iameviljez
12 Mar 2006, 12:13
I was there and was massively disappointed with the crowd. C'mon guys, where were you all? Surely there's more than 12,000 Geelong supporters in this city... still, it was nice to bump into some mates there as all my Geelong buddies were busy (or just "washing their hair"?). Actually, next game we should probably arrange to all meet up (those who are going) before the game...
Anyway, I'm stuck at home now with not a whole lot to do bar study (back to Uni, yes I know) so I might as well take a rundown of last night.
One of the things that I noticed about last night was that the new rule, as opposed to actually speeding the game up (we're talking the kickin rule here), was actually slowing the thing down. Sides - and both squads were guilty of this - would flood back up towards the centreline and almost "give up" the football to about the wing where the congestion would rule and the contest would start again. AFL - here's a tip. If you think of a new rule, TRIAL it first in the NAB cup. Then, if you'd like to bring it into the regular season, TRIAL it for a season in the VFL. Then, and only then, as long as the fans like it, bring it into the main game. I shudder to think that we are stuck with this travesty for at least a whole season and probably more.
The last quarter was the first one for the campaign that I would have been very happy with at AFL regular season level. GO YOU GOOD THING!
A+
11. Joel Corey
14 kicks, 10 handballs, 4 marks, 4 tackles, 2 goals (1 super) 1 behind
Corey was superb, especially in the last. If he has added goalkicking as a new dimension to his game then I for one will not complain. His work around the packs was excellent all night and he was the dominant midfielder of the second half. Great stuff against a side who brought their A-grade midfield with them.
44. Corey Enright
16 kicks, 13 handballs, 9 marks, 5 tackles, 1 goal 1 behind
The Corey double act does it again - and to think of how upset we were when we lost Leigh Colbert. Rumour has it that Port Adelaide was pushing fairly hard to get Enright back to his home state when the Ottens trade was running circles around Optus Oval - it's not hard to see why. Enright's work ethic and strength overhead for his size were what impressed me last night. He has put on a fair bit of strength and is no longer the kittycat that got put halfway into 2004 by Michael Voss a few years ago. Memo to Corey: you own Voss a square-up!
A
19. Matthew Egan
7 kicks, 4 handballs, 8 marks, 2 tackles
Although the stats say that the big Pav had eight marks and seventeen touches, I felt that Egan had the better of Pavlich, especially in the corridor, and that is no mean feat. The battle between the two was the highlight of the night, and Egan's performance was the best thing to take away from this game. He is big, strong, frees up a tall defender (who you would assume in the season proper would be Harley) but his contested marking was superb, especially in the second half. Pavlich was forced to push wide all night - where he did win a fair bit of footy - but Egan's rebound means that I feel he beat him. Both were in their team's best.
10. Kane Tenace
18 kicks, 3 handballs, 7 marks, 2 tackles, 1 behind
Kane's performance was the other thing that I felt was really encouraging from the game. Although he wasn't on the wing all night, when he was he played a classical wingman's game and his continual run and long kicking really gave the Dockers some headaches. The second quarter and third quarters in particular were really encouraging as he continually found space, and had it not been for a few wayward kicks then I would have given him an A+ too. I feel that there is a wing position open to this guy this year if he plays well enough and playing like he has over the last two weeks is a very good start.
30. Matthew Scarlett
15 kicks, 1 handball, 6 marks
Seemed to revel in being freed up by Egan's performance on Pavlich (mind you he seems to revel in just about anything to do with footy) and his run out of defence was, again, a highlight. Insert random superlative here, it's all relative.
35. Paul Chapman
15 kicks, 8 handballs, 8 marks, 1 tackle, 2 goals (1 supergoal) 1 behind
The fans down at the Cattery love Chappy, and it's not hard to see why. He wasn't played on the ball all game but still managed to be highly industrious and won plenty of footy (kicked a few goals, too). This guy's ability to punch out of his division with the best of them whilst being superb at ground level is excellent and he adds a dimension to our team which would otherwise be lacking.
Chappy for a leadership role, anyone?
45. Cameron Ling
8 kicks, 11 handballs, 7 marks, 2 tackles, 1 goal 1 behind
Didn't spend the whole game on the ball like he normally does, but I felt that he beat Bell hands-down when he was on it and was his typical, industrious self. Yeh yeh, another good game. Getting a bit repetitive, really.
B+
32. Brett Prismall
12 kicks, 2 handballs, 3 marks, 1 tackle, 2 goals
The Brent Moloney Mini-Me shares more than one or two traits with our dearly departed Demon. He has a good, booming kick, he runs the lines, he is a fairly large unit for a midfielder and he seems to able to find the footy when he is thrust into the guts of the game. Coming along nicely, and we have the time to nurse him into AFL rather than thrust him into it.
