Opinion Cats on the up

[bulletproof]

They need to find a role for Christensen because clearly it did not work for him in the midfield last year. Midfielders are getting bigger and stronger and Christensen can't play as an inside mid against guys like Kennedy, Sewell, Mundy, Dangerfield Pendlebury. The modern midfielder is changing. That is why Caddy is important because he is a very good build and will be able to match it with these guys

Christensen is a wonderfully skilled player but he needs to adjust his game pretty radically to become more of a link man and outside runner. I dont see a future for him in a traditional midfield role.

 

[proboy]

harsh

 

[Karl Hungus]

Menzel, good overhead, good at ground level, kicks goals, real x factor, can't wait to see him back next year!

 

[David the Cat]

They need to find a role for Christensen because clearly it did not work for him in the midfield last year. Midfielders are getting bigger and stronger and Christensen can't play as an inside mid against guys like Kennedy, Sewell, Mundy, Dangerfield Pendlebury. The modern midfielder is changing. That is why Caddy is important because he is a very good build and will be able to match it with these guys

Christensen is a wonderfully skilled player but he needs to adjust his game pretty radically to become more of a link man and outside runner. I dont see a future for him in a traditional midfield role.

Have to disagree. Yes, a few more kilos willl help, but he's tough strong, pacy and courageous. As you rightly point out he is extremely talented. What's more...he seems to thrive on his inside work.

He is only 2cm shorter than Sam Mitchell and 5kg lighter.....but he is also 9 years younger. .Playing inside mid hasn't hurt Mitchell ( who is slower than Bundy ) and I would venture to say Mitchell's last two years have been very very good.

He had a string of minor injuries last year that affected his performance. I think its too early to write him off as an inside mid. Given a strong pre-season and good form I think that's where you will see him a lot of the time next year.

Caddy is a good prospect, and could become a very good player. I would shudder at the thought of throwing him in against Dangerfield and Pendlebury at this stage of his development.

Bundy has shown he can mix it on the big stage with anyone....I'm prepared to back him in for this role.

I think he might surprise you.

 

[FredLeDeux]

Have to disagree. Yes, a few more kilos willl help, but he's tough strong, pacy and courageous. As you rightly point out he is extremely talented. What's more...he seems to thrive on his inside work.

He is only 2cm shorter than Sam Mitchell and 5kg lighter.....but he is also 9 years younger. .Playing inside mid hasn't hurt Mitchell ( who is slower than Bundy ) and I would venture to say Mitchell's last two years have been very very good.

He had a string of minor injuries last year that affected his performance. I think its too early to write him off as an inside mid. Given a strong pre-season and good form I think that's where you will see him a lot of the time next year.

Caddy is a good prospect, and could become a very good player. I would shudder at the thought of throwing him in against Dangerfield and Pendlebury at this stage of his development.

Bundy has shown he can mix it on the big stage with anyone....I'm prepared to back him in for this role.

I think he might surprise you.

Agree, he is a specialist in the infield and underfield*.
All he has to do is stop getting his head belted and/or ripped off quite so regularly.

* Copyright

 

[Partridge]

BUT THEY LOOK SIMILAR...! People also compared him to a young Diesel for the same reason

Have to be honest, Christensen looks about as much like Greg Williams as Krusty the Clown. That is to say, not at all. Don't understand how people can see any likeness.

 

[David the Cat]

Agree, he is a specialist in the infield and underfield*.
All he has to do is stop getting his head belted and/or ripped off quite so regularly.

* Copyright

Agreed...as long as he doesnt sub-optimize his attack on the footy and keeps his head on his shoulders, he should do well

 

[FredLeDeux]

Agreed...as long as he doesnt sub-optimize his attack on the footy and keeps his head on his shoulders, he should do well

Yes, he needs to hyper-optimize his body-capital integration.

 

[Partridge]

18 games were put into Guthrie in 2012, I would expect the MC to continue investing faith in the him in 2013, although the recruitment of Rivers again muddies the waters a bit if Guthrie is to hold a spot in the back 6. He was recruited as a versatile-type, and could possibly be used in a run-with role if his fitness levels are adequate to the task. If he can replicate his 18-game 2012 next season then he will have done well imo.

Guthrie will hopefully play more games than that. He is the clear and obvious replacement for Milburn or Enright. He's getting better all the time and is already a good disposer of the ball with excellent poise. Not every young player has to be flashy to be effective.

Taylor Hunt's hardly put a foot wrong in his short AFL career, and yet I reckon his spot in the team is under more pressure than most; he's really got to lock-down his lockdown role. If he plays another 21 games in 2013 I will be mildly surprised.

If Taylor Hunt does not play 21 games at least in 2013 I'll be horrified. If he doesn't tag who else does? We've got no one else remotely capable. He's in our best 22, cemented in, and is our tagger now. Simple as that.

 

[allrighty]

The frustrating thing with Menzel is, Im of the opinion that he is the best out of that lot, he was playing some seriously good footy before he did his knee. like most have already said a clone of SJ, i just hope he comes out of this just the way he was before.

Menz is more like the guy in The Fly than a straight out clone of SJ - part Stevie, part something else (hopefully not a fly!). I think he has the freakish skills and confidence of Stevie, but so far doesn't have the brain fades which suggest maybe he is a bit more level headed. To me that means he could be better than SJ, and THAT would be something wouldn't it?

 

[ekel92]

At least Taylor Hunt tried his heart out from woe to go against Freo in the final. I think only Selwood, Mackie and Christiensen? (pretty sure), can say that they left everything out there that evening. He has heart, we can all see that, which is a big tick from me.

