Opinion Best team 2022

[ScarlosToe]

B: Henry Blicavs Stewart
HB: O’Connor SDK Touhy
C: Smith Guthrie Holmes
HF: Duncan Cameron Menegola
FF: Stengle Hawkins Close
R: Stanley Danger Parfitt
Int: Selwood Zuthrie/Bews Sav Stephens

• One of Bews or Zuthrie will be stiff to miss and competing with O’Connor for starting 18.
• Keep Touhy of HB where we can utilising his kicking and run (O’Connor can have first crack at danger small forwards)
• Duncan and Menegola to play as high half forwards/extra mids, if Menegola not fit Selwood onto the field and bring in Narkle or Higgins
• Need Sav on the bench to swap with Rhys, no idea what Ceglar can do and sounds like missed a chunk of pre season
• Miers can start in VFL with Stengel taking his spot, was borderline last year and missed pre season this year, hard to see a huge leap, but happy to be proven wrong
• Cooper Stephens to be given a crack in the seniors to get some youth through the list. Thought he looked good in a small sample size on the weekend. Could rotate with other young mids or Higgins depending on form etc.

 

[standupand]

B: Henry Blicavs Stewart
HB: O’Connor SDK Touhy
C: Smith Guthrie Holmes
HF: Duncan Cameron Menegola
FF: Stengle Hawkins Close
R: Stanley Danger Parfitt
Int: Selwood Zuthrie/Bews Sav Stephens

• One of Bews or Zuthrie will be stiff to miss and competing with O’Connor for starting 18.
• Keep Touhy of HB where we can utilising his kicking and run (O’Connor can have first crack at danger small forwards)
• Duncan and Menegola to play as high half forwards/extra mids, if Menegola not fit Selwood onto the field and bring in Narkle or Higgins
• Need Sav on the bench to swap with Rhys, no idea what Ceglar can do and sounds like missed a chunk of pre season
• Miers can start in VFL with Stengel taking his spot, was borderline last year and missed pre season this year, hard to see a huge leap, but happy to be proven wrong
• Cooper Stephens to be given a crack in the seniors to get some youth through the list. Thought he looked good in a small sample size on the weekend. Could rotate with other young mids or Higgins depending on form etc.

I like it. Has a good balance of attacking players on every line and a touch of 2020 with the midfielders (Duncan, Mena) as high half forwards and I'm guessing Hawkins the main marking target up forward. No Kolo, no Rohan. Maybe those are the big selection calls we need to see?

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Some interesting opinions from the podcast team

 

[Jeff76]

Got a feeling we’re in for a bad year with all these Zuthrie comments, Zuthrie Dollhouse Parfitt Kolo Miers Menegola are our weak links but will all play this year.

 

[cats_09]

Got a feeling we’re in for a bad year with all these Zuthrie comments, Zuthrie Dollhouse Parfitt Kolo Miers Menegola are our weak links but will all play this year.

Sure the selection of Dahlhaus would be questionable, but not sure the issue with the others - they seem like easy whipping boy options regardless of form shown

 

[Wilbur90]

Hi guys,

I'm looking forward to round 1. Saturday afternoon in front of hopefully a big MCG crowd. We've all missed the theatre of it all over the last couple of years.

I just wanted to pick your brains and get an idea of the 22 you expect to see for the Cats in round 1 taking into account player availability?

I guess another way to ask it is, do you have any players who you don't expect to be available? If so, who?

Cheers,

Wilbur.

 

[Drunkcat]

Hi guys,

I'm looking forward to round 1. Saturday afternoon in front of hopefully a big MCG crowd. We've all missed the theatre of it all over the last couple of years.

I just wanted to pick your brains and get an idea of the 22 you expect to see for the Cats in round 1 taking into account player availability?

I guess another way to ask it is, do you have any players who you don't expect to be available? If so, who?

Cheers,

Wilbur.

Menegola and Miers Simpson are out for rd 1 Henry O,Connor Rohan Ceglar are 50/50 if they don't play VFL this week then they are out

 

[Wilbur90]

Menegola and Miers Simpson are out for rd 1 Henry O,Connor Rohan Ceglar are 50/50 if they don't play VFL this week then they are out

Thanks mate!!

Is Mitch Duncan a certainty for round 1?

 

[catempire]

Hi guys,

I'm looking forward to round 1. Saturday afternoon in front of hopefully a big MCG crowd. We've all missed the theatre of it all over the last couple of years.

I just wanted to pick your brains and get an idea of the 22 you expect to see for the Cats in round 1 taking into account player availability?

I guess another way to ask it is, do you have any players who you don't expect to be available? If so, who?

