- Apr 18, 2005
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Dropping a recognised ruckman wasn’t a great decision
Geelong: why are they just not good enough?
- Thread starter Bunk Moreland
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They're not being coached properly. They should be taking the game on and not playing like a deer in headlights
One of the very few times I agree with you Xtreme
- Oct 8, 2004
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No ruck. Too slow. Not enough risk taking.
Very hard at the ball but that's not enough. VFL 1980s footy.
Very hard at the ball but that's not enough. VFL 1980s footy.
Spot on, they seem very hesitant. The only time they looked good against Collingwood was when they went for broke in the final quarter.
Still need a decent second tall forward. Doesn't help when your AA forward gets donuts.
Strapping Young Lad
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Some of them don’t, while Dangerfield takes the game on probably too much. He just rushes it forward at all cost, and turns it over a lot of the time.
For such a big game player he lacks composure.
- Jun 23, 2008
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Fair call, correct.
Still, currently staring down the barrel at straight sets for a second time, and a 4th top-2 H&A finish without a GF appearance, under Chris Scott.
- Jun 23, 2008
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I think that's partly a reaction to the mucking around that's come beforehand though, like he can feel the game slipping away and feels held back by the gameplan. It really looked like a few times in the last quarter he was just like "Yeah, f**k this", and just floored it and moved the ball forward directly. No coincidence that Geelong looked their most dangerous then, too.
- Jun 23, 2008
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I don't know what they're wanting from their rucks, exactly.
Zac Smith was decent in 2017, then 2018 came around, and everyone acted like he was garbage all along, and he's barely seen a game since.
Rhys Stanley has been decent this year, but for some reason they've decided to tinker with something that wasn't really "wrong" in the first place.
Perhaps they're too enamoured with this idea of a "running ruckman" who will "blow up" his opponent (when does this ever really happen at AFL level?), instead of worrying about what the ruckman does in the actual ruck contests and around stoppages. Yeah, Blicavs can run, but he's not a good ruckman.
- Jun 23, 2008
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Hawkins and Ratugolea almost get robbed of goals every week, between slow, indirect ball movement (often resulting in them being double-teamed by the time the ball gets there) and kicking into the pockets.
BEEG
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Thing is you know what your getting from the Cats they have been one of the best home and away teams for the last decade, they in my opinion have always struggled to find another gear.
The home ground advantage is huge they play alot of good teams down the highway.
I think this year they jumped the comp got teams when they were most vulnerable.
Tom Hawkins sums up Geelong perfectly does great in the regular season and does nothing in finals, I'm sure I will be reminded of that game 9 years ago.
The home ground advantage is huge they play alot of good teams down the highway.
I think this year they jumped the comp got teams when they were most vulnerable.
Tom Hawkins sums up Geelong perfectly does great in the regular season and does nothing in finals, I'm sure I will be reminded of that game 9 years ago.
Ray Donovan
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- Jun 23, 2008
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Does he get a regular game this year with everyone fit? Yeah, good job for an 18-year-old with no pre-season to play 18 games, and gains a lot of distance with his kicks, but hardly set the world on fire either with his 13.8 disposals and 0.6 goals per game.
Chuck him into the 26 instead of O'Connor, or into the 22 instead of Cockatoo, but I don't think he's a key to your fortunes this season at least.
- Jun 23, 2008
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So that comes back to the question - What are Geelong's coaches and fans expecting from their rucks?
Vdubs
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I think we are a 6-10 team, and where we finished rd 23 was artificial. We won early games when other teams were less prepared or injured- WCE, Pies, Tigers, and many at Geelong as usual. Even in full flight, GWS beat us at home convincingly when you watched the game, maybe not on the scoreboard.
Finishing with a double chance and going out in straight sets sounds horrendous, but when you consider the teams that get rid of us, Pies and WCE, it makes sense. Last year's GF teams. They are both better teams, better rucks, better MF, better overall depth and talent, and quicker.
Watching Richmond last pm, it would be ridiculous thinking we could challenge them in 2 weeks.
WCE finished 5th, not sure why, but they look a lot more likely to challenge Richmond.
Hopefully, it's a Pies Tigers GF with Pies winning.
