Adjusting to Geelong's position in the AFL in 2014

[sauron256]

Good to see the media are reading my BF posts.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...ession-game-ever/story-fni5f6yf-1226926017021

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

premiership teams dont beat richmond by just 5 points

http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2009/091420090404.html
http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2012/141620120512.html
http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2013/101420130803.html

And the Richmond side that we beat a couple of weeks ago was a lot better than the Essendon side that rolled us in 2011.

http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2011/050920110702.html

 

[dazbroncos]

I disagree.

I don't think we can win the flag, but then I didn't before the season either. However I still think we are comfortably a top 4 side.

We didn't make the most of our momentum in the Port game and got what we deserved for being wasteful, and while we got blown away in the first quarter against Freo, I thought we were pretty good after that, especially considering we had some of our seasoned campaigners having simultaneous shockers.

We haven't had a great run with injuries so far this year, and that hasn't helped either. I'll be waiting at least another couple of months before I even start contemplating any possible fatal flaws in our side/list.

Quite simply, I think our best footy is ahead of us this year.

Agree with the bolded. Injuries have not helped us but if we can get a cleanish run at it going forward, we can play well enough to effect the top 2, be in the top 4 and if it alls falls right, we can beat anyone on any given day still. WE need a lot to go right for that to happen but it is possible.

Go Catters

 

[you pick one]

We are higher on the ladder than I expected us to be this year even with a few injuries,but Last week was disappointing we couldn't have got Freo at a better time minus Pav's 300 of cause,but in the end the score line flattered us we could have got a real flogging,we don't hold that mental edge over any one any more (Hawthorn maybe?) and most still see us as a big scalp because of our sustained run around the top of the ladder and some of the flogging we handed them during that time, so they now bring their A game to the contest looking for some sort of revenge,(so no easy games for us).It worries me that nearly every side now sees us as beatable if they can pressure us even Richmond got momentum up against us.
We're still a reasonable side and maybe a good side with a full list to choose from,but are we improving right now or in decline?to me our old hands seem to be falling off at around the same pace as some of the newer boys are coming on,we won't bottom out like Brisbane but I don't see a another flag in the near future,certainly not 2015/16 which I believe was the aim.

 

[Partridge]

We are higher on the ladder than I expected us to be this year even with a few injuries,but Last week was disappointing we couldn't have got Freo at a better time minus Pav's 300 of cause,but in the end the score line flattered us we could have got a real flogging,we don't hold that mental edge over any one any more (Hawthorn maybe?) and most still see us as a big scalp because of our sustained run around the top of the ladder and some of the flogging we handed them during that time, so they now bring their A game to the contest looking for some sort of revenge,(so no easy games for us).It worries me that nearly every side now sees us as beatable if they can pressure us even Richmond got momentum up against us.
We're still a reasonable side and maybe a good side with a full list to choose from,but are we improving right now or in decline?to me our old hands seem to be falling off at around the same pace as some of the newer boys are coming on,we won't bottom out like Brisbane but I don't see a another flag in the near future,certainly not 2015/16 which I believe was the aim.

Really wish people would stop saying this.

I hate to break to everyone, but we last won the premiership over 2 seasons ago now. We are not the benchmark. We are not the "hunted". We're a good side that other sides match up well on and others don't. Opposition sides do not reach an amazing new level just for us, that's complete bullshit (because Adelaide, Brisbane, Collingwood, West Coast and Hawthorn already this year certainly didn't).

The team simply isn't as good, and for the time being is going to lose more games than supporters are now used to.

 

[you pick one]

Really wish people would stop saying this.

I hate to break to everyone, but we last won the premiership over 2 seasons ago now. We are not the benchmark. We are not the "hunted". We're a good side that other sides match up well on and others don't. Opposition sides do not reach an amazing new level just for us, that's complete bullshit (because Adelaide, Brisbane, Collingwood, West Coast and Hawthorn already this year certainly didn't).

The team simply isn't as good, and for the time being is going to lose more games than supporters are now used to.

I didn't say anything about amazing new levels,just their best no different to when we play the Hawks,look at the reaction of the whole team with the Hawkins goal after the siren and tell me we don't go up a gear for their games.

