Review Geelong tries its best to lose and finds a way to stagger to a 4 point win over Demons

[Glassjaw]

BS.

Astute, lol. Can't deny any of that; they're facts. With the exception of the list clogger opinion.

 

[Cursed Cat]

Blicavs was very good today.
As was O'Connor.
Guthrie played his best game in a long time.
Kolo was solid
Tuohy is very lucky Stewart is injured or he would be Melbourne's captain. Still would if I was selecting.
Fort tried very hard and actually wore Gawn out.
Ratagolea's first half of the third quarter was the difference in the end.
For mine we need speed and players confident of hitting targets ahead of the ball.
Clarke and Narkle and Cockatoo are those players.
Take a risk at breaking the game open and get dropped.
In: Taylor, Clarke, Narkle
Out: Atkins, Stewart, Menegola

Good post Larry D, agreed with basically all of it although maybe I was a touch more lenient on Tuohy than you ..

re: the bolded; Ratugolea continues to frustrate and very occasionally tantalize ...

I've been a big advocate, but then again I was also an advocate of giving all of our post-Podsiadly Key Forward options a good strong run at it.
Mitch Brown, Josh Walker, Shane Kersten; I never felt as though the MC quite gave them enough time or support to really establish themselves - granted, none of those 3 really screamed out to be picked, there were ups and downs, mainly downs, a few glimpses of potential here and there.

Tom Hawkins himself is the best example of a talented KF taking his time to lock down the role (and he still has more 'off' days than most would like - playing KF in the modern age is a tough gig even for the best).

I'd run out of patience with Esava by half time of this match, despite a determined and concerted effort on my own fickle part not to 'blink' when it came to his development - I kept making myself remember the fact that he helped contribute to a win against WCE in a do-or-die final just last year.
And he has been horribly out-of-form in recent weeks, highlighted last week by a terrible decision to double-fist the ball back into play rather than mark or shepherd on the goal-line.

He was pretty poor again today apart from the 10-minute patch both you and I have alluded to, and yet even then I thought he had his opponent dead beaten on a few occasions only to fluff his lines badly.

I'm still inclined to persist with Esava; he does himself a small favour by being reasonable ruck relief, too.

 

[iameviljez]

One thing is certain, I would rather a Mourinho then a Garry Monk.

Sure, but I'd rather a Wenger over either.

One of the best things about being a Geelong supporter under Blight and Thompson was that we were great to watch.

 

[Cataholic]

We aren't. But I lean towards making them push them out rather than kicking those who have done it before to the curb.

Would usually agree, and it's a respectful approach no less, but I'm thinking we're at a point where we simply MUST try / do something different with our players and / or gameplan.

The side is wasting away before our eyes, and continually holding on to what isn't working isn't smart imo.

Concede we're not in a premiership window, and start laying the foundations now for our next tilt. Get the kids in, let them learn through their mistakes, and look forward to reaping the reward down the track.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Experiment. Indulge me.

No pressure. Good, ok, poor. List the players in those categories.
Pressured. Good, ok, poor.
On the run (sprinting). Good, ok, poor.

Should narrow down the players that can be classed as good ball users.

Parfitt, Miers, Ablett and strangely Hawkins can think quickly under pressure and work a legitimate path out of it.
Stewart , 2E, Duncan great kicks under no pressure. (Except finals)
Menegola a nice flat kick that works 50% of the time. Handballing needs work.
Guthrie ok. Not great but ok under most situations.
Danger? You just don't know under any situation.
Kolo, Taylor, + most others fine under no pressure but dont set much up.
Blitz, O,Connor, Sav not traditional Aussie Rules players and can be poor under any situation. Sometimes O'Connor can pull out a ripper though. But not often.

 

[thecatattack]

Totally agree - unfortunately we haven't seen consistency from him with his performances this year

Outside of the Hawks game he has a total of 13 disposals & 1 goal

The other issue with Atkins this year is the lack of tackling pressure - 5 tackles last week to go with 5 disposals, but only 1 tackle in his other 3 games

Ya, I agree with this.

If he's not getting touches or goals I don't mind him just being a pressure player and tackling. But if he's doing none of that then what's the point.

 

[Spazz Cat]

That's how I saw his second half.

His first half was actually worse.

 

[00VicWard001]

Last year, we played like a million bucks in the first half of the season. Then Got worked out, injured, tired and fell apart. All I know is that at this stage, all that matters is getting Wins.

The season is so long that we may as well have a boring game plan for other teams to analyse for the first half of the year and then pull out something different to finish the year off strongly.

 

[you pick one]

Would usually agree, and it's a respectful approach no less, but I'm thinking we're at a point where we simply MUST try / do something different with our players and / or gameplan.

The side is wasting away before our eyes, and continually holding on to what isn't working isn't smart imo.

Concede we're not in a premiership window, and start laying the foundations now for our next tilt. Get the kids in, let them learn through their mistakes, and look forward to reaping the reward down the track.

