On more than one occassion I have listened to Dennis Pagan lament about the lack of midfield options beyond Kouta, Stevens & Campo.

Yet it seems to me there are other options that don't really get a crack in the middle.

My main case in point is Houlihan. I recall the second quarter v Geelong when he came charging out of the middle and dropped it strait on Fevola's chest 3 times in the term. I was very frustrated watching him get pulled back to the square by Yze, thus taking our run off the halfbackline and creating a one out marking mismatch in the pocket. Especially when we couldn't get a centre clearance.

I think Houlihan needs to be in the middle more often!

I also think Johnson's in and under work is underated. I think he brings Campo into the game by releasing him. I thnk we have had midfield options that have been very good at times in some games that have not been given enough time to consolidate the role.

I do think we are missing a defensive midfielder, to support Kouta, that could bottle up the ball when the opposition got their hands on it. It seems that it is the speed that the ball is coming out that is causing more problems than the frequency.

Perhaps its time for young Blackwell!

CB

The mid-field options were on display on Saturday:

- Bentick
- Simpson
- Walker

All did good work (at times even together) when put into the middle. It would appear that the senior group, Stevens, Campo, Kouta have too much say on the rotations going through the middle.

In particular evidenced in the last quarter when Simpson took it out of the centre and kicked it long to Kouta who marked and goaled. Immediately Kouta put himself back into the middle and Simpson went out to the wing.

_________________
"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

I was dissapointed with the way Dennis used Walker on Saturday. Most of his Second Quater was spent in the forward line! Wrong place for him me thinks!

dunno ryan, walks did well atgainst the roos last year mainly up forward

Spot on Agro, when we got a run on late in the 2nd, the three pups you mentioned were in the middle. They were getting it out to our advantage.
These guys will only develop with more of the same opportunities they had so fleetingly on Saturday.
Regards Pedro.

Your a wise man Agro. How can we have midfield options when Bentick plays 68mins each week, Simpson plays about the same in a multitude of positions and Walker is left to tag a player on an off the bench. I'm sick of saying it, but give the kids a shot at it Dennis.

_________________
Mjonc signing off at 8888

yep - wouldnt mind seeing more of the three kids getting a run in the midfield.

at one stage we had

Bentick, Walker, Simpson and Deluca and we where starting to get on top of them in the midfield i thought at that stage as well, but then the change came, either from pagan or from kouta himself, but i was happy to see those 4 in there.

_________________
Got to love the stare Down by Setanta on Llyod

But in saying that.........................we aren't short on options up forward!
We need quality kicks coming into F50 and i see Walker as one of those players that will be hitting Fev on the chest in a few years time! (Maybe Sooner!)
Stick him in the centre!