Any improvement left in Kent?

[Fall Out Boy]

Just having a look at his stats and noticed he's already surpassed his efforts of his two previous best years, 2002 and 2004.

Can he continue to improve his output or is this the highest level we can expect?

If this is his peak we've still got a very handy footballer, but it'd be nice if he had another 10 goals in him for the future.

 

[Kegs44]

Dont think he'll get much better, but I been very happy with him this year, and if we can get the extra 10 goals then great. If he can fix up his kicking he'd have more than just and extra 10 goals.

 

[Fall Out Boy]

You couldn't not be happy with his output.

He's got a lot of weaknesses but he's having a career year.

 

[Sammy D]

It's an interesting question. If we can keep Kent, Brad, Nathan & Henry in the forward line together you would think he might get an easier defender hence improving production.

Having said that he would no longer be the go to guy and probably get less opportunities. Id like to think he'd be able to average 35-45 goals over the next 3 seasons. Maybe we will see him in a up the field role more

 

[Akalon]

Yes I think there is some improvement in Mr Kingsley. If you may have noticed over the past few weeks, Kent has been taking quite a few marks out in front above his head as opposed to just on the chest. I don't know much about his endeavour, but it seems he's trying to add to his game and apply himself in training which is giving him some extra confidence. I do think Kent still has more to offer the Cats.

 

[G_Money]

Just having a look at his stats and noticed he's already surpassed his efforts of his two previous best years, 2002 and 2004.

Can he continue to improve his output or is this the highest level we can expect?

If this is his peak we've still got a very handy footballer, but it'd be nice if he had another 10 goals in him for the future.

I certainly believe that KK can improve for us, although that may not manifest itself in additional goals. Obviously if he improved his conversion rate he would produce more for us, but I can see his role in the team changing in the next few years. If Nathan can stand up and play full forward, I would love to see Kent play a Tarrant-like role - making long leads up to the wings and acting as a link man. He has the pace, does he have the tank?

Overall I am coming around to Kent in a big way. He has been great for us this year. 60 goals plus is a very respectable return.

GM

 

[Fall Out Boy]

I certainly believe that KK can improve for us, although that may not manifest itself in additional goals.

Very astute observation. Probably the way it will eventuate.

I would love to see Kent play a Tarrant-like role - making long leads up to the wings and acting as a link man. He has the pace, does he have the tank?

Don't think he's got the tank now, at least not a big enough tank to do it more than once or twice a quarter, but i think he has the scope to play that role if they alter his training style and regimen in the pre-season.

Ease back on the strength training, step up the stamina work.

 

[Ricketts]

It's an interesting question. If we can keep Kent, Brad, Nathan & Henry in the forward line together you would think he might get an easier defender hence improving production.

Having said that he would no longer be the go to guy and probably get less opportunities. Id like to think he'd be able to average 35-45 goals over the next 3 seasons. Maybe we will see him in a up the field role more

It's a very good point Sammy.

Kent's goal tally could go either way, and either way would be an improvement for the team i feel.

Phat mentioned 10 more goals, i believe that Kent would have got 10 more goals if Ottens had a full year this year.

 

[catempire]

It's a very good point Sammy.

Kent's goal tally could go either way, and either way would be an improvement for the team i feel.

Phat mentioned 10 more goals, i believe that Kent would have got 10 more goals if Ottens had a full year this year.

I think he is in the peak of his abilities as a footballer right now, but as others has mentioned, he'll benefit from a better structure around him. This will be because Ottens and Ablett will draw other quality defenders but also because more leading opportunities are created by blocking and creating space by fellow key forwards. Kent hasn't had the benefit of this for most of his career.

 

[Catman]

Overall I am coming around to Kent in a big way. He has been great for us this year. 60 goals plus is a very respectable return.

GM

I've always been a fan and think he's been unfairly criticised by many Geelong fans.

60 goals is an excellent return for someone who definitely isn't a FF and if he'd had the radar working in a number of games the tally could have been much higher. If I'm not mistaken, we haven't had a 60 goal return from a forward since the days of the great #5.

It is an outstanding effort from Kent and to think many Cat fans have longed for a 50-60 goal forward, we have one, but he is strangely abused more often than he's applauded, which is disappointing.

 

[davey_magik]

I certainly believe that KK can improve for us, although that may not manifest itself in additional goals. Obviously if he improved his conversion rate he would produce more for us, but I can see his role in the team changing in the next few years. If Nathan can stand up and play full forward, I would love to see Kent play a Tarrant-like role - making long leads up to the wings and acting as a link man. He has the pace, does he have the tank?

Overall I am coming around to Kent in a big way. He has been great for us this year. 60 goals plus is a very respectable return.

