Review Geelong at the 2014 AFL National Draft - general overview and discussion

[Cursed Cat]

Talls in the trade period (Clark, Stanley) smalls in the draft.
I'd guess that Wells & co. must have rated Stanley at the cost of #21 as being a better prospect than the talls who would be available at #10 (or #14).

Cockatoo is obviously an exciting prospect, quick, strong, agile and takes the game on - love his 'don't argue'.
Gregson, best-case scenario maybe a Robbie Gray type.
Like the looks of Gore's kicking, apparently plays as a mid but I could see him setting up from a half-back flank.
I watched Cunico's highlights package a while back and was a bit underwhelmed, hopefully has a lot more development in him.

 

[thejester]

He had an absolutely outstanding run for about two months in the middle of his season, before dropping off badly at the end (an underrated aspect of the teams struggles in September). Between the North game in Round 10 and Carlton in Round 21, he was going at just shy of 24 disposals and a goal and a half per game.

You're absolutely spot on with his drop in form (and maybe that's not even fair - clearly injured at one point) being a serious problem in September. Take your point about him being needed close to the goals but I think he'll be an arc-to-arc player next year. Absolutely critical though.

 

[Lana]

He had an absolutely outstanding run for about two months in the middle of his season, before dropping off badly at the end (an underrated aspect of the teams struggles in September). Between the North game in Round 10 and Carlton in Round 21, he was going at just shy of 24 disposals and a goal and a half per game.

I can't remember who, but a ruckman fell on his injured knee and he wasn't quite right after it.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

I can't remember who, but a ruckman fell on his injured knee and he wasn't quite right after it.

is this the injury?

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-08-06/the-docs-diagnosis

against NM... so Goldstein?

 

[Lana]

is this the injury?

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-08-06/the-docs-diagnosis

against NM... so Goldstein?

To be honest I can't remember, but its the right leg and roughly the right time period so I assume so.

 

[Teriyakicat]

is this the injury?

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-08-06/the-docs-diagnosis

against NM... so Goldstein?

Didn't Motlop miss the whole preseason as well, due to his knee op? That wouldn't have helped matters at all.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Still have my issues with the cockatoo pick,more in relation to the number of injury prone players on the list,but hopefully he has a good run with his body.kid is class and what our midfield needs and clearly given his football heritage you knoe he has the will and desire to be a top line player.

Gore is a steal and if you'd given me one player i could get outside the first round he would be it.skilful strong bodied mid who i think is ready to play next year at senior level.

I am really surprised we didnt take a key back with one of our later picks,placing a lot of faith jn blitz to become a good kpd when he has barely ever played there. On the whole,reasonably happy with our draft.

 

[David the Cat]

Tough to say Cockatoo is "injury prone"…he had a long term injury….not sure that makes him prone to injury PO.

Agree with Gore..a really good pick by the look of it….

Overall a good day for the Cats I reckon.

 

[DanA]

Really happy and personally think midfield was far greater concern than KP defenders although perhaps coming a season or two late. I know we're going to lose Lonergan pretty soon but we've got Kolodjashnij lined up along with potentially Blicavs and Walker making the convert. I think that's enough to get us through.

Of far greater concern too me is the five midfield/part time midfield places that need to be replaced. We've still got S.J playing a key midfield role when fit and both Bartel and Kelly are still part time mids as well. Christenson just left and we were using him a bit more as an inside mid than I think we'd like and the same goes for Stokes. Even Varcoe was spending time in at centre bounces. That I think needed to be addressed and by more than just Jansen and Hartman.

I really like the selection of Nakia. One thing I will say is there are a lot of similarities between him and Dangerfield. Dangerfield too was a somewhat controversial selection at no.10 with Ebert still available but there testing numbers are almost identical. Similar height, Nakia a fair bit heavier (But Danger was bottom age), both with brilliant numbers for 20m sprint, vertical leap and repeat sprints. Both with an appetite to run with the ball and a tendency to try to do too much. We'll all desperately want Dangerfield.....well this kid is as close as we might get.

Gore looks to me a lot like a certain shaggy haired midfielder again from Adelaide also drafted in a similar position. If our two turn out half as well we'll have done well.

 

[DanA]

It's a little more perplexing that we did not try and play anyone this year. I understand the club brought in Rivers to help fill Scarlett's void. He also wants a premiership himself but at some point, we are going to have to start rolling the dice and literally play a newbie in Lonergan or Mackie's spot for 5, 7, 10 games in a season.
The fact we didn't do it this season, suggests we may have put all our eggs into the Frawley basket or we simply haven't got anyone capable of playing there just yet.

That's concerning, because I'm not sure how much longer the older guys have got left. When they begin decline, are we going to throw Blicavs or Kolodjashnij straight into the deep end?

Blicavs whole M.O is being thrown in the deep end, he's a quick learner though. We've got at least a season, maybe two to convert him which I think is the obvious solution. He's got almost 50 games under his belt so I don't think he's going to be too under done if that's the way we decide to go.

