Who is our Ro-Jo?

[Mofra]

Cox-Judd-Cousins-Kerr

Arguably, the greatest midfield group ever assembled.... which (arguably) only functioned as well as they did because of the flawed, 'average' Rowan Jones. A midfielder who managed to eeke out 158 games at an average of less than 15 disposals per game.

As much as he was a whipping boy for Eagles fans, his self-sacrifice enabled that midfield group to focus on their strengths. He'd block, he'd sweep, he'd guard space, he did everything he could to enable the 'stars' to go to work.

I was going to ask who our equivalent is, but do we have an equivalent?
If we did have one, would we play them?
I know he has holes in his game but for sheer desperation, can West become that player? Riley Garcia? Do we need a bigger body from somewhere [cough Frankston 2nds like Matty Boyd cough] to step in, and we sacrifice talent and ball-winning for a desperate 'do anything' type that gets 100% out of themselves?

[Sedat]

Cox-Judd-Cousins-Kerr

Arguably, the greatest midfield group ever assembled.... which (arguably) only functioned as well as they did because of the flawed, 'average' Rowan Jones. A midfielder who managed to eeke out 158 games at an average of less than 15 disposals per game.

As much as he was a whipping boy for Eagles fans, his self-sacrifice enabled that midfield group to focus on their strengths. He'd block, he'd sweep, he'd guard space, he did everything he could to enable the 'stars' to go to work.

I was going to ask who our equivalent is, but do we have an equivalent?
If we did have one, would we play them?
I know he has holes in his game but for sheer desperation, can West become that player? Riley Garcia? Do we need a bigger body from somewhere [cough Frankston 2nds like Matty Boyd cough] to step in, and we sacrifice talent and ball-winning for a desperate 'do anything' type that gets 100% out of themselves?
Roarke is a very unfashionable name here but he low-key fits the bill.

[josie]

Good thread Mofra.

MC need to do something different or we will continue to struggle to make the 8 let alone top 4. I want to see Maclean, West, Garcia and (gulp) perhaps even MComb be given inside mid and potentially tagging roles. Is McComb quick enough to tag? As an inside mid we will not be relying so much on his kicking which might have improved but on last years performances were suspect. He is big enough his tackles could be a weapon.

[DOG GOD]

Good thread Mofra.

MC need to do something different or we will continue to struggle to make the 8 let alone top 4. I want to see Maclean, West, Garcia and (gulp) perhaps even MComb be given inside mid and potentially tagging roles. Is McComb quick enough to tag? As an inside mid we will not be relying so much on his kicking which might have improved but on last years performances were suspect. He is big enough his tackles could be a weapon.

This is most important. If we are to find a tagger, it needs to be not only someone to sacrifice their stats but it also needs to be someone who is strong bodied, and can lay a tackle and make it stick, especially from stoppages. But the other question, does Bevo like tagging in the first place? It doesn’t seem so. Other teams tag Oliver or Petracca, but it seems we don’t see it the same way.

[Grantysghost]

Roarke. He's the man.

He'd love doing it too.

[mjp]

Anyone from Perth is twitching just reading that title. All we got to hear/read about during the 2000's was how Rowan Jones was REALLY WCE's most valuable player because he was the one who 'let Judd be Judd etc'.

I like the sentiment but ultimately we don't need ONE PERSON to do it...everyone needs to sacrifice...

[bornadog]

Roarke is a very unfashionable name here but he low-key fits the bill.

Can he play midfield?

[JanLorMill]

I would have thought we have a few of these types already, just keep recruiting the likes Scott, Mccomb, McNeil, etc.
I struggle to understand how we haven’t have developed one of them into a lock small backman.

[macca]

there was more than just Rowan Jones:

from the 2006 AFL GF list : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_AFL_Grand_Final

Drew Banefield 265
DAniel Chick 103 WC, 252 games in total
Sam Butler 166
Braun 226
Chad fletcher 179

My memory of these players during that era were they were very tough, strong and competitive footballers. The fact that other than Butler and Fletcher, the rest played over 200 games . I would probably add Beau Waters (120) and Andrew Embley (250) to that list.

Daniel chick I recall mention in an interview he would do a lot of blocking and tagging of mid fielders that were sitting on Kerr and Cousins. Chick rarely fumbled and was actually very clean with his disposals despite not being a long kick.

I think you could draw similar comparison to Sydney's 2006 list of lesser players : Buchannan, Luck Ablett ,Ben Mathews
Sean Dempster, Stephen Doyle
Great post @Mofra

its these types of players that allow the Cousins+Kerr+Judd, Kirks+McVeigh to really excel in the midfield.

We need these types to come through and help Bonts , MaCrae, B.Smith and Treloar to be really damaging

[Mofra]

^ macca, fair analysis.
I just wonder who the scrapper types are on our list who would 'do anything' to win.
Our back 7 defensive unit in 2016 had one player drafted, the rest were rookies/PSD/DFA picks.

Who are our 'new' equivalents to guys like Boyd, Morris, Picken, the guys who were flawed but totally committed footballers?
I mean, Scott's decent and Ryan Gardner gives 100% effort 100% of the time but they don't seem to be the types to demand that same effort of the guys around them.

[Mantis]

^ macca, fair analysis.
I just wonder who the scrapper types are on our list who would 'do anything' to win.
Our back 7 defensive unit in 2016 had one player drafted, the rest were rookies/PSD/DFA picks.

Who are our 'new' equivalents to guys like Boyd, Morris, Picken, the guys who were flawed but totally committed footballers?
I mean, Scott's decent and Ryan Gardner gives 100% effort 100% of the time but they don't seem to be the types to demand that same effort of the guys around them.

Garcia.. he simply needs to play and be exposed to the midfield rotation... don't pigeonhole him as a small forward, get him into the middle with the specific task to be our defensive hard nut.

Sick to death of our prima donna big name midfielders failing to lock down when they need to, so it's time to try others.

[macca]

The big question I have is the players 21-24 who have been on our list for a few years now, they need to be getting games into them so they can get to 50 games .

We already lost Lipinski and Young , and maybe due to their limitations and they seek better more permenant opportunities playing in a single role .

Get games into : West, Garcia, Bedendo, Cleary etc... Its an imperfect art list management and selection time to play against opponents. But we just got to play them and know if they can really play... hopefully in one position ....

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Garcia.. he simply needs to play and be exposed to the midfield rotation... don't pigeonhole him as a small forward, get him into the middle with the specific task to be our defensive hard nut.

Sick to death of our prima donna big name midfielders failing to lock down when they need to, so it's time to try others.

+1.

I'm not sure why Garcia has 'fallen off the map' to start the season, given he didn't play v Norf either.

[SonofScray]

Ro-Jo = Rocco Jones?

[bornadog]

Ro-Jo = Rocco Jones?

but can he play?