 

[Partridge]

I didn't say anything about amazing new levels,just their best no different to when we play the Hawks,look at the reaction of the whole team with the Hawkins goal after the siren and tell me we don't go up a gear for their games.

That was over a year ago now. It's still repeated like a mantra - "sides bring their A game", "sides go up a gear". They don't. Good sides that have gone past us tend to beat us (Fremantle especially), and sides that aren't don't (Adelaide, West Coast).

 

[you pick one]

That was over a year ago now. It's still repeated like a mantra - "sides bring their A game", "sides go up a gear". They don't. Good sides that have gone past us tend to beat us (Fremantle especially), and sides that aren't don't (Adelaide, West Coast).

Well lets look at this year then our best performance?Hawthorn for me.

 

[fpm84]

Glass half full approach: if results go the way the bookies/experts predict this weekend and we beat North while Port Adelaide beat Hawthorn, we'll be sitting in second spot by Sunday, a game clear of Hawthorn and Sydney.

 

[TheJimmyCartel]

Glass half full approach: if results go the way the bookies/experts predict this weekend and we beat North while Port Adelaide beat Hawthorn, we'll be sitting in second spot by Sunday, a game clear of Hawthorn and Sydney.

Also from positive perspective, even if we aren't currently as good as we'd like to think we are, we can improve a lot and we've won enough games to get ahead of the pack to start the year. Get the balance right, get another forward target (not so straight forward but there are options not being used/injured), and add some significant midfield grunt in Bundy and Caddy.If we can be 20% better in the back half of the year we can definitely give it a shake.

 

[Big Fozza]

it would be nice to win every week but most times i'm happy just not supporting Richmond

 

[uranium_death]

As per reports in papers, we need to improve our contested ball. When we win contested ball, we win most quarters.
When we lost contested ball, we only win about 33% of quarters.

We were showed up last week against Fremantle where they were pummeling us - North are a gutsy team and we need to turn up completely committed.

That should be the one big focus this week, I would have thought (but I'm not a coach - just some dude on BigFooty)

 

[Biggy_Boy]

http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2009/091420090404.html
http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2012/141620120512.html
http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2013/101420130803.html

And the Richmond side that we beat a couple of weeks ago was a lot better than the Essendon side that rolled us in 2011.

http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2011/050920110702.html

Bit of a difference between 5 and 20.

 

[Vdubs]

I disagree.

I don't think we can win the flag, but then I didn't before the season either. However I still think we are comfortably a top 4 side.

We didn't make the most of our momentum in the Port game and got what we deserved for being wasteful, and while we got blown away in the first quarter against Freo, I thought we were pretty good after that, especially considering we had some of our seasoned campaigners having simultaneous shockers.

We haven't had a great run with injuries so far this year, and that hasn't helped either. I'll be waiting at least another couple of months before I even start contemplating any possible fatal flaws in our side/list.

Quite simply, I think our best footy is ahead of us this year.

Agree and disagree
Some of our seasoned warriors are past it.
Some of our young hopes are not up to it.
Some of the rest are awesome.
The net effect is what we are seeing evolve.

 

[meto]

Personally I believe almost all of our first round picks have been stuffed by Stephen Wells over recent years. You should be judged on the correctness of your early round selections, these are the ones that should be most likely and most likely to get right.

The others beyond the second round are an educated guess, but this shouldn't be the case with our first round selection.
This hasn't helped our present position with a lack of maturing quality in our reserves.
Basically first year kids there atm.

 

[barmy44]

premiership teams dont beat richmond by just 5 points

sometimes they lose to them by 10 goals...

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Personally I believe almost all of our first round picks have been stuffed by Stephen Wells over recent years. You should be judged on the correctness of the early round selections, these are the ones that should be most likely.

The others beyond the second round are an educated guess, but this shouldn't be the case with our first round selection.
This hasn't helped our present position.

2007: Harry Taylor
2008: Mitch Brown
2009: Daniel Menzel
2010: Billie Smedts/Cam Guthrie
2011: Traded first round pick (26) for picks 32 and 34, which were used on Hamling and Kersten.
2012: Thurlow
2013: Lang

Out of those, Taylor was an exceptional pick and just what we needed. Brown has been a real disappointment, but he's struggled with injuries. Menzel was a really good pick, but has obviously been struck down by injury, which isn't Wells' fault. Smedts has yet to deliver, but Guthrie looks good.

