- Banned
- #701
Starting to picture what Partridge might look like
Partridge when a player gets injured...
Certified Legendary Thread Willo's Friday Inquisitions - Seasons 1 & 2
- Thread starter Willo_
- Start date
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Partridge when a player gets injured...
- Banned
- #703
Willo_
Trust the Process
- Apr 27, 2010
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dazbroncos
Max Rooke Appreciation Society
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I was thinking more the Emperor from Stars Wars, or Jedi actually, doing the old….
" it is happening as I have foreseen it" old wrinkly cranky dude with ugly face veins, about 6 hours of make up and these really cool Imperial Storm troopers guards in red standing behind him….
GO Catters
Jhye Clark 13
07, 09, 11, 22
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Best thread in the history of this board.
What a brilliant original idea for the off-season and what a star.
What a brilliant original idea for the off-season and what a star.
dazbroncos
Max Rooke Appreciation Society
- Oct 9, 2010
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- #707
And just a reminder and thanks to Willo_ for this undertaking. I know we all joke about it, but there is a serious amount of work and time that goes into these things and as a project, it is a serous effort. Well done fella.
And whilst im polishing you up and thanking you, yes I will still ban you if you go all nuffy…..
Go Catters
And whilst im polishing you up and thanking you, yes I will still ban you if you go all nuffy…..
Go Catters
Catatonic Shock
Premiership Player
And just a reminder and thanks to Willo_ for this undertaking. I know we all joke about it, but there is a serious amount of work and time that goes into these things and as a project, it is a serous effort. Well done fella.
And whilst im polishing you up and thanking you, yes I will still ban you if you go all nuffy…..
Go Catters
Too late.
ChookNorris
Premiership Player
- Mar 17, 2014
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Greatness.
SEASON 2.....
- Sep 22, 2000
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Can't wait to see who gets probed
Willo_
Trust the Process
- Apr 27, 2010
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Welcome fellow Cats fans and Opposition lurkers to season 2 of The inquisition,
Last off season we ended the week with a bang, this season what better way to start the week off than with a bang
or failing that, an interview.
The plan is to TRY and post one at 7pm on a Monday, so same bat time, same bat channel each week.... this is of course just a plan and I may just make up the rules as I go and change when I feel like
But I digress,
It gives me great pleasure to welcome the first guest of Season 2, one of the (IMO) most respected and fairer posters on this board.
Tonight we sit down with Vdubs
Last off season we ended the week with a bang, this season what better way to start the week off than with a bang
or failing that, an interview.
The plan is to TRY and post one at 7pm on a Monday, so same bat time, same bat channel each week.... this is of course just a plan and I may just make up the rules as I go and change when I feel like
But I digress,
It gives me great pleasure to welcome the first guest of Season 2, one of the (IMO) most respected and fairer posters on this board.
Tonight we sit down with Vdubs
Willo_
Trust the Process
- Apr 27, 2010
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- Thread starter
- #714
So the standard opener, why the Cats for you?
That's the easy one Willo. Born in Geelong, grew up in Belmont then Shannon Ave Newtown, went to St. Joey's from grade 3 to HSC as it was known then, and my dad took me to my first game in 1963 or 64 after he had been introduced to VFL when he and my mum were renting in Hawthorn. Terry Callan did his knee in that first game, so have grown up with Cats getting injured.
They moved to Geelong so he could work at Shell Refinery, as did many of the migrants back then.
When you go to Joey's, an All Boys school where footy reigns supreme, and have the likes of Polly Farmer and Bobby Davis visiting to teach footy skills, is there a choice?
And we could walk to Kardinia Park for home games. Perfect.
Joeys in Geelong is the real football factory as well isn't it? (That and St Pats in Ballarat)
So where you hooked from your first game and how was going to KP back then compared to what the current kids experience?
From my reading,
Leo Turner
John Scarlett- Matt Scarlett
Kevin Higgins- Shaun Higgins
Mike Woolnough-Marc Woolnough?
Damian Bourke
Tim Bourke
Barry Stoneham
Tim Darcy
John Fitzgerald
Mike Mansfield
Mark Neeld
Sam Hunt
Jasper Pittard
Joel Reynolds
Cam Ling
Jimmy Bartel
Nick Maxwell
Luke Dahlhaus
Ben Bucovaz
Quite the factory.
and I'm sure some recent draftees are from Joeys but my list runs out .
1963 was a great year for us, charismatic captain- Polly, and coach- Bobby and my favourite player Billy Goggin, along with the Lord twins, Marshall, Walker, Polinelli, Wade, Devine, Vinar, Yeates, Hynes..
it was Instant Karma back then, this was an exhilarating team to barrack for. I actually have a signed framed Geelong 63 Jumper with all the names on my wall at one of the clinics I work at, so those names are just everyday names for me on a daily basis.
We used to stand by the race that the players ran out of, on the wing, and we could smell the liniment. As a little 7yo, they were as close to celebrities as a kid could hope for.
