Autopsy AFL 2025 Round 1 - Cats v Freo Sat March 15th 1:20pm AEDT (GMHBA)

[geelong_crazy26]

25k the crowd

It’s 36 degrees today. What did you expect

 

[Art Vandelay_]

15 minutes to some of the best coastline in the country and one of the last warm days for months.

Rowing regatta.
Local cricket finals.

This was never getting a decent crowd.
Season has started too early.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

It’s 36 degrees today. What did you expect

It got to 30 in Geelong

 

[TheEscapeClub]

I think that's mostly a byproduct of being in good teams and not getting the defenders he would in others. He looked like being a player early but has not kicked on at all. A sub 190cm player averaging 9 career disposals wouldn't make it most teams.

Two seasons at Geelong for 41 and 37 goals. The Bombers would give their left nut for that output.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

Rowing regatta.
Local cricket finals.

This was never getting a decent crowd.
Season has started too early.

And according to BT on the MMMs:

The local model airplane club had its AGM.
There was a model railway meet.
There was a seed showing in Lara.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

It got to 30 in Geelong

A lot of people don’t want to sit for 3 hours in that, would rather watch it at home

 

[STPer18]

Giving the 3 votes to BAZOOKA just ahead of Holmes and SDK.

 

[GoldbergsGold]

So that was the Flagmantle I've been hearing so much about.

 

[Skeppersap]

Regarding the crowd, I know of a few Melbourne members who decided not to do the drive down because of the potential heat!

 

[Osho]

Cats have turned 2025 into an annus horrifknbillus for Freo with a single qtr of devastating football.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Two seasons at Geelong for 41 and 37 goals. The Bombers would give their left nut for that output.

He wouldn't kick 25 for us. Generates absolutely zero on his own.

 

[Mr Meow]

He wouldn't kick 25 for us. Generates absolutely zero on his own.

Henry's a 5 score involvement a game player at Geelong as a 21-22 year old. 2.6 of those score involvements are scoring shots. So about half of the scores he's involved with are from him creating for others.

Stringer by comparison has had 70% of his score involvements as his own shots, a much more limited creator (maybe it will change at GWS).

Henry would be Essendon's second best forward at this moment in time.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Henry's a 5 score involvement a game player at Geelong as a 21-22 year old. 2.6 of those score involvements are scoring shots. So about half of the scores he's involved with are from him creating for others.

Stringer by comparison has had 70% of his score involvements as his own shots, a much more limited creator (maybe it will change at GWS).

Henry would be Essendon's second best forward at this moment in time.

He might be. Doesn’t mean much when they are all shit. How many of the scores are like today. Do sweet **** all and then pop up for cheapies when it’s over. From what I’ve seen it’s most of them.

 

[Mr Meow]

He might be. Doesn’t mean much when they are all shit. How many of the scores are like today. Do sweet **** all and then pop up for cheapies when it’s over. From what I’ve seen it’s most of them.

Yeah, he leads, marks and kicks for goal half the time and then creates scores for others half the time. Similar output in a side that finished 12th vs 3rd. Tragic scenes for a young third tall.

 

[FootyLad0]

He kicked 40+ goals in a team that didn't play finals in 2023.

Was top 15 in the entire League for goals kicked that season as well…and the kid wasn’t even 22 when he did it.
Kid is still very young.

 

[FootyLad0]

In their first five games the Cats play against one finalist from 2024

So that would mean they would have to play them in the middle or the end…

The point you’re making isn’t a very good one.

 

[Mr Meow]

Was top 15 in the entire League for goals kicked that season and well…and the kid wasn’t even 22 when he did it.
Kid is still very young.

"Geelong were still an awesome team even when they weren’t" writes off his 2023 season though, apparently. Silver service

 

[FootyLad0]

"Geelong were still an awesome team even when they weren’t" writes off his 2023 season though, apparently. Silver service

“The Geelong team who finished their equal lowest ever in 12th was providing a not even 22 year old Ollie Henry with silver service from a midfield with no AA players…why the **** didn’t he kick 80 goals??? What a pleb!”

 

[Red Black and Blue]

“The Geelong team who finished their equal lowest ever in 12th was providing a not even 22 year old Ollie Henry with silver service from a midfield with no AA players…why the **** didn’t he kick 80 goals??? What a pleb!”

