Toast Mark Blicavs - 50th game

[Vdubs]

Ripping article in this week's Inside Football about Blicavs and his insatiable appetite to sound out advice from both the coaching staff and his more experienced teammates in order to improve himself. Apparently in the game against Gold Coast, he smashed a club record by covering 18.4km in a game. To put that into perspective, most top line midfielders cover 15-16km a game.

Sounds very similar to the emerging Harry Taylor in his earlier years.

 

[Moggy]

I think Adam Goodes at his peak was a similar player. A wandering big man with a massive engine.

Of the current form players the Hoff is pretty versatile. Fwd, back, can go into a centre bounce. Similarly Roughead.

Excited we might have one of our own with that unique skill set.

Roughead on AFL360 this week was asked about playing in the centre and he said goes through once in a while but said "I don't have a big tank".

Blitz has him covered there, if not for natural talent, but Blitz isn't done improving yet...

 

[dazbroncos]

Ripping article in this week's Inside Football about Blicavs and his insatiable appetite to sound out advice from both the coaching staff and his more experienced teammates in order to improve himself. Apparently in the game against Gold Coast, he smashed a club record by covering 18.4km in a game. To put that into perspective, most top line midfielders cover 15-16km a game.

He fast turning into the recruiting coup of all time. Impossible to predict how high his ceiling will be.

Great call by Wells ( it was a free hit really) and Guthrie's dad.

Go Catters

 

[meto]

Roughead on AFL360 this week was asked about playing in the centre and he said goes through once in a while but said "I don't have a big tank".

Blitz has him covered there, if not for natural talent, but Blitz isn't done improving yet...

Most versatile 61/2 footer in the AFL, big on courage, and now isn't happy under 20 possessions a game, reinventing the ruck/rover position.
Now one of our most valuable.

 

[catempire]

Wayne Carey is on the bandwagon:

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...e-exception-not-the-rule-20150521-gh6rgs.html

Blicavs is an emerging star of the competition, whose resilience and will to succeed should serve as an example to any player wanting to make it.

In many ways you could describe him as being Australia's very own Jim Stynes.

Not only is Blicavs (198cm, 98kg) similar in stature to the late Irishman (199cm, 99kg), but he clearly shares the same insatiable appetite to learn and improve.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...e-exception-not-the-rule-20150521-gh6rgs.html

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Kudos to Carey. It's made Podgey melt over Blicavs

 

[Moggy]

Kudos to Carey. It's made Podgey melt over Blicavs

Who is Podgey?

 

[STP18]

Who is Podgey?

Lethality, aka HodgePodge.

It's the Bay so be ready to read some absolute tripe.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/blicavs-lol-geelong.992002/page-129

 

[winty]

Kudos to Carey. It's made Podgey melt over Blicavs

Podgey melt? What else is new?

 

[Moggy]

Lethality, aka HodgePodge.

It's the Bay so be ready to read some absolute tripe.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/blicavs-lol-geelong.992002/page-129

Oh, thanks.

Don't think I'll waste time on it. Prefer this thread

 

[Vdubs]

Oh, thanks.

Don't think I'll waste time on it. Prefer this thread

Podge is bad for anger management, blood pressure and general health, and that's the main board.
Can't imagine that other board!

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Podgey melt? What else is new?

It has to be said his feeble argument after the Collingwood game was glorious

 

[AM]

Wonder if those who suggested Blitz will only ever be an athlete who plays football are doing a bit of reassessing as we speak.

 

[Cursed Cat]

It's a good story.

 

[nohairandfair]

Wonder if those who suggested Blitz will only ever be an athlete who plays football are doing a bit of reassessing as we speak.

There's been a few vociferous critics of Blicavs who have been conspicuously quiet about him lately.

Suspect if he has one ordinary game the old Brad Hill "smashing him" chestnut will be wheeled out again.

 

[dazbroncos]

There's been a few vociferous critics of Blicavs who have been conspicuously quiet about him lately.

Suspect if he has one ordinary game the old Brad Hill "smashing him" chestnut will be wheeled out again.

