Training Pre-Season Training, News & Updates

[David the Cat]

Menzel is the one though isn't he? He has the ability to change the whole dynamic of our forward line and make it so much more dangerous. If he stays fit I think that our forward line will function much better than what it has during the past couple of years. But if he doesn't, I'm afraid that we will continue to see more of the same....

Agree with this....Menzel has the ability to be a star of the competition. We just don't know if he has the body to achieve it.

If he stays fit, he will make a huge difference to the potency of our forward set up.

 

[CatsDoItBetter]

They wouldn't have kept bartel to only play him forward in a position SJ is vastly superior in. That would make even less sense. Bartel will play a significant portion of his time in defence again as will mackie and enright and Lonergan. If the club is acting rationally then the only obvious answer is they don't think our young midsize and smaller defenders are any good.

It's been reported that Bartel has been training mostly with the midfield group. And he's gotten himself fitter and ready to play back in the midfield. He will still play back and forward as needed I'm sure.
I agree that if he was going to be played as a forward it makes no sense to keep him and not SJ.
It'll be interesting to see how he goes playing back in the midfield. I hope he isn't spending any considerable time down back.
Guthrie has said that he'll be playing back a lot more. So I hope that would mean a lot less time for Bartel back there.

 

[catempire]

Couldn't catempire show that through those heat maps?

2015:

 

[Turbocat]

Interesting map... would that be 25% in the forward 50? To replace him then , it shows we need a mid that kicks goals , rather than a forward that has time as a mid

So who has been to training and has anyone any idea who will be asked to replace him? Menzel and Gregson are the two guys id say have goal kicking ability...anyone else?

 

[Art Vandelay_]

again, forget I mentioned Dawson Simpson ok. I used him as an example and nothing more.
It went from comparing an Irishman with no AFL background to a 7ft country footballer to a debate between category B rookie vs a 34th national draft pick selection.

My point was, use that category B rookie spot on another 7ft country footballer instead of the kid over in Ireland. Better odds on the 7 footer getting games I would have thought.

That's fine if he was just an example.

That said, as TJ pointed out, Cat B rookies are non football background players. So whilst you may have better odds on a lumbering behemoth country footballer, Cat B's aren't the right group to single out for this comparison as we can't get a country footballer on a cat B.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

Also find it strange when we appear to be aiming for short term success with our recruiting that we'd show a proven champion the door.

I'm sorry but I just can't cop this. We've recruited 4 25 year olds, not 4 28 year olds. The core of our next generation is still made up of our youngsters under the age of 25. The players that we have brought in will be able to develop along with this generation. SJ would not be able to unfortunately. That's just the way that it is.

I love the guy and always will but he dug his own grave in many respects. If you were to listen to the Hocking interview objectively rather than just hear what you want to hear you would see this. He will always be a legend of this club but the time came for the club to move on without him.

 

[vinum coupe]

So basically, every list has a few spots available for blokes who have not played the sport?
For membership sales and what not, why hasn't a club ever tried to contact a celebrity and get them to try out for year or so? Pay them peanuts but set them up via some other means outside the club.
Given the odds are incredibly low with rookies anyway, surely it could be used as a means to gain publicity and bring more exposure to the club?

Well it's a creative thought. But if I was a 22 year old celebrity. Like hell am I doing a preseason for 70k.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

So basically, every list has a few spots available for blokes who have not played the sport?
For membership sales and what not, why hasn't a club ever tried to contact a celebrity and get them to try out for year or so? Pay them peanuts but set them up via some other means outside the club.
Given the odds are incredibly low with rookies anyway, surely it could be used as a means to gain publicity and bring more exposure to the club?

Without being privy to the conversations and discussions at AFL HQ which led to this initiative coming into place, I'd say that the Australian sporting landscape is why it has come in.