 

[strauchnyy]

Now that its all sunken in, here are my thoughts:

10/Cockatoo

I think Cockatoo himself will be a good to very good player. Reminds me of Shaun Burgoyne the way he runs, weaves, fends off inside to get out of trouble. My problem is whilst I think we get a good player in Cockatoo, Lever/Goddard/Durdin would have been better for the team going forward, given we have ZERO options for Lonergan post retirement. And don't say Walker or Blicavs. We need to now go into full damage control to trade one in. I would have rather had drafted one of those aforementioned key defenders and be content with Hartman playing the 'cockatoo' role. Now we will have to give up something to get one in (and no, there are no quality FA key defenders on the horizon).

Good player, but poor list management choice imo.

47/Gregson

I hadn't even considered or researched this guy. From everything I've now read, i'm confident we could have probably used a later pick or rookie pick on this guy. Would have gone Oscar McDonald with Cockatoo chosen at 10. Nonetheless, I am surprisingly impressed from his highlights and think we may have found something. Maybe a small role depth player in the short to medium term who may become a good run and carry inside mid.

55/Gore

Good value selection and think Gore will be a safe bet however, with a lower ceiling perhaps. May never become A grade but I rate players that keep their feet and Gore is that. Will be good depth in the short term and might even play a few games next year. Question is, can you play Gore and Horlin-Smith in the same team (and Jansen?), I think Gore is too much like Horlin Smith, but at 55, there isn't much better.

59/Cunico

Unlike the above 3 players, and maybe the highlights are just not that good but I find Cunico quite underwhelming and very outside. He seems to play with a lack of accountability and without any real weapons (in fact I don't see what makes him 'draftable'). Have really no expectations to be honest so if he does anything, it will be a bonus.

Overall I'm satisfied with the first 3 players and think Cockatoo will become a gun, but quite uneasy that we didn't get a quality key defender. I'm quite worried how exposed we will be when Lonergan and Rivers retire (leaving a 30 year old Taylor and an undersized Kolo to hold the fort) and don't think we can just rely on FA or a trade to save our asses as that is a complete unknown.

Oh yeah... that Stanley trade looks even more horrendous now. As someone said, that trade is an absolute FAIL in my eyes.

 

[Stig_90]

So Gregson, Gore and Cunico will all go straight to the senior list? I feel like we should have kept Taylor Hunt on the list instead of taking a gamble on one of the really late picks. Couldn't we have just kept Hunt and passed at 59? That's not a shot at Cunico either, I know nothing about the kid.

I'm happy with our draft overall.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

did Glenn go?

No. He along with mclaren as a kpd are two players i would like as rookies.

 

[DanA]

Now that its all sunken in, here are my thoughts:

I certainly respect your opinion and agree with a lot but not all of it. I think we went in to trade week with KPD being 4th on our list of problems that need solving. The first IMO was a ruckmen, we've got two injury prone ones who are mediocre at best so I can only assume that what Stanley was brought to fill this void and not as a forward, I'm not sold but I guess if they've seen a rucking ability they can develop which I haven't then I can make sense if it. Assuming they backed themselves to convert him into a ruck it's hard to call it an "absolute fail" at this stage, they've backed themselves we've got to see how it plays out.

2nd in importance IMO was a decoy for Hawkins which for me cost us all season. Vardy with an ACL has never actually delivered on promise, Kersten is undersized and Walker a bit raw. Clarke to me is a good fit and relatively low cost as Varcoe was patchy in form and didn't really have a vital role. Well worth the punt IMO.

3rd IMO in importance is midfield depth. IMO it trumps KPD because we were already short for inside mids this season and it's got worse after losing Christenson. Remember Kelly, S.J and Stokes are all over 30, Bartel too (as a part timer). it's going to be a real problem that I don't think can be covered by Hartman and Jansen alone.

KPD I do see as important and Frawley would have been a great solution but its not yet critical. We've still got 12 months to solve it. Ruck and KPF were needed for 2015 so it makes sense that this was the focus for trade week.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

I can't remember who, but a ruckman fell on his injured knee and he wasn't quite right after it.

Oh yes, I know that injuries played a part there. I just thought it was worth bringing up the point that it's easy to forget just how well he was going, after he'd had a month or so to settle back in to the side.

 

[Turbocat]

Still have my issues with the cockatoo pick,more in relation to the number of injury prone players on the list,but hopefully he has a good run with his body.kid is class and what our midfield needs and clearly given his football heritage you knoe he has the will and desire to be a top line player.

Gore is a steal and if you'd given me one player i could get outside the first round he would be it.skilful strong bodied mid who i think is ready to play next year at senior level.

I am really surprised we didnt take a key back with one of our later picks,placing a lot of faith jn blitz to become a good kpd when he has barely ever played there. On the whole,reasonably happy with our draft.

WashUp..
I nearly always feel a sense of deflation post draft , with the players picked not always the ones id have liked or even when looking at them after drafting ..seeing their vids...are they that much better than some others? Yet , I know from expereince that it takes little time and the picks seem to "bed in" , and one becomes happy with the selection.

