Opinion Chris Scott's coaching - PART III

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Footy Smarts

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Blicavs HAS to stay in defense for two reasons.
1/ his best games this year have been in defense.
2/ Harry has what, a year or 2 max in his body, maybe less if this foot is an ongoing issue?

Simply put, he shut down his opponent on Saturday night and casually notched 16kms of running. How many others can do that? Reliable mark and tackler as well.
The concern is the MC and Scotty have made some bewildering decisions. So the concern is that they put him back into midfield.

But based on the current team, you would bring Harry or Hendo in for Henry and thats about it. Bews, Tuohy, Blitz, Stewart are absolute locks in defense. Bring in Taylor or Hendo and the last spot is horses for courses (Thurlow, or another Small defender, or maybe Henry).
Are you suggesting we leave Taylor or Henderson in the VFL or have I read that wrong?

Blicavs is clearly a good key defender but without injuries we don't need him there with Taylor, Hendo and Kolo. I'd also say his game against Hawthorn was as good as any this year and he wasn't playing in defence. He was really important in our comeback. I'd play him as a key defender when needed but there's no way I'd play him there when we're at full strength because he's too valuable in other areas where we have much bigger weaknesses at the moment.
 

Catman

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Port Adelaide were dreadful, they had no decent ruck and missed some good inside mids, their slow ball movement was terrible. They basically had no run and carry which is the best way to beat us. Was still a good win but would be a different story if they had a full team (in a team with a lot of soft outside players they really needed a lot more inside grunt).
Yet you thought they'd win well. Still got to get that backhander in, don't you?
 
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Agreed, plus...

3/ He looks far, far more comfortable there.
Does the fact he has the mental concentration that comes with successful tagging help his transition into defence? Looks like he's been doing it for years.

While I never agreed with all the calling for his head over the years, surely everyone would be impressed with his new role.
 
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Are you suggesting we leave Taylor or Henderson in the VFL or have I read that wrong?

Blicavs is clearly a good key defender but without injuries we don't need him there with Taylor, Hendo and Kolo. I'd also say his game against Hawthorn was as good as any this year and he wasn't playing in defence. He was really important in our comeback. I'd play him as a key defender when needed but there's no way I'd play him there when we're at full strength because he's too valuable in other areas where we have much bigger weaknesses at the moment.
Play all 3. We did successfully for years with Scarlett/Taylor/Harley, even Egan when he was there. Worked a treat. Hendo is a better Third man up than one on one defender anyway.
 

Footy Smarts

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Play all 3. We did successfully for years with Scarlett/Taylor/Harley, even Egan when he was there. Worked a treat. Hendo is a better Third man up than one on one defender anyway.
That's playing all 4 of Blicavs, Taylor, Henderson and Kolo. The problem is both Blicavs and Kolo are clearly at their best in lockdown roles which leaves limited options for the others. While I think the defence would be perfectly fine like that I just think we've got bigger issues elsewhere on the field. In my opinion, if neither of our rucks turn their form around we'd be much better playing Blicavs as close to a fulltime ruck with Sav taking some of the centre bounces. At the moment our rucks are getting thumped by good rucks in the tap work anyway and giving us nothing around the ground. At least Blicavs will give us significantly more around the ground than an out of form Stanley or Smith.
 

And_ROOS

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Play all 3. We did successfully for years with Scarlett/Taylor/Harley, even Egan when he was there. Worked a treat. Hendo is a better Third man up than one on one defender anyway.
Thats what I have been arguing with the idiots on one of the Geelong facebook pages. Our key backs for this year will end up being Taylor/Blicavs/Kolo, with Henderson being the swing man or drifting defender.
 

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Vdubs

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Sheesh Dubs, would you stop beating that drum, I know you love the guy but lets get realistic. :)

And were my eyes playing tricks a few posts back, I swear you actually mentioned him in the same breath as Anthony Koutoufides ....... naw I must have read it wrong surely.
A bit OTT, true.
Kouta as in no fixed position.
A few years ago I suggested he could be our Kouta. Bit of a way to go, but he's exceptionally versatile, adaptable, teachable, and capable. He lacks the Kouta brilliance, but nobody gets near him in that area for the size he was at the time, maybe Nat Fyfe, who would have to go close to his second Brownlow at this current rate of form.
 
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That's playing all 4 of Blicavs, Taylor, Henderson and Kolo. The problem is both Blicavs and Kolo are clearly at their best in lockdown roles which leaves limited options for the others. While I think the defence would be perfectly fine like that I just think we've got bigger issues elsewhere on the field. In my opinion, if neither of our rucks turn their form around we'd be much better playing Blicavs as close to a fulltime ruck with Sav taking some of the centre bounces. At the moment our rucks are getting thumped by good rucks in the tap work anyway and giving us nothing around the ground. At least Blicavs will give us significantly more around the ground than an out of form Stanley or Smith.
The odds of all of them being available at once is a long shot right now so it may not matter. Certainly looks a lot brighter than it did a month or so ago though. Future looks very rosey all of a sudden.
 
