Windhager at HB

[B.M]

Ross doubled down on it the other day - saying he found a home there

I think he’s got this one completely wrong

Imo Windhager looks lost at HB and doesn’t instinctively know when to defend or attack

He is not a polished ball user, which you want off hb

To me he is and inside mid/HF

We have plenty of HBs
2 A graders
Sinclair current dual AA
NWM is a future AA

And then
Bonner, Paton, Stocker for depth

McLennan, Hastie - developing


Imo he is barking up the wrong tree - Windhager should tag

[skeptic]

What do you mean he doubled down on it?

But 100% agree on all takes.

All I could think is he’s looking for a lockdown defender perhaps?

[CQ SAINT]

I think, he is talking to the press and sending messages to no one.

[CQ SAINT]

What's he gonna do, make predictions

[CQ SAINT]

Sinclair was used (I think he said 'looked comfortable') in the middle but he is an AA running back, who can defend and intercept.

[CQ SAINT]

How old was Sincs, when he hit his straps. He was always a gun athlete and Cricketer. But it's about focus.

[CQ SAINT]

I think the good coaches work that out.

[CQ SAINT]

Some footballers like to face the goals, through hard work.

The naturally talented ones know where they are, it doesn't matter.

[CQ SAINT]

Shoey Van Es Wilkie
Windhager Marshall Sinclair

Henry Owens NWM
Heath Steele Wilson

Phillipou Caminiti Higgins
Collard King Keeler

Hastie Crouch Garcia McLennan ???????

Allison would be nice but it's not him,

Hill Battle Webster and Wood will be gone. Crouch will be smashing in and under.

Byrnes, Butler, Clark too small, Clark too slow.

who have I missed and who would you replace.

ITS 2026. A RUCK a CHB and another skinny, quick and deadly, 190 mid. Maybe Acres.

[Banger9798]

I don't like him there either.

Prefer him tagging until he can start to find it in the guts himself. Similar progression to Jack Steele.

[Vortex]

Ross doubled down on it the other day - saying he found a home there

I think he’s got this one completely wrong

Imo Windhager looks lost at HB and doesn’t instinctively know when to defend or attack

He is not a polished ball user, which you want off hb

To me he is and inside mid/HF

We have plenty of HBs
2 A graders
Sinclair current dual AA
NWM is a future AA

And then
Bonner, Paton, Stocker for depth

McLennan, Hastie - developing


Imo he is barking up the wrong tree - Windhager should tag

I think Windy like many youngsters, is just doing his apprenticeship to learn the craft of defence, like most positions across the back flank it still has an attacking element to the skill set.

Same goes NWM, I’m guessing he will eventually be deploy to roam into the middle and attacking parts of the ground to become a versatile type as he’s already shown he has some offensive tools.

I think the more important goal for Windy is that he get selected in the team each week and aim to play every game in 2024.

More broadly I think it’s more important we just keep increasing the amount of talent and experience on the list rather than what position players play in because the modern game really doesn’t have positions anymore. Except say for the obvious key positions requiring certain physical attributes.

[B.M]

I’d just play people where they perform best.

Windhager is probably the best defensive mid

NWM
Sinclair

Natural HBs

[Vortex]

I’d just play people where they perform best.

Windhager is probably the best defensive mid

NWM
Sinclair

Natural HBs

Absolutely agree you play players where they play best but therein lies the challenge of a business model of having 40+ personnel but only 23 positions.

Just think it’s more important a young fella get a game first and learn the craft first, especially the defensive side of the game and then prove you are worthy of other positions secondly.


I reckon NWM is ahead in that regard (just), showed he had some attacking tools last season and could possibly develop in them quickly to become a versatile player closer to goals, a swingman if you like.

Windy still has some work to do to prove he can sustain it at AFL level and then become a GF type, well all the young fella do to some extent. But I’m not convinced Windy has the tank and kicking game yet.

[Sanctorum]

I wouldn't be taking much notice of remarks by Ross Lyon such as this one about Windhager.

As Vortex has perceptively pointed out, today's game is not really about individual running players such as Windhager being locked down in just one position.

Windhager is on the cusp of establishing himself in the team's best 22, his reported commitment and dedication to get the best out of himself sets a fine example for his team mates and will certainly impress the selectors.

It sounds like Darcy Wilson has a similar approach to his football and could well play a lot of games next year, so that combined with Wanganeen Milera, Owens and Phillipou St Kilda has five young blokes who will form the nucleus of a formidable team in 2024 and beyond!

[mad saint guy]

Should be an inside mid accountable for the opposition's best inside mid

[B.M]

Correct

We don’t have the midfield to go head to head with the best

What we can do is put our 5th best mid on the opps best - take him out (Ala Neale, Kelly etc) then have our number 1 2 &3 go against the opps number 2 3 and 4

HB is critical
Need our best ball users coming out of the back half

Sinclair and NWM are elite ball users
Bonner is too

Stocker is very good

[Saintmike65]

Totally agree on the Windhager run with role, it’s where he’s played his best games.
We’re well served in the half back department with Nas, Sinclair and Bonner all likely to feature on a regular basis!

[D.B.Cooper]

Agree totally with OP.

Windhager looks a disciplined gun run with mid who also wins his own ball while frustrating the opposition guns.

At this point in time he lacks the flair of a Sinclair or NWM who set up off half back.

Wondering if RTB will go with Steele, Crouch and Ross again this year. All 3 clearly in our best 22, the question is can the team support three similar mid paced mids at once under RTB’s running game.

[Yorkeys]

Time for Windy to pass Crouch and Seb as first choice mids. He has the attributes just needs opportunity. Crouch and Seb perfect coming off the bench in last 10 of every quarter.

[CQ SAINT]

I’d just play people where they perform best.

Windhager is probably the best defensive mid

NWM
Sinclair

Natural HBs

When Steele was trying to drive the ball forward, Windhager looked aggressive.

I did I see Steele and Crouch looking a little heavier. Owens does.

Philipou looks leaner, but stronger.

Windy is a running man, can defend but will have license to attack and press the forward 50 too.

Off the bench rotations. All day long.

We might have less need for tagging soon.

[CQ SAINT]

If Owens or Marshall get centre bounce dispatch into the 50 or on the spread, we will be successful.

[The Fireman]

Delivery needs to be thoughtful and accurate to our forward line ….been a problem in the past just bombing it

[Zed]

I’m surprised RL hasn’t opted for a run with player - essentially the Clint Jones role.
I wonder if that’s a Boris Enright preference rubbing off onto RL ?
Windy was very successful in that run with role in his first year but not used in that role that I can recall in 2023.
I also don’t think he is best suited to half back - but happy to reserve judgement until mid season.

[B.M]

He was shifted onto players after HT if someone got off the leash

And it worked

Not sure why he doest just play through the midfield or as a HF playing a defensive role

[Yorkeys]

Selectors minds and motives can be mysterious things. Remember when T. Head was dropped from the Test side for a Queenslander named Renshaw who then went on to average something like 0.5. Then Renshaw was dropped and some time later Warner deemed un-droppable and un-criticise-able, that's after he was deemed unpickable for a while for cheating and cowardly bullying of course, and then Davy chose his path to retirement making selectors redundant as far as his position is concerned. (footnote: Head just won us the World Cup, embarrassing for some? Nah.)

I bet it would be easy to nominate at least two players no anywhere near as good as Marcus that got games while he plyed his talents in the twos. Selectors can second guess themselves into choosing losing teams, or at least nonsense decisions, some career ruining, for which they seem rarely accountable. Arrogance.