I have questions over whether Thurlow and Lang were the best options at the points they were taken. I think Grundy would've been more valuable last year, and several players who went later seem like better prospects than Lang, but we haven't seen enough of either to judge yet.

Not counting Menzel, Brown is the only real failure thus far.

 

[meto]

2007: Harry Taylor
2008: Mitch Brown
2009: Daniel Menzel
2010: Billie Smedts/Cam Guthrie
2011: Traded first round pick (26) for picks 32 and 34, which were used on Hamling and Kersten.
2012: Thurlow
2013: Lang

Out of those, Taylor was an exceptional pick and just what we needed. Brown has been a real disappointment, but he's struggled with injuries. Menzel was a really good pick, but has obviously been struck down by injury, which isn't Wells' fault. Smedts has yet to deliver, but Guthrie looks good.

I have questions over whether Thurlow and Lang were the best options at the points they were taken. I think Grundy would've been more valuable last year, and several players who went later seem like better prospects than Lang, but we haven't seen enough of either to judge yet.

Not counting Menzel, Brown is the only real failure thus far.

Basically it's a strike out since 07 with first picks it looks atm. That's not a good av.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Basically it's a strike out since 07 with first picks it looks atm. That's not a good av.

It's a bit too early to judge Thurlow and Lang, and as I said, Menzel looked like a potential star. The fact that he's been ravaged by injury isn't the fault of the recruiters.

I really feel like Lang was one of those picks where he was trying to be smart about it, but there really were better options on the table. Should save that creative drafting for the later picks. Lang could turn out to be a gun, though.

 

[meto]

It's a bit too early to judge Thurlow and Lang, and as I said, Menzel looked like a potential star. The fact that he's been ravaged by injury isn't the fault of the recruiters.

I really feel like Lang was one of those picks were he was trying to be smart about it, but there really were better options on the table. Should save that creative drafting for the later picks. Lang could turn out to be a gun, though.

It's a bit sad when he enjoys wowing everybody and we look back over the last 1/2 dozen years, any wonder we're now starting to struggle.
Menzel was unfortunate.
I think the one before Harry was Varcoe?....how well is he tracking?

 

[Biggy_Boy]

It's a bit sad when he enjoys wowing everybody and we look back over the last 1/2 dozen years, any wonder we're now starting to struggle.
Menzel was unfortunate.
I think the one before Harry was Varcoe?....how well is he tracking?

No. The one before Harry was Selwood. How is he tracking?

 

[RegHickeyStand]

I disagree.

I don't think we can win the flag, but then I didn't before the season either. However I still think we are comfortably a top 4 side.

.....

Still think that if we get rolled by North this week?

That is a test.

 

[Vdubs]

Really wish people would stop saying this.

I hate to break to everyone, but we last won the premiership over 2 seasons ago now. We are not the benchmark. We are not the "hunted". We're a good side that other sides match up well on and others don't. Opposition sides do not reach an amazing new level just for us, that's complete bullshit (because Adelaide, Brisbane, Collingwood, West Coast and Hawthorn already this year certainly didn't).

The team simply isn't as good, and for the time being is going to lose more games than supporters are now used to.

Too true.
As we are at present, and for the foreseeable future, we are not the team anymore that can almost win at will. I see every team has a very real chance against us, every team, and that is not the hallmark of the best team.

 

[AM]

The list management decisions made by the club before the season were clearly indicative of renewal. Frankly, I'm both pleased and surprised at our ladder position as we speak. I'd prepared myself for a final 8 rather than final 4 finish before the serious stuff got underway and I'd be content with achieving that.

 

[meto]

No. The one before Harry was Selwood. How is he tracking?

He would have been killed that year if he'd done the rabbit trick, no we're talking since Taylor. The obvious ones are generally that way for a very good reason, that's the point, and you're making it for me!

We shouldn't be crossing fingers thinking we've plucked stars for rd 50 and rookie picks, they're not the ones we should should be relying on, it's that important Wells does it right with our limited earlier pick or picks.
And of late he's failed.