Senior 20: James Willis (2021 - )

[David the Cat]

So James Willis is allocated the #20 guernsey....big shoes to fill there...Carji Greaves, Ray Card and Steve Johnson all #20 wearers.

 

[year of the cat]

It's probably possible to focus too much on the brand new draftees, too. I think people also want to see Stephens, Holmes, Simpson, De Koenig regularly in the mix. The rate of knots at which Holmes came on once he got a decent run of games will hopefully be giving the club plenty to think about, as should Simpson's 2020 effort towards the end of the season. Stephens and SDK it's surely time to find out what they've got.

Yes, all those guys need games. Not sure about whether Simpson is a long term option but I’d still like to see him preferenced games in front of the likes of Dahlhaus and Higgins.

SDK starts round one as a key defender and stays there. He’ll be beaten some weeks but he’ll learn. Holmes should now be considered a lock. Get Stephens in as well as Stevens. Evans. Perhaps not all at once but we should be playing at least 4 under 22’s each game.

A round one team such as -

B: Bews, Blicavs, Henry
HB: Stewart, SDK, O’Connor
C: Smith, Parfitt, Holmes
HF: Simpson, Cameron, Tuohy
F: Stengle, Hawkins, Dangerfield

Foll: Stanley, Duncan, C.Guthrie

Int: Ceglar, Selwood, C.Stephens, Menegola

Nice mix of experience and youth.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Port got pick 11 for Polec and Pittard. Polec was 26 at the time and averaged 25 disposals the year prior.

Yeah but he wanted 750k and he was not worth that as a player which was the primary reason why they let him walk.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Port got pick 11 for Polec and Pittard. Polec was 26 at the time and averaged 25 disposals the year prior.

Pittard was getting pushed out anyway. I remember 11 being widely considered overs at the time and only really only made sense due to their academy top 10 kid coming through

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

It's not as if we have an A-grade mid-field any more; yes there are some big names in there but they're getting on and they haven't helped us win too many finals. Parfitt could do whammy at any time. See will need resting. Danger is past his best.

Dal should never play again. Higgins only as back-up. There is no future in Rohan.

Menegola is a very good player and one of our best in the finals last year.

If Willis' attitude and form on the track warrant election in Rd. 1 then he should play. The same goes for Knevitt.

How many times must we watch the same lot score BELOWS in the finals?

De Koning also should go straight in and possibly Nic Stevens who will make a player. Holmes obviously.

I can't comment on Cooper S - never seen him play, other than a few blurry highlights in which he seemed just another player.

I've watched Cooper for a fair chunk of his entire junior career. If he hadn't have broken his leg he'd have gone top 3-5 in his draft year.

 

[Sire of Claude]

I like the sound of that Jack. If you're right, given his age and a good pre-season, could we see him Rd. 1?

 

[MacStradbroke]

Too many people on here think we shouldn’t play much youth, cause we are challenging. Delusion.

We aren’t anywhere near it, and if we keep playing the same old guys who can’t get the job done we will keep slipping back.

Thank god that hocking seems to have his finger on the pulse, and can see what needs to happen. Just hope it’s not just words.

Do they though, or do people want to see the youngsters earn their spots first? The one player that completely dominated in the VFL and screamed pick me was Max Holmes, and they picked him. (Please don’t bring up Constable, he doesn’t count)

 

[Down at K Park]

Do they though, or do people want to see the youngsters earn their spots first? The one player that completely dominated in the VFL and screamed pick me was Max Holmes, and they picked him. (Please don’t bring up Constable, he doesn’t count)

Did dahlhouse earn his spot all year?

 

[MacStradbroke]

Did dahlhouse earn his spot all year?

No.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

I like the sound of that Jack. If you're right, given his age and a good pre-season, could we see him Rd. 1?

Absolutely.

 

[Larry Donohue]

We have a new Jimmy aboard
Hope he causes as much of a stir as the last one
I would love to see this kid in the middle early 22

 

[Larry Donohue]

Yes, all those guys need games. Not sure about whether Simpson is a long term option but I’d still like to see him preferenced games in front of the likes of Dahlhaus and Higgins.

SDK starts round one as a key defender and stays there. He’ll be beaten some weeks but he’ll learn. Holmes should now be considered a lock. Get Stephens in as well as Stevens. Evans. Perhaps not all at once but we should be playing at least 4 under 22’s each game.

A round one team such as -

B: Bews, Blicavs, Henry
HB: Stewart, SDK, O’Connor
C: Smith, Parfitt, Holmes
HF: Simpson, Cameron, Tuohy
F: Stengle, Hawkins, Dangerfield

Foll: Stanley, Duncan, C.Guthrie

Int: Ceglar, Selwood, C.Stephens, Menegola

Nice mix of experience and youth.

No miers or close?

 

[David the Cat]

No miers or close?

Yes....Close is best 22 for sure IMO...Miers had a leg fracture at the latter part of last season....lets hope he has fully recovered and demands a spot...itsa good thing having Miers, Close, Stengle, Simpson and some likely lads drafted....

Touhy will be hard to push out...had a pretty good season in 2021

 

[bellpark]

This years midfield will not win a flag. So, no point waiting 3 more years while it plays out into injuries and retirement., mix youth in now. Who knows what may happen.

