Opinion Is the Future of GFC set?

[Phipppppa]

12 months ago, I was worried that we were cooked when it comes to the next generation of youth coming through.

Fast forward to now, we’ve seen Dempsey, Knevitt, Stephens and now Neale make their debuts in the first 11 rounds of the season.

So, do we think that the future is in good hands? There may not be a cliff like many people anticipated.

Sure we may fall out of finals, but we won’t bottom out thanks to CS starting to play these youngsters.

Personally. I believe the future is in good hands. Conway will be the next first ruck option, SDK down back with Henry, Neale up forward with Jezza in his last few seasons (tomahawk to retire by then). Stephens inside, Knevitt outside and Dempsey running hard and being that Rohan replacement.

It would be great to add Bruhn too.

 

[Cataholic]

12 months ago, I was worried that we were cooked when it comes to the next generation of youth coming through.

Fast forward to now, we’ve seen Dempsey, Knevitt, Stephens and now Neale make their debuts in the first 11 rounds of the season.

So, do we think that the future is in good hands? There may not be a cliff like many people anticipated.

Sure we may fall out of finals, but we won’t bottom out thanks to CS starting to play these youngsters.

Personally. I believe the future is in good hands. Conway will be the next first ruck option, SDK down back with Henry, Neale up forward with Jezza in his last few seasons (tomahawk to retire by then). Stephens inside, Knevitt outside and Dempsey running hard and being that Rohan replacement.

It would be great to add Bruhn too.

It's good to see the change in attitude towards our youth.

We're giving them a chance, and only time will tell what they'll make of it.

 

[HaroLad]

We're still cooked - compare our best under 22 players compared to the rest of the comp.

 

[MacStradbroke]

We're still cooked - compare our best under 22 players compared to the rest of the comp.

We may not have as many, but we may very well have the best.

 

[Turbocat]

12 months ago, I was worried that we were cooked when it comes to the next generation of youth coming through.

Fast forward to now, we’ve seen Dempsey, Knevitt, Stephens and now Neale make their debuts in the first 11 rounds of the season.

So, do we think that the future is in good hands? There may not be a cliff like many people anticipated.

Sure we may fall out of finals, but we won’t bottom out thanks to CS starting to play these youngsters.

Personally. I believe the future is in good hands. Conway will be the next first ruck option, SDK down back with Henry, Neale up forward with Jezza in his last few seasons (tomahawk to retire by then). Stephens inside, Knevitt outside and Dempsey running hard and being that Rohan replacement.

It would be great to add Bruhn too.

The title of this thread sounds like a Terminator question...


We have more chance to find youth now that we are playing them but I probably agree with Catempire that its a convenience atm due to injuries more than our youth being so strong that they have pushed their way into our side.

Purely on talent, I think our youth are not elite atm, although they could well develop into elite players. Like with most kids on time will tell if we have the start of the next group. I suspect we still have a big hole in our middle 20's and it will be difficult for our youth to shoulder the load as the older players depart with some additions to the side. Add a couple of really classy young mids and ...just like Sam Dek has done to oru backline , our side will look a lot different.

Id probably say we are not set...and it will take another two to three years of heavy list movement to be so. So not just Bruhn , we will keep adding talent as not all our likely types will succeed.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

12 months ago, I was worried that we were cooked when it comes to the next generation of youth coming through.

Fast forward to now, we’ve seen Dempsey, Knevitt, Stephens and now Neale make their debuts in the first 11 rounds of the season.

So, do we think that the future is in good hands? There may not be a cliff like many people anticipated.

Sure we may fall out of finals, but we won’t bottom out thanks to CS starting to play these youngsters.

Personally. I believe the future is in good hands. Conway will be the next first ruck option, SDK down back with Henry, Neale up forward with Jezza in his last few seasons (tomahawk to retire by then). Stephens inside, Knevitt outside and Dempsey running hard and being that Rohan replacement.

It would be great to add Bruhn too.

We're definitely making inroads buy there's still a volume of retirements issue.

These kids look great in a side doing well but we need to stagger their introductions or we'll lose structure and the kids won't look great.

Set is too strong a word, but we've got some decent talent in the pipeline

 

[CatToTheFuture]

The title of this thread sounds like a Terminator question...


We have more chance to find youth now that we are playing them but I probably agree with Catempire that its a convenience atm due to injuries more than our youth being so strong that they have pushed their way into our side.

Purely on talent, I think our youth are not elite atm, although they could well develop into elite players. Like with most kids on time will tell if we have the start of the next group. I suspect we still have a big hole in our middle 20's and it will be difficult for our youth to shoulder the load as the older players depart with some additions to the side. Add a couple of really classy young mids and ...just like Sam Dek has done to oru backline , our side will look a lot different.

Id probably say we are not set...and it will take another two to three years of heavy list movement to be so. So not just Bruhn , we will keep adding talent as not all our likely types will succeed.

