Dawson Simpson now?

[meto]

After seeing him play in the reserves last week I think we could consider his inclusion next week against the Crows, with a view to the game over in the West V the Eagles.
With him we could size up against the Eagles, having Vardy play a more stay at home CHF role.
His form is v good at the moment and I believe he's ready to go.

 

[Selective Retention]

There was a snippet in the HS this morning say that D.Simpson could come in for a rested Ottens. You wouldn't think they will do it with the possibility of so many senior mids missing. Playing Simpson as a ruck and Vardy/Ottens more forward may be more likely than a Brown debut at the moment though.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Unless there is a significant concern in Ottens travelling west, I think we should hold off for the moment. Ottens has had two weeks off in the past month and a half and will no doubt have at least another two (including the bye) before finals. After a bloody hard start to the year, we're managing his workload very well, especially with growing confidence in Vardy's ruckwork. Don't know if going with Simpson and Vardy against Cox/Naitanui and whoever Essendon plays would be the smartest move at this stage. Let him get some experience for 2-3 games during the Round 18-21 block (Richmond/Melbourne/Gold Coast/Adelaide).

 

[topic97]

Unless there is a significant concern in Ottens travelling west, I think we should hold off for the moment. Ottens has had two weeks off in the past month and a half and will no doubt have at least another two (including the bye) before finals. After a bloody hard start to the year, we're managing his workload very well, especially with growing confidence in Vardy's ruckwork. Don't know if going with Simpson and Vardy against Cox/Naitanui and whoever Essendon plays would be the smartest move at this stage. Let him get some experience for 2-3 games during the Round 18-21 block (Richmond/Melbourne/Gold Coast/Adelaide).

Agreed. Vardy is playing well, but against Cox he is still a little boy - it could do more damage for his confidnence than good.

As you said, Ottens has already had a few weeks off, and given that we still have a bye and what should be a very easy game against GC, its probably not that necessary.

Depending on how we do against the crows this weekend, I would say he would be rested when we play them in august.
That gives him 2 weeks off and a return at home against the Swans fresh as a daisy for the finals!!

 

[Exhale You]

I can't see us playing both Ottens and Dawse, at least not whilst Nathan Vardy is in the team.

Dawse is showing a lot of promise and i hope he gets another crack soon, but we simply shouldn't be going into games with three quality rucking options.

 

[AM]

I can't see us playing both Ottens and Dawse, at least not whilst Nathan Vardy is in the team.

Dawse is showing a lot of promise and i hope he gets another crack soon, but we simply shouldn't be going into games with three quality rucking options.

Agree with you about playing both Otto and Dawson.

I think you were at the game on Saturday. I believe Dawson had the better of his dual with Warnock who the Blues rate. So he must be progressing nicely.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

It's possible, however with the amount of players already out this week, I'm not sure.

Otto did have a rest a few weeks ago, Vardy is a kid who's played 5 on the trot, wouldn't he be the more likely of the 2 to be rested?

 

[Belisarius]

NO resting for players for 2 weeks you would think.

All hands on deck this week and then our biggest challlenge in the next month and a half - WC in the West.

So I reckon given the injuries and suspensions we will keep Ottens in for 2 more weeks - so maybe big Dawson will get his run in the seniors after that.

Varcoe will stay in the side now as well. For his and our sakes - let us see a 15-20 possession game with 3-4 tackles and a goal. Just can't see it but we can hope ?

We need to reshape the midfield I suspect quite radically. Good time for Varcoe to stand up - when we need him most.

 

[jim boy]

You'd expect Dawson to play in Perth, there is a real reluctance in the club to take Otto on any long road trips. Dawson has also a bit of Subi experience, having done the ruck duties over there for both trips last year.

The club will also be more concerned about getting everybody right for the finals rather than trying their hardest to win every game

 

[meto]

You'd expect Dawson to play in Perth, there is a real reluctance in the club to take Otto on any long road trips. Dawson has also a bit of Subi experience, having done the ruck duties over there for both trips last year.

The club will also be more concerned about getting everybody right for the finals rather than trying their hardest to win every game

Fully agree on your comments, he's had experience against Sandilands, so I'd imagine he's not going to be intimidated by any other.

At the moment on curent form, he seems to be languishing in the two's when we could be experimenting more up forward with Vardy and Otto given he could take central ruck duties.

I don't like seeing Vardy used at centre bounces, not because he carn't, just worries me that he could do an ankle or knee, he's still to light for that IMO.
Around the forwardline yes, at central bounces, no.

 

[Exhale You]

At the moment on curent form, he seems to be languishing in the two's when we could be experimenting more up forward with Vardy and Otto given he could take central ruck duties.

He's only recently returned to the VFL after injury and every single game of VFL footy we get into him is beneficial.
If he's still in the VFL at this time next year we might have to start worrying about him languishing but i think at this stage he's still gaining benefit from VFL footy.

I don't like seeing Vardy used at centre bounces, not because he carn't, just worries me that he could do an ankle or knee, he's still to light for that IMO.

Nathan is 95kg or so and given his body, he's not going to be adding much more to his frame, at least not in the next few years.
Vardy was always going to be a McKernan/John Barnes/Jeff White type in terms of body, rather than a hulking 100+kg type.
In the second half of his career he may add some weight as Brad Ottens has done but at this stage 95kgs or so is about right.

Also, he is a natural ruckman who we're teaching to also be a forward so he's got the technique and natural instincts to be able to protect himself at centre bounces.

