Universal Love Brad Close

[Art Vandelay_]

His best half as a cat. BOG so far.

 

[dazbroncos]

His best half as a cat. BOG so far.

Rookie pick from Wells and has just killed it.

Not even 50 games and speed, skills and can kick goals ...even snaps!!!! Work rate is amazing.

Good thing hes still in the team and not in the VFL learning his craft lol

GO Catters

 

[goyoucatters]

Rookie pick from Wells and has just killed it.

Not even 50 games and speed, skills and can kick goals ...even snaps!!!! Work rate is amazing.

Good thing hes still in the team and not in the VFL learning his craft lol

GO Catters

Not a million miles off being worth a spot in this team. Add a shimmy to his game and then we'll talk.

 

[Warhorse]

Rookie pick from Wells and has just killed it.

Not even 50 games and speed, skills and can kick goals ...even snaps!!!! Work rate is amazing.

Good thing hes still in the team and not in the VFL learning his craft lol

GO Catters

Coaching staff should get some credit here as well. Pretty poor as a crumbling forward but has a huge motor that allows him to work until he has space. They have definately used him to his strengths

 

[MacStradbroke]

Warhorse Seeds you guys do not want to go back and read through the early pages of this thread. If you do, do not ever question Stephen Wells talent ID again.

It is humorous reading through old threads and I’m sure I would’ve said the word plodder at some stage in the Tom Atkins

30

Tom Atkins

Age

30

Ht

180cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.5

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

6.5

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

4.3

5star

CL

1.3

3star

D

6.5

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.5

2star

M

0.8

1star

T

1.5

2star

CL

0.5

3star

D

11.6

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

6.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

4.8

5star

CL

1.2

4star

thread .

 

[D BRIDGE]

Close has great chase-down pressure.
Things like this are not the sexiest part of the game... but the extra tackle pressure injection from guys like Close, Atkins, and Stengle is a big part of getting us wins.

 

[Romeoh1]

Love him.

 

[Warhorse]

Warhorse Seeds you guys do not want to go back and read through the early pages of this thread. If you do, do not ever question Stephen Wells talent ID again.

It is humorous reading through old threads and I’m sure I would’ve said the word plodder at some stage in the Tom Atkins thread .

What are you talking about? Seeds was spot on. Was poor as a small forward who is much better when he can use his running capacity in space. Seeds suggested he needed to play up the ground more

I said best case scenario is a stokes level player - pretty accurate I would have thought.

 

[My Tilly]

Close had 3 touches in the second half. These are the players I am most worried about come finals time.
Atkins, Zuthrie, Stanley, Blicavs, Menegola, Bews . . . . they need to play as they have done early in the year for us to win in weeks 1 or 2.
I'd throw Hawkins, Guthrie and Dangerfield in the mix as well. They have shown they go missing when the club has needed them the most in recent finals campaigns.

 

[#6 Thorp #7 Selwood LOL]

Close had 3 touches in the second half.

One of them was the (sublime) match winning goal assist.

 

[cats_09]

One of them was the (sublime) match winning goal assist.

And he was shown love by both coaches, with one of them giving him the 4 votes for second best on ground


VOTES PLAYER (CLUB)
10 - Tom Atkins (GEEL)
7 - Charlie Dixon (PORT)
5 - Brad Close (GEEL)
3 - Tom Hawkins (GEEL)
2 - Sam Powell-Pepper (PORT)
2 - Jeremy Finlayson (PORT)
1 - Gary Rohan (GEEL)

 

[cats_09]

 

[MacStradbroke]

What are you talking about? Seeds was spot on. Was poor as a small forward who is much better when he can use his running capacity in space. Seeds suggested he needed to play up the ground more

I said best case scenario is a stokes level player - pretty accurate I would have thought.

How many these do you agree with? All quoted lines.

• cant snap
• reading of the play not exceptional
• lack of mobility
• refuses to take a shot on goal ala Ben Simmons
• low ceiling
• limited talent
• not fast
• does not have any goal nous at all

Reads more like a suburban twos scrubber than the elite small forward/mid playing for Geelong.