Cheers,

Wilbur.

Last night I posted this as a possible, if not probable 22:

Zuthrie Blicavs Atkins
Stewart SDK Tuohy
Close Parfitt Smith
Selwood Cameron Higgins
Stengle Hawkins Dahlhaus
Stanley Dangerfield Guthrie
Holmes Kolo Ratugolea Narkle

It is missing:

Duncan
Menegola
O’Connor
Bews
Henry
Miers
Rohan

Who are arguably best 22.

We don’t know if any of them will play as this club is as transparent as a lead lined box when it comes to injury updates.

 

[Drunkcat]

Thanks mate!!

Is Mitch Duncan a certainty for round 1?

Sorry forgot Mitch another 50/50 but say he will miss rd1

 

[Wilbur90]

Last night I posted this as a possible, if not probable 22:

Zuthrie Blicavs Atkins
Stewart SDK Tuohy
Close Parfitt Smith
Selwood Cameron Higgins
Stengle Hawkins Dahlhaus
Stanley Dangerfield Guthrie
Holmes Kolo Ratugolea Narkle

It is missing:

Duncan
Menegola
O’Connor
Bews
Henry
Miers
Rohan

Who are arguably best 22.

We don’t know if any of them will play as this club is as transparent as a lead lined box when it comes to injury updates.

Thanks Catempire, that gives a good idea of what we are likely to be up against.

Your outs, or those in doubt are kind of a fairly even spread between defence, midfield and attack.

Duncan and Menegola are both class midfielders so hopefully for your sake you get them back in soon.

In case you were interested, barring any mishaps at training between now and round 1 it appears as though we'll only have Tippa, Hurley and Reid unavailable for selection. So really only Tippa from our best 22.

That is presuming Stringer and Jake Kelly get up for it which we are hearing is likely. You never quite know with concussions though (Kelly). I can see Stringer getting to the line but being rusty as heck.

 

[catstragic]

Midfield is gonna be the issue this year, made worse by ruck weakness.

Forward line looks great - IMO jc/hawk/rohan as talls with Stengle/miers/close doing the small work. Stengle needs to stay high up the ground, Close (and Miers to an extent) can both rotate through the mids for when they rest forwards.

I feel people are a bit unappreciative of Rohan. While his stats may not knock your socks off show me any no3 KPF who gets big numbers.
He shuts down opposition defender space, tackles, is a decent marking target keeping oppo defenders accountable and kick very straight. We don't have a replacement half as useful.

Backline likewise looks pretty good. Henry/Bews/Atkins/Stewart all highly accountable defenders who provide a heap of drive as well. If Zuthrie hangs onto his current form lock him in this list as well. That leaves open a single KPD spot for SDK/Blicavs. I like Blitz but I like him more at least 30m away from the opposition goal line, so SDK it is. (with Kolo being depth in that position or support against very tall forward lines).


The midfield though... That's going to be a challenge this year. The only three players I can see making a big improvement in this area in 2022 are Oconnor, Parfitt and Narkle. The other youngsters just don't have the experience to make the jump this year (IMO), and we aint dealing with Sam Walsh

18

Sam Walsh

Age

23

Ht

184cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

25.1

5star

K

13.5

5star

HB

11.6

5star

M

5.1

5star

T

3.2

5star

CL

3.4

5star

No current season stats available

D

26.2

5star

K

15.4

5star

HB

10.8

5star

M

6.0

5star

T

3.2

5star

CL

4.8

5star

level freak talents either.

I'd love to have seen some more of Simpson recently but he seems another of those players perpetually injured.

Best case scenario is that our senior mids stay on the field all season and produce at last years level (Danger being the exception who looks to have gained a yard in pace this year). Stanley and Ceglar manage to be competitive most games and at least negate the A grade rucks.
If Oconnor and Parfitt both go to A grade status, and the others hold that gives us Jellwood/Danger/Gola/Parf/Duncan/Oconnor as a core group (a little light on for contested ability but still a serviceable mid group)

fwiw I think Blitz could be very useful as a tagger this year, its a role he did well previously and it would go a ways to balancing our lack of midfield strength.

Savrat needs to be stuck in the VFL. No room for him in the team with JC and Hawk, and he doesn't provide much outside of a marking target right now. Im not writing him off yet, but the lack of improvement with his goal kicking is a serious concern. Needs to rectify that this year or suspect he will be moved on in 2023.

