Position SC 2021: Midfielder Discussion
- Thread starter THCLT
- Start date
- Joined
- 28 Sep 2020
- Messages
- 717
- Likes
- 3,322
- AFL Club
- Essendon
Zach Merrett's finish to last year had me really excited until I realised his uplift in scoring and CBAs coincided with McGrath's injury.
Still can't figure out what's going to happen at the Dogs so that may leave me out of a few here (although I may just be erring on the side of caution after starting all of Bont, Macrae and Dunkley last year)
Still can't figure out what's going to happen at the Dogs so that may leave me out of a few here (although I may just be erring on the side of caution after starting all of Bont, Macrae and Dunkley last year)
Merrett so hard to read. Do we put his poor role for the past couple of years on Worsfield or Rutten? Do we give the Rutten transfer credit for how he finished?
Such an odd move where your clear best midfielder gets pushed out on a wing and takes away most of his best assets.
He's actually kind of where Lachie Neale was at Freo, wish he'd left this year to get a better chance as he'd by my first picked in that scenario but it seems pretty clear the coaches don't like him. Leadership group is at least a positive sign though.
Such an odd move where your clear best midfielder gets pushed out on a wing and takes away most of his best assets.
He's actually kind of where Lachie Neale was at Freo, wish he'd left this year to get a better chance as he'd by my first picked in that scenario but it seems pretty clear the coaches don't like him. Leadership group is at least a positive sign though.
Yes all the guys at the top are overvalued but my take is still to pick the 2 guys that you think are going to be the top 2 mids in 2021 and not worry about price and then look at value, where the rookies are at etc.... I think Petracca is kind of like Danger at his peak right now so i may not have many with me here but he is my guy. I am happy to back him to outscore oliver in and x v y of the opening 6 to 8 rounds. The guy could realistically win the bronwlow this year and i think melbourne win more games meaning he can hold his 120.
Mid number 2 picked for me is a revolving door. Neale is durable and most likely for top 2 so i have him for now. i can't see Fyfe and Kelly playing 22 games but i do love picking both of them in SC. Kelly has been my M3 on occasions as as fyfe and merrett and adams lol
From.a value perspective Walsh has beem the mainstay of my pre season but backing breakout mids at 550k has not been a successful venture for me in the past so i am not 100% sold
I don't get the rowell love at all this year. The guy is so highly selected and whilen he is amazing long term i would rather pay the extra 50k for the extra pre season and odds of 22 games from walsh. I could just bypass them both and go down to taranto too. Taranto in the right role is a steal at his price. I wish there was a bit more pre season intel there on his mid fwd break down
Picking laird as a mid and loading up on premium defenders who feel.much more likely to be top 6 feels more plausible by the day...
Current midfield Neale, Petracca, Laird, Walsh, Rookies
Mid number 2 picked for me is a revolving door. Neale is durable and most likely for top 2 so i have him for now. i can't see Fyfe and Kelly playing 22 games but i do love picking both of them in SC. Kelly has been my M3 on occasions as as fyfe and merrett and adams lol
From.a value perspective Walsh has beem the mainstay of my pre season but backing breakout mids at 550k has not been a successful venture for me in the past so i am not 100% sold
I don't get the rowell love at all this year. The guy is so highly selected and whilen he is amazing long term i would rather pay the extra 50k for the extra pre season and odds of 22 games from walsh. I could just bypass them both and go down to taranto too. Taranto in the right role is a steal at his price. I wish there was a bit more pre season intel there on his mid fwd break down
Picking laird as a mid and loading up on premium defenders who feel.much more likely to be top 6 feels more plausible by the day...
Current midfield Neale, Petracca, Laird, Walsh, Rookies
Last edited:
- Joined
- 18 Sep 2014
- Messages
- 848
- Likes
- 493
- AFL Club
- Fremantle
I’m finding mids tough this year. Neale is overpriced but could be your captain option each week.
Like Neale, most other mids who averaged 115+ benefited from higher TOG in 2020, and aren’t known as endurance beasts. Macrae bucks that trend but had Treloar added to his team in the o***eason.