9. James Kelly
12 kicks, 7 handballs, 4 marks, 1 tackle, 1 behind
Kel didn't seem to spend much time on the ball - indeed, towards the end of the first quarter, we wondered if he was playing or not - but was industrious when given a chance. Did some nice work around the packs, although I felt he could have pushed foward a little more at times. A good start considering he wasn't really given much of a chance last night.
39. Darren Milburn
9 kicks, 6 handballs, 9 marks, 1 tackle, 1 supergoal
Mr. Consistent was very consistent with firstly his work across half-back and then his ability as a mobile target. Iced the game nicely with a fitting reward for a good night out and made me wish that we could stretch him out to about 194cm and 100kg to combine his marking with a bit more size.
B
17. Shannon Byrnes
7 kicks, 6 handballs, 2 marks, 2 tackles, 1 goal
Although he didn't quite see as much time on the wing as I would've liked, Byrnes was busy all night when on the park and his running and speed created some good opportunities for the Cats. His comittment and work ethic at ground level were good and his tackling in particular reminded me a tad of the bald nut in the number 35. Some good work in the last freed up Cameron Ling to put the result beyond doubt and a goal for Monty was a fitting reward too for a good night's work. I would like to see him getting more opportunities at the Cattery in the season proper but I can't find room for him in the midfield, fulltime, down at Geelong. Will have to work hard when Wojcinski comes back into reckoning.
28. David Johnson
6 kicks, 3 handballs, 2 marks, 1 tackle
Although the stats don't spell a wonderful night out, I thought that DJ was a solid contributor in the back half. He has improved beyond belief as a back pocket player and is a tough customer to beat. His strength overhead is quite impressive and his courage was on show too, backing into an oncoming back to effect the spoil.
8. Josh Hunt
9 kicks, 5 handballs, 4 marks
A solid night out rather than a spectacular one. Hunt's kicking skills were the highlight of his game (no surprise there) and were particularly valuable given the congestion across the centre and half-foward. You suspect that he will be playing a more important role next week than popping in and out of the back pocket and so tonight was really just a case of easing him through it.
C+
29. Gary Ablett
6 kicks, 3 handballs, 2 marks, 4 tackles, 2 behinds
Burned early in the middle but was then left in a pocket all night. Didn't see too much of the footy down there but did apply plenty of foward-line pressure and could have had a few goals but for his kicking/selflessness. Didn't really play an important role but wasn't really sighted much either.
21. Cameron Mooney
7 kicks, 4 marks, 1 goal 2 behinds
Played most of the night as a key foward and whilst he provided a target he didn't really excel. Doesn't seem to quite have the size although he was double and triple teamed all night. Took a nice mark and goal, though he is better suited to a running role off half-back.
C
23. Nathan Ablett
2 kicks, 4 handballs, 2 marks, 1 tackle, 1 goal
What a quandry. Took a fantastic pack mark - the best of the night from our side - hence the "c", but looked lost for much of the night too. Spent some time at fullfoward where he did provide a target but doesn't really know how to involve and impose himself on the game yet. Gives the impression that with the aid of both another season in the VFL and another summer in the gym he will be our next big foward but he does need to do more at ground level, not to mention simply turning over the stats sheet. Perhaps lacks confidence but showed in one or two spurts that he does have immense talent.
3. Jimmy Bartel
2 kicks, 5 handballs, 3 marks, 2 tackles
Spent a little bit of time as the "chop-out" man in defence and took a few nice marks. Apart from that he wasn't really sighted. Wasn't one of our main movers on the night. Get the feeling that it doesn't really matter, though.
16. Charlie Gardiner
7 kicks, 3 handballs, 3 marks, 5 tackles, 3 behinds
Outsized at CHF. He really is not big enough - or tall enough - to play as a KP foward. Would be far better on a similar-sized opponent where he could push up and across much the way Milburn does when he plays at half-foward. Please, Charlie, do yourself a favour and kick straight. And hold those 90%-completed marks. And perhaps spend a little more time in the gym. Yeh, that's about all.
37. Will Slade
6 kicks, 2 marks, 1 tackle, 1 goal
Did some nice things across half-back but didn't get too much time or really all that involved. Showed a little bit of class and grunt on the ball and will probably be competing with Callan and Wojcinski for the single spot this year.
24. Mark Blake
3 kicks, 3 handballs, 4 marks
Beaten by Sandilands in the ruck (though he did ok), but Sandilands beats just about everybody in the ruck. Has a reasonable spring on him. More encouragingly, he started to get a little more involved in the game in the second half, but does perhaps need to do a tad more at ground level. Like Nathan Ablett, looked a little lost at times and could do with another season in the VFL. Still looked a bit better overhead, in the ruck and by foot than Chambers but could do with another season in the gym.
