Preview JLT1: Geelong V West Coast 4:10 pm AWST @Leederville Oval

[Baby Duck]

How bad was our kicking? Particularly Kelly. Yikes.

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[you pick one]

Fremantle 14.17 (101) def. West Coast 5.9 (39)

What is that? A JLT game from last season. Relax ya'll.

Just as well we didn't play Freo then.

 

[Nickoo]

Didn’t watch game but it looked like we had more scoring shots with poorer accuracy.

Also they started with a goal so got going again quicker than us with an inexperienced fwd half. Only going on scores.

Were we outplayed or toyed with?

Coll lost to the hawks last year first game and maybe west coast got belted in one and won another in the other JLT.


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[Live in hope]

WCE 15.9.99
GFC 8 17 65

Thanks David (and Fred)

 

[you pick one]

Didn’t watch game but it looked like we had more scoring shots with poorer accuracy.

Also they started with a goal so got going again quicker than us with an inexperienced fwd half. Only going on scores.

Were we outplayed or toyed with?

Coll lost to the hawks last year first game and maybe west coast got belted in one and won another in the other JLT.


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They looked the better side all night and play a brand of footy I'd be happy for the Cats to be playing.

 

[Landgraft]

Didn’t watch game but it looked like we had more scoring shots with poorer accuracy.

Also they started with a goal so got going again quicker than us with an inexperienced fwd half. Only going on scores.

Were we outplayed or toyed with?

Coll lost to the hawks last year first game and maybe west coast got belted in one and won another in the other JLT.


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If you were to look at the scoring then we probably missed chances we should have taken, but the massive cluster of point blank scoring chances they got was a little scary. Something that you'd hope not to see in the season proper, or there's a real problem. We're talking ~8 goals at least from in and around the goal square.

 

[Nickoo]

WCE 15.9.99
GFC 8 17 65

17 points?!! 25 scoring shots to 24?!!


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[Play it Sam]

Plus he looks like a mad campaigner!
I don't think either are good enough TBH.
If we're gonna have a player like that I'd rather it be Menegola.
Stops him from getting the ball as much, is fit and can sneak forward for a goal.

He looks like Ray Card, and he was a mad campaigner. GO RAY- we had a few laughs in the lounge room (not the TV room in the old folks facility just yet).
And yes, it looked a step too far for some of the VFL gurus, but early days. Falling over each other trying their guts out, so much at stake for them.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Liked what I saw from Clark. Seems to read the play well, backs himself and he is pretty quick. Backs it up next week and he will play round 1 IMO.
Atkins tried his guts out and was probably the shining light from a pressure standpoint in the forward half.
Parfitt looked good. Hope he goes up a notch this year because we will need it.
Constable should have gotten games last year. They better give him plenty this year. Liked what I saw.
Zuthrie looks like he actually put weight on.
Really happy to see SavRat out there having a real dip. He isn't the number 1 forward (yet) and clearly was missing touch but slot Hawkins in and give him the 2nd best defender and he will do some scoreboard damage.

Two negatives.
MOC. Not AFL grade and I doubt he ever will be. Its an awareness thing and he just doesn't seem to have it. Time to end that experiment.

Still looked to me that Scott has them zone defending. You couldn't do that last year against sides that used the ball well by foot and its doubly important now with the 6-6-6 formation. JLT 1 so maybe reading too much into it but if it happens again next week, I will be concerned that game style, at least defensively, hasn't altered in the off season. Given you can't stick extra defenders behind the ball anymore, or at least after a goal, it's going to be critical that players account for their direct opponent rather than zoning off. Teams that possess the ball will just carve you up.

Not a negative but there was worrying signs for Kolo. Never really got near it and it seemed that he wasn't playing a lock down type of role. Is he lost for a position now with the addition of Rohan/Clark or did he just stink it up in a practice match and I'm worrying about nothing?.

Hard to argue with any of that.

 

[Shadow89]

Not saying he’s not correct, and I don’t wanna see certain players kicking from defence, and that player used to be Lonergan and is now Blicavs in particular.

Just that cynical and BB are literally the only two on here that seemingly never display a positive comment. That grates, every other more negatively minded fellow seemingly is capable of finding something positive to discuss.

Have thought Guthrie in past seasons has been overly harshly spoken about, particularly with regards to softness, and what effect his hair has on that (none), but I think you’ll find you’re wrong on Tuohy. Clark won’t be taking his position, it should be Cam’s, not presently in the best side and Clark off today is ahead of him in the team for mine.

Taylor, Cam, Zuthrie/MOC make way for Tuohy, Bews and Cunico. Fort for Hawkins seems straight forward. Miers, Atkins, Zuthrie/MOC, Constable all fighting for the last spots one we also add Gaz into the team. Personally would swap Miers for Fogarty, leave Atkins and drop both Guthrie’s. Think we need Narkle, Cunico, Tuohy, Duncan, Clark, Rohan for some outside run. Need Atkins and Fogarty for forward pressure. Parfitt and Gaz for goal kicking potency and both Esava and Hawkins to stiffen us up up forward.

Kelly is my concern, is tonight an indication he’s checked out mentally or just rusty. Hope it’s the latter or this year will go very badly with him.

But the biggest issue is still the ruck. We actually added another one and still seem no closer to fixing the problem.

Guth had 9 clearances lol, he doesn't get dropped on the back of that. I've said it for two years running now, that if we play him in the middle, that's his natural spot and he plays at a higher skill level where he's more comfortable. We have enough defenders now, and Sel and Duncan seem to be occupying that 'push back' role, so he plays full-time mid for mine. When we came back in the third, it was off his and Danger's clearance work. When they were both pulled out and all the kids were chucked in along with Fort, the game trailed away.