 

[year of the cat]

Yes....Close is best 22 for sure IMO...Miers had a leg fracture at the latter part of last season....lets hope he has fully recovered and demands a spot...itsa good thing having Miers, Close, Stengle, Simpson and some likely lads drafted....

Touhy will be hard to push out...had a pretty good season in 2021

Don’t think Close is a lock for best 22 at this stage - needs to hit the scoreboard more to do that. Stengle is more your true small forward which is why we went after him I assume. He gets a game. Then there’s Miers, Close, Evans and maybe Simpson (who’s probably more a midfielder than small forward) that will be fighting for 1-2 other spots.

 

[MacStradbroke]

This years midfield will not win a flag. So, no point waiting 3 more years while it plays out into injuries and retirement., mix youth in now. Who knows what may happen.

As long as they deserve it.

 

[caitsith01]

True. I'd also like to point out this is a thread dedicated to a specific draftee but is gone off the rails now and is basically covering all our expectations for list improvement.

No pressure James

Look, this Willis kid just needs to be better than the combined effect of Dangerfield, Selwood and Cameron in his first year and he'll be right!

 

[caitsith01]

Yes, all those guys need games. Not sure about whether Simpson is a long term option but I’d still like to see him preferenced games in front of the likes of Dahlhaus and Higgins.

SDK starts round one as a key defender and stays there. He’ll be beaten some weeks but he’ll learn. Holmes should now be considered a lock. Get Stephens in as well as Stevens. Evans. Perhaps not all at once but we should be playing at least 4 under 22’s each game.

A round one team such as -

B: Bews, Blicavs, Henry
HB: Stewart, SDK, O’Connor
C: Smith, Parfitt, Holmes
HF: Simpson, Cameron, Tuohy
F: Stengle, Hawkins, Dangerfield

Foll: Stanley, Duncan, C.Guthrie

Int: Ceglar, Selwood, C.Stephens, Menegola

Nice mix of experience and youth.

I would be ecstatic to see a team like that named. De Koenig is the litmus test to me. We are going to need someone to play alongside Jack Henry in defence in the very near future so we simply have to be brave enough to play him for a while and accept that there will be good and bad patches.

 

[caitsith01]

Do they though, or do people want to see the youngsters earn their spots first? The one player that completely dominated in the VFL and screamed pick me was Max Holmes, and they picked him. (Please don’t bring up Constable, he doesn’t count)

Small problem with youngsters earning their spots is the lack of action below AFL level.

 

[Shadow89]

So what's it like being on the match committee?

Spin it however your like, your plan is apparently that we will get games into young midfielders by not dropping any of our existing midfielders. It is a reasonable position that this is not the best way forward and that it's time to look closely at our starting mids and whether they should all be automatic picks every week.

I also think there's a strong argument that Geelong could actually use a bit more "rigidity" about positions. Rather than playing a forward as a defensive winger/back pocket (Miers) a mediocre midfielder as a forward (Atkins/Dalhaus neither of whom actually kick goals), etc.

As for Lol/so much wrong with this post/diatribe/without a shred of evidence/combative for the hell of it/don't act like your word is gospel, not sure what's got you so stirred up but yes, my post is my subjective opinion on the matter. As far as I can tell all that has inspired that hissy fit is my disagreeing with you in a reasonably polite manner. But sure, go nuts. Perhaps tape something on your computer that says "FYI all forum posts are to be taken as the poster's subjective opinion unless specifically stated to be objective fact", might help.

Mate you're the one who got all uppity and started saying 'that's not going to happen because of x, y and z.' I have no problem with people disagreeing with me, I do however have a problem who act like their opinion is gospel (re-read your post, you don't say I think, you say this is how it is - big difference).

I merely posed a hypothetical, which you're entitled to disagree with. But don't also act like you're the only who has the right answers, and the rest of us are just stupid for not reaching the same conclusion. You even did it in this response. Why is your position reasonable, but my position is not?

You said and I quote "The club isn't going to leave out guys listed in defence (Kolo/Atkins) or the forward line (Rohan, Dalhaus, Higgins, Miers) to play additional genuine midfielders."

There's a difference between saying 'I don't think the club will do x, y and z, and saying 'the club won't do x, y and z.' It makes it sound as if you're speaking on behalf of the club, and that it's so obvious that they'll reach the same conclusion as you - because any other conclusion would be just ridiculous. That's the tone that came across and that's honestly what really annoyed me - when I was just posing an innocent hypothetical that was not combative in any way.

Again, I reiterate, you can disagree, but you can't position yourself as if you're the mouthpiece for the club - as that just comes across as condescending and combative.

I'll leave it there as this has already gone on long enough and it's derailing the thread.

 

[caitsith01]

you can't position yourself as if you're the mouthpiece for the club

If that's actually how you read my post the problem is not with the post.

 

[David the Cat]

On topic please

 

[CatRiot]

Big nostrils on him too. That's good air-intake and required for Turbo's.

 

[BORIS332]

Don’t think Close is a lock for best 22 at this stage - needs to hit the scoreboard more to do that. Stengle is more your true small forward which is why we went after him I assume. He gets a game. Then there’s Miers, Close, Evans and maybe Simpson (who’s probably more a midfielder than small forward) that will be fighting for 1-2 other spots.

Close just finished 7th in the B&F in his second season.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Big nostrils on him too. That's good air-intake and required for Turbo's.

The bull