List Mgmt. Have we got the balance right?

[The rabbi]

It's related to where the club see them fit in. Actions speak louder than words and we just went out of our way to trade players to fill in the spots that Kersten, Vardy, Walker, Brown are all vying for.

Even paying overs for Stanley.

Clark fills CHF and I think Stanley will be 3rd tall/ruck. Given the club like to play Blitz, I just can't see how they fit in the puzzle now.

When it was just Clark, I thought Kersten would be best for a 3rd tall, but Stanley comes in and can fill that role, rotating with Hmac/Simpson.

After pre-season games I think that the club will just go with the 22 best players that fit the team balance.
There is always the VFL for those that do not fit that balance or perform up to expectations. The same goes for players that do not fit that expectation and later find themselves in the VFL further on into the year. Kind of like how players such as Wojcinski, Byrnes and Mooney found themselves playing out their final season.

 

[Jon Douglas]

The issue for me is that we have a heap of talls now but lack mids, a small forward and run out of the backline.

Now we do have potential players to cover these positions - McCarthy the small forward, Lang, Hartman and JJ as mids and Bews and Thurlow for run out of the backline.

The problem is that all of them have not played enough senior games to know if they will make it.

I just hope Geelong picks a few each week to see what they can do and rest some older players to find a position for them. WE have to know a lot more about these guys, including Kertsten, by the end of 2015.

 

[rocker_oz33]

We look to be top heavy for shizzel.
But Hamish "medical room" McIntosh and Dawson "medicare" Simpson might not be on the list next season.
I also question the The Stanley trade but .......will take the wait and option.
I my self would have liked to trade/draft a young key back plus the best mids we can get.
The list is not final yet we might draft a young key back.In the coming seasons we might have some currency in our talls (Walker,Kersten) to trade them for some players we need.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

I think the list is top heavy and mid thin but then again hmac and simpson will probably go next year and maybe rivers and we might trade one of our talls.

There are some good free agent mids next year so if we can get one it will balance the list better

 

[Bobby_]

I also question the The Stanley trade but .......will take the wait and option.

I know I'm not a fan of the Stanley trade but that is more around the pick given up rather than the player (not that I'm completely convinced in his bona fides).
However, if Stanley arrives with a view to playing ruck - I'm down with that.
If it is to play more as a tall 2nd or 3rd forward - I have a few questions.

But i like what theve done - Stanley rapt to get him - said it as soon as we got him - where as a hell of alot of supporters said he was a dud - they then actually watched a bit of footage of him - and have now done a 360 - and said he could be anything - which he could be

there is no doubt a lot of us are questioning the Stanley trade but I had a look at some of his games and you can see there is a real scope for improvement there.
Whether it's enough to see him not only consolidate himself in our starting 18 but then go on to make a career for himself, that will be interesting to watch unfold.

 

[rocker_oz33]

Will be interesting on how it will pan out.If Stanley breaks out and takes the next step in 1-3 years egg on the face of the saints.
Some of the saints posters think he can take that step sooner rather than later.

 

[Bobby_]

If he plays in a team that has better structures in place, it could be as simple as that. He's quite a good kick, especially the kick ins from full back. That game where he played on Cloke was in 2013, you can see he was a long way off in that one but fast forward to a couple of games the following year, he looked a lot better.
I personally feel as though his run and carry could be a considerable weapon from out of defence, certainly a lot more so than Blicavs because he appears to be a better kick and slightly more explosive from the standing start. Blicavs seems to be like a sponge though as he learns very quickly.
Blicavs and Stanley are two incredible athletes. Guys 198-200cm who can run all day long and move like midfielders.

 

[Teriyakicat]

From the limited footage I've seen (haven't been able to watch all that you've put up there yet, Bobby), Stanley shows a lot of desperation - which is great, considering he's been playing in a wooden spoon team. Struggled to take a grab (that will improve a la Hawkins and Walker, I would expect) but his chase and tackling work was superb. I can only imagine how his determination will increase when he plays in a team with a better than even chance of taking out the 4 points.

(Edit- in the past 2 years, he's played in 7 wins and 30 losses. You'd think he'd be due to even up the ledger next season, wouldn't you?! )
I'm quite excited now, about what the Cats have done in trade week, after being pretty ambivalent.

 

[Teriyakicat]

Oh- and I thought his tap work in the ruck and his defensive work looked OK as well. Much better than I expected after reading some doom and gloom posts on here!

 

[Daniel McL]

As long as we've got Jansen, we've got the balance right

 

[iameviljez]

As long as we've got Jansen, we've got the balance right

Thanks for that, Jarrad

 

[Art Vandelay_]

My bet is that will still happen regardless

In your eyes. Maybe, but players who are perceived to be gifted games must be doing something the coaching staff want them to do, and it may not be what we expect them to do, or think should be their role in the side. Having depth can only be a good thing.

 

[leorex]

balance is right if

we don't play Hmac and Simpson together, cant see that happening again anyway
the backline gets new blood, which I think will happen on the interstate trips

we have insurance for Hawkins back now and a ruck back up while we wait for the next Ottens to appear.

