Review AFL Round 5 - Geelong defeat Hawthorn by 19 points

[manboob]

Thanks. Even the Oxycon hasn't dulled it, I 'll be logging in 5 minute phone calls to the dentist very shortly.

You need something with a strong anti-inflammatory in it.

 

[Moggy]

Toothache.

You still have teeth??!!

 

[FredLeDeux]

You need something with a strong anti-inflammatory in it.

Verboten for other reasons, unfortunately, so I don't have any on hand, but thank you, I'd never heard that.

 

[Moggy]

Love this talk about Geelong from clarkson in his press

"Everyone keeps writing them off. I don't know why because certainly we (don't) at our club. We've lost 12 out of 13 against them, so we know what their talent is (like)."
Clarkson said the Cats' football system was so strong the inevitable departures of older stars would not hurt their on-field performance.
"It's got nothing to do with the blokes that are playing, it's all got to do with their system," Clarkson said.
"And their system has been very, very powerful, the same as Sydney, blokes will come and go ... but it's their system. It's an outstanding system.
"It's why they keep competing at the top end of the ladder.
"Everyone keeps going, 'Oh Lingy's retired, they'll be no good'. Scarlett retires, 'Oh yeah, they're not going to be any good.
"They just get blokes to come in and replace them and do exactly the same roles. They're an outstanding club."

He was foxing, of course, but I also loved that.
It was a genuinely classy appreciation of what we have done and continue to do.

People are always so much more likeable after a large slice of humble pie.

 

[FredLeDeux]

You still have teeth??!!

Had them all my life.
Why, when did you lose yours?

 

[Moggy]

Had them all my life.
Why, when did you lose yours?

Your whole life - so you've still got your milk teeth then?

I still have all of my adult set, though with the trouble they can cause me, I genuinely have had thoughts of replacing them with a wooden set.

 

[FredLeDeux]

Your whole life - so you've still got your milk teeth then?

I still have all of my adult set, though with the trouble they can cause me, I genuinely have had thoughts of replacing them with a wooden set.

No, I was born with my adult teeth, like Albert Einstein and Hannibal Lecter.
I haven't had any trouble for a few years, but in the past I've found one problem leads to another, so it may be crunch time. Or squnch time, anyway.

 

[Moggy]

No, I was born with my adult teeth, like Albert Einstein and Hannibal Lecter.
I haven't had any trouble for a few years, but in the past I've found one problem leads to another, so it may be crunch time. Or squnch time, anyway.

Actually, my teeth are in good shape - according to my dentist - it's just my gums that are all ****ed up!

Same result, in the end...

 

[FredLeDeux]

Actually, my teeth are in good shape - according to my dentist - it's just my gums that are all ****** up

Doesn't sound good, hope it doesn't cause too many problems for you.
And George Washington had wooden false teeth.

 

[Moggy]

Doesn't sound good, hope it doesn't cause too many problems for you.
And George Washington had wooden false teeth.

Thanks Fred, I appreciate that, but in addition to funding a new wing for my dentist's manor-house, I have had more pain-killing jabs in my hard palate than Tomahawk has had in his back!

 

[FredLeDeux]

Thanks Fred, I appreciate that, but in addition to funding a new wing for my dentist's manor-house, I have had more pain-killing jabs in my hard palate than Tomahawk has had in his back!

Things just shrivel up when I think about those injections.

 

[TheJimmyCartel]

I wouldn't be calling Tomahawk a fat plodder anytime- did you see him run yesterday? He looks like he's dropped a bit of weight (*thought he put some on last year when he had that back injury) and he's as fit as players half his size.

I know he's not a fat plodder, it's all opposition supporters have to say when he crushes them though...

 

[year of the cat]

Things just shrivel up when I think about those injections.

There's another injection to fix that problem. Even a tablet these days too.

 

[FredLeDeux]

There's another injection to fix that problem. Even a tablet these days too.

The idea of that injection is worse again.

 

[catswhiskers]

I said i would watch the replay closely and report back on Blicavs and see whetehr i was overly optimistic about Varcoe's contribution.

On Varcoe: He had 5 actions in the first:

Goal
Knock down of a handpass causing Hawks to lose possession
THunt miskicked the pass when in good position in pocket
Shepherd to allow Hawk mark: Matthews highlighted this
Tackled McEvoy when he gathered ball next to Hawks goal square and forced him thru the points.

Thats all. Not enough probably but he was responsible or partly responsible for a 3 goal difference. He should also have been having a shot for goal from 35-40m out.

