Roast Blake in Trouble

[nohairandfair]

A lot of us older supporters remember fondly his dad Rod, who was tall, gangly, awkward and only there as backup. Then at age 27 he got really fit and became the best ruck in 1980, 2nd or 3rd in the Brownlow, and dominated the competition for 2-3 years. Mark looks very similar, and looks as if he lacks confidence, and even I'll admit, he has not progressed this year. I'm hoping he can turn it around and gain some fitness and speed. Last year against Ess, he dominated Hille, and was very influential around the ground, may have got a vote, the point being he showed something. If this is the last year we have Blake, I personally admit disappointment. Watching the Hawks clean up the Pies at the moment in the 3rd/4, we may need some backup in the ruck next week.

Actually, I remember another gangly Geelong footballer that played in that era called Leigh Crawford. An absolute spud, but gave us all a belly laugh with his trussed turkey runs, repeated brain fades and disjointed attempts at controlling the pill.

Mark has more in common with Leigh.

 

[Hood007]

This was the last little part of an article in todays Herald Sun...

The experiment of using forward Tom Hawkins in the ruck will continue with Mark Blake to sit out again despite the VFL team having the bye.

Resting maybe?

 

[Belisarius]

Because Geelong look more vulnerable than they have over the past 2 seasons (that is they won one premiership and should have won the last but now other teams are catching us) - this maybe something that works to Geelong's advantage. They cannot afford to be complacent about quite a few things that perhaps in the past Thompson could just rely on the team and its structures to win nearly every time they played.

So pressure is on to see if Geelong can actually raise the bar - and have a few more tricks up its sleeve. As they have not needed to in the past the team has carried at different stages Hawkins, Varcoe and Byrnes. However now Geelong needs to be more competitive than ever more scrutiny is being applied to every player. It is clear to many over the last dozen or so games since Big Brad went down that we had lost a good player and also discovered that our back up number 1 ruckman, in combination with either West or Mummy, really did not cut it as a good competitive unit. A weakness in Geelong's armoury.

So it is not suprising that Geelong tries a few things now and see if they cannot get a better solution to the ruck issue if Ottens does not come back or breaks down before GF day. Geelong's ruckwork (at stoppages and around the ground work) has been below par with Blake and Mummy.

After last weeks game I find it hard for me to accept that Mummy, if he can produce that sort of game consistently, is not a better choice than Blake, when Ottens comes back in. It maybe even worth, as being trialled, just having one ruckman if Ottens fails to return.

If the experiment is played out for the next 2-3 weeks against some good opposition teams - I think we will all know a bit more about how the one ruckman, with extra runner in the side to compensate, works out. If it fails badly then perhaps Blake will come back. My money is Mummy will ruck with Ottens in the finals.

 

[mcwilrob]

ability is the problem

Absolutely right - with the possible addition of willingness to contest outside of a straight ruck duel. I am sick and tired of seeing Blake stand by as a spectator (outside of ball-ups) when he should be competing and using his big frame to help our smaller guys have a chance at ground level. Soft!!

 

[OldStyle2007]

I don't want to hit the guy when he's down but Mummy is a better package at the moment

I thought Blake's ruckwork was adequate but around the ground he was a liability. But his hit-and-miss tapwork certainly didn't make up for the lack of impact around the ground

I first started to really worry when I noticed Blake running under the ball in marking contests. Also, I had the funny feeling that when Blake was in the ruck the Cats were generally struggling or breaking even but when Ottens or even Mummy came in the game seemed to be going well

I think you can't doubt his work ethic though or his commitment to the team. As someone said earlier he is a long term project and when he grows into his big frame that extra bit of co-ordination may come along, confidence will grow and he'll be a gun

Having said all this I can't quite see Bomber playing Mummy on his own with Taylor/Mooney/Hawkins back-up against the Hawks this weekend in a such a huge match at the MCG

 

[rooie]

Absolutely right - with the possible addition of willingness to contest outside of a straight ruck duel. I am sick and tired of seeing Blake stand by as a spectator (outside of ball-ups) when he should be competing and using his big frame to help our smaller guys have a chance at ground level. Soft!!

i agree. aside from all the technical arguments, Blake is soft, and i would suggest he is probably the only player in the geelong team you can say that about.

 

[Belisarius]

Quote -'Having said all this I can't quite see Bomber playing Mummy on his own with Taylor/Mooney/Hawkins back-up against the Hawks this weekend in a such a huge match at the MCG'.

What better time to trial it ? In a big game with heaps of pressure (and a poor rucking opposition). Let's see how Mummy and Hawkins go (and leave Taylor out of the ruck) in a high profile game where something is expected of both players. Mental toughness and self belief are part of the kit of a good footballer.

 

[winty]

Watched the replay Cats-Saints rd14, and when Blake went into the ruck in later part of 1st/4, the game turned our way.

Maybe that had more to do with the fact two guys with the surnames Ablett and Bartel joined him in the middle around that time too....

 

[krisholio14]

Here's a little something that makes interesting reading, especially in light of the fact i've been saying for years his dad ended up a more than handy player after starting out exactly the same way as his son....

I've been sorting out my football record collection today, and came across this little snippet from the Geelong player profiles in the 1978 EF record where we played Carlton at Waverley....

Rod Blake
First Played: 1971
Games 1978:10 Total:94
Goals:4 Total:36

A wiry ruckman who gets his chance at the expense of the suspended Manson. An awkward follower who can produce effective efforts, he is not a reliable kick and misses many goal chances.

Fast forward to his profile in the record for the 1980 PF v Collingwood at Waverley.....

Rod Blake
First Played: 1971
Games 1980:23 Total:140
Goals:12 Total:57

Has had his most consistent season and is rated a Brownlow Medal prospect. Blake's long reach is difficult to counter and he marks strongly too.

Now don't get me wrong, i'm not saying this is in any way proof that Blake the Younger will improve to that extent, but the difference in just 2 years in his dad's finals profiles show just how quickly he went from being a borderline back up ruckman to a B&F winner and who went on to finish third in that 1980 Brownlow Medal.

Worth keeping in mind.

***And just as a note....David Manson, who was first choice ruck in 1978, never played another game for Geelong seniors after that suspension.

 

[The rabbi]

First played 1971 and had his stand out year in 1980. I remember it well. He came 3rd in the Brownlow in 1980.
The problem is, can a club afford to wait 9 years for a player to mature enough to be damaging ruckman?

 

[OldStyle2007]

First played 1971 and had his stand out year in 1980. I remember it well. He came 3rd in the Brownlow in 1980.
The problem is, can a club afford to wait 9 years for a player to mature enough to be damaging ruckman?

I think we can wait a few more years with the exception that he doesn't demand anyone else from the club gets de-listed!

 

[goodoldcats]

his old man wasn't a sook and didn't act like the club owes him

 

[Patronus]

his old man wasn't a sook and didn't act like the club owes him

When has he acted like the club owes him?

He has not said anything about the grandfinal dropping and did all he could for the team at the time despite what must have been a major disappointment for him.

All people have on him is rumor and speculation about what happened at the time that now many people believe as fact.

 

[leorex]

Well whats better to go into a final

two competitive if ordinary ruckmen / or one competitive ordinary ruckman with a good running player that can add some versatility to the side.

Rabbi, I sure its not Mark Jackson