Standing room only for all my childhood at Geelong and all grounds except the MCG- totally different now.
Some people seriously would not leave their spots and were known to pee into cans at times!! And the toilets were gross.
As a kid who grew up playing footy in the country (sharing rooms with everyone at the club from Seniors to other juniors) I find the smell of liniment one of the most comforting and homely things..
So how do you find the experience of the modern game in comparison? (in regards to the game itself and the 'match day experience')
Multiple thoughts for me here because of my work- I actually work for teams on match day, every week, AFL season and A-League season, so there is the smell and adrenaline in your face.
But going to all the Victorian Geelong games as well- this has evolved over the decades. Used to go as a Uni student with mates. Then as a newly married bloke, taking my Kiwi-born wife along was a different angle explaining the game to her. She fortunately loved Geelong immediately- the first game we went to Gee v Haw VFL Park, Jacko and this new player I'd never seen Ablett snr, kicked 5 goals each, and a highly entertaining game.
I think Geelong over the years has ALWAYS produced a player of excitement and charisma, someone to really look forward to seeing.
Polly
Goggin
Sam Newman
Mick Turner
Ablett
Ablett
Wojo
SJ
Hawkins
?Danger/Cocky. Really looking forward to 2016 more so than I can recall for many years.
Some people wonder if I can see too much footy and whether I get diluted enjoyment- clearly not. If the game itself has been a bit drab, Big Footy is always there! But match day now is very comfortable at Geelong as seating is compulsory. My kids could have hardly coped today with how we watched games back then, but kids today have much lower attention span for long games imho, from my experience with them and their mates. Still, it is nice to be able to take a group of 8-10 people to the G, or Etihad, or Skilled and enjoy actually seeing the whole game. In my childhood, there's no doubt I was guessing for large parts as to what was going on. Just could not see.
So you mention you are looking forward to 2016 more than you can recall for many years, why is that?
I'm no expert analyst, but this season, we finished about where I thought we would, beat the bottom 4 teams of the top 8, and lost quite easily to the top 4 teams of the top 8.
I don't think many of us had realistic high hopes for a top 4 or even a top 8 finish this season.
Our weaknesses were evident to all of us- just no consistency in our MF, no help for Selwood, and he had an ordinary year by his lofty standards.
Yet, I was really excited by one game this year, more than any in 2014, and that was the Port game where we saw Stanley and Blicavs wreak havoc through the middle in a way we have really never seen.
IF, and sadly there are a lot of ifs here, but we could seriously be right in contention next year, if-
-Stanley regains form and fitness and speed
-Danger continues his form
-Smith produces
-Clark returns
-Vardy returns
-Menzel returns
-Duncan returns
AND Henderson can assist and free up Harry Taylor who was disappointing for me;
AND the expected improvement from Caddy, Guthrie, Kolo, Bews, Thurlow, Murdoch, and hopefully also Cocky, Lang and Gregson...
I see this as true competition for spots, which was lacking to an extent this season.
The recent shopping spree in October yielded exactly what the Club wanted which is rare, and I can see value in all of them, and haven't even mentioned SSelwood yet.
We have excitement on every line- the players who excite me are
Kolo, Guthrie, and Thurlow in defence
Murdoch, Danger, Selwood, Blicavs in MF
Smith, Stanley as rucks
Hawkins, Menzel, Gregson, Cockatoo, Lang, Clark or Vardy in attack
and the rare fortune to have 2 excellent genuine swing players in Henderson and Taylor.
Yep, pretty excited right now. We SEEM to be making the statement that our recruiting is for success soon, really soon. But we have to get through preseason....
Did we sell the farm (or our future) to get in what we did?
No. We have picked up ready made genuinely talented players who ALL wanted to come to Geelong. The 24-27yo players that form the core of many successful teams is what we lacked, and we have done well to erase that deficiency.
We know what we're getting, no lottery.
We have made a bold statement for sure, and if it doesn't work, what is the worst thing that could happen?
Cooky just resigned, he is a winner, he doesn't expect us to plummet, and in all my year of supporting the Cats, I can not recall a bottom finish.
And teams that finish bottom rebuild with high draft picks, so I am (strangely) very optimistic.
So going into excited for the season to come is one thing, what were you expectations for the season just gone... and how did we match up to them?
Without wanting to sound negative, but I had no expectations for us achieving much this year beyond what we did.(8th-12th)
From the personnel perspective:
Wasn't sold on the Clark idea, and still unsure, but I understand what he could bring.
And was expecting the decline in our immortals, which is inevitable.
I was a bit of a Bundy fan, Bundy at his best anyway, and was also a fan of THunt and Varcoe, and thought we could have done more with Hamling, so just wasn't sure where we were heading.
I was comfortable that we were in the midst of a rebuild with awkwardness because we were still trying to carry our immortals, with respect
Do you believe we have the right people in charge of the on field stuff going forward?
Good question that I doubt will receive a succinct reply.