 

[Kayaz]

Menz is more like the guy in The Fly than a straight out clone of SJ - part Stevie, part something else (hopefully not a fly!). I think he has the freakish skills and confidence of Stevie, but so far doesn't have the brain fades which suggest maybe he is a bit more level headed. To me that means he could be better than SJ, and THAT would be something wouldn't it?

SJ really didnt show much till he was 24 thats when he started to impress, Menzel came into a premiership quality team as a 19 year old and impressed instantly, thats what i find the most impressive.

 

[footscore]

Stevie J also had a similar start to his career as Menzel with chronic ankle problems and he actually broke one of them after jumping from a rooftop early on.
He's since battled groin/hip injuries but thankfully, those ankles have not troubled him since.

 

[footscore]

Steve Johnson's best in comparison to Denzel is quite stark as Johno in my opinion is one of the best players in the game when he's on.
If you check out some of his highlight reels when he was getting it together 2004ish...his high marking and goal kicking was quite extraordinary.

 

[iameviljez]

Have to be honest, Christensen looks about as much like Greg Williams as Krusty the Clown. That is to say, not at all. Don't understand how people can see any likeness.

In my book, that's a pretty big similarity. Obviously Diesel has thighs like tree trunks.

 

[Moggy]

In my book, that's a pretty big similarity. Obviously Diesel has thighs like tree trunks.

<tangent>
anyone else see Diesel's interview on Open Mike where he said that he left Geelong over a paltry 5 grand a year?
It left me thinking (again) "if only" and what might have been in 92, 94 and 95 with Williams in the hoops...sigh
</tangent>

 

[Vdubs]

<tangent>
anyone else see Diesel's interview on Open Mike where he said that he left Geelong over a paltry 5 grand a year?
It left me thinking (again) "if only" and what might have been in 92, 94 and 95 with Williams in the hoops...sigh
</tangent>

Might never have seen the sublime skills of Paul Couch as our centreman.
In another interview, Diesel said Ablett snr was the GOAT, and that he wasn't fit to tie his bootlaces. Wow.

 

[Moggy]

Might never have seen the sublime skills of Paul Couch as our centreman.
In another interview, Diesel said Ablett snr was the GOAT, and that he wasn't fit to tie his bootlaces. Wow.

It might be the same interview.
It is worth watching for Cats fans for the section where GW talks about being at Geelong, and about what Ablett was like at that time.

Here is a link to the first part.

 

[Turbocat]

They need to find a role for Christensen because clearly it did not work for him in the midfield last year. Midfielders are getting bigger and stronger and Christensen can't play as an inside mid against guys like Kennedy, Sewell, Mundy, Dangerfield Pendlebury. The modern midfielder is changing. That is why Caddy is important because he is a very good build and will be able to match it with these guys

Christensen is a wonderfully skilled player but he needs to adjust his game pretty radically to become more of a link man and outside runner. I dont see a future for him in a traditional midfield role.

I read the first line and was going to object but you are right. Too many head hits , too early in his career. But he can play the role but just needs help We just need to spread the load a bit , Caddy and GHS should help him.

 

[Vdubs]

was speaking to a young guy playing for Casey, about to be drafted he hopes, but he has played against Caddy and likens him mostly to Jack Ziebell. If that is accurate, we have a beauty.

 

[hbk_aus]

Not sure how I can see the poll on Tapatalk, but I find it hard to choose between Christensen, Menzel, Vardy, Duncan, Guthrie, Motlop, Murdoch, McCarthy, Smedts, Brown, Walker, Horlin-Smith, Kersten and Schroeder...oh and Caddy. Just those couple.

 

[Turbocat]

<tangent>
anyone else see Diesel's interview on Open Mike where he said that he left Geelong over a paltry 5 grand a year?
It left me thinking (again) "if only" and what might have been in 92, 94 and 95 with Williams in the hoops...sigh
</tangent>

Said it before , It was not just the 5 Grand in his pocket , it was the transfer fee we got.$60-70,000 from memory. Greg Williams was very money orientated , good player but .

Different era , we were broke, and Tom Hafey decied to take what he wanted to with him to Sydney.
Lesson to be learned form it , is there will always be good players , that demand things from you at contract time. Some times it very little , sometimes more but there is a line. Past that line and you may pay a big price (Hello Adelaide). Geelong got hurt but it survived. What if we had been reckless , paid what we couldn't afford to keep him?. What if we had not found that money we got from the transfer? We could have gone the way of Fitzroy. Who knows but we look back and say $5 Grand.

 

[footscore]

Turbo, where do you rate Williams amongst the all-time best midfielders?

I often remember listening to my uncle speak of him at Christmas time and he said he was the best midfielder he saw (a Carlton fan though) but I remember him quite vividly and he was quite devastating.
He could pin point a handpass to a running teammate 30 metres away and he would never have had to break stride.
Was also one of the toughest blokes I saw and never backed down from anyone and he was only about 5ft'9.

 

[BIGANT]

would be interested to know what our cats bf knowledgeable's think where well's will go with our #16 pick, best available or n a needs basis !?

 

[FredLeDeux]

Said it before , It was not just the 5 Grand in his pocket , it was the transfer fee we got.$60-70,000 from memory. Greg Williams was very money orientated , good player but .

Different era , we were broke, and Tom Hafey decied to take what he wanted to with him to Sydney.
Lesson to be learned form it , is there will always be good players , that demand things from you at contract time. Some times it very little , sometimes more but there is a line. Past that line and you may pay a big price (Hello Adelaide). Geelong got hurt but it survived. What if we had been reckless , paid what we couldn't afford to keep him?. What if we had not found that money we got from the transfer? We could have gone the way of Fitzroy. Who knows but we look back and say $5 Grand.

The $5,000 is slightly misleading. After Sydney made him an offer, Geelong refused his request for a raise from $45,000 to $50,000, so he took Sydney's original offer of $100,000.
The transfer fee was $120,000.