Ca2 , not an issue...we rolled the dice and went for high end x factor. Probably lack that as much as any role in our young hopefuls imo. Only query is he has played one game... verses an u17 side all be it a good one.

Gregson .... I can remember looking at his AFL vid and moving one form it , think he looked more middle of the ground than FP and at 175 was short for SW's tastes. Watching the second vid , his champs one at Geelong , he certainly has a strongish looking bod , happy to get inside and out. I guess he had to play in the middle when the SA side had Daniel , are think FP for him?

Gore and Cunico.... You say Gore is a steel so he must be a good pick. Both he and Cunico look to just whack it on the boot a bit but im sure there is more to their game.

Overall I look at who I picked in the comp and all went earlier than I thought so maybe I was to ambitious , although Pat McKenna in teh 20's is VERY early(I thought 47 was early) , Nearly got Landon. Maybe just a little disapointed we didn't call Jackson Nelson out at 47 but who knows about these things really.

 

[year of the cat]

Still have my issues with the cockatoo pick,more in relation to the number of injury prone players on the list,but hopefully he has a good run with his body.kid is class and what our midfield needs and clearly given his football heritage you knoe he has the will and desire to be a top line player.

Gore is a steal and if you'd given me one player i could get outside the first round he would be it.skilful strong bodied mid who i think is ready to play next year at senior level.

I am really surprised we didnt take a key back with one of our later picks,placing a lot of faith jn blitz to become a good kpd when he has barely ever played there. On the whole,reasonably happy with our draft.

McClaren in the rookie draft perhaps?

 

[bulletproof]

Was thinking last night as I was listening to the draft, our advantage at the draft table is diminishing a little bit. Partly because our picks have been poor but mainly because other clubs have copied our approach and even the type of player. Brett Anderson from Inside Football, made the comment of a few players taken very early, 'He is a real Geelong type.'

So I guess players that might have slipped to us in the 30-40s are being nabbed by smarter recruiters further up the chain.

I think as a club, we will regret having our picks so late in the draft, I think we should have moved up the order more over the last three years. No reflection on the boys we have drafted, I just think 20s-30s is probably the sweet spot for us now, not 40s-60s because clubs are getting better all the time at recruiting and it is becoming a more efficient market.

 

[JPod_31]

I am happy with all of the selections but why didn't we get a tall back??????

 

[Turbocat]

I am happy with all of the selections but why didn't we get a tall back??????

You are happy but then not happy they didn't get a tall?

 

[Partridge]

Blicavs is playing back. Stanley is playing #1 ruck.
Was said a month ago.

Wait and see. Can't see how Blicavs playing in the backline, alongside Lonergan, Taylor and Rivers (plus probably Mackie) is going to make us quicker, or any better at negating small forwards. It's the same situation as with the almost rucks / almost key forwards - they can't play everyone.

Very interesting times await. I'll believe Stanley is playing #1 ruck ahead of a fit McIntosh when I see it.

 

[TheJimmyCartel]

Or we'll trade for one with GWS next year. I feel this will be something that will bite us in 2-3 years.

Or the Suns. With them picking up Wright, there is no way they can keep all their tall timber at years end.

 

[TheJimmyCartel]

Wait and see. Can't see how Blicavs playing in the backline, alongside Lonergan, Taylor and Rivers (plus probably Mackie) is going to make us quicker, or any better at negating small forwards. It's the same situation as with the almost rucks / almost key forwards - they can't play everyone.

Very interesting times await. I'll believe Stanley is playing #1 ruck ahead of a fit McIntosh when I see it.

Blicavs has to earn a chance through the VFL if he is to play back and learn his craft IMO. Something has to give if we have a fit HMac, Simpson, Stanley, Vardy, Clark, Blicavs, Walker (yes, a good chance half will be in rehab!) + our lock KPP's, I suspect they'll have to manage those 4 backs a little more this year given they're all a year older and, all bar Taylor, on the wrong side of 30. Kolo some opportunity too, hopefully.

 

[vinum coupe]

Wait and see. Can't see how Blicavs playing in the backline, alongside Lonergan, Taylor and Rivers (plus probably Mackie) is going to make us quicker, or any better at negating small forwards. It's the same situation as with the almost rucks / almost key forwards - they can't play everyone.

Very interesting times await. I'll believe Stanley is playing #1 ruck ahead of a fit McIntosh when I see it.

I'm talking longer term.
They'll start developing it this preseason though.

 

[FredLeDeux]

Wait and see. Can't see how Blicavs playing in the backline, alongside Lonergan, Taylor and Rivers (plus probably Mackie) is going to make us quicker, or any better at negating small forwards. It's the same situation as with the almost rucks / almost key forwards - they can't play everyone.

Very interesting times await. I'll believe Stanley is playing #1 ruck ahead of a fit McIntosh when I see it.

I heard Stanley's manager say Blicavs would be playing back, and Stanley would be playing ruck and forward.
I didn't hear or see anyone saying he would be playing 1st ruck, but I might have missed it.
If so, I would be interested in knowing who said it.