I have a lot of respect for Chris Scott. Not blind faith, but respect. Nothing stands still in life and footy, and of course Scotty and his team will be judged perhaps more acutely these next 2 seasons given our recent shopping spree and departures, and the fact he is nearing the end of the contract, but I have some confidence in his methods.
It appears there are changes each year to personnel--High Performance team last year, etc.
As far as his assistance and assistants, there appears to be a lot of BF innuendo about Shane O'Bree, but clearly, supporters like us who are not in the know, are simply that, not in the know, and if we were, we would not be here on BF spilling information.
Suffice it to say, we have had a fantastic run and the powers are full-time employees who eat, drink, and breathe Geelong FC.
I do have this quaint or old fashioned notion that our forwards should have the best available forward coach, somebody who had success there as a player perhaps, but proven coaching success.
Similarly, the MF, Defence, Rucks should be having input from the best available caching staff.
When I heard Ottens had gone for whatever reason, possibly financial, I felt some concern. Do we even have a ruck coach?
Scarlett in defence sounds like a no-brainer from the playing record, and the work he'd done at The Kennel can easily be assessed.
Max has departed. We are not dying wondering.
These next 2 seasons will have the answers, but right now, until proven otherwise, I will assume we have the best available on - field staff for that period.
As someone who was there during the 44 year drought, what did 07 mean to you?
I literally went to the Mens just before the first bounce and prayed- that we can not possibly lose this one, PLEASE. A silent but fervent prayer while peeing. Sorry about the info.
It was a surreal feeling. Half way through the 3rd Q, I hardly saw the game; just oodles of congratulatory text messages from many non Cat fan friends who knew how long suffering we'd been. And yet, it was still hard to accept we had it until a little way into the last Q. Then we could finally relax and dare to believe this was our flag.
Watching the boys just play right to the very end, an emphatic win; it was like erasing all the previous GF losses with one 20 goal win. Not quite, but what a way to win your first flag in 44 years.
Some of the special memories included staying back for endless renditions of WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS. Great to experience that. And queueing up for our first ever WEG poster. And finally catching that train back to the Eastern suburbs as a GF winner. I turned up to an operating theatre on the Monday after the GF with a specially made Geelong hooped theatre top on, that I was allowed to wear for the whole list. People were very understanding of what it meant to me!!
That drive to Kardinia Park on the Sunday to celebrate the win with so many like-minded drivers trekking down the Geelong highway, 5 kids on board, and my footy mate...We had a 7 seater at the time.
Great memories Willo; I'm feeling it would be good to experience that again, but I also feel some empathy for our poorer Doggies, Demons, and Saints fans- well, just a little.
And after the drought was finally broken could you picture another 2 being won in a short amount of time after?
I remember walking with my mate, Polly Farmer on BF, and we were thinking Geelong was a cert for 08. Everything was perfect. Hawkins still to emerge, Nathan Ablett would only improve, we appeared to be invincible. Winning a GF by 20 goals- what could go wrong?
Then I recall how shattered I was by the Nathan Ablett news. Could not believe it. Having the memories of the 60's and 80's/90's, I was already feeling the 08 season was compromised.
Nevertheless we had a stunning 08 season, only blemish was the Pies game. Anybody who recalls my posting back then, I was admittedly very nervous at best, I was convinced the magnitude of that loss was a sign of impending doom in the finals, and our September form was not as good as Hawthorn's....and injuries of course...so, no, I did not pick us to win the 08 GF once finals came. The negativity was irrational, and unpopular, but I could not help it. And it had to be Hawthorn to take advantage of this!!!
Then Saints in 09 seemed to be the next team destined to stop our quest for glory. They had a stunning 09 season, but their last 2 losses gave me some hope, and I can honestly say, after a season of fear, nervousness, and intimidation by St. Kilda, by GF day, I thought we were finally a real show. Again, our September form was better than theirs, and I did some research, and developed a little formula whereby the performances in September FOR/AGAINST, was a really accurate determinant of which team would win the GF. It works best of course when the top 4 teams end up the top 4 teams after finals and play each other.
This carried through to 2011 as well. That imho, was our most perfect season ever. To have beaten the 2010 Premiers 3x including the GF, Hawthorn 3x, including A FINAL- something I'd never seen, and to have beaten WCE in a final as well, finally, to get our flag, was just brilliant.
And of course, my boy Varcoe had some sort of game.
I recall calling Partridge at half time of the 2011 GF, to see if he gave us a show, as we tended to be equally nervous, and we agreed the last 2 goals before half time gave us a sniff. But no confidence.
But at the start of each season, no way did I give us favouritism.
Interesting you mention Nathan Ablett
What were your thoughts on him and his potential?
2007 he showed a lot. Some of his aerial skills and kicking on both sides was outstanding
I was a real fan. Saw all his games that year. His contribution in the GF was without fear, and as Bomber said, a lot of the hard work had been done, he had a real chance to consolidate in 08. Physically, a great specimen but injuries etc affected him at GC.