Every year in the QLD, ACT and NSW from a PR standpoint the AFL is behind the 8 ball from the beginning as the NRL season starts earlier don't underestimate how important this is to attracting new fans and players, if young boys and girls play a sport during winter, like Auskick or under age Rugby League having the NRL start sooner attract those kids to Junior NRL programs, this is largely out of the AFL's control as they can't get stadiums earlier (a stand I personally endorse but that's another argument for another day) so they get the march on the AFL every year, the AFL's solution? Give the northern clubs an academy to lure players to our game. Thankfully there's a bidding system now which makes it more equitable.

Every year the A-League gets 6 months of free air as they play mostly over the summer months where there's no football on weekends, only have cricket to contend with.

So when you look at why the AFL has the Category B rookie system in place, to me it's clear that it is to capture new fans and players to our game, look at Majak Daw, he may be no star and may not be a success but if his presence in the game encourages Sudanese migrants or anyone else from diverse ethnic backgrounds to play the game at grassroots level then the system is successful in its aim and purpose. It's more a holistic approach in some respects by trying to lure new demographics to the game before another code lures them to their game.

That doesn't explicitly explain the Keath (Cricket), Luxford (basketball) or Blicavs (Athletics) types but I guess if it gets people into the game that otherwise would have then where's the harm, they're not taking the spot of anyone other than other Cat B eligible players and if they fail we likely wouldn't have parted with much salary cap space, if it succeeds then happy days. The definition of a free hit.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

The last forwards to average 4 or more goals a game in an AFL season were Fevola and Franklin back in 2008... 4 goals a game would be a pretty drastic improvement from his 2.4 a game last year.

3 goals per game would be more realistic I would have thought.

 

[Turbocat]

So basically, every list has a few spots available for blokes who have not played the sport?
For membership sales and what not, why hasn't a club ever tried to contact a celebrity and get them to try out for year or so? Pay them peanuts but set them up via some other means outside the club.
Given the odds are incredibly low with rookies anyway, surely it could be used as a means to gain publicity and bring more exposure to the club?

Bobby , Im surprised you are not familiar with the Cat B criteria..it is afterall how we have Blitz on our list.

With dollars to spend , we are a behemoth(in aust) of a comp that generates an average 300G for each player , that is attractive to many professionals in many sports that demand high levels of sporting capability but may deliver little in the way of security.Professionals that like Blitz that may have just fallen short in the first choice , but may have the goods to make it in the AFL. Add the onslaught of many other pro sports chasing a chunk of our "marketshare" that these spots are probably seen as a cost effective to raise a shield and swing a sword and the oncoming barbarians.

 

[dazbroncos]

Denham, for what he's worth, called the Catters to get another dynasty going..

Doing Rihanna reharsal atm so on my phone and can't post link but it's on sen website.

Have a lot of reasons to be excited. I'm not sure I subscribe to his no downside - there is always the chance things don't work out.
And both Selwoods in question is a perfect example.

Still, he makes some good points..

Go Catters

 

[ChappyUK]

Anyone know when our intra-club match is?

 

[Frappe]

I think it's game style from the Middle, and back half. Not, just who we have up forward.

But when something unusual needs to happen, we'll miss SJ.

Maybe Menzel and Cockatoo can help this bridge somewhat.

We also need someone to

Denham, for what he's worth, called the Catters to get another dynasty going..

Doing Rihanna reharsal atm so on my phone and can't post link but it's on sen website.

Have a lot of reasons to be excited. I'm not sure I subscribe to his no downside - there is always the chance things don't work out.
And both Selwoods in question is a perfect example.

Still, he makes some good points..

What sort of outfit are you wearing to look like Rihanna?

 

[goyoucatters]

They wouldn't have kept bartel to only play him forward in a position SJ is vastly superior in. That would make even less sense. Bartel will play a significant portion of his time in defence again as will mackie and enright and Lonergan. If the club is acting rationally then the only obvious answer is they don't think our young midsize and smaller defenders are any good.

The evidence of the latter part of 2015 was that Kolo and Thurlow were both being backed in to play in the defensive unit every week.

With the two KPD spots to be filled by Harry and Doms/Henderson, there's then only two spots left.

