2022-Where’s the improvement coming from?

[CatToTheFuture]

Max Holmes had a better first year at the club than Dangerfield's first year at the Crows. For some minor context. Holmes also played his first year at same Height/Weight as Dangerfield @ 189cn and 83kgs. Let's hope he can put on the same size and not lose speed.

Let's see if Holmes can get to a 1 goal a game average in year 2 like Dangerfield did. Though Dangerfield did start his career mainly as a forward. Dangerfield was a best 22 player and a decent one at year 2, but it wasn't until probably his 5th season that he elevated to gun status.

A lot of players had a better first year than Dangerfield given he was still studying in Geelong and playing TAC cup at the Falcons for most of it.

Still, he does seem to have similar physical characteristics and a similar thirst at stoppages.

 

[MacStradbroke]

Max Holmes had a better first year at the club than Dangerfield's first year at the Crows. For some minor context. Holmes also played his first year at same Height/Weight as Dangerfield @ 189cn and 83kgs. Let's hope he can put on the same size and not lose speed.

Let's see if Holmes can get to a 1 goal a game average in year 2 like Dangerfield did. Though Dangerfield did start his career mainly as a forward. Dangerfield was a best 22 player and a decent one at year 2, but it wasn't until probably his 5th season that he elevated to gun status.

First season comparison is tough with Danger still in school and only playing a couple of games by memory. Don’t mind it otherwise. Danger only averaged low 60s champion data points second and third seasons and Max has already achieved that in year one coming from next to nothing. Obviously Danger elevated to megastar status but Holmes looking good early.

Really looking forward to watching his progress.

 

[CatRiot]

We need a superstar at the club. Hope its Holmes, but he strikes more like an Isaac Smith

7

Isaac Smith

Age

35

Ht

188cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.3

5star

K

13.0

5star

HB

8.4

5star

M

5.5

5star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.7

4star

D

19.4

4star

K

11.1

4star

HB

8.3

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.5

3star

CL

1.3

4star

D

19.2

5star

K

10.6

4star

HB

8.6

5star

M

7.6

5star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.6

3star

type than a Dangerfield type, but either way, I'd be happy with either outcome.

They need all the recruits in the gym, hammering this sort of music it to pump them to the max. We need a bit of that 1980s electric footy back. Bring it on.

 

[Drunkcat]

We need a superstar at the club. Hope its Holmes, but he strikes more like an Isaac Smith type than a Dangerfield type, but either way, I'd be happy with either outcome.

They need all the recruits in the gym, hammering this sort of music it to pump them to the max. We need a bit of that 1980s electric footy back. Bring it on.

The next guy we go wow will be SDK, but the next superstar will take time, we have a few kids that could be anything but need 50 games into them Now we need patience.

 

[mcwilrob]

One word. Pressure.

We've built a midfield of aging stars - who are either clearly in decline, or poor defensively - a patchwork of recruits from other leagues, mature agers, with only a handful of genuine draftees that have been developed and in what you could call their 'prime'. That probably only covers Guthrie and Duncan and they're getting on as well. Like the team itself, it's good enough to get the job done during home and away, especially at Geelong or against lower quality opposition (and those two factors provide a lot of wins). They get found wanting when the temperature goes up in September. No one wants to admit they've become brittle and frontrunners, especially the stars, so it's easier to invent or exaggerate excuses.

It's much simpler. They aren't as good as we want to believe. That goes for Selwood and Dangerfield as much as Parfitt and O'Connor.

Yep - agreed - wilting under pressure is what all the evidence points to. Just look at the losses we had (esp. finals)

 

[catempire]

1. Tom Stewart
2. Jeremy Cameron settled in
3. Continuity for Mitch Duncan
4. Brandon Parfitt
5. Unbroken Dangerfield hand
6. A gameplan more suited to the pressure football era.
7. Fresh ideas in the coaches box

8. Stengle

* bump *

Pretty happy with my list.

 

[BotsMaster]

The improvement is coming from the ruck.

 

[Chinacats]

Stengle...internal growth from Holmes, Close, Zuthrie, Atkins has put pressure on spots in the team. Even Ceggars on the bench gave Stanley a jolt last weekend.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

* bump *

Pretty happy with my list.

Only 9 pages in and I’m enshrining into my own personal laws that eeyore’s are to be disregarded at all times.

Clueless numpties

 

[iameviljez]

More than anything, I think it is coaching and system.

 

[thecatattack]

We need to inject youth and that youth needs to step up. They need to take the game on fearlessly and effectively.

I think the faster we play the better it will be for the likes of Hawkins and Cameron.

Not bad I guess. Especially considering Hawkins said our faster gameplan has made it easier for the forwards.

 

[bulletproof]

* bump *

Pretty happy with my list.

I think ‘smug’ was the word you were looking for…..

 

[goyoucatters]

More than anything, I think it is coaching and system.

Agreed. But having the cattle ready to carry it out has been telling as well.

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

Pleasingly it seems to have come from a number of areas but , as with any good plan , we have identified our issues and addressed them.