Mooney really enjoyed playing with him- he was quite intimidating for opposition defences due to his ability to kick both feet and leading, and gave Mooney a lot of leeway. We missed that in 08. Lonergan tried for sure, but def less fear factor than NAB.
I was definitely one who thought his potential as a KF was huge, and having Mooney, Hawkins and Ablett should have been our future.
I actually felt that if he had the competitive desire of his brother he would have been better than Gaz...
He just made it all look so easy
Some people say the greatest waste of talent ever, but that could be harsh. We are just not aware of his inner struggles, and having tasted a GF success, and to not be lured by the prospect of that again- you can only surmise that his issues were significant and personal and real.
But sheer physical talent alone, even having the presence of mind and ability to flip over that Eagles player like he did on those highlights, is phenomenal.
You mention how people (Cameron Mooney) have said he was the greatest waste of talent ever... in your time as a Cats fan who would you think has been the biggest disappointment, injuries aside..
Injuries aside makes this a challenging question for me.
Disappointments have been many, but majority through injury.
Nathan Ablett is right up there, based on natural ability and genes, and opportunity. It wasn't as if he was under pressure really, to keep his spot.
We got very little return from Hamish McIntosh. INJURIES.
I was hugely disappointed Mark Blake was not given his 100th game- to be stranded on 99, when he was available, and they were rucking Hawk, Vardy at times, was harsh, I thought, but I won't go there again.
Stephen Reynoldson. Fantastic body, good mark and kick; the classic Tarzan/Jane analogy was often used on him. Should have been the next big thing, and was given Sammy's old #17, and he did wear it well early on.
My other huge disappointment was losing Williams, Toohey, and Bolton the way we did.
I was a big fan of Peter Doyle, a very skilled classy MF player, who was cut short by injury.
Finally, the single player apart from those mentioned who should have been a star, but his dodgy back/hamstrings ended that was Paul Lynch.
So, in answer to your question, injuries aside, I'll go for S Reynoldson.
Now one of the most important questions
What got you onto BigFooty?
My brother, who had already been on BigFooty during 2007. He is still a regular poster now, btw.
We were at his place for Christmas lunch, and he told me about this site where you can converse with like-minded footy nuts about anything Geelong, and it sounded appealing. A week later, I signed on and I must say, for a non computer user, it took me a while to learn how to post. Even today, I still type 1 or 2 fingers.
Vinum used to offer lots of advice back then, often not so subtly, but always spot-on, on how to use a computer basically. As it has turned out, our clinics have all become computerised, so I have entered the real world.
So naive was I that I clearly remember thinking that some of these posters were actually ex players; after all, darren forssman was not actually that well known as a player- I liked him though- so early on, I thought his posts were gospel! Sorry Darren , they probably are..
I'll be tagging Daz in that post so I make sure he see's that
And what is it that you enjoy about the site? What keeps you coming back?
Multifactorial.
It clearly is the diversity and talent of the posters we have on the Geelong Board. Way too many and unfair to single any out in this setting, but just a few examples..
The personalities come through loud and clear after a while.
Guys like Bobby- you can feel his pain when we lose and more so now that we are rebuilding, or whatever we are doing. He seems very honest. And his You Tube contributions re Ablett sen etc. are phenomenal.
I have met Partridge, and his posts are always well thought out, brutally honest at times, and he is a top fellow from my limited interactions. One of the first contacts on BF, and an ongoing contributor.
Teriyaki Cat and Kitty you-know-who - both exceptionally giving and vibrant posters.
I could go on all night - we have so many characters that you are likely more aware of than I am- but I'll spare you that.
I thought I was addicted, well I am, but I do get through 12 hour work days with no contact with BF, but one of the best ways I switch off, as it were, after a day of work, exercise and family commitments, is Big Footy.
The knowledge base of many of our posters exceeds what I even want or need to know quite often, but it is always there like a resource.
There are some awesome "extracurricular " sites on our Board that I am now frequenting- 2 Music threads for example. I forget which thread I'm posting on most times.
Pretty amazing entertainment. I feel for those who have not discovered it. Even got my 22yo son onto BF, not by coercion btw. He won't tell me his username.
I read the genuine messages at Christmas time, and going into a New Year, and it seriously is like we are part of a fellowship group.
And for someone like me, who loves a good argument, this place is IT.
And of course, there's all the footy information and discussion and our reason for being here. On the odd occasion I can't get to a game, to be on the Match Day Thread is an experience. Every goal and decision is scrutinised.
The post mortem threads are cathartic for me.
I am always amazed at how optimistic many of our posters are before a game. I am def not in that camp, as many know. But reading their reasons for our expected win is a nice balance that feeds my natural fatalism.
What is the origin of your username?
I started an offseason thread about the origins of posters' usernames several years ago; many responded. I'm sure it's not the first or last thread about usernames.
