How about giving Milney a go in the midfield?

[Winmar7Fan]

For one reason he seems to have trouble with consistency up forward and people are starting to lose tolerance for him and secondly when he comes out around the HF area he gets more involved in the play with assists etc.

Would it be a crazy idea with his speed and agility (in which our midfield has a weakness) to try him in the midfield or at least rotate him between there and up forward ? I mean he’s not doing a great deal a lot of the time up forward anyway.

[degruch]

Apart from some occasional dodgey sideways kicking at goal, the biggest problem with his game is the lack of pressure he applies to his opponents...for that reason he'd be a disaster in the middle IMO.

[saintbob]

For one reason he seems to have trouble with consistency up forward and people are starting to lose tolerance for him and secondly when he comes out around the HF area he gets more involved in the play with assists etc.

Would it be a crazy idea with his speed and agility (in which our midfield has a weakness) to try him in the midfield or at least rotate him between there and up forward ? I mean he’s not doing a great deal a lot of the time up forward anyway.

It would be absoluetely fantastic to see him running around in the midfield with the Scorpions

[Saintschampions08]

For one reason he seems to have trouble with consistency up forward and people are starting to lose tolerance for him and secondly when he comes out around the HF area he gets more involved in the play with assists etc.

Would it be a crazy idea with his speed and agility (in which our midfield has a weakness) to try him in the midfield or at least rotate him between there and up forward ? I mean he’s not doing a great deal a lot of the time up forward anyway.

He can't play mid.

Firstly and foremost, i seriously doubt he has the fitness to play midfield. Can he run hard, chase his opponent, run back and then forward, lay tackles, all day?

Secondly, i don't think he's strong enough to be a mid. Our mid's are already fairly small (with the exception of Hayes and Harves)...it's an important part of being a mid, you need that grunt.

He was tried their a few years ago (?) - and supporters were blaming the coach for not putting him in the forward, line.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

only Gram is a less effective tackler then him no way he would get carved up in the midfeild . hes a small forward im happy with that and he does his job by piping the occasional goal he shouldnt be expected to be the major attacking option his job is to steal a few the fact our other forwards a failing makes him more of a scapegoat

[Cairnsman]

The middle of our trade options.

[Winmar7Fan]

Yeh I sort of felt the same but just thought if we threw him in for 10 mins here and there maybe he might give off a few handballs and centre breaks and as he tires put him back up forward for a rest .

[Dan Warna]

ok here we go again, name another small goal forward who averages 2 goals per game regularly and 2 scoring assists per game?

as for tackling, he compares very handily to other small forwards in the competition with regards to tackling and hard ball gets.

he's what 300 goals, 1 1/2 effective tackles per game (last 4 seasons a shade under 2 effective tackles per game)

and as for consistency he has scored at least 1 goal in 125 of his 150 games, averaging 2 goals per game.

and he has had an average of 2 scoring assists for the last 4 seasons per game, and 5 marks per game for the past 4 seasons also.

accuracy rate of about 65%

have a look at his career, it compares very well to just about any other small forward in the competition.

[matrix]

he aint a midfielder......

leon davis, small forward goes to midfield....it works
milney, small forwrd goes to midfield, gets given a bath.

he is a small forward player and nothing else imo

[spert]

Delisting Milne was one of GTs better ideas. In a team where a number of players have poor defensive sides to their games, Milne is right up there..I reckon if old granny was playing in defence, she could run off Milne and pump the ball into her forward line without fear of any tackling or pressure...sounds like our whole forward line.

[Winmar7Fan]

ok here we go again, name another small goal forward who averages 2 goals per game regularly and 2 scoring assists per game?

as for tackling, he compares very handily to other small forwards in the competition with regards to tackling and hard ball gets.

he's what 300 goals, 1 1/2 effective tackles per game (last 4 seasons a shade under 2 effective tackles per game)

and as for consistency he has scored at least 1 goal in 125 of his 150 games, averaging 2 goals per game.

and he has had an average of 2 scoring assists for the last 4 seasons per game, and 5 marks per game for the past 4 seasons also.

accuracy rate of about 65%

have a look at his career, it compares very well to just about any other small forward in the competition.

Yes Dan I agree the only problem is its no good if you kick 5 goals one game and nothing for the next 3. You actually cost games even though the averages look ok.

[Cairnsman]

ok here we go again, name another small goal forward who averages 2 goals per game regularly and 2 scoring assists per game?

as for tackling, he compares very handily to other small forwards in the competition with regards to tackling and hard ball gets.

he's what 300 goals, 1 1/2 effective tackles per game (last 4 seasons a shade under 2 effective tackles per game)

and as for consistency he has scored at least 1 goal in 125 of his 150 games, averaging 2 goals per game.

and he has had an average of 2 scoring assists for the last 4 seasons per game, and 5 marks per game for the past 4 seasons also.

accuracy rate of about 65%

have a look at his career, it compares very well to just about any other small forward in the competition.

Yeah all good points Dan, but everybody knows he is a flat-track bully and he isn't worth a cracker on interstate trips. So if you analise his stats again i bet you find that his average of 2 goals per game is because every now and then he kicks a bag against teams like Richmond. He's got to go or at least shown in the second half of the season why he should stay.

[aussiejones]

"He was tried their a few years ago (?) - and supporters were blaming the coach for not putting him in the forward line."
As I recall he actually wanted a go up the field

GT tried Milney up the ground ......didnt work.

BUT, a short bursts may .