In the second and third he was not involved much except for his running but in the pressure fourth he was better. One effort - the long hand ball in front of Simpson was a beauty but the big bloke took all day to gather it and when Varcoe arrived for the hand off Simpson missed him. CS used him in the middle at bounces a few times.

Does need to be more consistent. Who replaces him?

Smith was manned at times but Blicavs only had a couple of short stints. The Ch 7 coverage is full of close ups and wide shots were rare (I would like more at times). Hill was never manned up and allowed to run where and when he wanted. Both Smith and Hill did a fair bit of their good work in close (5m confines) and weren't able to get the unpressured passes away into the 50m nearly as often as their forwards have become used to. All GFC players helped with this.

Blicavs kicking was a bit of a worry especially when a quick chip pass was needed. They floated. Luckily Johnson made one very poor pass look good. I thought he had least influence on the day but having to sub Mackie reduced his usefulness late in the game.

THunt was good. A few clangers (see above) but boy does he run and make contests. His licking was much better than I thought. He just looks a bit flustered at times but he usually pulls the trigger on a reasonable or good option.

Burbury shows something. He is a lead up forward. That partly explains the separation of the Hawks defence. He leads to good spots (but keeps dropping the chest mark!) His mobility= pressure is very good. Has to convert -just like McCarthy.

I see George B competing with Walker, Brown and McCarthy competing with Varcoe /Smedts/Shroder. Motlop stands alone.

The commentary was a disgrace really. Does anyone in Melbourne care? I bet the neutral footy watchers wanting Geelong to win would have put off by the blatent bias. I saw (T'Cats I think) observation of Cyril's 7 possie, 75 SC point game. Go Figure. Bruce must have a nephew in the HS lineup jigging the figures. Cyril had about the same influence or less than Trav.

Oh and a word on Kelly. What a game. He has metamorphosed from a solid mid to a star half back. Much better than Bartel was last year. With Guthrie,Kelly, Bartel repositioning we have a win/win/win.

 

[iameviljez]

but the pressure that our players bring to the game is often what causes those butchered kicks- it's not just them stuffing it up. Perceived pressure is a terrible thing and can eat away at your brain!! Those boys will be having nightmares for the next week, after yesterday and again a week before our next meeting.

They stuffed up an awful lot of gettable shots for AFL footballers, it had nothing to do with our perceived pressure IMO.

 

[JUBJUB]

You still have teeth??!!

Fred & his teeth




Collingwood supporters and their teeth

 

[meto]

CW.
I said i would watch the replay closely and report back on Blicavs and see whetehr i was overly optimistic about Varcoe's contribution.

On Varcoe: He had 5 actions in the first:

Goal
Knock down of a handpass causing Hawks to lose possession
THunt miskicked the pass when in good position in pocket
Shepherd to allow Hawk mark: Matthews highlighted this
Tackled McEvoy when he gathered ball next to Hawks goal square and forced him thru the points.

Thats all. Not enough probably but he was responsible or partly responsible for a 3 goal difference. He should also have been having a shot for goal from 35-40m out.

In the second and third he was not involved much except for his running but in the pressure fourth he was better. One effort - the long hand ball in front of Simpson was a beauty but the big bloke took all day to gather it and when Varcoe arrived for the hand off Simpson missed him. CS used him in the middle at bounces a few times.

Does need to be more consistent. Who replaces him?





For a midfielder his results over the last 3 games have been 12, 13, 10 disposals, surely after this lot Teddy deserves a run in midfield. We turned over Chapman and Simpkin, who incidently had 28 disposals for the Hawks on Monday for this bloke, and we still keep gifting him games.

Frankly he's a joke amongst some of the best footballers in the country, if we don't do something about him, he may well end up being our Achilles heal again.
Have a look at that last quarter CW he earned 3-4 soft dinky return handpasses to accumulate a poultry 10 possessions, and turned the ball over, I mean we need to get tough on him. He's just not hard enough.
It's one thing to favour a guy but to ignore the obvious is plain foolish.

 

[catswhiskers]

They stuffed up an awful lot of gettable shots for AFL footballers, it had nothing to do with our perceived pressure IMO.

Except the pressure wasn't perceived most of the time it was real. I do also think that once the game is set up as a pressure game some players do "remember" [its really instinctive] that last time I had to get it away quickly because the opponent was there, so I better do this quickly again, just in case.

