We desperately need a crumbing forward

[Con Gorozidis]

We need 3-4 new A grade mids.
Everything else is icing.
Games are mostly won and lost in the mid-field.

Current mid-field:

Lenny - A Grade. All class. Retired
Armo - B Grade. Great trier and warrior and leader. But just not that great a player. Very limited.
Dunstan - Too young to judge.
Billings - Too young to judge. Not really a midfielder. Very good player and I see a bit of Mark Le Cras in him.
Curren - Good Goer but C grade. Borderline AFL standard.
Mav - See Curren
Ray - Good workhorse. B Grade
Newnes - See Ray
Joey - Cant be relied on anymore. A grader in theory- but not all there.
Savage - One of our shining lights in recent times. Good B+ Grader with both pace and kicking skills. Will go well when he has some mates alongside him to help.
Acres - Too young to judge but fingers crossed.

Edit :Oops I forgot Jack.
Reigning B &F - So give him the benefit of a bad year and say hes a definite A grader.

Summary:
Steven and Sav need another 4 A grade mates if we are going to win the midfield battle and be competitive enough to win regular games.

[realdeal]

Steven: A grade when fully fit. Needs to work through tags.

[gringo]

Little Jamie Cripps would be handy along with Lynchy to help keep the forward line together.

[Dave McNamara]

We have at least one crumbing forward... Jack Billings.

Watching him, he constantly gets into dangerous spots.

As he gets stronger and fitter, the team gets better, players start looking for him more...
it'll all come together, and then... look out.

[SemperFidelis]

I like Con's analysis generally, and I have confidence a Billings and Dunstan will both be A grade. And fingers crossed for Acres, but he is a big boy and I see him less as a mid.

I'd add in Eli as a potential B+ to A.

But I think rating Curren and Mav at C is harsh. Perhaps reflective of most recent performance, but I see them as B grade with the potential for more. Particularly Mav.

Obviously we need another couple of class acts. Hopefully we get at least one in this draft.

[chook23]

Caleb Daniel (could be similar to Brent Harvey)

Josh Hone

[SemperFidelis]

We have at least one crumbing forward... Jack Billings.

Watching him, he constantly gets into dangerous spots.

As he gets stronger and fitter, the team gets better, players start looking for him more...
it'll all come together, and then... look out.

+1

[Middo]

Answer is Petracca goal kicking mid and clearly now the number one rated mid is this years draft.Lock him in now !!

[chook23]

Answer is Petracca goal kicking mid and clearly now the number one rated mid is this years draft.Lock him in now !!

he is not really a crumbing forward........but is possibly what you say

IMO Caleb Daniel

and josh Hone (although not invited to draft combine) maybe a rookie............................milney started that way!

[mr six o'clock]

we've got one in Eli !

[Scollop]

The pelican needs to find young talent with silky skills and with a good head on their shoulders and the footy club needs to provide an environment for them to flourish. Hopefully we can emulate Geelong...plus we have the bonus of Billings last year and another top 4 pick at the end of this year

Steven Motlop pick 39 (2008 draft), and Mitch Duncan pick 28 (2009 draft) and Allen Christensen pick 40 (2009 draft), Cameron Guthrie -pick 23 (2010 draft), and Horlin-Smith- pick 37 (2010 draft)

Not all roses for the cats, I hope we don't blow this many early picks..,
2008
Pick 15 Mitch brown
Pick 33 tom gillies
2009
Pick 17 Daniel Menzel
2011
Pick 32 Joel hamling
Pick 34 Shane kersten

You are very knowledgeable as usual, but selectively cherry picking their failures doesn't reflect their success at the selection table and their ability to find youngsters with unlimited upside.

I was highlighting their picks over those 3 years because the first 4 blokes (Motlop-Duncan-Christensen-Guthrie) were instrumental in Cats win over Kangas last night. Many considered Christensen BOG.

Geelong also made sure these blokes were rewarded early in their careers with game time even though the Cats were fighting for top 4 positions over most of that period. Remind me again who we were drafting and how many games we were playing our talented youngsters?

[plugger66]

The pelican needs to find young talent with silky skills and with a good head on their shoulders and the footy club needs to provide an environment for them to flourish. Hopefully we can emulate Geelong...plus we have the bonus of Billings last year and another top 4 pick at the end of this year

Steven Motlop pick 39 (2008 draft), and Mitch Duncan pick 28 (2009 draft) and Allen Christensen pick 40 (2009 draft), Cameron Guthrie -pick 23 (2010 draft), and Horlin-Smith- pick 37 (2010 draft)

Not all roses for the cats, I hope we don't blow this many early picks..,
2008
Pick 15 Mitch brown
Pick 33 tom gillies
2009
Pick 17 Daniel Menzel
2011
Pick 32 Joel hamling
Pick 34 Shane kersten

You are very knowledgeable as usual, but selectively cherry picking their failures doesn't reflect their success at the selection table and their ability to find youngsters with unlimited upside.