BARELY SIGHTED: Spencer, Koula, Stokes, Lonergan
Anyway, I'm stuck at home now with not a whole lot to do bar study (back to Uni, yes I know) so I might as well take a rundown of last night.
One of the things that I noticed about last night was that the new rule, as opposed to actually speeding the game up (we're talking the kickin rule here), was actually slowing the thing down. Sides - and both squads were guilty of this - would flood back up towards the centreline and almost "give up" the football to about the wing where the congestion would rule and the contest would start again. AFL - here's a tip. If you think of a new rule, TRIAL it first in the NAB cup. Then, if you'd like to bring it into the regular season, TRIAL it for a season in the VFL. Then, and only then, as long as the fans like it, bring it into the main game. I shudder to think that we are stuck with this travesty for at least a whole season and probably more.
The last quarter was the first one for the campaign that I would have been very happy with at AFL regular season level. GO YOU GOOD THING!
A+
11. Joel Corey
14 kicks, 10 handballs, 4 marks, 4 tackles, 2 goals (1 super) 1 behind
Corey was superb, especially in the last. If he has added goalkicking as a new dimension to his game then I for one will not complain. His work around the packs was excellent all night and he was the dominant midfielder of the second half. Great stuff against a side who brought their A-grade midfield with them.
44. Corey Enright
16 kicks, 13 handballs, 9 marks, 5 tackles, 1 goal 1 behind
The Corey double act does it again - and to think of how upset we were when we lost Leigh Colbert. Rumour has it that Port Adelaide was pushing fairly hard to get Enright back to his home state when the Ottens trade was running circles around Optus Oval - it's not hard to see why. Enright's work ethic and strength overhead for his size were what impressed me last night. He has put on a fair bit of strength and is no longer the kittycat that got put halfway into 2004 by Michael Voss a few years ago. Memo to Corey: you own Voss a square-up!
A
19. Matthew Egan
7 kicks, 4 handballs, 8 marks, 2 tackles
Although the stats say that the big Pav had eight marks and seventeen touches, I felt that Egan had the better of Pavlich, especially in the corridor, and that is no mean feat. The battle between the two was the highlight of the night, and Egan's performance was the best thing to take away from this game. He is big, strong, frees up a tall defender (who you would assume in the season proper would be Harley) but his contested marking was superb, especially in the second half. Pavlich was forced to push wide all night - where he did win a fair bit of footy - but Egan's rebound means that I feel he beat him. Both were in their team's best.
10. Kane Tenace
18 kicks, 3 handballs, 7 marks, 2 tackles, 1 behind
Kane's performance was the other thing that I felt was really encouraging from the game. Although he wasn't on the wing all night, when he was he played a classical wingman's game and his continual run and long kicking really gave the Dockers some headaches. The second quarter and third quarters in particular were really encouraging as he continually found space, and had it not been for a few wayward kicks then I would have given him an A+ too. I feel that there is a wing position open to this guy this year if he plays well enough and playing like he has over the last two weeks is a very good start.
30. Matthew Scarlett
15 kicks, 1 handball, 6 marks
Seemed to revel in being freed up by Egan's performance on Pavlich (mind you he seems to revel in just about anything to do with footy) and his run out of defence was, again, a highlight. Insert random superlative here, it's all relative.
35. Paul Chapman
15 kicks, 8 handballs, 8 marks, 1 tackle, 2 goals (1 supergoal) 1 behind
The fans down at the Cattery love Chappy, and it's not hard to see why. He wasn't played on the ball all game but still managed to be highly industrious and won plenty of footy (kicked a few goals, too). This guy's ability to punch out of his division with the best of them whilst being superb at ground level is excellent and he adds a dimension to our team which would otherwise be lacking.
Chappy for a leadership role, anyone?
45. Cameron Ling
8 kicks, 11 handballs, 7 marks, 2 tackles, 1 goal 1 behind
Didn't spend the whole game on the ball like he normally does, but I felt that he beat Bell hands-down when he was on it and was his typical, industrious self. Yeh yeh, another good game. Getting a bit repetitive, really.
B+
32. Brett Prismall
12 kicks, 2 handballs, 3 marks, 1 tackle, 2 goals
The Brent Moloney Mini-Me shares more than one or two traits with our dearly departed Demon. He has a good, booming kick, he runs the lines, he is a fairly large unit for a midfielder and he seems to able to find the footy when he is thrust into the guts of the game. Coming along nicely, and we have the time to nurse him into AFL rather than thrust him into it.