Re trading ..... no way .

[Beno88]

Milne is currently ranked 6th at the club for tackles.

Only behind Hayes, Ball, Montagna, Dal Santo & Koschitzke.

[Armoooo]

Good god...
Milney should be nowhere near the midfield, he has been tried there in bursts for the last few years and has looked pathetic every time he has been there...

He is doing fine as a small forward however my biggest problem is a lot of the time he tends to lead rather than try to crumb, I don't know if this is his choice or if he is being directed but IMO he needs to stay under Roo or Kosi's legs to get the crumbs, either that or our midfielders could try and kick it to a forward other than Roo

As for trading him there is just no chance, he was put on the trading table a year or so ago and nobody bit, nobody else wants him and with his age we would be lucky to get a third round draft pick for him...

IMO what is making Milne look worse is that we are constantly kicking it to Roo when he is 3 on 1, as soon as that ball hits the ground we have no hope because they have the numbers which gives them an easy rebound out of 50... We need to be more composed with our forward 50 entries because other than Harvey and Dal nobody can hit a target, we all romanticise the "kick it long down the guts" game plan but the fact is that is pretty much our main avenue to goal and it is just not effective...

Our whole forward line is a disgrace this year and IMO that is because of the midfield, they seem to think as soon as they bomb it out of the middle their job is done and that is just not good enough...

On a side note I do think that Milne has looked good when he has had brief stints in the back flank, but again his lack of intensity and pressure would seem him unable to play there for any serious lengths of time, b ut he's doing fine atm anyway...

[plugger66]

Surely Milney is the least of out problems in the forward line. Rooy kicking is poor at the moment and Kosi is far to slow to be a FF. We must a least look at swapping them around. Having said all that the main problem is the delivery into the forward line and our continuing idea of having only 5 forwards against 6 backmen.

[matrix]

Milne is currently ranked 6th at the club for tackles.

Only behind Hayes, Ball, Montagna, Dal Santo & Koschitzke.

interesting, all mids and forwards

[Armoooo]

I'm surprised Kosi is that high

[degruch]

I'm surprised Kosi is that high

That high, or everyone else that low???

[HarveysDeciple]

Surely Milney is the least of out problems in the forward line. Rooy kicking is poor at the moment and Kosi is far to slow to be a FF. We must a least look at swapping them around. Having said all that the main problem is the delivery into the forward line and our continuing idea of having only 5 forwards against 6 backmen.

Agree, Milne is the least of our worries.

he has 26 goals at the half way point of the year and has gone goalless just once this season.

If he maintains current form he will pass 50 goals in a season again.

Excellent effort for a small forward in anyones language.

Can't believe he is still copping it a bit from some people, the finger would be pointed at a great number of his teammates before you got to him.

As for the midfield idea, it has been tried before, sometimes effectively, sometimes disasterously.
Leave him forward, when you struggling to kick a winning score you don't move your leading goalkicker out of there....

[milney044]

I don't mind Milney in the midfield for short periods as long as we have another permanent crumber up the ground eg Schneider. The problem is Milney's confidence. When he's up he takes the first option and his ball use is actually quite slick but when he loses that spark he looks hesitant and his kicks usually turn into shanks - like the bulldogs game.

For what ever reason it's not just Milne but the team as a whole appears to lack confidence when we travel interstate. The team as a whole looks hesitant and as a result we make the wrong option when going forward. This makes it extremely hard for players like Frase and Milne to play well when the team as a whole isn't playing as a team. For one Frase gets frustrated and loses interest/ concentration and Milne appears to recognise that the team is down, which i think makes milney put his own pressure on himself, causing anxiety which results in poor use when he is able to grasp the few opportunities presented.

Last year for the first time interstate i saw us play with a bit of flair and confidence and the whole team played well, including Milney. Obviously we are able to lift interstate but unfortunately banger can't play a milestone game every week.

I thought the win interstate might have done something to spark the boys confidence and give them a bit of belief, so far this year they've proved me very, very wrong.

I realise this thread's a little off topic, yes play milney in the midfield for short stints but only if you're going to have a permanent crumber like schneider while he's up the ground

[evertonfc]

Can't run in a straight line.

Doesn't have genuine leg-speed.

Agility is useless in the middle unless you have mid-section strength.

Can't chase. Can't tackle.

Has no penetration in his kicking.

Doesn't win hard ball.

Turns the ball over frequently.

It's been tried. It doesn't work.

He's a one-trick pony and that's all he is: a small forward who plays a reasonable game every sixth week.

[saintjake]

he is soft at the ball.
would try and do a daisy thomas and take on all the opposition.
and makes stupid mistakes.
in all honesty, he is only a small foward.
which is why everyone loses patience with him
coz if he is having a bad game, he cant do anything different.

unlike didak or daivs, who go into the mid.

[To the top]

Speed and agility?

S. Milne? Must have missed something.

So that is why he leads like Ackermanic did last week and poses a constant threat in the forward line with his speed and agility?

Milne relies absolutely on baulking, the opposition know it and put a bigger framed defender on him which is why he gets caught holding the pill so often.

And whilst his tackling has improved it is only marginal improvement because occasionally now one does stick and interrupts the tackled player from dishing off to advantage - but only very, very occasionally.

Normally he is not close enough.

Put Milne up against any player from Footscray's mid-field last week and then tell me Milne is a mid-fielder.

We have to go forwards, not backwards.

[saintbob]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Milney has played 100 games too many at this football club.