Look, Brad hill toweled him up. Can't argue otherwise. And in a sprint, he would probably do it again.

However, Blitz will still be running like that later in the game and affecting contests in other ways. His defensive work as a tall is improving weekly and his marking is becoming very HT esq for mine - playing that 3rd man up across the front. His advantage that once he clears the ball to whomever is running past he is off and running and getting involved again 2 kicks later at HF.
His ruck work and understanding of the positioning of the mids has gotten better - which oddly enough has kind of coincided with his role increasing as a MF himself.

Carey put it well and its been said before. He use wants to be the best he can be regardless of the effort required to do so.

As for those now praising, or at least no longer bagging him - all the things he is able to do currently comes back to one thing.

His fitness and ability to get around the ground. So yes, all those piss takes about his running patterns - seem a little naive and short sighted now don't they.
And of course, all those will stand up and be counted in admittance that they got that one wrong rather than crawl back under the rocks where they troll from right…?!?!

And Wells was questioned for "wasting" a pick on a B class rookie that could run. ( mind you its a free hit pick at the best of times anyway) and im sure its still a waste right.

Average over 20 touches the last month….. wasted pick indeed….

Go Catters

 

[Turbocat]

His marking has improved out of sight. It's very noticeable when he drops back into defence. Almost feel as though he's unbeatable in the air now which is something he wasn't quite showing previously. Really does look like he could replace Lonergan as of next week, but is then so damaging around the ground as a midfielder.

I think the plans to use him as the D replacement have been kiboshed by his continually growth in performance and influence. He may be too useful elsewhere to be put into that roll now. It may be easier to find a Lonergan type replacement elsewhere ( ie Henderson ) than finding a player that can offer what Blitz does.
Luck? Brave recruitment? Not every player recruited was first spotted by Wells... but he makes the call and that takes judgment. The AFL is full of example of clubs that have had chances but made wrong calls. So Wells makes some wrong calls , makes iffy ones... but on the whole he manages our list to keep us very competitive and still keep producing diamonds in the rough.

 

[Moggy]

Look, Brad hill toweled him up. Can't argue otherwise. And in a sprint, he would probably do it again.

However, Blitz will still be running like that later in the game and affecting contests in other ways. His defensive work as a tall is improving weekly and his marking is becoming very HT esq for mine - playing that 3rd man up across the front. His advantage that once he clears the ball to whomever is running past he is off and running and getting involved again 2 kicks later at HF.
His ruck work and understanding of the positioning of the mids has gotten better - which oddly enough has kind of coincided with his role increasing as a MF himself.

Carey put it well and its been said before. He use wants to be the best he can be regardless of the effort required to do so.

As for those now praising, or at least no longer bagging him - all the things he is able to do currently comes back to one thing.

His fitness and ability to get around the ground. So yes, all those piss takes about his running patterns - seem a little naive and short sighted now don't they.
And of course, all those will stand up and be counted in admittance that they got that one wrong rather than crawl back under the rocks where they troll from right…?!?!

And Wells was questioned for "wasting" a pick on a B class rookie that could run. ( mind you its a free hit pick at the best of times anyway) and im sure its still a waste right.

Average over 20 touches the last month….. wasted pick indeed….

Go Catters

Hill would still kill him on a wing, but let's see Hill try to curb him in the middle now. Would get monstered.

Horses for courses

 

[Turbocat]

Look, Brad hill toweled him up. Can't argue otherwise. And in a sprint, he would probably do it again.

However, Blitz will still be running like that later in the game and affecting contests in other ways. His defensive work as a tall is improving weekly and his marking is becoming very HT esq for mine - playing that 3rd man up across the front. His advantage that once he clears the ball to whomever is running past he is off and running and getting involved again 2 kicks later at HF.
His ruck work and understanding of the positioning of the mids has gotten better - which oddly enough has kind of coincided with his role increasing as a MF himself.

Carey put it well and its been said before. He use wants to be the best he can be regardless of the effort required to do so.

As for those now praising, or at least no longer bagging him - all the things he is able to do currently comes back to one thing.