9. James Kelly
12 kicks, 7 handballs, 4 marks, 1 tackle, 1 behind
Kel didn't seem to spend much time on the ball - indeed, towards the end of the first quarter, we wondered if he was playing or not - but was industrious when given a chance. Did some nice work around the packs, although I felt he could have pushed foward a little more at times. A good start considering he wasn't really given much of a chance last night.
39. Darren Milburn
9 kicks, 6 handballs, 9 marks, 1 tackle, 1 supergoal
Mr. Consistent was very consistent with firstly his work across half-back and then his ability as a mobile target. Iced the game nicely with a fitting reward for a good night out and made me wish that we could stretch him out to about 194cm and 100kg to combine his marking with a bit more size.
B
17. Shannon Byrnes
7 kicks, 6 handballs, 2 marks, 2 tackles, 1 goal
Although he didn't quite see as much time on the wing as I would've liked, Byrnes was busy all night when on the park and his running and speed created some good opportunities for the Cats. His comittment and work ethic at ground level were good and his tackling in particular reminded me a tad of the bald nut in the number 35. Some good work in the last freed up Cameron Ling to put the result beyond doubt and a goal for Monty was a fitting reward too for a good night's work. I would like to see him getting more opportunities at the Cattery in the season proper but I can't find room for him in the midfield, fulltime, down at Geelong. Will have to work hard when Wojcinski comes back into reckoning.
28. David Johnson
6 kicks, 3 handballs, 2 marks, 1 tackle
Although the stats don't spell a wonderful night out, I thought that DJ was a solid contributor in the back half. He has improved beyond belief as a back pocket player and is a tough customer to beat. His strength overhead is quite impressive and his courage was on show too, backing into an oncoming back to effect the spoil.
8. Josh Hunt
9 kicks, 5 handballs, 4 marks
A solid night out rather than a spectacular one. Hunt's kicking skills were the highlight of his game (no surprise there) and were particularly valuable given the congestion across the centre and half-foward. You suspect that he will be playing a more important role next week than popping in and out of the back pocket and so tonight was really just a case of easing him through it.
C+
29. Gary Ablett
6 kicks, 3 handballs, 2 marks, 4 tackles, 2 behinds
Burned early in the middle but was then left in a pocket all night. Didn't see too much of the footy down there but did apply plenty of foward-line pressure and could have had a few goals but for his kicking/selflessness. Didn't really play an important role but wasn't really sighted much either.
21. Cameron Mooney
7 kicks, 4 marks, 1 goal 2 behinds
Played most of the night as a key foward and whilst he provided a target he didn't really excel. Doesn't seem to quite have the size although he was double and triple teamed all night. Took a nice mark and goal, though he is better suited to a running role off half-back.
C
23. Nathan Ablett
2 kicks, 4 handballs, 2 marks, 1 tackle, 1 goal
What a quandry. Took a fantastic pack mark - the best of the night from our side - hence the "c", but looked lost for much of the night too. Spent some time at fullfoward where he did provide a target but doesn't really know how to involve and impose himself on the game yet. Gives the impression that with the aid of both another season in the VFL and another summer in the gym he will be our next big foward but he does need to do more at ground level, not to mention simply turning over the stats sheet. Perhaps lacks confidence but showed in one or two spurts that he does have immense talent.
3. Jimmy Bartel
2 kicks, 5 handballs, 3 marks, 2 tackles
Spent a little bit of time as the "chop-out" man in defence and took a few nice marks. Apart from that he wasn't really sighted. Wasn't one of our main movers on the night. Get the feeling that it doesn't really matter, though.
16. Charlie Gardiner
7 kicks, 3 handballs, 3 marks, 5 tackles, 3 behinds
Outsized at CHF. He really is not big enough - or tall enough - to play as a KP foward. Would be far better on a similar-sized opponent where he could push up and across much the way Milburn does when he plays at half-foward. Please, Charlie, do yourself a favour and kick straight. And hold those 90%-completed marks. And perhaps spend a little more time in the gym. Yeh, that's about all.
37. Will Slade
6 kicks, 2 marks, 1 tackle, 1 goal
Did some nice things across half-back but didn't get too much time or really all that involved. Showed a little bit of class and grunt on the ball and will probably be competing with Callan and Wojcinski for the single spot this year.
24. Mark Blake
3 kicks, 3 handballs, 4 marks
Beaten by Sandilands in the ruck (though he did ok), but Sandilands beats just about everybody in the ruck. Has a reasonable spring on him. More encouragingly, he started to get a little more involved in the game in the second half, but does perhaps need to do a tad more at ground level. Like Nathan Ablett, looked a little lost at times and could do with another season in the VFL. Still looked a bit better overhead, in the ruck and by foot than Chambers but could do with another season in the gym.
BARELY SIGHTED: Spencer, Koula, Stokes, Lonergan