Forrest's Blake Thread

[TheMightyAchilles]

In an attempt to keep the Blake comments out of every thread, i thought it would be best to keep comments in one thread.

There seem to be two distinct camps.

He offers zero around the ground. Can't kick, has no awareness, and players avoid him rather than using him.

his tap work, as this is the only value he adds, is also in question. I agree he gets his hand on the ball, and it is often. Yes we do have the best mids in the competition. BUT i don't think the mids read his tap work that well, ie look at the games when the mids kill it, they are roving to Otto, Blake does not give the confidence they need.

Further his age is relevant, he has had plenty of time to get up to speed, and has not done so. When a decent ruck combination now, not in 10 years.

We need to give Simpson some games with Otto to see where he is at, and give him the chance. No-one would have expected Duncan to kill it early, but he has. So lets see where Simpson is at after 5-10 games.

Blake you have had plenty of chances.

 

[InnocentBystandr]

Re: The Full Blake Thread

In an attempt to keep the Blake comments out of every thread, i thought it would be best to keep comments in one thread.

You're right - I'm surprised there isn't a go at Blake on the Stokes thread!

Blake isn't the reason we lost yesterday. That said, Blake is a decent tap ruckman but this isn't american football where a specialist strolls on to do a job and strolls off again (punter). I saw him get lots of taps, but not that many to our advantage - and that's the point of a ruckman really. I'd like to give Blake a run in the 2's and encourage him to take the game on as a 'footballer' (you know- run, kick, tackle that sort of thing). A pity about West's hammy because I thought he might get a gig in lieu of Blake. I wonder if we'd persevered with West like we have with Blake where we'd be at? Will we persevere with Dawson like we did with Blake? Have we invested too much in Blake to cut loose now?

 

[TheMightyAchilles]

Re: The Full Blake Thread

You're right - I'm surprised there isn't a go at Blake on the Stokes thread!

Blake isn't the reason we lost yesterday. That said, Blake is a decent tap ruckman but this isn't american football where a specialist strolls on to do a job and strolls off again (punter). I saw him get lots of taps, but not that many to our advantage - and that's the point of a ruckman really. I'd like to give Blake a run in the 2's and encourage him to take the game on as a 'footballer' (you know- run, kick, tackle that sort of thing). A pity about West's hammy because I thought he might get a gig in lieu of Blake. I wonder if we'd persevered with West like we have with Blake where we'd be at? Will we persevere with Dawson like we did with Blake? Have we invested too much in Blake to cut loose now?

i think blake needs a spell, and daily ruck lessons from sam
it would be great to see him after some tutelage

 

[costanza23]

Re: The Full Blake Thread

I wonder if we'd persevered with West like we have with Blake where we'd be at? Will we persevere with Dawson like we did with Blake? Have we invested too much in Blake to cut loose now?

I've wondered that as well. I don't think it's too late to give West and Simpson extended runs in the ones. I think there may be worry when in a year or twos time, both Otto and Blake are gone and we are left with inexperienced ruckmen. It's still early in the season, we almost need to pick one of West or Dawson and play them with Ottens. Or if everyone at the moment has their way, Hawkins.

I remember Hawkins being touted as a possible ruckman before being drafted. I think Podsiadly and Mooney can hold down the two key forward posts this year and next year until Brown replaces Mooney. It may be wise to test Hawkins for an extended period instead. Still, its early in the season.

It's all very knee-jerk after one game, but I'd like to see some changes, not just for now, but also for the future.

 

[johnsmith05]

Re: The Full Blake Thread

blake was never a good footballer, he only made the geelong falcons side in u 18s, and most would say he made it and the gfl coz of hes old man. and thats prob why the club hasnt dropped him already

 

[ninjacat]

Re: The Full Blake Thread

I said a few weeks ago that Simpson would probably overtake Blake by the end of next year.

Given Dawson's latest few games and Blake's failure to really improve as anything more than a handball linker and tap ruckman, I think Simpson will overtake him by the end of THIS year.

Blake, West and Simpson should all be treated as equals from now on and made to play off against each other for the 2nd ruck spot. It doesn't matter what we invested in Blake, or that he's a son of former player.

Drop Blake and give Daws a few games at KP and see how he mixes it with the big boys If that doesn't work, do the same for West.

This team has to improve doesn't it? Isn't that what Bomber said after winning the flag last year? Well an obvious improvement is a ruckman who's a threat all over the ground and not just a one-trick pony.

 

[Rustin' Man]

Re: The Full Blake Thread

Why is everyone so fixated on Trent West? To me he is too undersized to be a regular ruckman and would struggle to win a reasonable ruck advantage. In the last senior game he played, if I remember rightly, he got nil stats - so how could he be better than Mark Blake? Dawson Simpson, however, is another matter. I agree he looked good against Fremantle and did well around the ground once he got going. In fact, he was surprising given that many on this board last year were saying he was too slow to make the grade.

 

[Greg Brady]

Re: The Full Blake Thread

At the moment he is detrimental to the team. Dont understand how the club can justify fully fit player can only play 47% of match time (vs Carlton). In this day and age, it dont mean all that much being a good tap ruckman, especially if your skills are very poor.

gb

 

[YOTC]

Re: The Full Blake Thread

The problem with the ruckmen who think they have skills is they get in the way. Blake knows his place after the tap work is done.