Best 22 IMO:

Bews Henry Atkins
Stewart SDK Tuohy
Close Parfitt Smith
Selwood Cameron O’Connor
Stengle Hawkins Miers
Stanley Dangerfield Guthrie
Menegola Blicavs Rohan Duncan

Hate to say it but dunno how Zuthrie fits if everyone is healthy, probably has to push Tuohy out.

 

[Jeremias]

Interested in thoughts on O'Connor, Z Guthrie and Miers.

Best 22 likelihood? Understand O'Connor is currently on the comeback from injury, but I'm not too worried about R1.

Any insight into availability, job security etc. would be appreciated.

 

[catstragic]

Interested in thoughts on O'Connor, Z Guthrie and Miers.

Best 22 likelihood? Understand O'Connor is currently on the comeback from injury, but I'm not too worried about R1.

Any insight into availability, job security etc. would be appreciated.

Zuth looks pretty safe best 22 right now, played all last years finals series and has been one of our better performers in preseason. (and played alongside Stewart who is his no1 threat in the first game) Currently healthy and in career best form.

The other two are also best 22 if fit, but the legendary Geelong transparency and clear communication means that they could both be lining up for round one or both miss the entire season. Wish I could provide better guidance but nobody here knows.

 

[Catman]

The only way Sav is in our best 22 is if we become injury ravaged. The more I see him, the surer I become that he will not make it. If we are banking on him being our Hawkins replacement then he needs a full season in the VFL to hone his craft to at least give him the best opportunity to carve out a career.

 

[Pollywaffle]

The only way Sav is in our best 22 is if we become injury ravaged. The more I see him, the surer I become that he will not make it. If we are banking on him being our Hawkins replacement then he needs a full season in the VFL to hone his craft to at least give him the best opportunity to carve out a career.

Gone backwards in the last few seasons post injury. Kicking has not improved and isn’t clunking his marks like before.
Trick bag is empty.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

We don’t know if any of them will play as this club is as transparent as a lead lined box when it comes to injury updates.

Mention Ze War or not Mention Ze War. Tough decision.

 

[Drunkcat]

Sav better get going as from next year Neale will be infront of him.

 

[Partridge]

Last night I posted this as a possible, if not probable 22:

Zuthrie Blicavs Atkins
Stewart SDK Tuohy
Close Parfitt Smith
Selwood Cameron Higgins
Stengle Hawkins Dahlhaus
Stanley Dangerfield Guthrie
Holmes Kolo Ratugolea Narkle

It is missing:

Duncan
Menegola
O’Connor
Bews
Henry
Miers
Rohan

Who are arguably best 22.

We don’t know if any of them will play as this club is as transparent as a lead lined box when it comes to injury updates.

I'd say Duncan obviously, plus Henry, Menegola and Bews as pretty realistic 'best 22' inclusions. The rest I could take or leave.

 

[Partridge]

Gone backwards in the last few seasons post injury. Kicking has not improved and isn’t clunking his marks like before.
Trick bag is empty.

Was he ever though?

 

[cats_09]

Was he ever though?

2018 prior to his broken leg he averaged his current career high of 3.2 marks per game (last year was a career low of 2.1)

He also averaged 1.5 contested marks in 2018, but that's been pretty steady with 1.7, 1.4 & 1.2 in the three seasons since

So he's always taken the odd contested mark, but concerning that uncontested marks seem to be getting worse

 

[Pollywaffle]

Was he ever though?

Just seemed to be less of a butterfingers early on.
Shame there is no stat on dropped (potential)marks.
his kicking has me worried more. His ball drop is terrible. Surely that is something they work on, particularly with a guy who is supposed to be a forward in the making.
Starting to seem like a ‘look like Tarzan play like Jane‘ contender.

 

[foxdog50]

Sav better get going as from next year Neale will be infront of him.

I agree... but remember Chris Scott likes to continue keep playing his favourites....
Tbh if Ceglar not fit round 1, I'd love us to give Neale a crack, got nothing to loose playing him over Esava...

 

[Partridge]

Just seemed to be less of a butterfingers early on.
Shame there is no stat on dropped (potential)marks.
his kicking has me worried more. His ball drop is terrible. Surely that is something they work on, particularly with a guy who is supposed to be a forward in the making.
Starting to seem like a ‘look like Tarzan play like Jane‘ contender.

I reckon you've perfectly captured the problem. Too many think footballers can be made. If you get to this level and you can't kick, it's far too late for lessons. You should never draft anyone who can't kick the ball very, very, well. The clue is in the name of the sport.

 

[Vdubs]

Gone backwards in the last few seasons post injury. Kicking has not improved and isn’t clunking his marks like before.
Trick bag is empty.

Season has not yet started, and Sav has got through a preseason- give him time. At least until his contract expires.