who if he were any more washed he would be fastening a bolt, thinks?

Go_Dogs
20-12-2020, 08:14 AM
Silly question - assume the first # is games played in 2020, is the second number their AFL SuperCoach average or something?

Go_Dogs
20-12-2020, 08:17 AM
The best midfield conversation is an interesting one. On paper we have much more genuine star power than Richmond, but they are just such a well rounded group who consistently get the job done.

On results from last year all 3 teams deserve to be where they are.

I think we’ve got the cattle to surpass them all.

GVGjr
20-12-2020, 09:26 AM
Silly question - assume the first # is games played in 2020, is the second number their AFL SuperCoach average or something?

Spot on

GVGjr
20-12-2020, 09:34 AM
The best midfield conversation is an interesting one. On paper we have much more genuine star power than Richmond, but they are just such a well rounded group who consistently get the job done.

On results from last year all 3 teams deserve to be where they are.

I think we’ve got the cattle to surpass them all.

Does it really centre around how English and Martin perform for us because we have an incredible level of depth and quality with our midfield unit?
Of course having, or more importantly being prepared to use, a run with or negating player would probably improve us just a bit more as well.

Spreading the midfield minutes could be a real challenge for us so I will be interested to see what options we explore but if we get this right as you have pointed out we could have the best of them all.

MrMahatma
20-12-2020, 10:57 PM
The best midfield conversation is an interesting one. On paper we have much more genuine star power than Richmond, but they are just such a well rounded group who consistently get the job done.

On results from last year all 3 teams deserve to be where they are.

I think we’ve got the cattle to surpass them all.

Do we have more star power? They have 2 Brownlow medallists in theirs.

Happy Days
21-12-2020, 08:33 AM
Do we have more star power? They have 2* Brownlow medallists in theirs.

Well I mean.

Mofra
21-12-2020, 09:14 AM
Star power is irrelevant - how each midfielder works for each other is more important.
Even West Coast's crazy good midfield (Judd, Kerr, Cousins) relied on the much maligned Rowan Jones to sacrifice his own game to actually function.
We need to put in a lot of work with two new guys rotating through there (Martin, Treloar).

Twodogs
21-12-2020, 12:53 PM
Well given that its the best midfield of all time I would've thought we'd piss this in.

Why do we care what Mick McGuane, who if he were any more washed he would be fastening a bolt, thinks?

Very good question.

Rocket Science
21-12-2020, 01:46 PM
Wish I could get paid to pen a piece wherein I boldly proclaim English needs to get stronger.

You heard it here first.