You mean the year Gryan Miers broke the all time assist record? How terrible must his delivery must be.

 

[FootyLad0]

You mean the year Gryan Miers broke the all time assist record?

The time a half forward flanker who doesn’t play in the midfield broke the assist record? Yeah he was kicking to Jezza, Tomahawk and Henry.

Which proves our point MORE, Henry finished top 15 in the Coleman under the age of 22 in a team where he was the THIRD option behind Jez (5th) and THawk (10th). Arguably fourth if Stengle didn’t get hurt and miss a large chunk of time. And Tyson proved based 2022 and 2024 that he pushes Henry even further back in the pecking order.

He had less footy delivered to him than other players who played up forward and still kicked 41 goals.
That’s really really good

 

[Red Black and Blue]

The time a half forward flanker who doesn’t play in the midfield broke the assist record? Yeah he was kicking to Jezza, Tomahawk and Henry.

Which proves our point MORE, Henry finished top 15 in the Coleman under the age of 22 in a team where he was the THIRD option behind Jez (5th) and THawk (10th)

He had less footy delivered to him than other players who played up forward and still kicked 41 goals.
That’s really really good

Geelong were equal first in the comp from assists per game. That just mean he gets lesser defenders. Given the others were double teamed so much too. It’s also not the goals it’s everything else. He’s essentially Jack Anthony when he should be Heeney esque with his attributes. You guys are clearly happy with what he is when I think he should be on superstar trajectory.

 

[Mr Meow]

Geelong were equal first in the comp from assists per game. That just mean he gets lesser defenders. Give the others were double teamed so much too. It’s also not the goals it’s everything else. He’s essentially Jack Anthony when he should be Heeney esque with his attributes. You guys are clearly happy with what he is when I think he should be on superstar trajectory.

Which third tall superstars should Henry be emulating right now and what were their first 70 games like?

 

[FootyLad0]

Which third tall superstars should Henry be emulating right now and what were their first 70 games like?

He literally isn’t the build of a key position tall, he’s a third tall “medium forward” size and weight soo old mates argument about Heeney doesn’t even compute. Heeney is like a mid/forward hybrid. Not even remotely the same playstyle.
Don’t know what old mate is expecting, and if he played key position every week he’d be out hurt halfway through the year.

His job is to be versatile and go in between competing for marks and applying pressure on the ground. That’s why we have Scratcher and Jez to take the big fellas and guys like Dempsey and Miers to float up the ground. Jez and Smith who can play up forward or in the middle.

Can’t be trying to make him something he is not

 

[Mr Meow]

He literally isn’t the build of a key position tall, he’s a third tall “medium forward” size and weight soo old mates argument about Heeney doesn’t even compute. Heeney is like a mid/forward hybrid. Not even remotely the same playstyle.
Don’t know what old mate is expecting, and if he played key position every week he’d be out hurt halfway through the year.

His job is to be versatile and go in between competing for marks and applying pressure on the ground. That’s why we have Scratcher and Jez to take the big fellas and guys like Dempsey and Miers to float up the ground. Jez and Smith who can play up forward or in the middle.

Can’t be trying to make him something he is not

If Henry was to work on his game and improve certain areas he could become a sort of hybrid Fritsch/Gunston type maybe.

I don't think he has the attributes to be a Heeney, Petracca type or a Steve Johnson, Toby Greene type. Still early days though of course. I think he's doing fine as a young third tall, although obviously it's great if he keeps getting better (as 22-27 year olds are prone to do).

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Which third tall superstars should Henry be emulating right now and what were their first 70 games like?

Not many around atm, but plenty from previous eras where the role was more popular.

I think he’s operating like a key forward, but I think he should be more the hybrid between the smaller marking targets like Elliott and the key talls Curnow, Naughton, Walker that get up the ground and compete aerially. But he’s really just straight line leading in a pocket.

You can point to his stats which are admittedly nice for goal return but I’m not a stats guy, watching players like Parish and Stringer up close tends to do that do that to someone. I'm looking for contested marks, consistently competing and bringing the ball to ground, pressuring and presenting outside 50. I'm not seeing a lot of growth there.

Probably gone a bit early this year, but year 4-5 is when I’d expect a physical level lift and did not see the improvement in movement to elevate his limited role beyond what we’ve seen.