Review Rd 1, 2019: Geelong defeats Pies at MCG by 7 points

[steady2]

Yes glad they won though because it justifies the four debutants and it creates a template to work from. If you lose a couple of close ones you can easily default back to hendo, Guthrie, S.Selwood, Bews and all of those debutants are out. And we look like the 2018 version again.

Bews is still our best lock-down small/med defender and if any of those other guys have VFL form and there is a spot due to injury or any of the younger players needing a break they should be considered. I love the enthusiasm the young players have brought to the team.

...Patients will be the key as well some weeks you will need to bite your bottom lip because young players are inconsistent.

And as the season grinds on it's a marathon young players get a bit sore and lose that bounce. So the management and rotation will be the key to this season.

If you bite too hard you might become a patient (sorry). We have not been able to manage players well in recent years due to injuries; Constable would have played last year but was injured just as a spot was available. Hopefully this year we now have increased depth to cover those injuries.

 

[steady2]

I was impressed with Stanley's game. Grundy started giving him a bath in the second quarter but Stanley never gave up. He nullified Grundy around the field and in the last half probably got the better of him, especially his centre clearance work. It seems he is the lion in the land of Oz, only this lion found his heart in the middle of last season, his game was a continuation of that form.

 

[Turbocat]

very ordinary game

superior endurance got the job done but the same problems remain

Clark and Constable very good, love Constable's quick handballs to a target in close

Miers and Atkins were serviceable

Gary Rohan nearly did something

Stanley really stood up in the last quarter

Kolo, Blicavs and Henry all very poor skills

I can see why you would say ... I think there were several players that played like they had not played for a while. A lot of fumbles and missed marks.. Hawkins for instance. Both sides however coming of a PS were fresh.. so the first half was very effort based.. and ..important to remember in the after glow of the win... a lot of missed goals by Cllingwood that normally wood have got.

 

[Turbocat]

The decision to hold our ground with Kelly during trade week has already paid off. Was massive tonight, especially early when we were under siege.

Forward pressure was great. Haven’t seen that level of pressure in the hoops for many years.

Stanley is getting the plaudits for a big last qtr against Grundy, but I actually thought that the tide turned in the ruck when Sav was in there. It felt like we were able to wear Grundy down because we had a capable back up ruck. In contrast to last season.....

Clark is already the best kick in our side. He looks like he could be anything.

It is very nice to have both of your teams in the winners list by Friday night.

Interesting point. If it works out like that... maybe a lot of club maybe willing to put a peg in the ground..

 

[AlcoaCat]

The Rooke role has been the missing link. Great to have him back.

Honorary citizenship granted to Tom last night by Casterton Town Council. He's the package: muscles, grunt, mullet. Needs a bit more hair.

 

[AlcoaCat]

I can see why you would say ... I think there were several players that played like they had not played for a while. A lot of fumbles and missed marks.. Hawkins for instance. Both sides however coming of a PS were fresh.. so the first half was very effort based.. and ..important to remember in the after glow of the win... a lot of missed goals by Cllingwood that normally wood have got.

Hawkins was awful at the beginning of last year, but came good. He'll do the same this year. Hopefully someone can teach Paddy how to hold the ball when taking set shots. Honestly, the pill could go anywhere the way he's gripping it.

 

[Turbocat]

Bingo. First time in a long time at MCG games that I felt we could lock it in our half rather than teams getting us on the spread. I can see the value in getting an extra marking player (menzel) out of there and more ground level pressure players-dahlhaus rohan atkins parfitt miers etc were great at that. We need to be more efficient at converting i50s into goals but that's a really good base to build from.

Bingo ..top post

 

[Turbocat]

Anyone who is a bit surprised or even amazed at Gary Jnr as forward did not see Gary Senior. He was something else. Junior has played a different role all career but it's always been clear that the Ablett mass and the smarts are there.

Two different player though .. but I was impressed that GA4 still had enough in him at nearly 35 to do what he did

 

[Warhorse]

Brave call not playing Henderson and we looked much better without him in the team. We looked quick tonight.

