Dyer'ere said:
Heh heh heh. Yeah. I'm secretly planning a controversial attack on the Maggie's midfield depth illusion. I mean FFS if Scott Pencildick is your #1 midfielder what kind of midfield do you have?
What's that you say? But Dane Swan is there #1 mid. How can an outside mid be your #1 mid? It's always the dominant inside mid that controls the centre.
So if Mark Dumber Thompson has learnt anything since he was humiliated by The Angry Garden Gnome in 2007 his mids will smash Collingwood. It will be left to Luke Ball (who still only has one trick - the headbutt clearance - and he's good at it) to clear a path for the awesome Swan because Collingwood's #1 mid is a pencildick.
And Sharrod Wellingham will be called to account on judgement day - next week. Wellingham? He's not substantial enough to be a joke.
It doesn't matter if you have a dozen elite #4 mids if you don't have a #1.
Yes I know Micky is going to beat the Cats on the counter. But that is because his mids can't beat Geelong at the stoppages. He has to play like that. Remember even at the WCE Micky relied on an impregnable defence and the filthy Perth Perimeterball perpetrated by his neat skills types in transition, on the counter. And FWIW Kemp would destroy Pencildick.
Magnificent.
Except it was 2008.
But you're right about Kemp. It's not sacrilegious to suggest Mater Kemp Mainwairing = Bourke Barrott Clay.
Barnzy said:
Pendlebury is a gun. Top 10 in the AFL maybe. Would be our best midfielder too.
Swan is 2nd in the AFL for contested possessions behind Ablett and 5th in the AFL for clearances. How's he just an outside mid?
Collingwood's midfield is very good. Silly talk.
You are batting out of your league, pal ... so far out of your league.
Collingwood's midfield is a pack of second to the ball, first to the tackle lurkers and spillage sweepers. Loose ball gets are contested possessions - Swan gets lots of loose ball. Good player gets it, Collingwood Lurker A tackles him, ball spills to Lurker B who handballs to Lurker C who gets credited with a clearance.
Speaking of midfield depth, the run of Varcoe and Wojo was massive tonight. Good changes. Corey can do Mackie's job better than him and dare I say it, Lonergan is important. Tomahawk doesn't have to do much to be more effective than Blake, and he succeeded in that. If Ottens can play as much time as Jolly the Cats will be happy. I hope they smash the Social Climbers, the question is if their handball and risk taking can stand up to the lurking. It will be a victory for football if it can.