News 2020 Pre-season - New and Improved after Rd 1 with Rd2 in June. ***

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Our round 6 match:

Thursday 9 July: St Kilda vs Geelong @ Marvel, 7:40pm (televised on 7)

Collingwood playing on the Friday night

That allows us to travel out west after said match to prepare for the WA hub, and we'll be there for 3 weeks
so we have 4 weeks of away games in a row?

Seems they could have given us Saints at home vefore the hub run to the West.

GO Catters
 
so we have 4 weeks of away games in a row?

Seems they could have given us Saints at home vefore the hub run to the West.

GO Catters
Hopefully it means a run of home games when we return to Vic or to finish the season, and no more interstate travel during the season
 

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Mt Isa Mustang

Cancelled
Dream Team Club Board Winner
Nov 23, 2019
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3,703
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I'll take you up on that bet.
You're on.

When you lose you can write an apology (500 words) to the Geelong board for being so stupid.

I'll do the same.
Sounds good. If King kicks more you'll be posting on the GC board?

Esava having a decent night tonight. Good to see him back in the team. Love how he attacked the ball in the air.

Did remind me of the bet you made last year Jack The Godfather

Esava to kick more goals than Ben King in 2020.

Only 48 goals - 5 goals since then..

Shame you decided not to follow through on the bet you decided the terms of.

Esava will probably kick a bag against us next week though!
 

goyoucatters

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 31, 2008
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Esava will probably kick a bag against us next week though!

Given the role he's playing and the set shot 'routine' he's going with at the moment, Esava kicking a bag against anyone is about as likely as North playing finals this year.

Anything more than two goals from him on any given week would be a minor miracle at this point.
 
May 18, 2016
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Given the role he's playing and the set shot 'routine' he's going with at the moment, Esava kicking a bag against anyone is about as likely as North playing finals this year.

Anything more than two goals from him on any given week would be a minor miracle at this point.
His kicking is a huge problem. Might be better off to just handball to a passing teammate, like mark blake.
 

goyoucatters

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 31, 2008
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His kicking is a huge problem.

I fail to understand how anyone who thinks he is likely to still make it doesn't see this as a massive impediment. I'm seeing no meaningful improvement after five preseasons with the club. And I think every aspect of his kicking is ropey. Can't hit a short pass, can't reliably kick at goal, and a bunch of his longer field kicks are just up and unders in a vaguely forward direction.

His athleticism, desire for the contest, and skill with the ball in hand are all huge ticks. But I can genuinely see his whole career foundering on being unable to properly and reliably kick the footy. So I find the seeming lack of attention on this issue by the club during his time with us to be a real headscratcher.
 
May 18, 2016
13,022
24,890
AFL Club
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I fail to understand how anyone who thinks he is likely to still make it doesn't see this as a massive impediment. I'm seeing no meaningful improvement after five preseasons with the club. And I think every aspect of his kicking is ropey. Can't hit a short pass, can't reliably kick at goal, and a bunch of his longer field kicks are just up and unders in a vaguely forward direction.

His athleticism, desire for the contest, and skill with the ball in hand are all huge ticks. But I can genuinely see his whole career foundering on being unable to properly and reliably kick the footy. So I find the seeming lack of attention on this issue by the club during his time with us to be a real headscratcher.
It certainly holds him back. And you are right, it simply has not improved. Clearly needs a heap more work. Probably needs to start from scratch. His technique looks rubbish, but im no expert in this area.

His marking has improved though. Sticking more of them for sure.
 
I fail to understand how anyone who thinks he is likely to still make it doesn't see this as a massive impediment. I'm seeing no meaningful improvement after five preseasons with the club. And I think every aspect of his kicking is ropey. Can't hit a short pass, can't reliably kick at goal, and a bunch of his longer field kicks are just up and unders in a vaguely forward direction.

His athleticism, desire for the contest, and skill with the ball in hand are all huge ticks. But I can genuinely see his whole career foundering on being unable to properly and reliably kick the footy. So I find the seeming lack of attention on this issue by the club during his time with us to be a real headscratcher.

