Preview Face-Off : Adelaide v Geelong : Jacobs Out (Official)

[Golumless]

Good. ROB might be a bit of a downgrade for now, but lets see if he can make it. If he's going to be an AFL ruck, he needs games under his belt. He may well be a better option going forward.
The mobility of JJ last week and his marking from kick ins got us rolling against the Swans. We looked a lot better without Sauce.

He probably won't be a downgrade at all. If we're getting a spike in performance from Jenkins being in the ruck, that tells us Jacobs has not only fallen off the cliff, but hit every branch, rock extrusion and whatever other obstacle is also there on the way down.

Jenkins tries hard, but he isn't a good ruck. Worthwhile sacrifice this season in that role as a worst case scenario with our ruck stocks.

 

[Doc_]

He probably won't be a downgrade at all. If we're getting a spike in performance from Jenkins being in the ruck, that tells us Jacobs has not only fallen off the cliff, but hit every branch, rock extrusion and whatever other obstacle is also there on the way down.

Jenkins tries hard, but he isn't a good ruck. Worthwhile sacrifice this season in that role as a worst case scenario with our ruck stocks.

Agreed. But he did not look better than Sauce in the JLT. On a par maybe. I dont think he will be a downgrade, but until he produces a good game at AFL level, we cant call it any other way.

 

[MRB37]

Geelong (like Hawthorn) have had a habit of beating us in very similar ways over the past 7-8 years.

Deny us space via manning the corridor with loose men, and force us to kick long down the wings to a contest.

This holds up our free flowing play, and since we can't take a contested mark up forwards, this limits our scoring.

We become stagnant and unable to get any clean ball movement forward, with our hacked kicks forwards from clearances easily chopped off by a Bartel/Mackie/Taylor/Tuohy.

We need to lower the eyes and hit up Smith Seedsman and Walker 45-55m outsude, rather than bombing on the head of Lynch/Betts/Jenkins in a 2 on 1 30m out, expecting a miracle.

We've had some big games from Jacobs when we've beaten them recently, which is going to be hard to repeat with his injury.

We've done OK at home recently, beat 'em last year, twice in 17, 3-1 overall at Adelaide Oval, it's when we play in Geelong they've really slowed us down by forcing us to play back into the weird shaped pockets their oval has.

 

[Golumless]

Agreed. But he did not look better than Sauce in the JLT. On a par maybe. I dont think he will be a downgrade, but until he produces a good game at AFL level, we cant call it any other way.

Right now, the at worse is he is on par. He'd have to be the reincarnation of Relton Roberts to get worse.

I also disagree, we looked much better when ROB was used.

 

[Bicks]

Why would we want to drop Jones? One of the few blokes in the side with true genuine pace.
Sure he stuffed up a couple of things but he has the pace to trouble an opposition player into a mistake or get free himself.
Jones can also kick both feet and every game he plays now will be money in the bank later. It is not like there is another candidate in the SANFL demanding selection. Who can we throw on Kelly if he becomes dominant?

Jacobs out is a blessing and Murphy just isn't productive enough.
Charlie Cameron gave true forward pressure, Murphy just chases and almost gets there, doesn't take enough marks or kicks enough goals.
He is a trier but has no unique qualities that hurt the opposition. His size hurts and our aim is to build a premiership team.
Unfortunately for Murphy,it would be more advantageous for us to develop players with a greater upside.

I wouldn't mind giving Stengle a run, he has a clean touch and some pace and does appear to know where the goals are.
If Greenwood isn't up for selection I think CEY might get the nod.
He make mistakes but his size worries opposition players, he goes in hard and if needed can sneak forward.
I would also consider Ben Davis but if O'Brien isn't an automatic selection this week what are the chances of Davis being selected?

If CEY's game in the SANFL on Sunday is an indicator for 2019 he's got even slower, he was treacle slow on the weekend and that will get exposed badly at the next level IMO.

 

[Man0gwaR74]

Nice bit of optimism, but we've seen this story a bit too many times from the Cats in the past 5-6 years.

It wasn't from me coz I haven't been this optimistic since about mid way through our last flag winning season(2011). As I mentioned in my previous post, I don't jump on the bandwagon so easily.

 

[Doc_]

Chris Scott in a piece on 9 news saying they circled this game on the calendar. Its going to be hot in the kitchen. Just what we need. My only concern is we will need to clean up our skills, big time.

 

[BRL121]

If CEY's game in the SANFL on Sunday is an indicator for 2019 he's got even slower, he was treacle slow on the weekend and that will get exposed badly at the next level IMO.

I normally agree with you, Bicks, but it looked to me as though CEY played the first half on the weekend in 1st gear, at the maximum: he didn't care. After halftime, he looked suddenly energised and did enough to get into the best. I didn't think slowness, per se, was the problem. He is also one of the few intimidating team members we have.

 

[Crowhorse]

Game will be won at the bookends. Midfields match incredibly well and hate each other’s guts, so it will be up to the composure of both sides forward/back lines.
Cats have an advantage over our depleted backline and our forward line is operational hot mess.
Smith, Seed, Milera and Atkins will need to supercede the midfield arm wrestle and break lines to create more opportunities or we are toast.
With their current form it’s Cats game to lose.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Good analysis. My concern is Knight might come out for Greenwood, which is an extremely negative thing to do

Sure Joel may get possessions but he also has to spend time dealing with Riley and I get the feeling that annoys him more than wearing elastoplast on his head

I would keep Knight in

Knight was Good Friday and was dangerous forward - will definitely play with the Selwood role a decent option lock him in

 

[hey shorty]

Right now, the at worse is he is on par. He'd have to be the reincarnation of Relton Roberts to get worse.

