Opinion The key to the next three years is...

[Live in hope]

The knowledge and skill of the GFC medical department ...

Bit boring, I know, but I do think that the Cats have a chance to be a serious challenger in 2016 and 2017 with the talent they now have on the list BUT with the risk taking with current and newly recruited players with chronic injuries means that there is massive pressure on the medical staff.

I'm excited by prospect of the trades, draftees but a few of these are carrying chronic injuries (in some case more than one). A massive risk. Reinforces the view that Scott and co think we aren't that far off hawthorn and Swans - but enough to hurt us bad for the next 5, 6 years if it backfires.

If they can get most of the 10 (?) or so now on the list with chronic injuries fit enough to get on the park and get games into then I'm confident of a great chance for next three years. If on the other hand if say 7 or 8 continue to have problems, together with the 3 plus new injuries that we are likely to pick up per year, the Cats could be very average, with prospect of starting from scratch in 2016 or 2017 facing a further 3-4 build.

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

Too right. Chris Bradshaw still leads our medical department, right? He came across as a bit of a miracle worker in The Mission. Hope he can get it sorted for 2015!

 

[Catastic82]

Surely the injuries can't continue that much longer, 3 years of it has to be taking its toll on the club.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

I think your username sums it up.... Live In Hope.

Live in hope that our injury prone players can have a good run at it.
Live in hope that our traded players can perform at a reasonable level.
Live in hope that 3 years from now our younger players will have transitioned from fringe players to solid performers.

 

[TheWoodenSlug]

Too right. Chris Bradshaw still leads our medical department, right? He came across as a bit of a miracle worker in The Mission. Hope he can get it sorted for 2015!

Fairly sure he left at the end of this year to go to Collingwood, and I think he was replaced by the Wallabies doctor.

As for the thread - yep, there has been a lot of talent on our injury list over the last few years. Some good luck in the medical room and I have us as a top 4 side still.

I would also add the continued improvement of our young midfield as extremely important in the near/medium future. There is a shitload of talent in the likes of Caddy, Guthrie, GHS, Hartman, Lang, Cowan etc - can enough of them reach their potential? I think the answer to that question will answer whether we are a legitimate contender over the next few years.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

We also need to be fitter across the board, our inability to run out second halves was telling at times. Until we can improve that component, nothing else matters.

 

[Lana]

Too right. Chris Bradshaw still leads our medical department, right? He came across as a bit of a miracle worker in The Mission. Hope he can get it sorted for 2015!

He's a Collingwood now, he needs the extra money to settle with Egan.

 

[Vdubs]

Too right. Chris Bradshaw still leads our medical department, right? He came across as a bit of a miracle worker in The Mission. Hope he can get it sorted for 2015!

No, he does not. He has gone to Pieland with Trav Varcoe and Balmey.
Drew Slimmon now heads the medical dept- Has been there a few years now.

 

[Vdubs]

.... Keeping a fit and healthy Tom Hawkins.
He is THE KEY.

 

[Teriyakicat]

.... Keeping a fit and healthy Tom Hawkins.
He is THE KEY.

I thought Allen was The Key.... until his departure but, yes- we definitely need Tom but not just him. We need a fit ruck, a good midfield and a strong backline.

Over the past few years we've managed to win a large number of H&A games with either an unfit Hawkins, little to no ruck outfit and/ or a relatively weak midfield but we get found out in the finals year after year.

We MIGHT win a GF with a weakness in one area of the ground but we're kidding ourselves if we think we can jag one with a weakness in more than one area.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

I think he was replaced by the Wallabies doctor.

nope

Bradshaw has left and is at Collingwood now. The Doctor taking over from him is Dr Drew Slimmon. Dr. Slimmon has been one of the GFC doctors for the past two seasons and steps into the senior role now.

The new physical performance manager was the strength and conditioning coach for the Wallabies - Scott Murphy

A former sports rehabilitation specialist and consultant at the AIS joins the Cats as the performance manager for our academy players (1-3 year players). His name is Terry Condon. I believe Condon also had experience with the Wallabies & Richmond.


http://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/2014-11-14/cats-announce-football-appointments

 

[Micksy]

Drew Slimmon now heads the medical dept- Has been there a few years now.

Something, something..."Slimmon" Stadium.

 

[Turbocat]

Maybe its not one key but a seperate key for each year

Good start for the key this year is determining which of the multitude of talls we have is a "LocK" for our best 22.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

The knowledge and skill of the GFC medical department ...
Bit boring, I know, but I do think that the Cats have a chance to be a serious challenger in 2016 and 2017 with the talent they now have on the list BUT with the risk taking with current and newly recruited players with chronic injuries means that there is massive pressure on the medical staff.

I don't disagree. I think (and this is just my opinion, so can the thought police settle down) two things cost us heavily in 2014. The first is our lack of elite fitness. The guys could only play two quarters of football at the intensity required and then they were stuffed, leading to severe fade outs and near losses as opposition teams came back at us because of our fade outs. Secondly, the injuries to our KPP players cost us dearly in the finals. You can cover for such injuries in H&A season, and get away with having a poor structure. However, you can't get away with that in finals.