I hope the draftees all get matching "there is no fate but what we make" tatoos

 

[Seeds]

12 months ago, I was worried that we were cooked when it comes to the next generation of youth coming through.

Fast forward to now, we’ve seen Dempsey, Knevitt, Stephens and now Neale make their debuts in the first 11 rounds of the season.

So, do we think that the future is in good hands? There may not be a cliff like many people anticipated.

Sure we may fall out of finals, but we won’t bottom out thanks to CS starting to play these youngsters.

Personally. I believe the future is in good hands. Conway will be the next first ruck option, SDK down back with Henry, Neale up forward with Jezza in his last few seasons (tomahawk to retire by then). Stephens inside, Knevitt outside and Dempsey running hard and being that Rohan replacement.

It would be great to add Bruhn too.

Gone just a tad early havent we.

they hardly have the promise of duncan, menzel, christensen, vardy, cowan. And look how that group turned out.

i have some confidence. Especially about dekonning and holmes. But they are still no sure things and the others are all extremely speculative at this point.

 

[Drunkcat]

We have SDK and Holmes 2 stars of the future Herry Stengle Close very good players, Conway Neale Dempsey with talent but we don't know how good they will be yet....good start with lots of work yet

 

[Baudolino]

Way too early to say. The midfield situation still looks like an impending trainwreck. We're going to have to go into the market for Tanner Bruhn types (talented mids who are young enough to be part of our long-term future but also with 3 or 4 years in the system already that will allow them to be more "plug and play" than first or second year draftees) to keep that part of the ground from reaching complete crisis point over the next two years.

 

[feelinfeline]

Nice to be hopeful but I've been around long enough to know that all that glitters isn't gold.

Murdoch looked good in his first year. Tom Gillies won best first year player. And then there's Kane Tenace

Kane Tenace

Age

38

Ht

182cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.7

4star

K

9.3

4star

HB

4.4

3star

M

2.9

3star

T

1.3

3star

No current season stats available

D

12.6

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

0.8

3star

if you can go back that far.

Dempsey of the recent draftees looks to have the most talent. Could be anything.

 

[Phipppppa]

Mind you that we haven’t seen a lot Whyte, Conway, Kroeger and Willis.

I think we can rule the line through Tsap?

 

[you pick one]

If I were in charge of the GFC my focus now would be in getting as many pieces of the premiership jigsaw puzzle in place now through youth to be in good shape to integrate the raft of father/sons expected to land over the next decade.

I believe that has started under Hocking and hopefully a period of dominance will follow from 2025 on similar to 2007/2011.

No we are not set but there's a pathway to medium term premiership success.

 

[Drunkcat]

Mind you that we haven’t seen a lot Whyte, Conway, Kroeger and Willis.

I think we can rule the line through Tsap?

Tsap is cat B rookie so keep him for another year yet, big guys get longer than small guys

 

[Cursed Cat]

12 months ago, I was worried that we were cooked when it comes to the next generation of youth coming through.

Fast forward to now, we’ve seen Dempsey, Knevitt, Stephens and now Neale make their debuts in the first 11 rounds of the season.

So, do we think that the future is in good hands? There may not be a cliff like many people anticipated.

Sure we may fall out of finals, but we won’t bottom out thanks to CS starting to play these youngsters.

Personally. I believe the future is in good hands. Conway will be the next first ruck option, SDK down back with Henry, Neale up forward with Jezza in his last few seasons (tomahawk to retire by then). Stephens inside, Knevitt outside and Dempsey running hard and being that Rohan replacement.

It would be great to add Bruhn too.

Key talls are looking promising at this earlier stage; the continued development (and retention) of De Koning, Conway and Neale would go a long way to building the spine of future Geelong teams - Henry a nice complement to those players when he is fit again, too.

The issue is the midfield is shot to bits. Max Holmes has the athletic gifts and developing football skill to constitute a very promising midfielder. Apart from him though .... happy to see the club invest further games in Cooper Stephens but the jury is still very much out. I like the look of Knevitt, tall, can take a grab, big broad body - just needs to put in the work and he is a chance to become a key building block.

Still got kids like Willis and Kroeger to assess, and Stengle at 23 still has plenty of footy ahead of him too (Close also).

The midfield is the big one to address moving forward.

 

[D BRIDGE]

I'd think that we are absolutely in some strife still.

Really need these mids we drafted last draft to make it and get lucky in the next couple of drafts.

Happy about a bunch coming through.... but I just think it won't be enough.

SDK, Neale, Conway look like they will be a good spine (but still would love a couple more quality talls added to that)
Holmes looks like he will make it as a mid.
Stengle was a great bonus pickup (need to snag more as we need as many freebies as we can get).
Dempsey - I just think he has something about him and will be a fine x factor player.

Wouldn't put my life on too many others making a difference though....I do think Knivett has more upside than a very one dimensional player in Stephens.

Gotta get lucky in our next couple of drafts and have the mids that haven't played yet from last draft do something positive (not convinced but it's early).