His fitness and ability to get around the ground. So yes, all those piss takes about his running patterns - seem a little naive and short sighted now don't they.
And of course, all those will stand up and be counted in admittance that they got that one wrong rather than crawl back under the rocks where they troll from right…?!?!

And Wells was questioned for "wasting" a pick on a B class rookie that could run. ( mind you its a free hit pick at the best of times anyway) and im sure its still a waste right.

Average over 20 touches the last month….. wasted pick indeed….

Go Catters

The irony of him playing the way he does is player like Watts and Brown should have been better at it if only they could his work rate and willingness to keep improving. In some players Watts , I see it a bit in Kersten , its like they keep trying to do what worked for them as kids and at VFL level and struggles to work out why its not good enough at AFL. Kersten is by no means a done with player, he is still learning. Watts would be frustrating no doubt. Wonder how he would handle trying to keep up to Blitz in PreSeason Training. Our Brown was the same. More talented as a footballer yet Blitz has left him in his wake.

 

[THE CAT WRANGLER]

Improving weekly great success story

 

[nohairandfair]

Look, Brad hill toweled him up. Can't argue otherwise. And in a sprint, he would probably do it again.

However, Blitz will still be running like that later in the game and affecting contests in other ways. His defensive work as a tall is improving weekly and his marking is becoming very HT esq for mine - playing that 3rd man up across the front. His advantage that once he clears the ball to whomever is running past he is off and running and getting involved again 2 kicks later at HF.
His ruck work and understanding of the positioning of the mids has gotten better - which oddly enough has kind of coincided with his role increasing as a MF himself.

Carey put it well and its been said before. He use wants to be the best he can be regardless of the effort required to do so.

As for those now praising, or at least no longer bagging him - all the things he is able to do currently comes back to one thing.

His fitness and ability to get around the ground. So yes, all those piss takes about his running patterns - seem a little naive and short sighted now don't they.
And of course, all those will stand up and be counted in admittance that they got that one wrong rather than crawl back under the rocks where they troll from right…?!?!

And Wells was questioned for "wasting" a pick on a B class rookie that could run. ( mind you its a free hit pick at the best of times anyway) and im sure its still a waste right.

Average over 20 touches the last month….. wasted pick indeed….

Go Catters

Less than a half a game where Blicavs picked him up at a stoppage or two doesn't equate to a towelling IMHO. Hill is an outside, outside winger that roams the perimeters of grounds and picks up easy stats every week unopposed.

One of Blicavs' less talked about traits is his spatial awareness and decision making. He has an innate elusiveness that is rare for such a big body and regularly extricates himself out of congestion to provide a deft give-off to advantage.

He is becoming a weapon.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Podgey melt? What else is new?

... Oh wow., glad I went to bed last night...

 

[winty]

... Oh wow., glad I went to bed last night...

Yeah, I read his work last night before too. I'm actually starting to think the bloke is either Tony Abbott or Christopher Pyne.

 

[dazbroncos]

Less than a half a game where Blicavs picked him up at a stoppage or two doesn't equate to a towelling IMHO. Hill is an outside, outside winger that roams the perimeters of grounds and picks up easy stats every week unopposed.

One of Blicavs' less talked about traits is his spatial awareness and decision making. He has an innate elusiveness that is rare for such a big body and regularly extricates himself out of congestion to provide a deft give-off to advantage.

He is becoming a weapon.

Agree on his evasiveness. Have commented previously that his ability to free the hands for disposal in a tackle and his ability to get involved in tapping the ball during defensive efforts is above that of one of his games experience.

Was probably harsh on the Hill description but Hill did smoke him for pace. Blitz brings plenty else to the table.

Go Catters

 

[FredLeDeux]

Agree on his evasiveness. Have commented previously that his ability to free the hands for disposal in a tackle and his ability to get involved in tapping the ball during defensive efforts is above that of one of his games experience.

Was probably harsh on the Hill description but Hill did smoke him for pace. Blitz brings plenty else to the table.

Go Catters

He's also currently our best-performing hitout ruckman.