 

[Drunkcat]

O'Connor stays in the side for now Bews and Tuohy are not ready and can come back in the VFL....He was better than Kolo and Henry last night

 

[romeohwho]

Anyone who is a bit surprised or even amazed at Gary Jnr as forward did not see Gary Senior. He was something else. Junior has played a different role all career but it's always been clear that the Ablett mass and the smarts are there.

Yep. I even thought junior’s body looked more like his father’s last night!

 

[Hamingja]

Interesting heat map! You don't pick that up from tv.

 

[Turbocat]

Sav was smashed by Moore who I had almost their best.. Treloar got lots of it but gave it back so much he was almost our best.

Good thing was Sav kept competing which is all we can ask for when it's not falling his way



His hands were bloody awful though

They would have to be happy with Mooer played very well

 

[Hamingja]

The one sobering thing is that Collinwood only had 49 tackles

 

[catempire]

I was impressed with Stanley's game. Grundy started giving him a bath in the second quarter but Stanley never gave up. He nullified Grundy around the field and in the last half probably got the better of him, especially his centre clearance work. It seems he is the lion in the land of Oz, only this lion found his heart in the middle of last season, his game was a continuation of that form.

There was a noticeable change in strategy in the second half too. He was jumping more at centre bounces which Grundy just couldn’t handle and around the ground he took front position more often which dealt with his major first half problem which was giving away free kicks.

 

[catempire]

They would have to be happy with Mooer played very well

Didn’t help that we just kept kicking it to him. But he reads it well and has nice hands.

 

[FredLeDeux]

The one sobering thing is that Collinwood only had 49 tackles

It was a very open, fast moving game between the two 30-metre lines, with the result that both teams broke a lot of tackles.

 

[Turbocat]

Rata is a 10-gamer playing the hardest position on the ground.
There'll be plenty more games like this before we see the best of him.

That we could bounce and help in the ruck late was a huge positive ... no petulance. Moore was very ON..and took away one of Savs stengths but got little help from up field delivery

 

[bulletproof]

O’Connor is a good prospect, great defensively. Would play him ahead of Bews. Getting Touhy back will help, we needed another kicker back there to bring ball out. Will allow us to push Duncan further up ground.

 

[Turbocat]

Rat looked like a guy not used to playing with a busted finger - he at least made stacks of contests, just couldn't grip the ball. Thought Henry was OK. Stewart had some terrible moments but it was generally a solid game.

Thought Kolo did well generally but clearly De Grey was not a great match up. Maybe he survives based on Harry having a busted eye.

No one played that bad that they dont deserve another gig. We picked it on form.. so repay form. Id expect better ball rhythm and connection with another game or two..

 

[nohairandfair]

Or he was flat-out knackered after all the pre-birth preperations of his week prior to the game. I know his missus did the heavy lifting but still, maybe it had some effect.

It was the second and a doddle apparently.

He should have been jumping through hoops but lacked mobility and couldn't get airborne... perhaps it was shaggers back.

 

[CatFan79]

Can someone explain why Kolo is preferred over Henderson or is he injured?

 

[romeohwho]

Terrific contest all night. At the ground I thought well, this is good to match it with them, even if we don’t get up. Nobody tipped us-pies deservedly heavy favourites. So it was a genuine pleasure to win. The resolve shown in the last quarter was my favourite aspect of a night which had lots of things to like, and lots of improvement to come.

 

[Moggy]

In the first qtr, shortly after his goal, I think, a decision went against Gaz and he was just absolutely filthy. I saw the anger again after a mistake of his.
When he is in that mood, you can feel his will to win driving the players around him onwards. That could be important.

Also, Selwood looked rejuventated after a break. Back to his brilliant standards.

HT as well. Definitely appears to have another year in the tank. Even does a good line in googly-eyes to keep the docs amused.

Rapt with the win :-D

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Stanley was an absolute spud the first 3/4... Good to see him contribute in the last with some key wins... Good win by the boys - it's going to be a season of highs and lows for sure. Hopefully the forward line functions a bit smoother as they gel.

He really wasn't for the first 3/4s. He was serviceable with a couple of important contests then he finished full of running.

Not his best game for us but definitely one of his better ones.