SDK looks like he could end up being soooo good that he, Stewart and Henry (please god have Henry find his best form) could hold us up for longer than I thought.

Mids is a big issue though...and then there is Hawkins who can't play forever.

 

[Drunkcat]

People are saying we are in strife and others are saying we will be good, but what is people's pass, finals or flag or winning 1 final or winning 6 games for the year

 

[D BRIDGE]

People are saying we are in strife and others are saying we will be good, but what is people's pass, finals or flag or winning 1 final or winning 6 games for the year

Pass mark for me is mentally going into a season thinking that we are at least in the running to snag a flag.

So basically I think unless we get lucky in the next couple of drafts, or get some good FAs.... I wouldn't think that the window would not be open with the group I'm seeing coming through...

I will also say that sometimes a change of coach can just add something..... but we will stick with the same guy that couldn't get it done with a much more powerful list in the past than the list he will have in the future.

 

[Lana]

Way too early to say. The midfield situation still looks like an impending trainwreck. We're going to have to go into the market for Tanner Bruhn types (talented mids who are young enough to be part of our long-term future but also with 3 or 4 years in the system already that will allow them to be more "plug and play" than first or second year draftees) to keep that part of the ground from reaching complete crisis point over the next two years.

During a rebuild, I'd rather get someone a older, with more demonstrated output. To protect the kids to provide an example of the required standard.

 

[Seeds]

If I were in charge of the GFC my focus now would be in getting as many pieces of the premiership jigsaw puzzle in place now through youth to be in good shape to integrate the raft of father/sons expected to land over the next decade.

I believe that has started under Hocking and hopefully a period of dominance will follow from 2025 on similar to 2007/2011.

No we are not set but there's a pathway to medium term premiership success.

The 2007 list build started in 1997 with milburn and king, and then scarlett, harley and ottens debuted in 1998. It took a decade.

if this new build starts with parfitt and then henry then we are looking at atleast 2028.

 

[Lana]

The 2007 list build started in 1997 with milburn and king, and then scarlett, harley and ottens debuted in 1998. It took a decade.

if this new build starts with parfitt and then henry then we are looking at atleast 2028.

What if our build started with Kolodjashnij back in 2013, then we're looking good for next year.

 

[catempire]

How many assured futures have gone astray? “They’ve got soooooo much young talent.”

In truth, ours is neither assured nor the train wreck people are adamant about.

 

[petrolium]

I’m more optimistic on where we’ll be.
I think we will need an extra tall KPD to complement SDK and another small defender when Bews retires. But overall, our defence is quite young and appears solid. We are stacked for good young small forwards (Stengle, Close, Miers) who have the capacity to play some time in the middle. Neale shows promise but don’t think he will be a number 1 KPF.. Hawkins is going to be a huge hole to fill; possibly one that we won’t be able to fill for at least another 10 years (unless we have access to a very early draft pick or trade in or FA another Cameron). Ruck is sorted for the next decade with Conway. The big problem is midfield. Parfitt is a solid B/B+. Holmes will be a very good player. They are our only 2 midfielders who I can say with a reasonable degree of certainty that will be there in 5 years time. It is still very early days for Knevitt and C.Stephens, and our other recent midfield draftees. How we draft over the next 3 years with regard to our hit rate at drafting and/or developing very good to elite midfielders will largely determine how we fare.

 

[Romeoh1]

I’m not worried.

 

[standupand]

I’m more optimistic on where we’ll be.
I think we will need an extra tall KPD to complement SDK and another small defender when Bews retires. But overall, our defence is quite young and appears solid. We are stacked for good young small forwards (Stengle, Close, Miers) who have the capacity to play some time in the middle. Neale shows promise but don’t think he will be a number 1 KPF.. Hawkins is going to be a huge hole to fill; possibly one that we won’t be able to fill for at least another 10 years (unless we have access to a very early draft pick or trade in or FA another Cameron). Ruck is sorted for the next decade with Conway. The big problem is midfield. Parfitt is a solid B/B+. Holmes will be a very good player. They are our only 2 midfielders who I can say with a reasonable degree of certainty that will be there in 5 years time. It is still very early days for Knevitt and C.Stephens, and our other recent midfield draftees. How we draft over the next 3 years with regard to our hit rate at drafting and/or developing very good to elite midfielders will largely determine how we fare.

I agree with two key things here: 1) the midfield is the big worry and 2) there is no replacing Tomahawk. On 1), it's why I think the careers of those like Narkle and Simpson will be crucial to the club's success in the medium term. Lose those two (to trade or health) and we suddenly have a big gap between the soon-to-be retirees and the younger brigade who won't be ready yet for a while - like we're seeing a glimpse of right now. On the other hand, if we happen to stick with them and they end up flourishing, we could manage to keep knocking on the door. On 2), you just can't replace generational players like Tom Hawkins. He just keeps getting better with age, but we have to be prepared that he'll call it day one of these days, probably while he's still dominating the comp, and after that.. well, it's a bit scary to think.