Betts, Pods, the Texan, LJ, JJ and the ranga.....

[jangofett]

I have to say that I believe Jenkins is going to miss out unless he can come on as a ruck. No one has mentioned McKernan so I guess he is of no interest. With JPod now available I believe that Jenkins spot may be in question. He might get a few games whilst Tex is recovering but If Tex is OK then Jenkins will find it tough to get a game. Jenkins kicking is questionable but his footy nous is also questionable. Too many times in 2013 he would take too long to move the ball on and it cost us by slowing down our entry.

Having said that I would like to throw in another option and that is Ottens. I liked some of what I saw him do when he was moved up forward. A few have spoken about LJ being played down back .....perhaps he can change with Ottens. Just a thought.

By the way Happy New Year to all.

I can knock this on the head right now, Otten will not play one game up forward in 2014. If he does, it means something has gone horribly wrong, HORRIBLY wrong

 

[jangofett]

The knock against Lynch is his one Nick Gill-esque shank across the midfield per game, and that he's not a long kick - 45m is his outer limit, and even then it's on the run with no breeze against. It's a lot nicer when forwards who work from the flank up to the wing are able to turn around and test the goal line from +60m when need/opportunity dictates.

Lynch is one of the few players to have a license to kick in the middle in the team, as he is one of the best field kicks.

45m? He seemed to slot them through from outside 50 against north and sydney very easily.

 

[jangofett]

What do you say when you have a forward who has had his first string of AFL games and come out with goals per game equalling/bettering Pavlich, Petrie, Hawkins, Gunston, Schulz despite taking the best defender in a broken forward line?

Well, if you're on the Adelaide BF board you say lazy, one trick pony, never gonna make it, no weapons, club don't rate him so imo he shit, 1 year contract is all he deserves, he's lucky he's not flipping burgers etc

Fully expect us to lose him next year. Probably to port. If he manages to land somewhere with a functioning forward line and forward coach rather than the abortion we had in 2013 Johnston will be one of the leading third talls in the comp

Johnston will not play a game in 2014.

He wouldnt of gotten a game in 2013 if it wasn't for jenkins and then lynch getting injured. Add Pods and Betts to the mix, it makes it near impossible for him to play.

The Interchange cap next year is something a lot of you are ignoring.

Walker, lynch, pods, jenkins, betts

Walker, lynch, pods, betts

Walker, lynch, jenkins, betts

They are our 3 possible best 22 forward lines

The only question about next years forward line is if Jenkins and pods can play in the same side, considering that the cap will mean midfielders will need to spend time forward

Lynch has one of the biggest tanks in the AFL, and may even have the biggest. If he can spend some time on the wing, we might be able to squeeze pods and jenkins in.

But at this stage, it looks like a forward line of:

resting mid Walker Lynch
Betts Jenkins resting mid

 

[jangofett]

I think Podsiadly will be nothing but insurance once tex returns. From all reports, he is not a strong runner, and is close to last in the running sessions.

 

[Slippery Pete]

Can you run through the goals to score six points now?

 

[Pilchard_Adams]

I say you're ignoring the fact that he kicked nearly half his goals in the last quarter of a game we were already winning by 10 goals against a team that was easily in the worst two and arguably in the worst one in the AFL.

This would only really matter when talking about a proven forward surely?

 

[mattymac]

I say you're ignoring the fact that he kicked nearly half his goals in the last quarter of a game we were already winning by 10 goals against a team that was easily in the worst two and arguably in the worst one in the AFL.

Yeah I hate it when we ruthlessly demolish opposition and kill it on percentage once we've bent them over. Especially when the direct opponent is a former AA defender

Lynch played most of the season yet kicked a third of all his goals in one match against 18 year olds. But thats no bar to copious praise on here.

 

[jangofett]

Can you run through the goals to score six points now?