I also disagree, we looked much better when ROB was used.

Particularly against Port early, when ROB came on our mids sparked up.

I love Sam Jacobs, but his body is telling him something his mind doesn't want to hear.... he's done.

 

[beartoo]

If we were playing Collingwood it would be pies without sauce.

 

[hey shorty]

Knight was Good Friday and was dangerous forward - will definitely play with the Selwood role a decent option lock him in

Probably best option since Selwood is playing on a wing now. Riley can burn him offensively.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

We wouldn't use Brad Crouch as a tagger though. You'd just play him on Selwood and back him in to win the ball, hurt him the other way and apply defensive pressure.

Last year I think overall Selwood was slightly below average and Knight was average offensively. That's a big win to Geelong.

Putting Knight in the center also takes Brad out of it naturally, as you'd have to play Knight inside stoppages to tag Selwood. Put Brad Crouch in there instead and it could be a net positive, especially as last year we got smashed in the clearances 27-54.

Tagging is more than just stopping another player. If you don't absolutely crush the other player, you end up losing in other areas as we did on that day with Knight in so many of our stoppages.

I think a lot of us see Knight getting eye gouged and annoying Selwood and think that's a massive win. I hate Selwood and love seeing him annoyed, but I think we've based a lot of our assessments on Knight's output based on his exact performance in this role without considering much else. When looking at Knight's overall contribution to the team, I think he doesn't do enough and his tagging effort was nothing special. Controversial opinion around here it seems.

We’ve won all games since Knight started tagging Selwood which is good enough for me

What we were doing before wasn’t working

 

[Scorpus]

We’ve won all games since Knight started tagging Selwood which is good enough for me

What we were doing before wasn’t working

I think that has more to do with not kicking long to Geelong's outnumber down the ground

 

[Bicks]

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Sorry for intruding gents but would just like to point out anyone sent to tag Selwood is going to spend an awful lot of time on the wing, and dropping a pacy small forward is going to reduce the advantage you'd have over quite a tall backline with Bews, Touhy, and Cam Guthrie all out injured.

 

[ams4crows]

Sorry for intruding gents but would just like to point out anyone sent to tag Selwood is going to spend an awful lot of time on the wing, and dropping a pacy small forward is going to reduce the advantage you'd have over quite a tall backline with Bews, Touhy, and Cam Guthrie all out injured.

Knight who in last few games against Geelong has tagged Selwood, Does play alot on the wing, it'll probably end up being easier for Knight than usual.

It'll be interesting with this new no prohibited contact rule because both Knight and Selwood niggled each other all night, hell Knight got eye gouged last time and Selwood still got the free kick.

 

[Shaz2012]

Sorry for intruding gents but would just like to point out anyone sent to tag Selwood is going to spend an awful lot of time on the wing, and dropping a pacy small forward is going to reduce the advantage you'd have over quite a tall backline with Bews, Touhy, and Cam Guthrie all out injured.

If we do tag Selwood we would be missing a trick in my opinion. Kelly is the guy who we need to shutdown. I’ve got a feeling we won’t put much time into anybody and just go head to head. Hopefully your blokes won’t be able to pick off ROB like mids have been doing to Sauce over the last year. Should be interesting.

 

[Moley Russels Wart]

Very disappointed in the lack of vitriol in this thread. On a serious note, it would be strange if either this Riley fella or Knight bloke tags Selwood from the wing. Especially with the 666 rule, the winger is the only player that can basically start in any zone and you give that strategic option away following an opposition player around.

 

[latinoheat]

Very disappointed in the lack of vitriol in this thread. On a serious note, it would be strange if either this Riley fella or Knight bloke tags Selwood from the wing. Especially with the 666 rule, the winger is the only player that can basically start in any zone and you give that strategic option away following an opposition player around.

Love the name . Constanza fan?

 

[WetCrow1991]

Just smash em, this game isn't at potato park.

Unlike the Hawks game, the Crows will be up for this, we don't like Geelong (who does?) their greatest ever player killed a teenager, what is to like about them? Nothing. Team filled with ducking and diving campaigners. Just rough em up and bit and Scott will wet his pants and get that puppy dog look on his face and his eyebrows will start malting.

No doubt Geelong are having a crack, they've pushed it for one last go, but like Ablett Jnr's hamstrings, they are riding the edge of a mighty tear.

 

[ManInTheArena]

We’ve won all games since Knight started tagging Selwood which is good enough for me

What we were doing before wasn’t working

Selwood was in the middle in those games and the best tag option. I hope we've got a more well thought out plan than "Knight to Selwood", although Neil Craig's plan B "Johncock forward" move was a masterpiece. There are hundreds of factors that need to be taken into consideration, and if Knight doesn't go to Selwood, and we lose, that's not what I'll be blaming unless Selwood has a ridiculous game and it's obvious.

 

[spenze]

They're playing Selwood on a wing???

Last time I saw Selwood on a wing, he cost them the 2018 season

 

[hey shorty]

They're playing Selwood on a wing???

Last time I saw Selwood on a wing, he cost them the 2018 season

Yep and he's started well. Ablett and Danger through the front half and Duncan off half back has worked too.

Like l said though they've been bashed in midfield 2 weeks in a row. Kelly has been a standout but I reckon if we get enough quality ball through there they'll have to throw the big guns back in.