Our early season barometer, imho, was Gary Rohan- there is a statement in itself.
GAJ is looking very slow, while Selwood, Hawkins and Taylor are cooked.
Danger.. thank God we have him because he is a rare talent, even if a little wasteful.
Finishing with a double chance and going out in straight sets sounds horrendous, but when you consider the teams that get rid of us, Pies and WCE, it makes sense. Last year's GF teams. They are both better teams, better rucks, better MF, better overall depth and talent, and quicker.
Watching Richmond last pm, it would be ridiculous thinking we could challenge them in 2 weeks.
WCE finished 5th, not sure why, but they look a lot more likely to challenge Richmond.
Hopefully, it's a Pies Tigers GF with Pies winning.
Our early season barometer, imho, was Gary Rohan- there is a statement in itself.
GAJ is looking very slow, while Selwood, Hawkins and Taylor are cooked.
Danger.. thank God we have him because he is a rare talent, even if a little wasteful.
- Jun 23, 2008
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No doubt there's a drop in finals, but he'd hardly be alone, among teammates and key forwards in general. Gets some horrible and infrequent supply sometimes, given the talented teams he's played in and his known contested marking ability and workrate.
There's some truth to the idea that Scott's talk doesn't help. Since 2012, they're 23-16 against Vctorian tenants at the MCG during the home and away season, and 1-5 in the same period. Their lack of speed and a good ruckman also gets exposed in finals, which I don't think is necessarily a ground issue.
they clearly peaked too early this year. Flew out of the blocks and couldn't sustain it.
The game style the other night was so conservative it was painful. What was their theory of winning? Get it forward enough, create contests in the pockets and their small forwards (Rohan, Ablett, etc) would get the job done?
That they'd win enough midfield clearance that it wouldn't matter?
That Collingwood would slice them open if they went offensive and used teh corridor, so they played conservatively by default?
I dunno - I'm not trying to be a jerk about it - just not seeing how that plan could lead to a win.
Maybe Collingwood just stoped them from playing the way they wanted to?
The game style the other night was so conservative it was painful. What was their theory of winning? Get it forward enough, create contests in the pockets and their small forwards (Rohan, Ablett, etc) would get the job done?
That they'd win enough midfield clearance that it wouldn't matter?
That Collingwood would slice them open if they went offensive and used teh corridor, so they played conservatively by default?
I dunno - I'm not trying to be a jerk about it - just not seeing how that plan could lead to a win.
Maybe Collingwood just stoped them from playing the way they wanted to?
Vdubs
Hall of Famer
Your last statement is the clincher
Even some of the wins this year ( you are allways happy to win but ) - the StKilda game . The return game against Haw - was a typical Geel game- well behind at half time ( and few goals kicked ) - then in the last 10 minutes come home with a bit of a rally - and give them a bit of a fright - and thats it
What you said re conservative/painfull - every media ( ex AFL Player ) pundit has said that - but you know what Scott is like - he is so stubborn - and hes not going to change
It will be interesting this week re Scott - because the media have basically abandoned him ( re selection blunders ) and alot of the Geel supporters have as well
FootyNoobie
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I've been trying to figure this out too, it's completely stumped me.
Why did we change a gameplan that was working and winning us games before the bye to this new one that isn't winning games?
I dont understand it, would love if someone could help me to try and understand the reasoning.
Ray Donovan
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Mate your dribbling s**t up until he did his elbow was in the best 22 clearly made a VFL come back lasted two quarters. I laughed because you were calling him Jordan cunico. Cockatoo hasn't even played a game this year put the pipe down mate
- Jun 23, 2008
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I assumed he was originally getting a game, because others weren't due to injury. He's made a decent account of himself as a first year player, but he's not "clearly best 22" with everyone up and going, really.
Umm, I wasn't...
I know Cunico is a different player, who would likely also be around the mark for Geelong if fit, particularly because he provides a point of difference as an outside runner compared to a lot of their midfielders. He's a better player when fit right now than Clark.
I was putting up an "everyone fully fit" best 22. Would Cockatoo not be in or around the side, if fully fit? I think he would.
Either way, we're quibbling over the 19th-27th players, who aren't exactly going to make or break the Cats' fortunes, surely.
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