Position SC 2021: Midfielder Discussion

[gutsroy]

I mean I look at that ability as a strong positive? Variance only really a bad thing if he throws up stinkers, Kelly's big strength has been to basically not have a bad game when fit, so basically 90+ every week with a few 150+ type games when he gets off the leash or kicks well that can rapidly boost the average.

His durability record is the only thing that stops me locking him. Also in my team though

Would see it similarly on balance. Can slice and dice it different ways, but in general, he's high floor, high ceiling, high absence.
Box plot basically shows that.
Buy the ticket, take the ride, I guess.
Or don't and save a trade.

 

[jaca]

I'm starting Jelly, trading him as soon as I get a sniff of an injury.

 

[jaca]

Might happen tomorrow based on how news is breaking at the moment!

 

[Juzzo]

I want to be all over him, but he is a massive sook and didn't appear to have a lot of mental toughness, in that he was put off his game way too easily by a solid tag in a number of games last year.

I'd want to see him bulk up a little and get the above-the-shoulders stuff in order, as he looks like he gets pushed around a little too easily.

Totally agree, he was rag-dolled by Curnow last year.

 

[froffershanners]

I'm starting Jelly, trading him as soon as I get a sniff of an injury.

I think I'm going the same and may end up with Fyfe as well with the way I'm thinking at the moment. I'm a sucker for punishment obviously. The other thing I'm starting to talk myself into is the Bulldogs midfielders after swearing off them when Treloar got traded there. Even with the addition of Treloar I'm struggling to see Bont and Macrae not being top 8 mids.

 

[Bones]

I'm starting Jelly, trading him as soon as I get a sniff of an injury.

Kelly is either a start or forget for the year. If you get a decent run out of him well worth it but the odds aren't great. I have serious FOMO and he has been in and out of my side.

 

[jaca]

I think I'm going the same and may end up with Fyfe as well with the way I'm thinking at the moment. I'm a sucker for punishment obviously. The other thing I'm starting to talk myself into is the Bulldogs midfielders after swearing off them when Treloar got traded there. Even with the addition of Treloar I'm struggling to see Bont and Macrae not being top 8 mids.

Fyfe has been in and out of my side. I like him more than a few others, but the risks are obvious.

 

[Grundogging]

I think I'm going the same and may end up with Fyfe as well with the way I'm thinking at the moment. I'm a sucker for punishment obviously. The other thing I'm starting to talk myself into is the Bulldogs midfielders after swearing off them when Treloar got traded there. Even with the addition of Treloar I'm struggling to see Bont and Macrae not being top 8 mids.

I'm actually thinking Fyfe spending say 40% of his time up forward might not be a bad thing - he's likely to take a few contested grabs and hopefully kick a goal or two which are significant score boosters and we know how he can still score in bunches in short bursts in the midfield, so it might not be the disaster it feels like it might be for a 610k midfielder.

The other thing I'm keeping in mind is that he (Fyfe) may not be the only "older" premium mid who ends up finding themselves up resting forward a bit, now that interchanges have been cut to 75 (maybe even as much as 15-20% of their TOG, although that is admittedly just pulling a number out of my proverbial), but Fyfe is more uniquely suited to having an impact up forward than most resting midfielders would be.

 

[Bomber18]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1362204576896585728

 

[Bomber18]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1362204576896585728

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1362332609133518851

 

[Shannon]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1362332609133518851

Waterman!

Had a great year for Claremont in the WAFL last season (was on WCE's list before getting glandular fever that really hit him hard for quite a few years) - classy player who reinvented himself as a small fwd last year after being a mid. Is he on Essendon's offical list yet?

 

[Bomber18]

Waterman!

Had a great year for Claremont in the WAFL last season (was on WCE's list before getting glandular fever that really hit him hard for quite a few years) - classy player who reinvented himself as a small fwd last year after being a mid. Is he on Essendon's offical list yet?

Don’t think so but is in contention

 

[Blades]

I'm starting Jelly, trading him as soon as I get a sniff of an injury.

Is the ‘sniff’ you refer to the smell of lineament oil being used on a tight Kelly hamstring?

 

[wogitalia]

I'm actually thinking Fyfe spending say 40% of his time up forward might not be a bad thing - he's likely to take a few contested grabs and hopefully kick a goal or two which are significant score boosters and we know how he can still score in bunches in short bursts in the midfield, so it might not be the disaster it feels like it might be for a 610k midfielder.

