I suppose after the Judd scare, it got me thinking. If we were to lose 1 or 2 of our better midfielders who would be available to came in?
I am still concerned that we probably lack enough midfield depth to see out a year and be considered a genuine threat. Some of the options at present might include:

- Lucas (might be injured at present. Out of form anyway)
- Curnow (will come back in. Still 3 weeks away)
- Hoops? (probably not a midfielder these day per se)

Are there many others? Is this enough to cover injuries or rotations later in the season? I think it might be a list weakness. We have been so focussed on talls we may have overlooked a mid or two...

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We have Touhy & Davies in the 2nds who could come in and release Gibbs & Russell into the midfield.

This would cover a loss like a Judd or Murphy.

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hotcox davies is way out of form ! playing shocking football lately!

Good point - we also have Lucas and O'Keeffe, but we're short of quality midfield depth compared with our rivals.

Hendo or Kruizer in to the forward line and Walker could move into the midfield. I'm really liking Walks up forward, but if we really needed to we could move him in the middle.

We do play more midfielders on game day though. We have smashed every midfield we have come up against. Collingwood may have matched us. We do this because we play with an extra running player or two. Opposition try to stretch us for height and that helps us too as they often go in top heavy giving us even more legs.

So i guess what other posters have said is correct. Bring in a mobile backman to free up russ and let gibbs run free by getting hoops to play a runwith role sorts us out.

We must convert our dominance into score.

I think the question's virtually been answered. There's a bunch of talent who can release some of our blokes into midfield, and there's plenty in the side who are all but playing midfield.

To bring in:

O'Keeffe (releases Russell)
Tuohy (releases Yarran)
Kerr (releases Walker/Garlett)
McInnes (releases defensive forward/Walker/Russell, could play midfield)
Carter (releases Yarran)
Collins (releases Walker)
Houlihan (can play midfield, releases Walker/defensive forward)
Lucas (releases Russell/defensive forward, can play midfield)
Twomey (releases Walker/Russell/defensive forward)
Joseph (releases Yarran/defensive forward, can play midfield)

Within the team, I think Garlett & Yarran are making big contributions right up to the opposite arc, sometimes further. Russell, Waite & Walker also push really hard, and Duigan, Thornton & Jamison all made contributions beyond the wing.

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I would still rather see some more pure midfield options playing in the magoos. Just appears to be a lack of any sort of promising depth in terms of midfielders @ the Ants presently and is probably what I took out of watching todays game on ABC.

I certainly dont think you could promote any midfielder from the Ants game today and think it is slightly worrying deficiency we have on our list

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McLean....

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

I think that's reflective of the level of endurance and strength over the ball required for today's midfield roles. We'll have a few in 12 months time from that lot.

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

By drafting Watson, Mitchell and McCarthy last year and having Austin, Casboult, Bower still on our list we will go to this years draft looking for more midfield runners who can use the ball well and are good decision makers.

Out of the current side we have Lucas, Touhy, Curnow, Houlihan, O'Keefe, McInnes, Collins, Twomey as potential mids and I expect further improvement in Yarran, Garlett, Robinson and Ellard.

Would be nice to somehow get another "A grade" mid to really add to our rotations and take pressure off Judd and Murphy. A 'big' bodied ruckman in the Mumford style would be handy as well.

All in all we are not far away. IMO we lack another class mid and some depth to our bottom 6 that we need to be a top 2 side, BUT we are close!

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Before the start of the season, I had certainly pencilled in Lucas to be that extra mid for our rotations or at least more depth in that area but he seems to have stagnated quite a bit this year (and apparently currently injured).

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Oh no, (not) this 'theme of the year' type thing again. We have to be thinking a couple of years ahead. It seems that things catch up with you without you really noticing so to 'think ahead' is the only way to combat it.

The thing is, we brought Curnow in and now we find we probably 'need' another one (midfielder, that is). We should be at the stage where we are gathering 'weapons', not trying to find the next Brock, 'just in case'.

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And to think Hughes got criticised for taking Lucas over a tall

Can never have enough mids

Wouldn't be end of world to give a Toughy or ROK type a taste of senior footy (not at same time of course) against lesser opposition, and to runa JR in the middle - just for depth purpsoes to experiment

Totally agree. More mids the better, especially ones who can use the ball properly.

JR needs to have a run in the midfield. I believe his size and run would help out and pushing forward he can kick goals. Time for him to really step up!

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#NewBlues beginning 25th August 2015

Jamo laidler duigan bower Watson there's five backmen not including Gibbs, Russell n yazz. So potentially two of the latter three go on ball. Personally I prefer Gibbs down back n think yazz gets taken away from contest too easily, maybe yazz n russell end up in midfield

Kreuzer can play like a mid

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Another couple of solid games in the Ants and i reckon it will be time to unleash the RoK.

How many games can a rookie play? 3 isnt it? Thats all he'll need. I have faith.

But i think Tuohy will get a crack before him as he's been elevated.

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Big body ruck and another midfielder .......hmmm

Think we may have had one of each