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/user-names.884951/
(Here is Vdubs post explaining his own as well - FWIW, as Candiehappy is aware, I 've always loved Volkswagons, we have 3 in our family, I aim to own a hot Kombi one day, and the initials of surname are v and w. The reason for the capital letters is when I started using computers, in 2008, invariably left the caps lock on. Hence VEEDUBS.)
And last but not least.... care to hit us with a prediction for 2016?
Prediction 2016.
As have alluded to, this offseason recruiting is certainly a statement of intent, and I would be disappointed with anything less than a top 6 finish, and at least one finals win.
I'll start with 5th, but see no reason we can't displace NM.
Hope and expect top 2 in 2017.
Thank you greatly mate. Appreciate you taking the time to do this.
That's the easy one Willo. Born in Geelong, grew up in Belmont then Shannon Ave Newtown, went to St. Joey's from grade 3 to HSC as it was known then, and my dad took me to my first game in 1963 or 64 after he had been introduced to VFL when he and my mum were renting in Hawthorn. Terry Callan did his knee in that first game, so have grown up with Cats getting injured.
They moved to Geelong so he could work at Shell Refinery, as did many of the migrants back then.
When you go to Joey's, an All Boys school where footy reigns supreme, and have the likes of Polly Farmer and Bobby Davis visiting to teach footy skills, is there a choice?
And we could walk to Kardinia Park for home games. Perfect.
Joeys in Geelong is the real football factory as well isn't it? (That and St Pats in Ballarat)
So where you hooked from your first game and how was going to KP back then compared to what the current kids experience?
From my reading,
Leo Turner
John Scarlett- Matt Scarlett
Kevin Higgins- Shaun Higgins
Mike Woolnough-Marc Woolnough?
Damian Bourke
Tim Bourke
Barry Stoneham
Tim Darcy
John Fitzgerald
Mike Mansfield
Mark Neeld
Sam Hunt
Jasper Pittard
Joel Reynolds
Cam Ling
Jimmy Bartel
Nick Maxwell
Luke Dahlhaus
Ben Bucovaz
Quite the factory.
and I'm sure some recent draftees are from Joeys but my list runs out .
1963 was a great year for us, charismatic captain- Polly, and coach- Bobby and my favourite player Billy Goggin, along with the Lord twins, Marshall, Walker, Polinelli, Wade, Devine, Vinar, Yeates, Hynes..
it was Instant Karma back then, this was an exhilarating team to barrack for. I actually have a signed framed Geelong 63 Jumper with all the names on my wall at one of the clinics I work at, so those names are just everyday names for me on a daily basis.
We used to stand by the race that the players ran out of, on the wing, and we could smell the liniment. As a little 7yo, they were as close to celebrities as a kid could hope for.
Standing room only for all my childhood at Geelong and all grounds except the MCG- totally different now.
Some people seriously would not leave their spots and were known to pee into cans at times!! And the toilets were gross.
As a kid who grew up playing footy in the country (sharing rooms with everyone at the club from Seniors to other juniors) I find the smell of liniment one of the most comforting and homely things..
So how do you find the experience of the modern game in comparison? (in regards to the game itself and the 'match day experience')
Multiple thoughts for me here because of my work- I actually work for teams on match day, every week, AFL season and A-League season, so there is the smell and adrenaline in your face.
But going to all the Victorian Geelong games as well- this has evolved over the decades. Used to go as a Uni student with mates. Then as a newly married bloke, taking my Kiwi-born wife along was a different angle explaining the game to her. She fortunately loved Geelong immediately- the first game we went to Gee v Haw VFL Park, Jacko and this new player I'd never seen Ablett snr, kicked 5 goals each, and a highly entertaining game.
I think Geelong over the years has ALWAYS produced a player of excitement and charisma, someone to really look forward to seeing.
Polly
Goggin
Sam Newman
Mick Turner
Ablett
Ablett
Wojo
SJ
Hawkins
?Danger/Cocky. Really looking forward to 2016 more so than I can recall for many years.
Some people wonder if I can see too much footy and whether I get diluted enjoyment- clearly not. If the game itself has been a bit drab, Big Footy is always there! But match day now is very comfortable at Geelong as seating is compulsory. My kids could have hardly coped today with how we watched games back then, but kids today have much lower attention span for long games imho, from my experience with them and their mates. Still, it is nice to be able to take a group of 8-10 people to the G, or Etihad, or Skilled and enjoy actually seeing the whole game. In my childhood, there's no doubt I was guessing for large parts as to what was going on. Just could not see.
So you mention you are looking forward to 2016 more than you can recall for many years, why is that?
I'm no expert analyst, but this season, we finished about where I thought we would, beat the bottom 4 teams of the top 8, and lost quite easily to the top 4 teams of the top 8.
I don't think many of us had realistic high hopes for a top 4 or even a top 8 finish this season.
Our weaknesses were evident to all of us- just no consistency in our MF, no help for Selwood, and he had an ordinary year by his lofty standards.