The other thing I'm keeping in mind is that he (Fyfe) may not be the only "older" premium mid who ends up finding themselves up resting forward a bit, now that interchanges have been cut to 75 (maybe even as much as 15-20% of their TOG, although that is admittedly just pulling a number out of my proverbial), but Fyfe is more uniquely suited to having an impact up forward than most resting midfielders would be.

I think the biggest potential positive for Fyfe forward might be less chance of injury. He'll score ok though I think Danger/Martin the past couple of years are probably setting your best/worst case parameters.

He probably benefits a bit more playing at Freo who played a particularly dour and low scoring style of football last year which means every goal has a premium value and is likely to come from a highly contested scenario.

I still don't like the role change, too much potential for low scoring games and it tends to put a pretty heavy ceiling on the top end scores.

He's still a decent pick though, my problem is it's hard to make a case of him being a 120+ guy as a forward, I'd say anywhere in the 100-115 range is very likely which means he's pretty much fairly priced to start with which given his durability record raises the question of "why risk it?". At that price Mitchell has proven upside and better durability, Kelly has a better upside case based on the same major flaw and Crouch who has twice now proven the upside for half a season, though also has durability issues.

I mean I think I prefer the punt on a Rowell/Walsh type as a 110 breakout than picking Fyfe as a "safe" 110 type, to pick Fyfe for mine you're targeting the 120+ Fyfe so you'd have to have him in that range.

 

[gutsroy]

M Crouch: Currently still hampered (hip)
L Neale: Calf / general training deficit
T Mitchell: Still in holding pattern as season approaches
C Oliver: Shoulder operation (just clean-out?)
J Kelly: Flawless preseason, is this the year?
P Cripps: As per Oliver (but further advanced)
Z Merrett: All systems go, role unchanged(?)
J Steele: Quantum leap 2020, sustainable?
C Petracca: Similar to Steele
J Macrae: Presumably pushed to wing
M Bontempelli: Maybe a safe bet, seems to have the output regardless of mix(?)
N Fyfe: More output as per H2 2020?
T Boak, Pendlebury: Father time undefeated
T Adams, A Treloar: Perennial injury risk

Just keep going around in circles tbh.

Maybe Oliver, Kelly, Bontempelli??
Oliver durable, known quantity.
Kelly high-end output when fit
Bontempelli higher TOG o***etting a slight drop in PPM (at least to a degree)?
Cripps worth the outlay for the upside

 

[gutsroy]

Is the ‘sniff’ you refer to the smell of lineament oil being used on a tight Kelly hamstring?

Has he had an uninterrupted preseason in the last four years? Know he's had hiccups some years, but not fully across him.

 

[randomcliche]

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2021/02/19/richmond-star-in-doubt-for-round-1-after-hamstring-setback/

 

[Hasnoshoes]

Has anyone had a real good look at the Freo kids? Specifically Cerra & Serong. Both have a lot of potential upside in their TOG but having a look at the Freo mids it doesn't look like any of them had high TOG last year. At first I thought it was just the kids but then I noticed even Fyfe and Mundy were down on their usual TOG despite short quarters.

Anyone able to shed some light on this? Is this Longmuire's new strategy of lower TOG and higher intensity around the ball? Was it just a 2020 thing with shorter quarters? Does this change with fewer rotations?

 

[Bomber18]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1362644822729744386

 

[wogitalia]

Has anyone had a real good look at the Freo kids? Specifically Cerra & Serong. Both have a lot of potential upside in their TOG but having a look at the Freo mids it doesn't look like any of them had high TOG last year. At first I thought it was just the kids but then I noticed even Fyfe and Mundy were down on their usual TOG despite short quarters.

Anyone able to shed some light on this? Is this Longmuire's new strategy of lower TOG and higher intensity around the ball? Was it just a 2020 thing with shorter quarters? Does this change with fewer rotations?

Really hard to judge to be honest.

Cerra and Serong played multiple roles last year so reading much into their stats is going to be hard. Mundy also floated a bit and at his age probably was managed a bit in a lost season. Fyfe had a lot of injury issues last year, so that would explain his as well.

Also probably a symptom of more horses to go to battle with so a bit more load sharing.

Could also be tactical/physio dictated stuff.

Ultimately it's probably a little bit of all of it.