GM

If you don’t mind me commenting, I think having him lead up the ground more is a very good idea. This year I think his marking has improved and he is very quick on the lead, and would be a difficult matchup. Obviously if he played this role he wouldn't kick as many goals as he has this year, but would take a lot more marks and give space to Ottens, Nathan Ablett and co.

Just off the topic a bit, how do you find Playfair? At the start of the year I thought he had improved in leaps and bounds but has dropped off a little bit, can you see him being your CHF for the next 5 years?

 

[nananana catman]

He'll kick less goals with Ottens in the side, because they kick to Ottens more. If he kicks 30-40 goals a year as a second forward he is doing his job, and well. He is not a lead up the ground forward, he is a quick forward pocket on the lead.

 

[Copernicus]

Without a doubt. He's been more than handy for us this year, but there's still plenty of improvement left in him. Of course, there's always the proviso that he may be unable to improve, for whatever reason. I would be happier with him if he had more of a presence in crunch games or at crisis moments (for instance, kicking on goal in close games has never been his strong suit)..

He's definitely having his best year for the club though.

 

[WestCat]

If you don’t mind me commenting, I think having him lead up the ground more is a very good idea. This year I think his marking has improved and he is very quick on the lead, and would be a difficult matchup. Obviously if he played this role he wouldn't kick as many goals as he has this year, but would take a lot more marks and give space to Ottens, Nathan Ablett and co.

Just off the topic a bit, how do you find Playfair? At the start of the year I thought he had improved in leaps and bounds but has dropped off a little bit, can you see him being your CHF for the next 5 years?

You seem to be hanging around the Geelong board a lot lately, haven't switched teams have you?

As for Kingsley, I don't think his marking itself has improved this year, but he's probably getting into space better. He's always been a strong mark, but his tendency to take marks on his chest means that he needs to use his pace better, hence needs space to do it. With another year of experience, he may well make a good flanker as he has done at stages this year, but he needs to take on more responsibility. It seems odd, but when he is the third forward but takes on more responsibility is when he plays his best football. the past couple of weeks have been great from Kent as he seems to want to be a role model type and 'big brother' to Nathan Ablett. As a result of this he's doing more off the ball work and setting up plays, in other words, just working harder.

In the improvement section of Kent, I can't see him getting much better. His vision will probably improve with experience, so will probably improve his skills as a flanker working further up the ground, but I can't see his kicking improving, if it was, it would've improved this year. I think the key to Kingsley holding his place in the team next year will be his second efforts, but if his kicking does improve, then that will also hold him in good stead.

On Playfair, he started fairly ordinarily, got good, became sick and Bomber admitted he shouldn't have been playing for about 4 weeks, but came back well. He was doing well until he broke his jaw, but came back pretty average and is only now starting to get into the sort of form he was in earlier in the season. He is only 22 and has played about 40 games in different positions, he has even been shuffled around a bit this year. This is his first season at CHF and as a result he'll take a while to get back into the swing of things, not like a veteran who can just come straight back and be in form. I think he can be our CHF for the next 5 years, he has a lot of improvement in him, but being a 2m guy who is as mobile as him holds good stead for him to be our starting CHF for years to come. I guess the big thing is whether N.Ablett develops into a CHF or FF as he has more talent than H, but don't write him off on that, H is a very hard worker, and even if he doesn't end up at CHF, he may become our CHB in the future.

 

[thehoff]

Without a doubt. He's been more than handy for us this year, but there's still plenty of improvement left in him. Of course, there's always the proviso that he may be unable to improve, for whatever reason. I would be happier with him if he had more of a presence in crunch games or at crisis moments (for instance, kicking on goal in close games has never been his strong suit)..

He's definitely having his best year for the club though.

In Kents defense, he has kicked goals at crunch moments. He kicked one late in the game from outside 50m whilst playing the game of his life against Essendon last year. That helped us get victory & (i know it is not a premiership season) in 2004 against Melbourne in the Wizard cup, Kent kicked a goal from outside 50m to win us the game when there was only a couple of minutes left and we were down by a point.

However, i can see what you are saying... he appears to get the yips a little when the pressure is on. E.g. Melbourne game this year.

It is great to see Kent's efforts this year. He should feature high in the club B&F. Been solid this year.

 

[tusk]

To Judge KK as a forward is to judge his goals to point ratio and his defensive work in the forward 50.

I think that he has definately improved on both fronts. Obviously his kicking action is still very suspect and will probably remain so for the rest of his career.

He cops alot of stick but let's face it the last time over 50 goals was kicked by a Geelong forward was when the great man was running around the paddock.