Scotts trying to hold back the dam wall long enough to steal another contract,so more of the same to come.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Parfitt, Miers, Ablett and strangely Hawkins can think quickly under pressure and work a legitimate path out of it.
Stewart , 2E, Duncan great kicks under no pressure. (Except finals)
Menegola a nice flat kick that works 50% of the time. Handballing needs work.
Guthrie ok. Not great but ok under most situations.
Danger? You just don't know under any situation.
Kolo, Taylor, + most others fine under no pressure but dont set much up.
Blitz, O,Connor, Sav not traditional Aussie Rules players and can be poor under any situation. Sometimes O'Connor can pull out a ripper though. But not often.

Given that’s a good proportion of the team does that paint the picture of gung-ho footy for 100 minutes?

Rightfully, I think we need the sting to go out of the game first before going quick

 

[DangerHere]

Would usually agree, and it's a respectful approach no less, but I'm thinking we're at a point where we simply MUST try / do something different with our players and / or gameplan.

The side is wasting away before our eyes, and continually holding on to what isn't working isn't smart imo.

Concede we're not in a premiership window, and start laying the foundations now for our next tilt. Get the kids in, let them learn through their mistakes, and look forward to reaping the reward down the track.

Agree,

We are NOT in a premiership window.

i’d rather we got blown away in a “down the guts ‘gun fight’“ (we have to play the Geelong way), to this rubbish brand of football that has been adopted by our football department.

it is terrible.

“Run and Gun”.

 

[you pick one]

Last year, we played like a million bucks in the first half of the season. Then Got worked out, injured, tired and fell apart. All I know is that at this stage, all that matters is getting Wins.

The season is so long that we may as well have a boring game plan for other teams to analyse for the first half of the year and then pull out something different to finish the year off strongly.

We were going well before we inserted the geriatrics back in defense.

 

[Cursed Cat]

That may be just to teach him some basic defence, because he's atrocious at it.
Hopefully that's the case, because he is an absolutely deadset born wingman, and should never play anywhere else.

Testify.
Couldn't agree more.

 

[Jimmy Willis Jawline]

Parfitt plays like a fresh Mitch Duncan. I love him.

 

[foxdog50]

Fort was OK in the ruck contests but thoroughly beaten. Around the ground, apart from the mark and goal he was horrendous. No presence whatsoever and lack of presence cost at least the Fritch goal.

Rather Fort in the side than Sav atm....

 

[Overhang]

Some of those decisions, well the whole game but the last 3 mins are quite questionable.

With 2:30 left on the clock and you are kicking from the back flank wouldn't kicking to the wing hugging the boundary line to try and cause a stoppage if the mark cant be taken be the % choice, or you can kick back to full back knowing that the Demons had things reasonably manned up and that the next kick would probably be to a contest but this time in their forward half, imo the time bought isn't worth the risk, I'd rather a stoppage further up the ground away from their goals.

I think it was Blitz but that decision in the defensive 50 to actually kick the ball out of the air where it could have gone absolutely anywhere seemed like the wrong choice, and it went into the hands of Tominson and gave him a chance to kick the winning goal. The ball was going to hit his leg not matter what but he could have easily let it bounce off his leg in front of him and at least then it would take a crumb and goal under pressure rather than the set shot Tominson got. It was a split second decision though so I'm being picky here.

That final kick in with 30 seconds left on the clock, I don't know what was going on at the other back flank but again I don't think the % play is to kick the ball on the same side as the tallest player on the ground (Gawn), the kick seemed to be to Danger and Gawn did get across and had a decent crack at it.

 

[FredLeDeux]

Astute, lol. Can't deny any of that; they're facts. With the exception of the list clogger opinion.

Repeat bs as much as you like, if it makes you happy.
But it remains bs.

 

[foxdog50]

get narkle and clark in

And can i add Constable to that list as well???

 

[iameviljez]

And can i add Constable to that list as well???

Surely Henry and Atkins are on the edge of being tipped out.

 

[Reppie]

Strangest thing was we were deliberately pinpointing guys with short kicks coming out of defence all game until we were in danger of losing then we bomb to the wing and almost cost us the game.

 

[catempire]

On Steven, there’s no downside in him staying in the side, as rusty as he looks. You know he will get better with game time and his best is worth waiting for.

 

[Cronin]

Experiment. Indulge me.

No pressure. Good, ok, poor. List the players in those categories.
Pressured. Good, ok, poor.
On the run (sprinting). Good, ok, poor.

Should narrow down the players that can be classed as good ball users.

They should all be able to move the ball quickly by hand or foot, otherwise you shouldn't be playing AFL.

As soon as you slow it up and allow the opposition to setup then you're just inviting the turnover.

Hell Richmond have maybe a handful of elite kickers, but they're coached to move the ball quickly and pressure the ball carrier where ever they are on the ground and that's why they've won 2 of the last 3 flags and we haven't.

My point is the best teams move the ball quickly, regardless personnel.

 

[Down at K Park]

Had to laugh at scott in the presser saying it’s not up to the coaches to play exciting football. Wtf.

How is it not the coaches fault when you demand your team play an incredibly slow, all out defensive game plan. What a farkin idiotic thing to say.

 

[foxdog50]

Surely Henry and Atkins are on the edge of being tipped out.

Henry is saved for another week, after his performance today...

 

[HaroLad]

Anyone watching the players reaction after the siren went?

Any other team would've celebrated, our players just seemed relieved and almost disappointed.

Leaves a sour taste in your mouth.