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Are you suggesting calls for Blicavs to play back we’re all hindsight and it took some masterful tactical thinking to suggest he go back into defense....that’s not really how I see it.
No...that was not what I was suggesting....though come to think of it...there were a few here who were more than suggesting Blicavs was "Scott's pet" and wasn't in best 22....and the MC should act and consign Blicavs to spend time in the VFL...to work on his defensive skills.

Now it was obvious he should go back to defence at AFL level...and the MC were too slow to act.

Perhaps they were working on his defensive skills...?

Some of the calls on Blicavs on this board have, in my view at least, bordered on ludicrous..
 
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Vdubs

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That wasn't the point. The statement was:

"Tell me the superb rucks that have contributed in a large way to any flags since 2012".

Boyd contributed in a major way to the Dogs winning the flag. Even though he's certainly not a superb ruck - at times he's barely competent. And no - I wouldn't have given up a top pick for him (as I'm suspect you and others are about to ask). Unfortunately for Sydney he picked that game to play well. How they got him is irrelevant to that fact.
Boyd is a KF.
As much as Hawkins is, and his ruck work is Hawkins-like.
He had a great finals series.
 

Partridge

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No...that was not what I was suggesting....though come to think of it...there were a few here who were more than suggesting Blicavs was "Scott's pet" and wasn't in best 22....and the MC should act and consign Blicavs to spend time in the VFL...to work on his defensive skills.

Now it was obvious he should go back to defence at AFL level...and the MC were too slow to act.

Perhaps they were working on his defensive skills...?

Some of the calls on Blicavs on this board have, in my view at least, bordered on ludicrous..
I was one of them. I absolutely suggested he was Scott's pet. And if he is going to be played as a ruckman or midfielder I do not believe he is in our best 22, and he should have spent time in the VFL. I also said that he looks far more promising as a defender. Until now with injuries forcing that hand that was unlikely to eventuate.

If that view is considered ludicrous that's fine. I'm not apologising for it to you or anyone else.
 

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I was one of them. I absolutely suggested he was Scott's pet. And if he is going to be played as a ruckman or midfielder I do not believe he is in our best 22, and he should have spent time in the VFL. I also said that he looks far more promising as a defender. Until now with injuries forcing that hand that was unlikely to eventuate.

If that view is considered ludicrous that's fine. I'm not apologising for it to you or anyone else.
Not still today I trust?
Not only best 22, but top 5
 

cynical

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Not still today I trust?
Not only best 22, but top 5
top 5 give me a break

So far he has shown to be a decent defender and that is it.

Personally I'd play him over Taylor and keep the defensive structure the same.

As a ruck/forward he is behind Sav.

As a mid he is behind half the team and there shouldn't be a spot for him, his skills are lacking too much to be a mid.
 
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I was one of them. I absolutely suggested he was Scott's pet. And if he is going to be played as a ruckman or midfielder I do not believe he is in our best 22, and he should have spent time in the VFL. I also said that he looks far more promising as a defender. Until now with injuries forcing that hand that was unlikely to eventuate.

If that view is considered ludicrous that's fine. I'm not apologising for it to you or anyone else.
Everyone's wrong on something. Good on you for highlighting yours.
Best 22. Absolute lockity lock.
 

Duskfire

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I am more interested in the coaches decision regarding midfielders when/if we ever have a full list available. Just feels like we have too many quality midfielders, especially with Kelly slotting in as far he has been playing with us for years.
 

And_ROOS

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Agree with everything on Blicavs. Doesn't have the nous to play ruck, and doesn't do enough in the engine room. But as a defender, he had a ridiculous preseason match where he dominated (might have been Essendon) and then the last few weeks while back has been a rock. If Scott puts him back up the field, then I will lose my mind. Keep as a KPD with the view to replace Taylor when he retires.
 

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Blicavs, former B&F winner playing as a mid, not best 22. Cray cray.
He was really important at times against West Coast and Hawthorn not playing in defence. I think once people get it in their head that he's not good except in defence then no evidence will change that. He's been very good this year regardless of where he's played and is obviously a lock in the best 22. His ability to help out teammates by getting to contests and outnumbering the opposition is severely underrated.
 

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He was really important at times against West Coast and Hawthorn not playing in defence. I think once people get it in their head that he's not good except in defence then no evidence will change that. He's been very good this year regardless of where he's played and is obviously a lock in the best 22. His ability to help out teammates by getting to contests and outnumbering the opposition is severely underrated.
Yeah I feel as if Blitz is a bit underrated in the midfield. Look at the shut down job he did in Kennedy in the finals. By the way some people talk about him it's as if he is another Kane tenace. Having said that, defense is the best place for him right now. We don't need midfielders, we need defenders.
 
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