No. But you need to run in order to stay on the field now, and to be able to handle the interchange cap, and forwards need to run even more especially. Keep your intelligent posts coming

 

[mattymac]

Re Johnston, people expecting him to be a KPF are completely missing the point because he simply won't be. A KPF like Tex has an inch and 10 kilos on him. He is clearly a third tall prospect and a very promising one in the Gunston mould. Put their third best defender on him and he will dominate most of them. His main weapon is his ability as a natural footballer to read the play. He appears laconic, but that is as much to do with deceiving defenders as anything. It is actually a weapon if you watch him closely and it probably evolved precisely because he lacks gorilla stature so found other ways to win ball and kick bags.

He's worth pumping some games into. He's had a taste and would've picked up a lot to work on over the pre-season. What really encouraged me was how he adapted to AFL level and his defensive pressure came on in leaps and bounds over just a handful of games, especially coming straight off a knee. Long term he will have zero problem maintaining the defensive intensity required at AFL level. And he has a habit of kicking bags, which is a quality I'm quite fond of.

Whether you're looking at height, smarts, awareness, accuracy, kicking bags...he just reminds of Gunston -ie- will never be a KPF but will find a way to dominate most third defenders and hurt you on the scoreboard.

For mine Jenkins and Pods are playing for a spot. Its not a bad thing. Pods only has a year or two and Jenkins realistically needs a year or so more development, coming off his non-footy background. I think we went a bit early on him and he could use a spell out of the spotlight to sort his kicking and rucking out. I would play Pods as 2nd KPF to Walker at the start of the season, using Pods' experience and leadership while we bed in our new forward structure. Pods can ruck in the 50. Then start swapping in Jenkins against weaker opposition to get games into him and rest Pods. By next year I'd start reversing it with Jenkins progressively taking over as fulltime KPF. The beauty of our ressies arrangement now is the two of them can swap seamlessly between the ressies and the seniors into exactly the same position and structure, which could be excellent for Jenkins' development.

 

[Paladin]

I think Podsiadly will be nothing but insurance once tex returns. From all reports, he is not a strong runner, and is close to last in the running sessions.

Gee you get a lot wrong. Pods played more minutes per game than any other Geelong player last year because of his strong running ability. Hawkins stayed in the square due to his back issues and Pods roamed the field.

While perhaps not looking a classical forward Otten performed well in the role impossible to argue otherwise. More than likely not needed up front in 2014 but has shown he can do it.

 

[Elder van Berlo]

Yeah I hate it when we ruthlessly demolish opposition and kill it on percentage once we've bent them over. Especially when the direct opponent is a former AA defender

Lynch played most of the season yet kicked a third of all his goals in one match against 18 year olds. But thats no bar to copious praise on here.

Look, there's nothing wrong with dining out on Melbourne, but when you're talking about Johnston's goal per game average being comparable with the competition's elite as evidence to support whatever point you're making, you have to look at the bare numbers in their context.

I'm not saying that beating up on the Dees makes Johnston a bad player, but I don't think his goals per game average is worth crackers because it's been so artificially inflated by that one quarter which was completely meaningless.

As for Lynch, he gets a lot of praise on here for a lot of reasons, but I don't see anyone saying "he kicked 33 goals this year and is therefore a gun". If they did, I expect they'd get called out on it for the exact reason you pointed out. His 10 goal game was nice, but it's the things he does besides kicking goals (as well as his ability to chip in on the scoreboard) that earn him praise.

 

[mattymac]

Look, there's nothing wrong with dining out on Melbourne, but when you're talking about Johnston's goal per game average being comparable with the competition's elite as evidence to support whatever point you're making, you have to look at the bare numbers in their context.

Except I didn't use it as evidence for anything. I pointed out the narrative that he gets rewarded with on here after mixing it with those guys in his first string of games. Its quite pathetic really.

 

[Elder van Berlo]

Ok, I haven't really noticed that narrative. I think most people just view him as being a bit back in the pecking order.

