Position 2022: Midfield Discussion

[Zagbag]

Having my first look at a Macrae / Neale / Cripps / Rowell + rookies midfield.

Cupboard looks pretty bare with no Touk/Steele etc, but allows to bat pretty deep in Def and Fwd - which is nice in a year with limited scoring rookies

 

[BigRuss]

Having my first look at a Macrae / Neale / Cripps / Rowell + rookies midfield.

Cupboard looks pretty bare with no Touk/Steele etc, but allows to bat pretty deep in Def and Fwd - which is nice in a year with limited scoring rookies

Feels like the right structure with the rookies the way they are. Would love to jam Miller or Steele in there but im just not sure it’s feasible.

 

[wogitalia]

Excellent. Thanks @Herbie66 and @wogitalia

Just watch out that on mine I've included guys like Dunstan and Cerra at STK and Freo (for example) and not at their new clubs, not sure what your end goal is but given no names there it's probably handy to know

Having my first look at a Macrae / Neale / Cripps / Rowell + rookies midfield.

Cupboard looks pretty bare with no Touk/Steele etc, but allows to bat pretty deep in Def and Fwd - which is nice in a year with limited scoring rookies

I'm still liking the 2 Guns/Neale/Cripps/Rowell group and having a very hard time moving off it to go up to the 3rd premium, biggest issue is finding the rookies to replace Cripps and Rowell if you want to send that cash to another position or even the extra one if just keeping it in the midfield.

Finding the rookies are making all my plans difficult this year. 4th DEF rookie is a nightmare, I don't like/see any cheap MID rookies and the forwards/rucks are possibly even worse

 

[stephen]

Is this straight mids, or DPP? Because Laird was a Def/Mid and Schoenberg was Fwd only

Just where they actually played, not what their SC designation was. It was mostly a question for draft - trying to get a sense of what's realistic for 3rd, 4th, 5th string mids in various teams.

 

[Ben's Beasts]

Just watch out that on mine I've included guys like Dunstan and Cerra at STK and Freo (for example) and not at their new clubs, not sure what your end goal is but given no names there it's probably handy to know



I'm still liking the 2 Guns/Neale/Cripps/Rowell group and having a very hard time moving off it to go up to the 3rd premium, biggest issue is finding the rookies to replace Cripps and Rowell if you want to send that cash to another position or even the extra one if just keeping it in the midfield.

Finding the rookies are making all my plans difficult this year. 4th DEF rookie is a nightmare, I don't like/see any cheap MID rookies and the forwards/rucks are possibly even worse

With the 2 Guns/Neale/Cripps/Rowell setup, do you also have Berry, JHF, Daicos and Ward?

 

[TopBillings]

With the 2 Guns/Neale/Cripps/Rowell setup, do you also have Berry, JHF, Daicos and Ward?

Yes I do

Very tempting setup indeed..

 

[Bermi]

Definitely bad news for Brodie, albeit Fyfe rushing back with a busted shoulder is probably actually good news when it inevitably goes pop and he's out for 10+ weeks...

God this is a complex season.

 

[wogitalia]

Just where they actually played, not what their SC designation was. It was mostly a question for draft - trying to get a sense of what's realistic for 3rd, 4th, 5th string mids in various teams.

The stats would suggest that somewhere in the 400 points for the top 4 mids is the expected outcome, stronger sides tend to push 420 and the weaker sides tend to be down to about 360.

With the 2 Guns/Neale/Cripps/Rowell setup, do you also have Berry, JHF, Daicos and Ward?

Yes. Also have Stephens and Rachele.

Part of the appeal of Cripps and Rowell is you've got an extra 50-70k on the coach with the big 4 alternative to sure up those lower rookies.

 

[TopBillings]

The stats would suggest that somewhere in the 400 points for the top 4 mids is the expected outcome, stronger sides tend to push 420 and the weaker sides tend to be down to about 360.



Yes. Also have Stephens and Rachele.

Part of the appeal of Cripps and Rowell is you've got an extra 50-70k on the coach with the big 4 alternative to sure up those lower rookies.

Agree with the bottom part

Cripps/Rowell allows me Rachelle/Xerri @ F6
Stephens/Sinn/Durdin on the bench etc

 

[Uncle Drew]

It feels like there is a lot more commonality this pre-season, which is somewhat depressing. A lot of that is about the rookies (or lack thereof) but it just feels like everyone is heading towards the same structure. Not sure if it is site specific or competition wide. Based on the the ownership percentages, I suspect the latter. I guess all dedicated players frequent one or more sites/forums so end up being influenced in certain ways. These days, information is so readily available and the spread so fluid, it's getting more and more like the perfect market. Not sure if that's necessarily a good thing. In a way, the skill is now in the playing so that's probably one positive. I recall the first years of Dream Team in the 90s when you selected a starting team (hard copy form mailed in) and that was it. No trades, no captains, no loopholes. Just ride and die

Information plays a part, but ive felt theres been a lot more room for unique picks in other years. The lack of rookies this year is pushing everyone towards the same structure. There's so many good unique premium options in the midfield, but it's impossible to put almost any of them in because we're having to load up our midfield with value and stack the other lines.