When our guys were 'on' in 2014 they looked as good as any team in the top 4. The medical and high performance guys need to develop those guys so they can be 'on' for most of the game, not just a few bursts here and there. I'm glad the previous High Performance guys were moved on, as they weren't doing a good job. I live in hope Scott Murphy will.

 

[year of the cat]

...is landing Patrick Dangerfield via FA.

 

[MajorPayne]

Might not be a "key" but I'd love to see a fresh face burst onto the scene and be an immediate impact on the side. Lang, Cockatoo, Gregson etc, I don't care who really, just a young bloke who kills it during preseason, gets a chance and grabs it ala an Ollie Wines/Luke Dunstan etc.

 

[Vdubs]

I don't disagree. I think (and this is just my opinion, so can the thought police settle down) two things cost us heavily in 2014. The first is our lack of elite fitness. The guys could only play two quarters of football at the intensity required and then they were stuffed, leading to severe fade outs and near losses as opposition teams came back at us because of our fade outs. Secondly, the injuries to our KPP players cost us dearly in the finals. You can cover for such injuries in H&A season, and get away with having a poor structure. However, you can't get away with that in finals.

When our guys were 'on' in 2014 they looked as good as any team in the top 4. The medical and high performance guys need to develop those guys so they can be 'on' for most of the game, not just a few bursts here and there. I'm glad the previous High Performance guys were moved on, as they weren't doing a good job. I live in hope Scott Murphy will.

The high performance guys were NOT moved on.
Chris Bradshaw has gone to Collingwood, voluntarily.
Peter Stanton has only been there one season.
Our injuries have probably NOTHING to do with either of those 2, or their sidekicks. In saying nothing, of course, they treat the injuries as they occur, but the best way to PREVENT the injuries, and really the only way, is to NOT play.
Our rate of soft tissue "preventable" injuries per se, ie hammies, calves, adductors, was meritorious.
Cowan is the exception to this; the others are just unbelievably part of the vagaries of playing footy and bad luck.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

The high performance guys were NOT moved on.

http://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/2014-09-25/cats-announce-changes

The club has also restructured its high performance area, and will seek a new head of high performance. The role had previously been split between Kris Hinck and Chris Spinks who will both move on from the club.

There's a whole thread dedicated to this.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/high-performance-revamp.1078198/

 

[Vdubs]

http://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/2014-09-25/cats-announce-changes



There's a whole freakin thread dedicated to this, so maybe get a clue next time you post.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/high-performance-revamp.1078198/

My error .
I was under the impression that we were run in that area by Chris and Peter.
These "high performance" guys were indeed moved on as you say, but that's not who I was referring to.
The teams that ARE run by HP guys or guy, are not as HAPPY or cohesive as those run by a collaborative head physio/head doctor, and that can be borne out by a club by club analysis.
Some very eminent well respected docs left a team some years ago when a HP guy stepped in.
Anyway, different issue, and again I apologise.

 

[DanA]

For me the key is what happens in the draft and trade table. Names have been discussed ad nuseaum but it really will make or break our future considering the names we have to replace.

 

[Willo_]

There's a whole freakin thread dedicated to this, so maybe get a clue next time you post.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/high-performance-revamp.1078198/

Well this seems an unnecessarily aggressive response

 

[Vdubs]

Well this seems an unnecessarily aggressive response

I must have really got his ire up; not to worry, like Sttew, I really rate his ( BlakeyNoFlakey) posts, and it serves me to be more particular about what I'm posting. And as he pointed out, what I posted was just plain incorrect.


Thanks for the support.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

My error .
I was under the impression that we were run in that area by Chris and Peter.
These "high performance" guys were indeed moved on as you say, but that's not who I was referring to.
The teams that ARE run by HP guys or guy, are not as HAPPY or cohesive as those run by a collaborative head physio/head doctor, and that can be borne out by a club by club analysis.
Some very eminent well respected docs left a team some years ago when a HP guy stepped in.
Anyway, different issue, and again I apologise.

Apology accepted, and sorry I snapped at you in my response. I guess I'm getting a bit gun shy because every time I post lately some one replies with "you're wrong". I shouldn't have taken it out on you as I know your a decent bloke. So I apologise back.

 

[Vdubs]

Apology accepted, and sorry I snapped at you in my response. I guess I'm getting a bit gun shy because every time I post lately some one replies with "you're wrong". I shouldn't have taken it out on you as I know your a decent bloke. So I apologise back.

\
Thanks Blakey. FWIW, I always regard your posts as top-notch.

 

[Claude Balls]

IMO the key to the next 3 years is to be aggressive with getting games into the next generation. I.e. recognising that we will not be contending next year or the year after, and indeed might only have a very small window that coincides with the careers or Selwood, Hawkins and definitely Taylor who is a few years older than those two.

Between now and the 2017 finals series we play 66 games minimum. IMO that is ample opportunity to get a very large group of players past the 50 game mark. Some of these guys, like Thurlow, Kersten, Hartman, and Bews, have already played a handful and have more than one preseason under their belts, so they could conceivably be 70 game, 5-preseason veterans by that stage. Many others could pass 100.

IMO We are more likely win another flag soon due to a large cohort of inexperienced players becoming relatively experienced than by a collection of veterans defying father time.