For the record, I've never said Roly or Bond were perfect, but I don't want to disappoint shane, so I'll have a go at defending the club.
Barlow has one elite skill - finding the footy. It turns out it is probably the most important skill you can have. Luckily, we have a few guys that are pretty good at it in Fyfe, Mundy, Neale and now Blakely. Last season, Roly obviously preferred Fyfe, Mundy and Neale to be primarily on the ball – at Mick’s expense - and that stance is defensible. Personally I reckon you either play Mick in the middle, or not at all. But how do you drop Mick? So, he ended up playing on the flanks, which was an awkward fit.
He was at his best again this year when he went into the middle. Given our injuries, he would have played there the rest of the season.
If we thought we would be in premiership contention next year, there is no way we would get rid of Mick. But he will be 29 when next season starts, and if we consider we will be building a list for the next couple of years, then both the club and Mick should be considering whether he’s a good fit.
Our engine room for the next few years will include Neale and Blakely. Neale and Blakely, like Barlow, can find the footy, but none are elite kicks, and none cover the ground particularly quickly. Can you play all three together, and if not, do you put games into young guys or a 29 year old? Mick himself acknowledges there is benefit in giving games to the young guys. If you can’t play Mick in the middle, then is it any good for him or the club to have him be wasted on the flanks or in the WAFL? Would younger up-and-coming teams like St Kilda be better with someone like Mick farming out the ball to their quicker mids? Would we be better off with a second round pick than another year or so of Barlow playing out of position?
I don’t know the answers to these questions, but they are legitimate questions. At the end of a season when we’ll only win a few games, all options should be on the table. Mick is smart enough to know this. He’s entitled to think out loud about it.