Yet, I was really excited by one game this year, more than any in 2014, and that was the Port game where we saw Stanley and Blicavs wreak havoc through the middle in a way we have really never seen.
IF, and sadly there are a lot of ifs here, but we could seriously be right in contention next year, if-
-Stanley regains form and fitness and speed
-Danger continues his form
-Smith produces
-Clark returns
-Vardy returns
-Menzel returns
-Duncan returns
AND Henderson can assist and free up Harry Taylor who was disappointing for me;
AND the expected improvement from Caddy, Guthrie, Kolo, Bews, Thurlow, Murdoch, and hopefully also Cocky, Lang and Gregson...
I see this as true competition for spots, which was lacking to an extent this season.
The recent shopping spree in October yielded exactly what the Club wanted which is rare, and I can see value in all of them, and haven't even mentioned SSelwood yet.
We have excitement on every line- the players who excite me are
Kolo, Guthrie, and Thurlow in defence
Murdoch, Danger, Selwood, Blicavs in MF
Smith, Stanley as rucks
Hawkins, Menzel, Gregson, Cockatoo, Lang, Clark or Vardy in attack
and the rare fortune to have 2 excellent genuine swing players in Henderson and Taylor.
Yep, pretty excited right now. We SEEM to be making the statement that our recruiting is for success soon, really soon. But we have to get through preseason....
Did we sell the farm (or our future) to get in what we did?
No. We have picked up ready made genuinely talented players who ALL wanted to come to Geelong. The 24-27yo players that form the core of many successful teams is what we lacked, and we have done well to erase that deficiency.
We know what we're getting, no lottery.
We have made a bold statement for sure, and if it doesn't work, what is the worst thing that could happen?
Cooky just resigned, he is a winner, he doesn't expect us to plummet, and in all my year of supporting the Cats, I can not recall a bottom finish.
And teams that finish bottom rebuild with high draft picks, so I am (strangely) very optimistic.
So going into excited for the season to come is one thing, what were you expectations for the season just gone... and how did we match up to them?
Without wanting to sound negative, but I had no expectations for us achieving much this year beyond what we did.(8th-12th)
From the personnel perspective:
Wasn't sold on the Clark idea, and still unsure, but I understand what he could bring.
And was expecting the decline in our immortals, which is inevitable.
I was a bit of a Bundy fan, Bundy at his best anyway, and was also a fan of THunt and Varcoe, and thought we could have done more with Hamling, so just wasn't sure where we were heading.
I was comfortable that we were in the midst of a rebuild with awkwardness because we were still trying to carry our immortals, with respect
Do you believe we have the right people in charge of the on field stuff going forward?
Good question that I doubt will receive a succinct reply.
I have a lot of respect for Chris Scott. Not blind faith, but respect. Nothing stands still in life and footy, and of course Scotty and his team will be judged perhaps more acutely these next 2 seasons given our recent shopping spree and departures, and the fact he is nearing the end of the contract, but I have some confidence in his methods.
It appears there are changes each year to personnel--High Performance team last year, etc.
As far as his assistance and assistants, there appears to be a lot of BF innuendo about Shane O'Bree, but clearly, supporters like us who are not in the know, are simply that, not in the know, and if we were, we would not be here on BF spilling information.
Suffice it to say, we have had a fantastic run and the powers are full-time employees who eat, drink, and breathe Geelong FC.
I do have this quaint or old fashioned notion that our forwards should have the best available forward coach, somebody who had success there as a player perhaps, but proven coaching success.
Similarly, the MF, Defence, Rucks should be having input from the best available caching staff.
When I heard Ottens had gone for whatever reason, possibly financial, I felt some concern. Do we even have a ruck coach?
Scarlett in defence sounds like a no-brainer from the playing record, and the work he'd done at The Kennel can easily be assessed.
Max has departed. We are not dying wondering.
These next 2 seasons will have the answers, but right now, until proven otherwise, I will assume we have the best available on - field staff for that period.
As someone who was there during the 44 year drought, what did 07 mean to you?
I literally went to the Mens just before the first bounce and prayed- that we can not possibly lose this one, PLEASE. A silent but fervent prayer while peeing. Sorry about the info.
It was a surreal feeling. Half way through the 3rd Q, I hardly saw the game; just oodles of congratulatory text messages from many non Cat fan friends who knew how long suffering we'd been. And yet, it was still hard to accept we had it until a little way into the last Q. Then we could finally relax and dare to believe this was our flag.
Watching the boys just play right to the very end, an emphatic win; it was like erasing all the previous GF losses with one 20 goal win. Not quite, but what a way to win your first flag in 44 years.
Some of the special memories included staying back for endless renditions of WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS. Great to experience that. And queueing up for our first ever WEG poster. And finally catching that train back to the Eastern suburbs as a GF winner. I turned up to an operating theatre on the Monday after the GF with a specially made Geelong hooped theatre top on, that I was allowed to wear for the whole list. People were very understanding of what it meant to me!!