 

[Stig_90]

I think the list is top heavy and mid thin but then again hmac and simpson will probably go next year and maybe rivers and we might trade one of our talls.

There are some good free agent mids next year so if we can get one it will balance the list better

I think that's why we went after Clark and Stanley, we have a lot of talls now, but that could change after next season. Simpson could even been forced to retire before next season with his back and they must have big concerns over Vardy too.

 

[rocker_oz33]

At the start of the next season pending pre-seasons Clark and vardy might not be 100% ready given they have missed a lot of footy.And i cant see both (clark/vards) plus dawson and Hmac playing every game either.

 

[Turbocat]

I think that's why we went after Clark and Stanley, we have a lot of talls now, but that could change after next season. Simpson could even been forced to retire before next season with his back and they must have big concerns over Vardy too.

Yes , I have this two year feel to redress our weakness. Even if we are slightly out balance this year , its like they decide to go tall. We missed on Frawley as well.

Have we got the balance right? Only if the young mids we have got play to their best potential and if we snag one or two in the drafts to come.

 

[Bobby_]

McIntosh going another season is going to be a juggling art. He virtually looks finished as a footballer. So slow on the transition and constantly having injury setbacks. 30yr old with such a fragile body, really unsure how they will manage him next year.
Good for a half but useless in the second halves.

 

[Turbocat]

there is no doubt a lot of us are questioning the Stanley trade but I had a look at some of his games and you can see there is a real scope for improvement there.
Whether it's enough to see him not only consolidate himself in our starting 18 but then go on to make a career for himself, that will be interesting to watch unfold.

Using the pick that we got fro Christensen has put us all on the back foot about him. I look at his highlights and see a player mature and ready to go , at 200 cm , that can kick goals on the run from 55 , that can play ruck and take the ball for his own clearances. It may just be that his upside will be for more obvious and acknowledged in a Geelong side than a StKilda side. Of corse he could be a failure , I guess as usual we will look at who goes 21 and make the comparisons

 

[Turbocat]

McIntosh going another season is going to be a juggling art. He virtually looks finished as a footballer. So slow on the transition and constantly having injury setbacks. 30yr old with such a fragile body, really unsure how they will manage him next year.
Good for a half but useless in the second halves.

Push him hard , its win or crash time. We have been patient , we have been accommodating but its now time standup and perform to level expected or play with the Bankers

 

[rocker_oz33]

Would of been good if H-mac contract was up.
Then we could of gone after someone like Giles as said bye posters on this board hes no superstar but a soild option.
I thought the bummers got a good deal there.

 

[Turbocat]

Would of been good if H-mac contract was up.
Then we could of gone after someone like Giles as said bye posters on this board hes no superstar but a soild option.
I thought the bummers got a good deal there.

should have only been an option on the 3rd year

 

[Whit3y]

In your eyes. Maybe, but players who are perceived to be gifted games must be doing something the coaching staff want them to do, and it may not be what we expect them to do, or think should be their role in the side. Having depth can only be a good thing.

what was varcoe's caper then

wouldn't it have been good to get games into someone like bews instead of playing spud regis, surely they knew weeks, months ago that varcoe was someone they were willing to move on

 

[Teriyakicat]

As long as we've got Jansen, we've got the balance right

You sound a little unbalanced, DMcL

 

[fpm84]

My best friend is a St Kilda supporter so I've seen a lot of Stanley play. He has played in a poor side his whole career (couldn't crack a game for the Saints when they were making GFs - no different to Motlop or Guthrie for us) but has all the tools to be a star. Now that I'm over my shock and disappointment of losing Christensen, I'm absolutely thrilled to have Rhys and have no doubt he'll be a valuable part of our best 22 from as soon as round 1.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

what was varcoe's caper then

wouldn't it have been good to get games into someone like bews instead of playing spud regis, surely they knew weeks, months ago that varcoe was someone they were willing to move on

Look I'm not going to get into an argument with you over Travis, I was/am an unashamed fan of Varcoe. So we'll leave that there. Maybe you should ask the coach why they kept picking him?.

The point I was making was that you or I or anyone else on this site can sit here behind our keyboards and say player a, b, c should play in spot 1, 2, 3 and do this, this and this, and players x, y, z should not get a game for this or that reason. The MC don't just pick players on a whim, like "what the hell put him here and we'll see how it goes" I'm sure the majority of decisions they make, rightly or wrongly will have had some logic or reason behind it.

The reality is that the MC who watch them train all summer, during the week and watch them play, may give certain players defined roles differing to what we on here think he should be doing (and judge them accordingly upon those roles, not our plan for them). As for Bews, his spot imo should come at the expense of Pops in the backline. Club may see it differently of course (again while many on here liked what Jed was doing [myself included] maybe there was something he wasn't doing that he was instructed to, who knows really).

Our MC make mistakes, like everyone does, hell. Even Brian Cook will have made mistakes. I just don't subscribe to the notion our MC or Senior coach are incompetent like I get the impression some do.... Well one poster in particular