List Mgmt. Welcome to Geelong, Mitch Hardie

[Gunf]

I wonder if we will chuck him in the deep end and see how he goes or give him a mini preseason till the bye whilst he gets used to our system.

More inclined to see the first option as he seems to have a very good base as it is.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Menegola didn't play until late in his first year and that was despite a full preseason with us. Unless we get even more injuries I'd be very surprised if we play him any time soon.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

I googled the topic last night - re him joining Geel

There is a great 20 sec video - coach congratulates him at training - and then all the players swamp him - from memory might have had green tops/jumpers

 

[Turkey Tom]

Benny Cass, in the KROCK Cat attack podcasts, said he exchanged texts with Dan Menzel to get his thoughts on Mitch (as they were teammates).

• great guy
• won seconds B&F two years ago, has come on heaps.
• was played as a high pressure forward but has moved to the midfield
• good speed away from the contest and Duncan like with his short kicks
• limitation will be against the bigger bodied mids

 

[goyoucatters]

Menegola didn't play until late in his first year and that was despite a full preseason with us. Unless we get even more injuries I'd be very surprised if we play him any time soon.

I absolutely wish him all the best. Put it this way, though, if he's playing lots of senior footy for us any time soon, I think the question of contending for this season is going to be answered pretty firmly in the negative.

 

[CatRiot]

Menegola didn't play until late in his first year and that was despite a full preseason with us. Unless we get even more injuries I'd be very surprised if we play him any time soon.

I think he will play soon given our injuries and how the mids are currently playing. But it sounds like he probably won't be playing any level this week and just coming down... I can expect a debut could be the round after the bye, potentially as the Sub.

 

[Footy Smarts]

I think he will play soon given our injuries and how the mids are currently playing. But it sounds like he probably won't be playing any level this week and just coming down... I can expect a debut could be the round after the bye, potentially as the Sub.

By then we should have Danger, Duncan, Bowes, Rohan and Simpson back compared to last week. It makes no sense bringing in a guy who hasn't done a full AFL preseason and doesn't know our structures when we're not missing that many and trying to fight our way back into finals.

Even Jai Newcombe was dropped or played as sub in 2021 a bunch. But

1) He's a gun
2) He was already playing at Box Hill so knew the style.
3) Hawthorn were terrible and out of finals contention.

If Newcombe wasn't a walk up start for Hawthorn Hardie is likely to be a long way off it at Geelong. The aim should be to learn the ropes this year, play VFL and then hit preseason all out to push for an AFL spot next year.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

I wish Mitch well at the Cattery. He's been given an opportunity to have a crack at AFL and it must be an exciting time for him. I don't expect we'll see him straight away in the AFL team. But I hope he gets to make his debut soon.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Menegola didn't play until late in his first year and that was despite a full preseason with us. Unless we get even more injuries I'd be very surprised if we play him any time soon.

Menegola was injured late in the year we drafted him and had an interrupted first pre season. Otherwise we would have played him earlier in 2016.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

I wish Mitch well at the Cattery. He's been given an opportunity to have a crack at AFL and it must be an exciting time for him. I don't expect we'll see him straight away in the AFL team. But I hope he gets to make his debut soon.

I think he could be an ideal Sub for the game against Footscray - and all this ideological clap/trap from Scott that if a player makes a debut its not to be as a sub

It would be a massive ask - to start him against Footscray - especially given their midfield - however if this game goes to script - Geelong unfortunately could be 4-5 goals behind at 3 qtr time - well reading between the lines he has got himself sensationally fit and is a bit of a ball magnet - then just bring him on at 3 qtr time and see what he can actually do

 

[patience]

Welcome Mitch. I wish you well.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Menegola was injured late in the year we drafted him and had an interrupted first pre season. Otherwise we would have played him earlier in 2016.

That's right I'd forgotten that. But I seem to remember him being kept in the VFL for a number of matches when people here were calling for him to be promoted?

 

[Gunf]

Any clue on if we are going to only give him a short contract or a full 18 months?

Please for the love of god let it be 18months.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Benny Cass, in the KROCK Cat attack podcasts, said he exchanged texts with Dan Menzel to get his thoughts on Mitch (as they were teammates).

• great guy
• won seconds B&F two years ago, has come on heaps.
• was played as a high pressure forward but has moved to the midfield
• good speed away from the contest and Duncan like with his short kicks
• limitation will be against the bigger bodied mids

not very often you draft a 25yr old midfielder who has never played AFL... will be 26 before he gets his first full pre season of AFL.

they must believe he is capable of playing either instantly this season... or B- play instantly next season after an AFL pre season.

i imagine probably more option B

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

Is SANFL now the league of mini-tanks

View attachment 1701469

Isn't South Australia the home of the 'pie floater'?