 

[patience]

You were a bit mean to me Seeds . I meant he he's not a showboater.

 

[Warhorse]

How many these do you agree with? All quoted lines.

• cant snap
• reading of the play not exceptional
• lack of mobility
• refuses to take a shot on goal ala Ben Simmons
• low ceiling
• limited talent
• not fast
• does not have any goal nous at all

Reads more like a suburban twos scrubber than the elite small forward/mid playing for Geelong.

In the context of him playing as a forward pocket then by position he is correct.

He plays a different role in the team that plays to his strengths - a role that seeds suggested

 

[Seeds]

He is utilising his strengths as someone who has clean hands, decent vision and can dish the ball off quickly up the field.

he has also overcome his hesitation problem in front of goal. Which has been a huge plus this season. When he gets the ball within range he takes the shot, doesnt look up trying to look for other options anymore.

But he still lacks skills (genuine speed, agility and goal snapping ability) to be a great deep foward pocket. Not that its an issue. His skill set Is best suited in a different role. Stengle is the type of player you want deep foward. Close more as a high half forward who helps get the ball in there.

they complement each other really well.

 

[Mr Meow]

His reading of the game, decision making, pressurising and hurt factor with ball in hand are elite.

Has the engine to utilise those attributes effectively and his selflessness makes him the ultimate team man.

I genuinely think Closey makes the forward line tick and adds the kind of spark from a smaller bloke that was missing for far too long.

His improvement has tracked with my confidence in the team having enough class to put away opposition without winning the territory battle.

 

[My Tilly]

How many these do you agree with? All quoted lines.

• cant snap
• reading of the play not exceptional
• lack of mobility
• refuses to take a shot on goal ala Ben Simmons
• low ceiling
• limited talent
• not fast
• does not have any goal nous at all

Reads more like a suburban twos scrubber than the elite small forward/mid playing for Geelong.

How much more improvement does he have left in him?
Close looks like he has reached his potential. He's a workhorse and will always be good for 15 touches and 1 goal per game. A decent football career if you can maintain that but can't ever see him becoming an elite player.

I sometimes feel like we are too quick to call players elite based on one decent season. Elite as a medium forward would be reserved for players like Bolton, Greene, Heeney, C.Cameron, Moore, Rozee, de Goey and the list goes on and on.

I said best case scenario is a stokes level player - pretty accurate I would have thought.

Matty Stokes comparisons are similar. Then again, Stokes in his prime was a very good footballer. Averaged 16 disposals, 1½ goals and 1 goal assist in his first 100 games as a forward before moving into the midfield where he would average 24 disposals for his final three seasons at Geelong.

 

[Pavlovs Cat]

Close is a ripper. The improvement in him, Atkins, Holmes, and the astonishing emergence of SDK has been mosterous for usvthis season.

 

[Seeds]

Close is a ripper. The improvement in him, Atkins, Holmes, and the astonishing emergence of SDK has been mosterous for usvthis season.

Stengle has been the most important. He is a chance at an all australian in exactly the position we were previously deficient it. he has also freed up close to a more suited role.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Wonderful GF
Does he have the engine/ability to run through the midfield?

 

[Hamingja]

He was great. Lots of people laud the recruitment of Stengle but given he kicked 50 odd in the SANFL it was only a matter of where he ended up. Close could legit still be playing in the SANFL if we didn't select him, his numbers never jumped off the page, absolute diamond in the rough selection.

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

Wonderful GF
Does he have the engine/ability to run through the midfield?

In a rotation? Definitely! Another pre-season will see his endurance work come even further along and with a bigger tank the sky's the limit.

 

[Gavin Excell]

He was great. Lots of people laud the recruitment of Stengle but given he kicked 50 odd in the SANFL it was only a matter of where he ended up. Close could legit still be playing in the SANFL if we didn't select him, his numbers never jumped off the page, absolute diamond in the rough selection.

Where did he go draft

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Where did he go draft

Rookie as a mature ager, I think aged 21