I watch the Hawks a lot. Their game more this year, than ever, is based on uncontested possession. It worked beautifully in the first 4 games except for v Essendon when they finally applied some decent pressure. That quarter and a half showed what pressure could do an uncontested game plan.

Plan B for the Hawks? Unless Shoenemakers can go forward and support Roughy if the ball has to be unloaded long, I don't think they have the personnel for a contested game.

The trick for all clubs hunting the Hawks is to get the game on terms where tackling and chasing and even manning the mark diligently (contesting for each ball) is made mandatory.

 

[iameviljez]

On Varcoe: He had 5 actions in the first:

Goal
Knock down of a handpass causing Hawks to lose possession
THunt miskicked the pass when in good position in pocket
Shepherd to allow Hawk mark: Matthews highlighted this
Tackled McEvoy when he gathered ball next to Hawks goal square and forced him thru the points.

Thats all. Not enough probably but he was responsible or partly responsible for a 3 goal difference. He should also have been having a shot for goal from 35-40m out.

I thought Varcoe's first quarter was outstanding. Unfortunately, following that he was really quiet - he really needs to find a way to stay involved in games.

 

[Claude Balls]

Sick of Varcoe, to be honest. Have considered doing a detailed statistical analysis to see if what my eyes are telling me is true, but don't have time at the minute.

So as far as subjective, non stats backed opinions go:

1. He may run around like a headless chook and create fantastic forward pressure, as his perennial defenders will tell us, but he is a bad tackler. I've said it before, but IMO the only time he can genuinely wrap up another player is when they don't see him coming and can't fend him off. Or when it's in a pack situation and the bloke with the ball has no where to go. Otherwise he is surprisingly easy to step around for someone apparently so fast, and no where near aggressive enough with his technique when the opponent is within arms reach. Hence being easy to brush off.

2. For every really nice bit of play he does, (nice in the sense that it is what we ultimately hope to see from fast and skilfull players), he fluffs another 2 or 3. Be it streaming forward with one or two other teammates, or trying to outrun somebody, he has an uncanny knack for turning promising passages of play into turnovers or lost opportunities.

3. He doesn't want it.

I could go on about his lack of contested possessions, and lack of possessions full stop, but I may as well wait to look up the stats for that. The above are just a few things that have irked me for a long time.

Basically, Trav has played far more games in the AFL than what his overall output has warranted. He was gifted them early, and after a career best season in 2011, which in my opinion gets overrated a little around here due to his conspicuous moments in the Grand Final, he has reverted to being a player that seemingly gets picked week in week out based one what the coaches hope he might produce, not what he actually does produce. It has been thus for the majority of his career IMO.

 

[catswhiskers]

For a midfielder his results over the last 3 games have been 12, 13, 10 disposals, surely after this lot Teddy deserves a run in midfield. We turned over Chapman and Simpkin, who incidently had 28 disposals for the Hawks on Monday for this bloke, and we still keep gifting him games.

Frankly he's a joke amongst some of the best footballers in the country, if we don't do something about him, he may well end up being our Achilles heal again.
Have a look at that last quarter CW he earned 3-4 soft dinky return handpasses to accumulate a poultry 10 possessions, and turned the ball over, I mean we need to get tough on him. He's just not hard enough.[/quote]

Yep numbers count. Not just disposals though.

How much impact did Simpkin have. Some on the Hawks board want him dropped. I think Vanilla is the word they use.

Lets give Sheringham a try, bring back McCarthy, Smedts is about due. But be sure not to count any short handballs for them as well. And watch their tackle counts and pressure acts.

"he may well end up being our Achilles heal again". Forgotten the cheap handball Trav got out at the death in the 09 GF and the 10 kick game he had in the 2011 GF. A tiny bit of balance would help.

 

[Teriyakicat]

Verboten for other reasons, unfortunately, so I don't have any on hand, but thank you, I'd never heard that.

An old remedy for toothache was to chew on a clove- if you have any in your spice rack.

 

[Teriyakicat]

No, I was born with my adult teeth, like Albert Einstein and Hannibal Lecter.
I haven't had any trouble for a few years, but in the past I've found one problem leads to another, so it may be crunch time. Or squnch time, anyway.

I hope you like soup ... heh heh

 

[Willo_]

I think off topic is ok as long as it does not go on forever, and gets back on topic. That's how lateral thinking and wit works. However inevitably we defer to those who rule the litter.

I'm fine with off topic stuff in the same sense.. But when I have my viewing set up at 50 posts per page and have to sift through 3 pages of crap to find a relevant post I think that's a bit too much