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Isn't South Australia the home of the 'pie floater'?

what the heck is that??

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

what the heck is that??

It's a meat pie. Floating in pea soup. Beloved in South Australia and called a 'pie floater'.

Pie Floater Recipe with Pea Soup

Pie floaters are an iconic South Australian street food snack! Featuring flaky beef pies in a delicious mushy pea soup, perfect for lunch or dinner!

www.wandercooks.com

 

[geelong_crazy26]

It's a meat pie. Floating in pea soup. Beloved in South Australia and called a 'pie floater'.

Pie Floater Recipe with Pea Soup

Pie floaters are an iconic South Australian street food snack! Featuring flaky beef pies in a delicious mushy pea soup, perfect for lunch or dinner!

www.wandercooks.com

Take out the pea soup and its a good dish.

 

[Hamingja]

I remember going to Adelaide as a kid for the Australia day cricket game and they used to have vans everywhere with pie floaters. I lived there for 4 years as an adult and never saw a pie floater. I don't know if they are really a thing anymore.

 

[Hamingja]

As for Hardie throw him in and let him hunt the footy. We only had 4 centre square mids last week. Blitz, Atkins, Bruhn & Parfitt. 3/4 have predominately been defensive side over the course of their careers. Let the new guy attack the ball and the others can provide the structure.

If you give him a "mini pre season" like some are suggesting, by the time he has done that, all the other mids will be back and he won't get a chance at all. Straight into the deep end and sink or swim, that is the way it has got to be for a MSD pick like this.

 

[OzeSparky]

The hard work that got Mitch Hardie drafted by Geelong — CODE Sports

A ‘really dynamic’ player and a ‘special person’, Mitch Hardie is a dream on and off the field for his SANFL coach. And that is all thanks to a frank meeting between the two.

apple.news

Good article.

 

[Generalissimo]

The teams are in and Hardie hasn't been named, even as an emergency. Realistically it would be too much to expect a bloke could be drafted on Wednesday and drop straight into the team on Saturday. Maybe after the bye.

 

[BORIS332]

The hard work that got Mitch Hardie drafted by Geelong — CODE Sports

A ‘really dynamic’ player and a ‘special person’, Mitch Hardie is a dream on and off the field for his SANFL coach. And that is all thanks to a frank meeting between the two.

apple.news

Good article.

Full text:

A frank meeting with his coach set Geelong mid-season draftee Mitch Hardie on track to earn his shot on an AFL list.
Recruited to SANFL club Woodville-West Torrens as a half-forward, Hardie got a taste of midfield action late in 2022 and showed serious talent.
But the message from Eagles coach Jade Sheedy was clear – if he wanted to play on ball, he had to do the work over summer.

When Sheedy would drive into the club over the summer months he would invariably run into Hardie in the gym or pounding through heated running sessions, work that helped him on his way to being selected by Geelong in Wednesday’s mid-season draft.
“We sat down last year and talked about the work he would have to do to get there and I feel like 99 per cent of the people you tell to do that work never achieve it,” Sheedy said.
“He is one of the special ones. He is a special person on the field and off the field.
“We could see some really good signs from him as a midfielder (last year) and the clear message was if he wanted to get first crack in there as a midfielder (in 2023), he needed to be fitter.”

Hardie was hardly out of shape, but the 25-year-old slashed 29 seconds off his 2km time trial best over a huge pre-season and carried that determination into the season proper.
The bull exploded in the midfield for the Eagles this season, dominating as an inside midfielder with 25.7 disposals, 5.6 clearances and 3.3 inside-50s.

Sheedy’s description of Hardie’s skills reads like a recruiting wishlist for a modern midfielder.
“He is such a powerful kid, he has beautiful skills and he is really dynamic as a midfielder,” Sheedy said.
“He can run two ways and is a pretty good catch over his head.
“Mitch can have 20-25 touches in a game of footy and kick a goal and have a huge baring on the game because his is an impact-type player.
“If Geelong want him to do something, the kid will do it. He is an A+ kid off the field.”

Geelong’s suddenly barren midfield rotation after dealing with an array of injuries in recent months could open the door to an early debut and Sheedy, who also sent Tyson Stengle and 2022 mid-season draftee Zane Williams from the Eagles to the Cats, said Hardie would come in ready to go.

“I do know that Mitch has all the qualities to be a really good player at the next level … I would love to see him get an opportunity this week,” Sheedy said.​

“I am biased but I think he could jump in and have an impact.”

 

[Cataholic]

Full text:

We obviously weren't keen to take the risk.

 

[calder_daddy]

I googled the topic last night - re him joining Geel

There is a great 20 sec video - coach congratulates him at training - and then all the players swamp him - from memory might have had green tops/jumpers

Care to post a link