I’m sure this is where I’ll make my selection mistakes, and at this stage I’m learning toward Neale and Macrae as they’ve both had 2+ consecutive seasons over 120, then Walsh and Taranto, who both have real upside in there game and price. Cripps to round out the bunch, as he’s had a few seasons with the ultra-premo tag and failed to fire last year. He gets a chance.
Those decisions feel safe to me but I just don’t know. Thoughts?
Like Neale, most other mids who averaged 115+ benefited from higher TOG in 2020, and aren’t known as endurance beasts. Macrae bucks that trend but had Treloar added to his team in the o***eason.
I’m sure this is where I’ll make my selection mistakes, and at this stage I’m learning toward Neale and Macrae as they’ve both had 2+ consecutive seasons over 120, then Walsh and Taranto, who both have real upside in there game and price. Cripps to round out the bunch, as he’s had a few seasons with the ultra-premo tag and failed to fire last year. He gets a chance.
Those decisions feel safe to me but I just don’t know. Thoughts?
- Joined
- 28 Sep 2020
- Messages
- 717
- Likes
- 3,322
- AFL Club
- Essendon
Interested on peoples thoughts on Matt Crouch?
Came home in the second half of the season with an average of 123.5. His brother leaving means there is one less quality mid to be rotating through taking his points. Was surprised when I checked his age and he is only turning 26 this year. Has he had a full pre-season?
Came home in the second half of the season with an average of 123.5. His brother leaving means there is one less quality mid to be rotating through taking his points. Was surprised when I checked his age and he is only turning 26 this year. Has he had a full pre-season?
With all the talk of the dogs mids and who gets the squeeze, one good option that seems to be overlooked is Hunter.
2020 avg 115.1 - with a low of 83 and 4x games over 120 from the 9 games he played
Has a high ceiling and is also super durable.. outside of last year (well documented reasons for the drop in games) the last few years his game counts have been:
2020 9/17
2019 22/22
2018 21/22
2017 22/22
2016 22/22
Only missing 1 game in a 4 year stretch is pretty decent!
Even if you allow for the 2020 avg to be slightly inflated he still could still easily average something around 110 at a minimum. The big positive is he owned the wing last year when he played and you can't see that being too impacted.. so from a role perspective he should survive the Treloar inclusion. Might be a tad overpriced, but seems to be lost amidst the sea of other players and doesn't seem like a bad option, or at the very least could be a good cheeky pod.
2020 avg 115.1 - with a low of 83 and 4x games over 120 from the 9 games he played
Has a high ceiling and is also super durable.. outside of last year (well documented reasons for the drop in games) the last few years his game counts have been:
2020 9/17
2019 22/22
2018 21/22
2017 22/22
2016 22/22
Only missing 1 game in a 4 year stretch is pretty decent!
Even if you allow for the 2020 avg to be slightly inflated he still could still easily average something around 110 at a minimum. The big positive is he owned the wing last year when he played and you can't see that being too impacted.. so from a role perspective he should survive the Treloar inclusion. Might be a tad overpriced, but seems to be lost amidst the sea of other players and doesn't seem like a bad option, or at the very least could be a good cheeky pod.
- Joined
- 28 Dec 2016
- Messages
- 747
- Likes
- 3,842
- AFL Club
- Richmond
I'm on board.
Struggled like the whole Crows team when they imploded.
They hit rock bottom last year and slowly started to turn it around, finding some handy youth towards the back end of the year.
Crouch also seemed to go from a sideway nothing gained accumulator, to actually hurting sides a bit in tandem with Laird.
Have heard that he was battling a hip injury/surgery or something, but will be ok for the start of the season. The bloke was already as slow as a wet week anyways.
Struggled like the whole Crows team when they imploded.
They hit rock bottom last year and slowly started to turn it around, finding some handy youth towards the back end of the year.
Crouch also seemed to go from a sideway nothing gained accumulator, to actually hurting sides a bit in tandem with Laird.
Have heard that he was battling a hip injury/surgery or something, but will be ok for the start of the season. The bloke was already as slow as a wet week anyways.
Worry with Hunter is what happens on the other wing. Say Macrae gets more time there, then all of a sudden that's their best wing. Treloar himself can play wing at times as well.