The slow ball movement has gone and is replaced by a game style that seamlessly moves it into F50 without excessive turnovers.
Our score off turnover and defence against turnover are the best in the comp. Hawkins/Cameron and Stengle are in rare form.
The midfield group is working towards making Selwood and Danger redundant , or at least the icing on the cake. Stanley is in rare form.
New guys Stengle , SDK are killing it and Holmes/Atkins/ Zuthrie and Close have greatly improved.
The team seems united both on and off the field - coaching group restructure is getting great results.
Best 22 is incredibly hard to pick , depth has really come on.

September will be our biggest test but we're in very, very good shape

 

[Gunf]

What has improved Geelong this year

1 Coaching
2 Stngle
3 SDK
4 Blicavs
5 A fit Cameron
6 Lesser lights stepping up (Zuthrie, Atkins etc)
7 Stanley

Would be more but these are probably the main ones i can think of right now

And no these are not in order

 

[Seeds]

* bump *

Pretty happy with my list.

Pressure football era? What is that?

malthouse pies and the saints were playing high tackling foward presses in the late 2000s. isnt it always the pressure football era?

 

[Seeds]

What has improved Geelong this year

1 Coaching
2 Stngle
3 SDK
4 Blicavs
5 A fit Cameron
6 Lesser lights stepping up (Zuthrie, Atkins etc)
7 Stanley

Would be more but these are probably the main ones i can think of right now

And no these are not in order

More attacking game plan with play on handball.

 

[witsend]

At the start of the year when SDK was touted as our new KPD and Stengle was recruited as a small forward, could we possibly have imagined they would both consistently produce AA standard performances? Huge boost for our team structures. Then add in a close to career best and (to date) injury free Cameron. Duncan regularly available and switching to HB. The rapid and, again, consistent improvements and performances from Close, Holmes, Parfitt, Stanley and Guthrie. What appears to be complete "buy-in" to the new game-plan of quick ball movement, overlap run and handball-receives is a huge boost and enables us to redeem ourselves within games when quality opponents get a run on. Huge pressure for spots, excellent coaching see us entering Finals with the #1 ranked defence and offence! Heady times and fingers crossed!!

 

[Pure_Ownage]

More than anything, I think it is coaching and system.

Me too and player buy in to defensive pressure.

 

[catempire]

Pressure football era? What is that?

malthouse pies and the saints were playing high tackling foward presses in the late 2000s. isnt it always the pressure football era?

You are right, the roots of the pressure football era are a decade or more old. Ross Lyon teams have always played pressure football, for example. But it has not become hegemonic until the past 5-6 years. Hawthorn won 3 flags railing against it. Scott wanted to play a style that unpicked pressure football but failed. So now he has embraced it. Geelong is an elite pressure side in 2022. Some said it couldn’t be done.

 

[Gunf]

More attacking game plan with play on handball.

Number 1 on my list covers that

 

[No Quarter]

Definitely the disappearance of the slow down, controlled chip kick play especially when they're trying to defend a lead.

 

[standupand]

At the start of the year when SDK was touted as our new KPD and Stengle was recruited as a small forward, could we possibly have imagined they would both consistently produce AA standard performances? Huge boost for our team structures. Then add in a close to career best and (to date) injury free Cameron. Duncan regularly available and switching to HB. The rapid and, again, consistent improvements and performances from Close, Holmes, Parfitt, Stanley and Guthrie. What appears to be complete "buy-in" to the new game-plan of quick ball movement, overlap run and handball-receives is a huge boost and enables us to redeem ourselves within games when quality opponents get a run on. Huge pressure for spots, excellent coaching see us entering Finals with the #1 ranked defence and offence! Heady times and fingers crossed!!

How are you ranking defence and offence here? I have us equal 3rd for points for, and 3rd also for least points conceded.

 

[Sky]

The only way we improve is to change the game plan and become less mentally unstable.

Even if we don’t win it all this season I can live with it because I can see we’ve done that.

Previous Geelong sides in the past decade I feel would’ve lost many of the past 11 games when the heat was on. Dogs, Saints II, Port and Richmond to name 4.

 

[Seeds]

You are right, the roots of the pressure football era are a decade or more old. Ross Lyon teams have always played pressure football, for example. But it has not become hegemonic until the past 5-6 years. Hawthorn won 3 flags railing against it. Scott wanted to play a style that unpicked pressure football but failed. So now he has embraced it. Geelong is an elite pressure side in 2022. Some said it couldn’t be done.

You are simplfying what we have changed a tad. Play on handball from set positions is a major change. That aint pressure football. Kicking quickly long down the guts aint really pressure football either. Its just the way football used to always be played. Pressure football is flooding a zone to create and win a contest. We dont really do that particularly much either. We tackle and chase hard. All good sides do. our foward line now has less pressure players tgen it did two years ago. Gone are the days when our smalls were primarily defensive like dalhaus and atkins and to a lesser degree parfitt whose prime job was to tackle and chase And force a contest. we dont play those sorts of players up foward anymore. We now only play offensive fowards first. Our midfields a little more defensive but not by much.