Enright gets one and the other is hopefully Guthrie. Or maybe Jed.

The numbers simply don't add up for Mack and Jim to be spending the majority of their time down there.

I see the only roles Bartel and Mackie can realistically fill regularly will be further upfield.

 

[ChookNorris]

The evidence of the latter part of 2015 was that Kolo and Thurlow were both being backed in to play in the defensive unit every week.

With the two KPD spots to be filled by Harry and Doms/Henderson, there's then only two spots left.

Enright gets one and the other is hopefully Guthrie. Or maybe Jed.

The numbers simply don't add up for Mack and Jim to be spending the majority of their time down there.

I see the only roles Bartel and Mackie can realistically fill regularly will be further upfield.

Id be horrified if i saw a forward line with Hawkins, Clark, Menzel & Bartel in it, for speed and defensive pressure we would be slaughtered.

 

[Partridge]

Id be horrified if i saw a forward line with Hawkins, Clark, Menzel & Bartel in it, for speed and defensive pressure we would be slaughtered.

We will be. Unfortunately we frequently sacrifice team balance for personal favourites so you can confidently predict that will happen. Add Vardy too for good measure.

 

[ChookNorris]

We will be. Unfortunately we frequently sacrifice team balance for personal favourites so you can confidently predict that will happen. Add Vardy too for good measure.

That forward line would have to make CS's slingshot gameplan work really well at training.

 

[Turbocat]

Denham, for what he's worth, called the Catters to get another dynasty going..

Doing Rihanna reharsal atm so on my phone and can't post link but it's on sen website.

Have a lot of reasons to be excited. I'm not sure I subscribe to his no downside - there is always the chance things don't work out.
And both Selwoods in question is a perfect example.

Still, he makes some good points..

Go Catters

Probably a discussion for another thread but downside would and will show itself if we do not find a few players over the next couple of years to replace our early picks from 15 and 16. So we have seen half the puzzle. Can we get a player or two from the likes of Gardner and Buzza and Cornell etc.
Bit early to tell but I'm hopeful that those three may be playing AFL long term.

 

[Willo_]

Anyone know when our intra-club match is?

If the last few years are anything to go by we won't be having one.

Instead of intra club we do lots of match simulation at training I believe was the reasoning..

 

[Willo_]

Denham, for what he's worth, called the Catters to get another dynasty going..

Doing Rihanna reharsal atm so on my phone and can't post link but it's on sen website.

Have a lot of reasons to be excited. I'm not sure I subscribe to his no downside - there is always the chance things don't work out.
And both Selwoods in question is a perfect example.

Still, he makes some good points..

Go Catters

Ugh s**t...

That clueless campaigner wouldn't know his arse from his nose

 

[catempire]

Id be horrified if i saw a forward line with Hawkins, Clark, Menzel & Bartel in it, for speed and defensive pressure we would be slaughtered.

Depends who the other forwards are and who the opposition is. Got to play to your strengths and ours will be players who can take the ball in the air.

 

[Mningasimisonda]

Id be horrified if i saw a forward line with Hawkins, Clark, Menzel & Bartel in it, for speed and defensive pressure we would be slaughtered.

I get the other three, but I've never thought of Menzel as slow. Maybe his agility and acceleration makes him look faster than he is in a straight line...

 

[Frappe]

Id be horrified if i saw a forward line with Hawkins, Clark, Menzel & Bartel in it, for speed and defensive pressure we would be slaughtered.

I think Menzel and Bartel should be ok when the ball hits the ground.

 

[ChookNorris]

I get the other three, but I've never thought of Menzel as slow. Maybe his agility and acceleration makes him look faster than he is in a straight line...

Combination of slowness and just general defensive pressure. Don't really think Menzel puts as much pressure on ball carriers.

 

[Willo_]

Depends who the other forwards are and who the opposition is. Got to play to your strengths and ours will be players who can take the ball in the air.

Wouldn't be a good forward like for a wet and windy July evening in Geelong that's for sure