For mine just too much carnage is possible and I don't see how adding Treloar is a "everyone scores higher than last year's inflated prices" scenario. Which basically means the worst case on Macrae, Hunter and Bont is that they cost what they do now and you get some information. I don't think any are likely to go to levels where they hurt you considerably over the other options and I do think there is a very real case for them all dropping their averages. Can throw Treloar in that group but his durability has him out for me anyway.
Dunkley the exception, his position and scoring potential both do have the hurt factor and make him a much stronger starting choice despite the risks.
Cunnington returning probably the biggest question. Really rate Simpkin and prior to the ankle last year he was killing it but never really bounced back after that. Don't quote me on it but iirc his engine has been a bit of an issue having always been behind the 8 ball after his leg break in juniors so it's possible the shorter quarter were his friend.
Like him overall, he's probably the name in that price range (outside the obvious Cripps) that has drawn my attention the most as I'm scrolling through. Really strong no mans land candidate though at that price and with the end game really being 110+ or bust from there.
Good to see some others are having a hard time with the premiums, it's not that I don't like them, I actually really like the majority, it's just hard to not feel they're all starting overpriced and I always struggle with overpaying which then sends me down the slippery slope of hunting value and then you see names like Taranto and Heppell genuinely in the price area where they can probably work without hitting 110 levels even.
FWIW I'm a big Matt Crouch fan but he's burned me, I think 3 straight seasons now. His durability has been an issue, both missed games and an inability to score when playing slightly underdone. Definitely closed last year with a boom but that close to 2017 was similar and has lured me in multiple times. He's one of those guys I just think one year probably can hit 120 but it's so hard to keep getting torched!
For mine just too much carnage is possible and I don't see how adding Treloar is a "everyone scores higher than last year's inflated prices" scenario. Which basically means the worst case on Macrae, Hunter and Bont is that they cost what they do now and you get some information. I don't think any are likely to go to levels where they hurt you considerably over the other options and I do think there is a very real case for them all dropping their averages. Can throw Treloar in that group but his durability has him out for me anyway.
Dunkley the exception, his position and scoring potential both do have the hurt factor and make him a much stronger starting choice despite the risks.
Cunnington returning probably the biggest question. Really rate Simpkin and prior to the ankle last year he was killing it but never really bounced back after that. Don't quote me on it but iirc his engine has been a bit of an issue having always been behind the 8 ball after his leg break in juniors so it's possible the shorter quarter were his friend.
Like him overall, he's probably the name in that price range (outside the obvious Cripps) that has drawn my attention the most as I'm scrolling through. Really strong no mans land candidate though at that price and with the end game really being 110+ or bust from there.
Good to see some others are having a hard time with the premiums, it's not that I don't like them, I actually really like the majority, it's just hard to not feel they're all starting overpriced and I always struggle with overpaying which then sends me down the slippery slope of hunting value and then you see names like Taranto and Heppell genuinely in the price area where they can probably work without hitting 110 levels even.
FWIW I'm a big Matt Crouch fan but he's burned me, I think 3 straight seasons now. His durability has been an issue, both missed games and an inability to score when playing slightly underdone. Definitely closed last year with a boom but that close to 2017 was similar and has lured me in multiple times. He's one of those guys I just think one year probably can hit 120 but it's so hard to keep getting torched!
I'm liking Brayshaw and Walsh, not sure on starting either of them yet though.
Brayshaw seems to be off people's radar and I hope he stays that way: great tank, great at tackling, great disposal efficiency but a bit handball happy. Clean that up a bit and he has the game to be a super mid: in 2020 last year when recording 10+ kicks, he averaged 119
.
If I do choose him, I'll be yelling at any Freo games that lob onto FTA "just kick the pill Andy"!
Brayshaw seems to be off people's radar and I hope he stays that way: great tank, great at tackling, great disposal efficiency but a bit handball happy. Clean that up a bit and he has the game to be a super mid: in 2020 last year when recording 10+ kicks, he averaged 119
.If I do choose him, I'll be yelling at any Freo games that lob onto FTA "just kick the pill Andy"!