 

[Ben's Beasts]

The stats would suggest that somewhere in the 400 points for the top 4 mids is the expected outcome, stronger sides tend to push 420 and the weaker sides tend to be down to about 360.



Yes. Also have Stephens and Rachele.

Part of the appeal of Cripps and Rowell is you've got an extra 50-70k on the coach with the big 4 alternative to sure up those lower rookies.

Right, so Ward on the bench. Do you feel as though he’s wasted there?

I’ve also toyed with a similar setup but Ward feels like a rookie we would prefer to have on field.

 

[OnTopBar]

Right, so Ward on the bench. Do you feel as though he’s wasted there?

I’ve also toyed with a similar setup but Ward feels like a rookie we would prefer to have on field.

I also have Ward, Rachele and Stephens on the midfield bench and really don't see anyone else with the same JS or scoring potential as those 3, if I put 1 of them on field then who do I put on the bench for cover?

 

[Deeman1]

Right, so Ward on the bench. Do you feel as though he’s wasted there?

I’ve also toyed with a similar setup but Ward feels like a rookie we would prefer to have on field.

I agree in an ideal world a Ward/Stephens on the bench is a bit of a waste and ideally you would want them on field, but I'm pretty sure an ideal world is not where we are at 😉

Hell at one stage I had Gibcus/McCarten, Stephens and Rachelle on the bench

 

[Ben's Beasts]

I also have Ward, Rachele and Stephens on the midfield bench and really don't see anyone else with the same JS or scoring potential as those 3, if I put 1 of them on field then who do I put on the bench for cover?

I think D Stephens at M9 followed by two cheaper guys is very feasible.

 

[Herbie66]

I agree in an ideal world a Ward/Stephens on the bench is a bit of a waste and ideally you would want them on field, but I'm pretty sure an ideal world is not where we are at 😉

Hell at one stage I had Gibcus/McCarten, Stephens and Rachelle on the bench

I am still :-

McCartin * , Sinn *
Ward , D Stephens , NWM *
J Hayes
Rachele * , Durdin

Short , Whitfield , Macrae , Steele , Neale , Darcy , Grundy , Dunkley

Sicily , Hewett , Heeney , Butters

7 x $ 200-300k players though + Daicos , Hinge & Gibcus

Like the majority I guess defender rookies could decide the final team/structure

 

[dlanod]

Having my first look at a Macrae / Neale / Cripps / Rowell + rookies midfield.

Cupboard looks pretty bare with no Touk/Steele etc, but allows to bat pretty deep in Def and Fwd - which is nice in a year with limited scoring rookies

I tend to pick the best rookies I can, and then structure the rest of the team around that. This year the strong lack in the defence has left me with four keepers down there, plus three up forward. The midfield can take the hit. The big risk is the Cripps/Rowell/Berry/three rookies leaking too many points that my extra keepers on the other line can't make up for it. Is Dusty or Crisp going to make up for it? Well I guess I'm going to find out, but the other options there really don't inspire me.

 

[NT.Thunder]

I tend to pick the best rookies I can, and then structure the rest of the team around that. This year the strong lack in the defence has left me with four keepers down there, plus three up forward. The midfield can take the hit. The big risk is the Cripps/Rowell/Berry/three rookies leaking too many points that my extra keepers on the other line can't make up for it. Is Dusty or Crisp going to make up for it? Well I guess I'm going to find out, but the other options there really don't inspire me.

That's two names I've been to and froing on. My guy is saying Dusty has a good year although I was worried about his no tackles in the AAMI. He always goes big round 1 against Carlton IIRC and will be a POD I think, I've got a lot of negative bias on Cripps which is making me ill seeing him in my team, I'm sure others are the same and I honestly think it'll come down to what sort of mood I'm in Wednesday afternoon whether he starts or not for me.

 

[Peter56]

I have got rid of Cripps (for today anyway) it felt dirty having him and I feel like I have FOMO in starting him, if he is good he will become a round 3 problem. Also had Ward, Rachele and Stephens on the bench.
Now have swapped Gibcus for Whitfield at D4
Also starting to have doubts on JHF because of his price and possible scoring.

 

[dlanod]

I've got a lot of negative bias on Cripps which is making me ill seeing him in my team, I'm sure others are the same and I honestly think it'll come down to what sort of mood I'm in Wednesday afternoon whether he starts or not for me.

The second name was Crisp, not Cripps. Just saying.

 

[Shaunpro1]

If we got Sinn,Hinge,Gibcus,McCartin and SDK all named in the 22 Id look at taking the risk back there, just dont expect it to happen so the structure will have to change accordingly.