 

[Tex200]

Gee you get a lot wrong. Pods played more minutes per game than any other Geelong player last year because of his strong running ability. Hawkins stayed in the square due to his back issues and Pods roamed the field.

While perhaps not looking a classical forward Otten performed well in the role impossible to argue otherwise. More than likely not needed up front in 2014 but has shown he can do it.

If you follow her posting history you will work out its Tom Lynch's mum

This influences all posts - no objectivity whatsoever.

 

[Slippery Pete]

If you follow her posting history you will work out its Tom Lynch's mum

This influences all posts - no objectivity whatsoever.

I thought she was Lewis Johnston's ex.

 

[NTRabbit]

Lynch is one of the few players to have a license to kick in the middle in the team, as he is one of the best field kicks.

He's not, he's in the average band. He's also prone to making 1 or 2 terrible shanks off the side of the boot per game, usually when he's trying to switch play across the middle.

45m? He seemed to slot them through from outside 50 against north and sydney very easily.

Bouncing through the square doesn't really count. When you talk about someone being a long range goal kicker they're clearing the hands of all but Sandilands when doing it. Lynch is easily the shortest kick of our not-small forwards, and is handily outranged by a good portion of our midfield as well.

Lynch works hard to create options well up and down the ground, he has good hands, can kick good opportunist goals inside 50 and very much keeps his defender honest, but he is not a long goal kick or a super accurate field kick.

 

[Paladin]

If you follow her posting history you will work out its Tom Lynch's mum

This influences all posts - no objectivity whatsoever.

Makes sense now

 

[jangofett]

If you follow her posting history you will work out its Tom Lynch's mum

This influences all posts - no objectivity whatsoever.

lynch is my favourite player, will be a star

Gee you get a lot wrong. Pods played more minutes per game than any other Geelong player last year because of his strong running ability. Hawkins stayed in the square due to his back issues and Pods roamed the field.

While perhaps not looking a classical forward Otten performed well in the role impossible to argue otherwise. More than likely not needed up front in 2014 but has shown he can do it.

Pods is not strong aerobically, as he has been coming in the last few in the running. The fact he played more minutes is because he was healthy.

Otten performed ok, and i didnt say otherwise. But he wont play up forward for any amount of time in 2014. Way too many ahead of him

 

[jangofett]

Where does this leave petrenko and porplyzia? Will they get a game in 2014? Sandersons love for porpoise might mean he gives him a gold pass again

 

[MRB37]

Walker says he wants to return via the SANFL, which means we can likely rule out a Rd 1 return.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Where does this leave petrenko and porplyzia? Will they get a game in 2014? Sandersons love for porpoise might mean he gives him a gold pass again

Who does he love more out of the two? Would be neck and neck I reckon.

 

[FR0GGY]

Who does he love more out of the two? Would be neck and neck I reckon.

The porpoise by a nose

 

[BrissyCrow]

lynch is my favourite player, will be a star




Pods is not strong aerobically, as he has been coming in the last few in the running. The fact he played more minutes is because he was healthy.

Otten performed ok, and i didnt say otherwise. But he wont play up forward for any amount of time in 2014. Way too many ahead of him

You seem to have a very strong opinion almost as if you are stating a fact. I think we have many options up forward which include Ottens. How can you definitely say Ottens wont play up forward. Personally I would play him up there ahead of Jenlins but that's just my opinion.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Who does he love more out of the two? Would be neck and neck I reckon.

Reckon Sando has less man love for both compared to last year. Both lost form & credit points such that they will need to fight their way back into first team. Cap on rotations will hinder pets.

 

[Elder van Berlo]

I don't rate Pets at all, but it will be interesting to see how he goes with a full pre-season under his belt. It's easy to forget he had shoulder surgery which really restricted him, and then apparently struggled with his knees during the year. He's battling from a way back in the pecking order, but if he's fully fit... I'd have early 2012 Petrenko in my team every day.