 

[meto]

So if we're teaching him to be a forward and a ruck, then where does a tall specialist forward fit into a future Geelong team, if that were the view of the match committee, that we only have 1 specialist tall forward. (Pods)
No room for two, in your opinion?
The Eagles run 3.

 

[Exhale You]

No room for two, in your opinion?

There's room for two, but we're in the very unique (and lucky) position where our two ruckmen are legitimate goal kicking threats when forward so we've got the luxury of only having one 'straight' key forward and thus including an extra runner.

I want Dawse in the team but given the sub rule, we'd be silly to play him in the same team as both Ottens and Vardy at this stage.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Fully agree on your comments, he's had experience against Sandilands, so I'd imagine he's not going to be intimidated by any other.

At the moment on curent form, he seems to be languishing in the two's when we could be experimenting more up forward with Vardy and Otto given he could take central ruck duties.

I don't like seeing Vardy used at centre bounces, not because he carn't, just worries me that he could do an ankle or knee, he's still to light for that IMO.
Around the forwardline yes, at central bounces, no.

I know what you're saying but with only three on the bench you simply can't play all of Otto Daws and Vardy in the same side. Particularly since Daws ruckwork is coming along very well but he's still not particularly good as a forward, which means when he plays he needs to be in the ruck for as long as possible, i.e. a game when Otto is not playing. I agree with Jim Boy, take him on the interstate trips and leave Otto at home.

 

[meto]

Don't see a problem if the players jell together, at present the WCE run Lynch, Kennedy and Darling in the same forwardline, with the ruck duo of Cox and Natanui.
At times they'll drift forward to cause matchup problems for an already streched defence.

Just carn't see the addition of another tall that creates other options as a negetive, given we run the bare minimum of talls already.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

All those players you mention are capable of chasing and laying multiple tackles (Darling in particular is very good at it for a 1st year player) Otto is not, and with how well we are going at team defence and keeping the ball in their front half they would be silly to risk that to play Otto as a permanent forward, he'll do it in bursts but not permanently, which is why you won't play all three.

I also agree with Exhale, Vardy is slight, but he's a pure ruckman and has good technique which will help him protect himself from injury. A part timer like Hawkins is more likely to get injured rucking than Vardy is because he doesn't understand proper technique.

I'm all for no running Vardy in the ground, and ditto Otto, but you can't play both of them and Daws in the same side. You can rotate the three depending on who needs a week off at any given time.

 

[Hinkley29]

Is Vardy slight?

He is young, but he seems pretty well put together. I don't look at him at ruck contests and think that he is overmatched physically.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Is Vardy slight?

He is young, but he seems pretty well put together. I don't look at him at ruck contests and think that he is overmatched physically.

I do sometimes think that about the opposition ruckman with the knee in his sternum though.

 

[meto]

Dawson said late last year that since being at the club he'd grown a couple of cms, that he was now 208.
Not only that, but he's physically powerful through his frame, what I'm saying is you don't find guys like this everyday. He's been at the club 3 years.

Apart from rotating midfielders through our ranks I think we've got to start seriously developing the likes of Dawson, what if Otto goes down 2 weeks before the finals?

Nobody's thinking of that! but you never know, let's hope not, cause Vardy couldn't go it alone in the finals.

 

[bobbycatsfanme]

I do sometimes think that about the opposition ruckman with the knee in his sternum though.

but that's so far been Vardy's greatest asset in ruck contests...his vertical leaping he's got tremendous height in the air and it really limits the ruckman from getting any knee near his chest. Many believe Ottens has lost his spring but he approaches the ruck bounces an entirely different manor than if he were going for a mark. I suspect that when he faces more athletic ruckman such as Naitanui, Ryder and Kreuzer etc the Geelong coaching staff will alternate Hawkins/Vardy far more as jumping continually becomes pretty tiresome especially for a bloke 6ft 8 and 110kg. It allows Ottens to still be able to outjump those slightly smaller ruckman in the 3rd or 4th quarters.
We've now got to see Vardy stand up against some quality opposition and it's now clear that Hawkins is definitelty not a ruckman. If he gets confidence and gets back into the seniors I reckon his best move would be in the backline where he can follow a player and also cause big hassles in the air where he won't be expected to mark as opposed to the forward line. We haven't yet seen the Vardy/Hawkins combination so that would be another option for the team.
I do like Dawson, he has all the attributes to make a successful ruckman for us and he's bloody huge....I'm 5ft 11 myself but when I stood beside him he's definitely around the 7ft mark although listed at 206cm would be closer to Sandilands height.

 

[bobbycatsfanme]

meto that's bloody ironic because I just finished typing and saw what you just posted about his height and pretty much confirms my thoughts

 

[catman2006]

We could see a whole host of younger players this week including Simpson and Brown get a game.

 

[meto]

We could see a whole host of younger players this week including Simpson and Brown get a game.

Yes, the game this week should be an interesting one from our point of view, us keyboard experts!......... fresh faces to look at with the new youth, along with the old brigade.
Just a great transition phase happening at the club ATM.

 

[Rosso]

I was really impressed with his game on the weekend. It's one thing to be a seven foot monster that looks menacing from a far but it's another to physically impact oneself on a game of footy and that's what Smokey did on Saturday.

His ruckwork was very good but it was his marking, positioning and reading of the play that really stood out. Coming back from injury it was impressive and against Warnock (who Carlton traded and offered big bucks for) there was decent opposition too.

Will play some seniors on that performance and with an impact to boot.

 

[bulletproof]

Should be playing games over the next month.

We have a huge basket named Brad Ottens and we are piling more eggs into it by the week.