That drive to Kardinia Park on the Sunday to celebrate the win with so many like-minded drivers trekking down the Geelong highway, 5 kids on board, and my footy mate...We had a 7 seater at the time.
Great memories Willo; I'm feeling it would be good to experience that again, but I also feel some empathy for our poorer Doggies, Demons, and Saints fans- well, just a little.
And after the drought was finally broken could you picture another 2 being won in a short amount of time after?
I remember walking with my mate, Polly Farmer on BF, and we were thinking Geelong was a cert for 08. Everything was perfect. Hawkins still to emerge, Nathan Ablett would only improve, we appeared to be invincible. Winning a GF by 20 goals- what could go wrong?
Then I recall how shattered I was by the Nathan Ablett news. Could not believe it. Having the memories of the 60's and 80's/90's, I was already feeling the 08 season was compromised.
Nevertheless we had a stunning 08 season, only blemish was the Pies game. Anybody who recalls my posting back then, I was admittedly very nervous at best, I was convinced the magnitude of that loss was a sign of impending doom in the finals, and our September form was not as good as Hawthorn's....and injuries of course...so, no, I did not pick us to win the 08 GF once finals came. The negativity was irrational, and unpopular, but I could not help it. And it had to be Hawthorn to take advantage of this!!!
Then Saints in 09 seemed to be the next team destined to stop our quest for glory. They had a stunning 09 season, but their last 2 losses gave me some hope, and I can honestly say, after a season of fear, nervousness, and intimidation by St. Kilda, by GF day, I thought we were finally a real show. Again, our September form was better than theirs, and I did some research, and developed a little formula whereby the performances in September FOR/AGAINST, was a really accurate determinant of which team would win the GF. It works best of course when the top 4 teams end up the top 4 teams after finals and play each other.
This carried through to 2011 as well. That imho, was our most perfect season ever. To have beaten the 2010 Premiers 3x including the GF, Hawthorn 3x, including A FINAL- something I'd never seen, and to have beaten WCE in a final as well, finally, to get our flag, was just brilliant.
And of course, my boy Varcoe had some sort of game.
I recall calling Partridge at half time of the 2011 GF, to see if he gave us a show, as we tended to be equally nervous, and we agreed the last 2 goals before half time gave us a sniff. But no confidence.
But at the start of each season, no way did I give us favouritism.
Interesting you mention Nathan Ablett
What were your thoughts on him and his potential?
2007 he showed a lot. Some of his aerial skills and kicking on both sides was outstanding
I was a real fan. Saw all his games that year. His contribution in the GF was without fear, and as Bomber said, a lot of the hard work had been done, he had a real chance to consolidate in 08. Physically, a great specimen but injuries etc affected him at GC.
Mooney really enjoyed playing with him- he was quite intimidating for opposition defences due to his ability to kick both feet and leading, and gave Mooney a lot of leeway. We missed that in 08. Lonergan tried for sure, but def less fear factor than NAB.
I was definitely one who thought his potential as a KF was huge, and having Mooney, Hawkins and Ablett should have been our future.
I actually felt that if he had the competitive desire of his brother he would have been better than Gaz...
He just made it all look so easy
Some people say the greatest waste of talent ever, but that could be harsh. We are just not aware of his inner struggles, and having tasted a GF success, and to not be lured by the prospect of that again- you can only surmise that his issues were significant and personal and real.
But sheer physical talent alone, even having the presence of mind and ability to flip over that Eagles player like he did on those highlights, is phenomenal.
You mention how people (Cameron Mooney) have said he was the greatest waste of talent ever... in your time as a Cats fan who would you think has been the biggest disappointment, injuries aside..
Injuries aside makes this a challenging question for me.
Disappointments have been many, but majority through injury.
Nathan Ablett is right up there, based on natural ability and genes, and opportunity. It wasn't as if he was under pressure really, to keep his spot.
We got very little return from Hamish McIntosh. INJURIES.
I was hugely disappointed Mark Blake was not given his 100th game- to be stranded on 99, when he was available, and they were rucking Hawk, Vardy at times, was harsh, I thought, but I won't go there again.
Stephen Reynoldson. Fantastic body, good mark and kick; the classic Tarzan/Jane analogy was often used on him. Should have been the next big thing, and was given Sammy's old #17, and he did wear it well early on.
My other huge disappointment was losing Williams, Toohey, and Bolton the way we did.
I was a big fan of Peter Doyle, a very skilled classy MF player, who was cut short by injury.
Finally, the single player apart from those mentioned who should have been a star, but his dodgy back/hamstrings ended that was Paul Lynch.
So, in answer to your question, injuries aside, I'll go for S Reynoldson.
Now one of the most important questions
What got you onto BigFooty?
My brother, who had already been on BigFooty during 2007. He is still a regular poster now, btw.
We were at his place for Christmas lunch, and he told me about this site where you can converse with like-minded footy nuts about anything Geelong, and it sounded appealing. A week later, I signed on and I must say, for a non computer user, it took me a while to learn how to post. Even today, I still type 1 or 2 fingers.
