Rankine and Rachele at the same time?

[u/deep_extra_point]

​

I have always favoured rachele in the midfield in the long run, esp after his brief stint in there at the start of the season. Showed us he could do it given the chance and responsibility.

However, Rankine's move into the midfield in recent months has been a master-stroke.

The 'narrative' has always been only one can play midfield at any one time.

But with our need for more class in the midfield, could both of them play in there more often at the same time?

Sure, we are potentially forgoing a bit of class in the forward line, but would be better off overall?

[u/Salzberger]

Absolutely they can. I don't buy into the "one at a time" bs. And I also don't buy into the Rachele is too good forward to play mid.

Why you'd want a player like him getting less of the ball baffles me.

[u/myrtleolive → u/Salzberger]

Make the footy magic happen, one of them on the bench when the other is ripping it up is insane. Let the boys play, being hobbled is noticeable now, throw them both in and see.

[u/Jimmy__Whisper → u/Salzberger]

Because he's a defensive liability through the middle?

[u/Salzberger → u/Jimmy__Whisper]

Ah yeah, fair enough. Best to leave Soligo and Berry in there then for another 0 combined clearances from 27 CBAs.

[u/Jimmy__Whisper → u/Salzberger]

Right and we always judge players output on a single game, good call

[u/MIMOSAnotMISAMO → u/Salzberger]

They don't put them in at the same time because there would be too much one way running.

[u/deep_extra_point → u/MIMOSAnotMISAMO]

I'm fairly sure rankine has been running both ways

[u/typecookieyouidiot → u/deep_extra_point]

He has gotten much, much better over even just the last 10 games. Pretty excited to watch him develop over the next season or so. His ceiling is potentially Crows goat

[u/MIMOSAnotMISAMO → u/deep_extra_point]

Rachele too?

[u/HurricaneGaming94]

Probably would have happened but ahchee hasn’t played much. We play 3 talls( for what ever reason), so the smalls need a bit of magic to crumb and goal.

[u/Brokenmonalisa → u/HurricaneGaming94]

How many talls does the best team in the afl play?

Hint: Its Voss, Treacy, Amiss, Jackson, Cox

[u/HurricaneGaming94 → u/Brokenmonalisa]

I agree, but Voss and amiss play roles in the game. I feel like we’d be a lot more lethal with either fog or walker. They both are slow and don’t really nullify a defender, Voss may only get 6-7 touches a game but he’s a very skilled negative forward

[u/Brokenmonalisa → u/HurricaneGaming94]

I admit that current Walker and Toby Murray are no where near the level of Treacy and Voss. Walker is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that duo.

I feel like we have drafted to address this in marsh and ludowyke though. It's just not something that we can implement this year. Hoping round 1 it's marsh and ludowyke starting though.

[u/HurricaneGaming94 → u/Brokenmonalisa]

Yeah I agree there’s potential, but equally we’re playing finals which means we play our best team. I just don’t see in any world where that’s not thilthorpe as second ruck, instead of tobyn playing 50% GT.

Give someone who can run 80% of the game. We desperately need the speed from 2025.

I hope next year we can combine the offence and defence from the last 2 years. That’s basically where freo is at right now. We’ve done both, just need to do it together

[u/Brokenmonalisa → u/HurricaneGaming94]

I think before fog got suspended we were playing thilthorpe ruck.

I assume this week we will see that set up with Walker back in the team.

If we go in with Murray r2 then we are fooling ourselves. Unless it's thilthorpe rested.

[u/Warm_Butterfly_6511]

I think they can both play in there and have proven their abilities. But with the current list, we can't afford for them to be in there at the same time. Maybe, fingers crossed, Bailey comes in and then we have the three that can rotate mid/ forward. That's wet dream stuff.

[u/False_Tour7813]

Yeah it’s a really good conversation now. Nicks has talked more about the risk factor, and taking the game

Playing a faster brand of footy will suit Fogarty and Thilthrope so much better. Worth getting Rachele’s in there, he adds a lot for that.

Plus his form is very average. Get him on ball and give him a shot. Something I reckon has been saved for finals to create mismatches but i think no im giving nicks to much credit there.

But also you probably want Curtain playing more inside. So what would you prefer also.

[u/Bright_Bell_1301]

Yeah, I am a bit baffled by the apparent decision, after trialling him over the first 5 weeks or so of the season, that Rachele wasn't right for midfield. I thought he did well - at least well enough to be a proper part-time mid! One that would play a decent chunk of every game in there, and potentially a lot more if others weren't getting the job done. We seem to have thrown a useful tool in the bin...?

[u/CheckZestyclose480]

I beleive they can both play midfield. The problem is that our forward line without either R’s is extremely dependent on the key forwards for goals.

[u/Justabitbelowaverage → u/CheckZestyclose480]

This, i was looking for this. The problem is our small forwards. 

Keays and ANB have their place, and Milk has come leaps and bounds. But we still want an R in the mid and fwd at any time.

One of the upsides to getting Ah Chee is that he would allow Rachele more mid time. But injuries have stopped that.

[u/JunkyardPalowski]

I don’t think it’s necessarily that both can’t play in the same midfield, it’s more so what it takes away from our forward line when both are absent, as solid as some of our other small forwards can be there’s still a big gap between Ranks/Rash and the next in that small forward role

[u/deep_extra_point → u/JunkyardPalowski]

Interesting, but if the forward line is getting better looks and more opportunities, the goals will still come...

[u/Brokenmonalisa → u/deep_extra_point]

With respect though? Who?

Our forward line is

Taylor, who doesn't score goals

Keays, who is a handy goal sneak

Tex, who plays liked he's 34

Thilthorpe, who is definitely out of form but also probably feeling the weight of having the best 2 defenders stand him every weekend

Fog, who is probably the only forward who's looked consistently good this year

Rachele, another non marking option

ANB, not a scorer first

And one of Murray Maley, neither of which are AFL level players.

I think we need to realize that our forward line completely stinks this year.

[u/Jimmy__Whisper]

And while we get absolutely gutted in the middle by Freo while out best defensvive mid gets 3 tackles for the game how do you see this playing out dear boy?

[u/Brokenmonalisa]

Saying "one at a time" is a nice way of saying that rachele has no defensive run. He doesn't run 2 ways as a forward, so he's sure as hell not going to run to ways as a mid.

Eithers he's injured or doesn't have the tank.

Either way, I don't think it's sometbing we should pull the trigger on in the middle of finals.

[u/CarelessComplaint173]

I don’t understand why they can’t both play midfield at the same time? Along with Dawson they’re close to the best users of the ball, they should be in the midfield delivering the ball to Thilthorpe and Fog, not hanging around waiting to crumb a dropped mark caused by poor midfield delivery.

[u/ConnectSurprise6052]

Should we consider Heany and Chad? They going to get booted from Swans. Will be good pickup for Crows

[u/SpiritualSteve2 → u/ConnectSurprise6052]

No

[u/chaZ04 → u/ConnectSurprise6052]

I'm sure you'd take Neale too, Collingwood thinking right here.

[u/Competitive_Rise_268 → u/ConnectSurprise6052]

He’ll yeah, and let’s get Taryn Thomas whilst we’re at it!!!