Loved the look of the new recruits, and even Zuthrie showed some really positive signs. Kelly was atrocious and worst on ground, with MOC not far behind. Loved Atkins, Parfitt was incredible and Clark was everything I hoped he would be when I prayed that we would draft him. Rohan did some good things and Dahl worked into the game well. Fort was well short of it and Abbott should be in front for second ruck. Loved Selwood's new role as on field coach on the wing (near the bench) and drifting around filling holes in defence when needed. Looked rejuvenated.

In regards to selection , for mine, Tuohy, Bews, Hawkins and Ablett come in, Zuthrie, Constable, MOC, Fort, and Taylor out. Can even look at dropping Hendo or Kolo and shift things around so that we have more speed in the backline.

Means our 22 Round 1 would look like:

B: Bews, Blics, Stewart
HB: Clark, Hendo/Kolo, Tuohy
C: Duncan, Parfitt, Guthrie
FO: Stanley, Danger, Kelly (big question mark after today, but I'll give him another game against a team he doesn't want to go to)
HF: Menegola, Rata, Dahl
F: Ablett, Hawkins, Atkins
INT: Sel, Henry, Narkle, Rohan

All in all, a good first hit-out with no injuries and some very encouraging signs from the new guys

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Some positives to take out of tonight for sure, most have already been touched on so I don't think it needs repeating.
The only worry I have (well I have plenty, Crab Guthrie being front and centre) is I'm not sure our defence is prepared for the new 6-6-6 rule correctly.
Blicavs will be fine, Stewart probably aswell but I'm not sure we have a group that's good without numbers advantage and I feel like we could get exposed even further with even numbers, on top of how woefully we get sucked forward and don't fold back quick enough which allows easy "over the top" scores, although I think that more points to the midfields lack of accountability.
Outside of that I reckon the 6-6-6 rule might favour us more than some other teams, we SHOULD have a good clearance midfield even taking out Dangerfield and Ablett (Kelly, Menegola, Parfitt, Selwood, Constable and 1 or 2 others are usually pretty good in that regard) and I reckon a forward line of Hawkins, Sav, Dangerfield and/or Ablett would win far more than 50% of any 1 on 1 contests. Add to that a few high pressure smalls/half forwards and on paper we should be able to keep the ball in our forward half more often than we did last season.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Seems like an unpopular opinion but I thought Rohan looked really dangerous. Not everything worked but at least we looked like scoring when he was around the ball rather than the one paced dross we've seen a fair bit of the last couple of years.

 

[CatRiot]

Our defence looks crap. Clark looks good though.

I wonder how Kelly's season will pan out, he was ordinary at AFL-X and in today's JLT game. I can't see an incentive to drop his bundle other than to help facilitate his trade request, but it would hurt his contract value it would seem.

 

[ButterMill]

They looked the better side all night and play a brand of footy I'd be happy for the Cats to be playing.

Perfect summary.

 

[ButterMill]

Blicavs will be fine, Stewart probably aswell but I'm not sure we have a group that's good without numbers advantage and I feel like we could get exposed even further with even numbers

I think this is dead on. We've played another player coming across to assist for a while now. I think our defence will struggle one on one, especially if match committee don't have the stones to play some senior players in the VFL for balance.

 

[Shadow89]

2 things. Ryan jumps for mark of the year in an unrealistic attempt ... no free.

Dangerfield gets pushed fair and square in the back after kicking forward late ... again no free.

West Coast kicked 2 goals from those non decisions.

Was ridiculous umpiring from the get go. Some insane decisions that had me screaming at a pre-season game. 'Rent an umpire.'

 

[Seeds]

Not sure why we aren’t taking the game on from kick outs...

Have you been on holidays or in a coma for the past 5 year? We are a defense first and almost only team.

 

[Ray Donovan]

Positives:
The girls are playing tomorrow
We never have to play at Leederville again
Hawkins didn't raise a sweat
Oh...and Parfitt

Negatives:
People who think the game is an indication of what will happen in Round 1

Constable ! Was one of geelongs best

 

[Shadow89]

Seriously people? What is it with the Guthrie hate? He's been played out of position for 2 years now, and that's affected his game. Gets played in the middle in the second half, has 9 clearances (the most on the ground) and nearly single-handedly drags us back into the game. Yeah he dropped off in the last, but so did most of the team. He was shit in the first half and then played in the middle and wasn't. It's pretty obvious that he's just being played out of position, given the stark difference between his first half and the third quarter in particular.

 

[Vdubs]

Atkins reminds me of Ruggles. I expect a similar career outcome.

 

[CatRiot]

What do people think of Constable's pace? Will it be an issue?

He can rack up the pill, looks like a natural footballer that can read the play well.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Seriously people? What is it with the Guthrie hate? He's been played out of position for 2 years now, and that's affected his game. Gets played in the middle in the second half, has 9 clearances (the most on the ground) and nearly single-handedly drags us back into the game. Yeah he dropped off in the last, but so did most of the team. He was shit in the first half and then played in the middle and wasn't. It's pretty obvious that he's just being played out of position, given the stark difference between his first half and the third quarter in particular.

No desire, is soft, doesn't chase, pretends to tackle and has poor disposal. Often handballs because he panics under pressure.

 

[Vdubs]

No desire, is soft, doesn't chase, pretends to tackle and has poor disposal. Often handballs because he panics under pressure.

Apart from that, he seems like a good player.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Apart from that, he seems like a good player.

If you say so.

 

[Play it Sam]

Was ridiculous umpiring from the get go. Some insane decisions that had me screaming at a pre-season game. 'Rent an umpire.'

Agreed. One of those umps still digesting his Christmas pud. Freaking LAZY...off the ball too far, and I say - bet this lazy basset calls a free, too far to run for the ball up. Sure enough! GRRRR