This may not be the right thread, but a very simple question in regards to Ratugolea - where is he playing & what's his actual role?

- He takes centre bounces but then seems to go forward with Blicavs going into the ruck around the ground; this is a similar tactic to what we saw last year with the Stanley/Blicavs combo

- That means up forward we're playing Hawkins, Cameron, Ratugolea & Rohan for extended periods during the game

- It also suggests that we don't currently see Ratugolea as either a permanent ruck option or as having the ability to compete in the ruck across 4 quarters

- Against the Tigers he had 10 disposals, 3 marks, 8 hitouts, 3 tackles, 1 behind & 2 goal assists
- Against the Saints he had 13 disposals, 5 marks, 4 hitouts, 4 tackles & 1 goal assist

- Is he bringing enough in this hybrid role to hold a place in the 22, because he's not really been damaging as a ruck, he hasn't been damaging up forward and his kicking has been something if a liability both weeks. He shanked his first shot on goal last week, and what should have been an easier attempt ended up as a goal assist for Hawkins - it was nice to see the team thing, but it was also the time he needed to go back & actually show he could kick the goal

- Clearly marking is his strength but is that enough to hold his spot in the team, and how is this hybrid role going to work at a ground like KP when we already have Hawkins, Cameron & a resurgent Rohan up forward? Because if Ratugolea doesn't actually start presenting as a dangerous player in his own right, like contributing a goal a week, then when he is up forward I'm not sure if his opponent/s are necessarily going to show him much respect & instead it'll be double teaming of one of the other guys or dropping into the space

He has something, he can be exciting to watch as you said can't fault his desire for the contest but at what stage do the question marks over things start to outweigh the positive signs?
 

goyoucatters

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 31, 2008
7,397
18,533
Brisbane
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Stockport County, Chicago Cubs
This may not be the right thread, but a very simple question in regards to Ratugolea - where is he playing & what's his actual role?

- He takes centre bounces but then seems to go forward with Blicavs going into the ruck around the ground; this is a similar tactic to what we saw last year with the Stanley/Blicavs combo

- That means up forward we're playing Hawkins, Cameron, Ratugolea & Rohan for extended periods during the game

- It also suggests that we don't currently see Ratugolea as either a permanent ruck option or as having the ability to compete in the ruck across 4 quarters

- Against the Tigers he had 10 disposals, 3 marks, 8 hitouts, 3 tackles, 1 behind & 2 goal assists
- Against the Saints he had 13 disposals, 5 marks, 4 hitouts, 4 tackles & 1 goal assist

- Is he bringing enough in this hybrid role to hold a place in the 22, because he's not really been damaging as a ruck, he hasn't been damaging up forward and his kicking has been something if a liability both weeks. He shanked his first shot on goal last week, and what should have been an easier attempt ended up as a goal assist for Hawkins - it was nice to see the team thing, but it was also the time he needed to go back & actually show he could kick the goal

- Clearly marking is his strength but is that enough to hold his spot in the team, and how is this hybrid role going to work at a ground like KP when we already have Hawkins, Cameron & a resurgent Rohan up forward? Because if Ratugolea doesn't actually start presenting as a dangerous player in his own right, like contributing a goal a week, then when he is up forward I'm not sure if his opponent/s are necessarily going to show him much respect & instead it'll be double teaming of one of the other guys or dropping into the space

He has something, he can be exciting to watch as you said can't fault his desire for the contest but at what stage do the question marks over things start to outweigh the positive signs?

You've made some very good points here. Fundamentally, though, I'm just stuck on the fact that people talk about pumping games into him like that is going to miraculously fix things. My point is, while the most rudimentary skill of the game still appears to be no closer to any meaningful improvement in his case, how does smashing games into him (no matter what his role might be) actually really help?

In a bygone era, you could probably be as erratic as he is when kicking the footy and still play a significant role as a ruckman. I'm just not convinced that is possible in the modern incarnation of the game. Turnovers and an inability to convert in front of goal are now more than ever the kryptonite that kills any team's chances on any given day. And he currently has the capability to provide both of those 'attributes' in spades.
 

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