I was highlighting their picks over those 3 years because the first 4 blokes (Motlop-Duncan-Christensen-Guthrie) were instrumental in Cats win over Kangas last night. Many considered Christensen BOG.

Geelong also made sure these blokes were rewarded early in their careers with game time even though the Cats were fighting for top 4 positions over most of that period. Remind me again who we were drafting and how many games we were playing our talented youngsters?

I think that last statement isnt completely true. I dont think Motlop hardly played in his first 2 years. And just maybe they were better players that some of our players. Armo played 12 games in his second year and we made finals. Stanley played a few in his second year and didnt really touch thhe ball. Jack had really bad groins for his first 3 years and couldnt train properly during the week. Ben played a lot of games considering he was a young ruckman and the rest probably werent good enough.

[Beekay]

I don't think Templeton has the tricks, cheek, pace or goal-awareness to be a cracking small forward.

Play him up the ground, and go after the natural Milne/Betts/Ballantyne/LeCras types any-which-way.

[dragit]

The pelican needs to find young talent with silky skills and with a good head on their shoulders and the footy club needs to provide an environment for them to flourish. Hopefully we can emulate Geelong...plus we have the bonus of Billings last year and another top 4 pick at the end of this year

Steven Motlop pick 39 (2008 draft), and Mitch Duncan pick 28 (2009 draft) and Allen Christensen pick 40 (2009 draft), Cameron Guthrie -pick 23 (2010 draft), and Horlin-Smith- pick 37 (2010 draft)

Not all roses for the cats, I hope we don't blow this many early picks..,
2008
Pick 15 Mitch brown
Pick 33 tom gillies
2009
Pick 17 Daniel Menzel
2011
Pick 32 Joel hamling
Pick 34 Shane kersten

You are very knowledgeable as usual, but selectively cherry picking their failures doesn't reflect their success at the selection table and their ability to find youngsters with unlimited upside.

I was highlighting their picks over those 3 years because the first 4 blokes (Motlop-Duncan-Christensen-Guthrie) were instrumental in Cats win over Kangas last night. Many considered Christensen BOG.

Geelong also made sure these blokes were rewarded early in their careers with game time even though the Cats were fighting for top 4 positions over most of that period. Remind me again who we were drafting and how many games we were playing our talented youngsters?

I'm not cherry picking, just pointing out that the club you want to emulate for recruiting have blown their first pick or 2 in 3 out of 4 recent draft years. If we do the same in the next few years then we are stuffed for a lot longer.

[White Winmar]

I don't think Templeton has the tricks, cheek, pace or goal-awareness to be a cracking small forward.

Play him up the ground, and go after the natural Milne/Betts/Ballantyne/LeCras types any-which-way.

Does anyone think we might be interested in Jeffrey Garlett? Seems his time at Carlscum might be up.

[whiskers3614]

I don't think Templeton has the tricks, cheek, pace or goal-awareness to be a cracking small forward.

Play him up the ground, and go after the natural Milne/Betts/Ballantyne/LeCras types any-which-way.

How many specialist small forwards have been effective in Grand finals in the 2000's?
I reckon pick up a decent midfield and the goal kicking will take care of itself.
malthouse had the idea when he dropped Leon Davis for 2010 replay!

[gringo]

Petracca could give you 40 goals a year from the midfield and Saad would have less competition these days.

[plugger66]

Petracca could give you 40 goals a year from the midfield and Saad would have less competition these days.

40 a year from the midfioeld. Can you name the last player who did that? And just because Saad has less competition that doesnt make him a good pick up.

[Saint wagga]

IMO we need to keep rotating quality young mids through the forward pocket ala Jack Steven. Billings, Dunstan and the like...if one of them takes the position by the scruff, then spend more time there, if not keep rotating them fairly regularly, within in games and between games...classy forward pockets are a luxury not a necesity in a bottom 4 side...I'd rather see us build a group of young classy mids with good goal kicking ability. IMO

[bergholt]

A bit off topic, but Milney is currently leading the Bendigo League goalkicking with 73 from 15 games. Kicked 8 yesterday. 9 the week before. Getting their money's worth. He might even get to play in a premiership.

I think he is someone like 4k a game but it looks like he is providing every bit of that and maybe more. Good on you Milney. You are a star.

Great year considering the amount of attention he cops each week!