Vinum used to offer lots of advice back then, often not so subtly, but always spot-on, on how to use a computer basically. As it has turned out, our clinics have all become computerised, so I have entered the real world.
So naive was I that I clearly remember thinking that some of these posters were actually ex players; after all, darren forssman was not actually that well known as a player- I liked him though- so early on, I thought his posts were gospel! Sorry Darren , they probably are..
I'll be tagging Daz in that post so I make sure he see's that
And what is it that you enjoy about the site? What keeps you coming back?
Multifactorial.
It clearly is the diversity and talent of the posters we have on the Geelong Board. Way too many and unfair to single any out in this setting, but just a few examples..
The personalities come through loud and clear after a while.
Guys like Bobby- you can feel his pain when we lose and more so now that we are rebuilding, or whatever we are doing. He seems very honest. And his You Tube contributions re Ablett sen etc. are phenomenal.
I have met Partridge, and his posts are always well thought out, brutally honest at times, and he is a top fellow from my limited interactions. One of the first contacts on BF, and an ongoing contributor.
Teriyaki Cat and Kitty you-know-who - both exceptionally giving and vibrant posters.
I could go on all night - we have so many characters that you are likely more aware of than I am- but I'll spare you that.
I thought I was addicted, well I am, but I do get through 12 hour work days with no contact with BF, but one of the best ways I switch off, as it were, after a day of work, exercise and family commitments, is Big Footy.
The knowledge base of many of our posters exceeds what I even want or need to know quite often, but it is always there like a resource.
There are some awesome "extracurricular " sites on our Board that I am now frequenting- 2 Music threads for example. I forget which thread I'm posting on most times.
Pretty amazing entertainment. I feel for those who have not discovered it. Even got my 22yo son onto BF, not by coercion btw. He won't tell me his username.
I read the genuine messages at Christmas time, and going into a New Year, and it seriously is like we are part of a fellowship group.
And for someone like me, who loves a good argument, this place is IT.
And of course, there's all the footy information and discussion and our reason for being here. On the odd occasion I can't get to a game, to be on the Match Day Thread is an experience. Every goal and decision is scrutinised.
The post mortem threads are cathartic for me.
I am always amazed at how optimistic many of our posters are before a game. I am def not in that camp, as many know. But reading their reasons for our expected win is a nice balance that feeds my natural fatalism.
What is the origin of your username?
I started an offseason thread about the origins of posters' usernames several years ago; many responded. I'm sure it's not the first or last thread about usernames.
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/user-names.884951/
(Here is Vdubs post explaining his own as well - FWIW, as Candiehappy is aware, I 've always loved Volkswagons, we have 3 in our family, I aim to own a hot Kombi one day, and the initials of surname are v and w. The reason for the capital letters is when I started using computers, in 2008, invariably left the caps lock on. Hence VEEDUBS.)
And last but not least.... care to hit us with a prediction for 2016?
Prediction 2016.
As have alluded to, this offseason recruiting is certainly a statement of intent, and I would be disappointed with anything less than a top 6 finish, and at least one finals win.
I'll start with 5th, but see no reason we can't displace NM.
Hope and expect top 2 in 2017.
Thank you greatly mate. Appreciate you taking the time to do this.
Jhye Clark 13
07, 09, 11, 22
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Brother on BF. Interested to know who. Another dutchman... the more the merrier. 
Ripping interview Willo_ and the answers were quite refreshing.
I can relate to the older days at KP as a youngster, arriving at the gate at 8am for an early spot in the line in preparedness for that run across the oval to gain a seat at one of the 3 rows of bench that circulated the ground.
If you missed a seat you were left hanging off the fence on the Moorabool street wing for vision. Either that or make your way upon the rocks that separated the Hickey stand from the small scoreboard on the right hand side... anyone remember those rocks?
Ripping interview Willo_ and the answers were quite refreshing.
I can relate to the older days at KP as a youngster, arriving at the gate at 8am for an early spot in the line in preparedness for that run across the oval to gain a seat at one of the 3 rows of bench that circulated the ground.
If you missed a seat you were left hanging off the fence on the Moorabool street wing for vision. Either that or make your way upon the rocks that separated the Hickey stand from the small scoreboard on the right hand side... anyone remember those rocks?
catempire
Premium Platinum
Well worth the wait gents. Great stuff!
Boxhead_31
The Greatest Team Of All
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That was some damn fine probing
Well done Willo and Vdubs
Well done Willo and Vdubs
Loved hearing from someone who suffered through the whole 44 period of pain.
Great interview and looking forward to more
Great interview and looking forward to more
- Banned
- #723
Great stuff there Wilo and great courage in sharing some personal thoughts
Looking forward to the next instalments
Looking forward to the next instalments
Sttew
Brownlow Medallist
Brilliant interview. I feel like I really know Veedubs now!
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