We lost every clearance in that rd14 match against StKilda until blake came on to replace "mr $300,000".

 

[Greg Brady]

Re: The Full Blake Thread

The problem with the ruckmen who think they have skills is they get in the way. Blake knows his place after the tap work is done.

We lost every clearance in that rd14 match against StKilda until blake came on to replace "mr $300,000".

"The times, they are a changin'"

Smell the cheese, Blake is a dull "tasty" cheese, we need to upgrade.

gb

 

[YOTC]

Re: The Full Blake Thread

"The times, they are a changin'"

Smell the cheese, Blake is a dull "tasty" cheese, we need to upgrade.

gb

Just because you changed usernames doesn't mean we should throw our faith in some pretty useless VFL ruckmen.

 

[Poetic Justice]

Re: The Full Blake Thread

At the moment he is detrimental to the team. Dont understand how the club can justify fully fit player can only play 47% of match time (vs Carlton). In this day and age, it dont mean all that much being a good tap ruckman, especially if your skills are very poor.

gb

2009..

Mark Blake dropped... clearances drop.

Mark Blake recalled... clearances return.

I know he's a dud, but eh, clearances are pretty important in my opinion.

 

[Cohzee]

Re: The Full Blake Thread

Did we get any clearances last week?

 

[Vdubs]

Re: The Full Blake Thread

Did we get any clearances last week?

Did we not win the clearances? So the reason we were slow and couldn't kick gettable goals and tackle was all Blake's fault? Every opportunity people want to get stuck into Blake. Nothing better to gripe about. Read a lot of similar hate for Lonergan last year, that is really pathetic too. Blake has something that every single detractor on this board does NOT have-a premiership medal, which he fully deserved.

 

[Greg Brady]

Re: The Full Blake Thread

This thread is just going to turn into an attack on those who dont rate Blake by members of the cheersquad who believe critising a player means you dont support the team. I hate that whole mantra.

gb

 

[CF]

Re: The Full Blake Thread

the thread was started by forest, a well known Blake hater, so I'd take anything said in this thread with a grain of salt

 

[Greg Brady]

Re: Forests Blake Thread

This could be the geelong board great divide. Blake h83r$$ v those with their heads in the sand.

gb

 

[Ninty]

Re: Forests Blake Thread

This board is pathetic with this shit.

The MIDFIELD lost it, not Blake, sure he's a part of it, but I saw taps in to space where we'd usually run on to it, but some Carlton player came out of nowhere as they wanted it more, and we were too lazy. Ruckmen can only do so much, and when they have a bad game, it can be a the midfield that makes them look bad.

Blake is easily our second best ruckman, he doesn't need to know how to kick with the guys around him. The Carlton game is hopefully the end of that kind of shit for this year.

It's funny how this board overreacts when we lose. I'm pretty sure the 07 and 09 premiers know what they're doing in '10. It's only round six ffs.

 

[Boxhead_31]

Re: Forests Blake Thread

This board is pathetic with this shit.

The MIDFIELD lost it, not Blake, sure he's a part of it, but I saw taps in to space where we'd usually run on to it, but some Carlton player came out of nowhere as they wanted it more, and we were too lazy. Ruckmen can only do so much, and when they have a bad game, it can be a the midfield that makes them look bad.

Blake is easily our second best ruckman, he doesn't need to know how to kick with the guys around him. The Carlton game is hopefully the end of that kind of shit for this year.

It's funny how this board overreacts when we lose. I'm pretty sure the 07 and 09 premiers know what they're doing in '10. It's only round six ffs.

But when the guy's around him are having an off day Blake becomes even more of a liability becuse he is then forced to show his kicking skills which haven't progressed at all since he was drafted

 

[Junk Time]

Re: Forests Blake Thread

mmmmm, black forest cake thread

 

[Junk Time]

Re: Forests Blake Thread

This board is pathetic with this shit.

The MIDFIELD lost it, not Blake, sure he's a part of it, but I saw taps in to space where we'd usually run on to it, but some Carlton player came out of nowhere as they wanted it more, and we were too lazy. Ruckmen can only do so much, and when they have a bad game, it can be a the midfield that makes them look bad.

Blake is easily our second best ruckman, he doesn't need to know how to kick with the guys around him. The Carlton game is hopefully the end of that kind of shit for this year.

It's funny how this board overreacts when we lose. I'm pretty sure the 07 and 09 premiers know what they're doing in '10. It's only round six ffs.

Seriously though, how do you know that he didn't palm it to a spot not designated prior to the ball-up? Just 'cause he got his hand to the ball you assume he put it exactly where is was meant to go

 

[vinum coupe]

Re: Forests Blake Thread

Seriously though, how do you know that he didn't palm it to a spot not designated prior to the ball-up? Just 'cause he got his hand to the ball you assume he put it exactly where is was meant to go

We ALL know this because if his tap work was crap there would be no way in hell he'd have played so much football over the past 3 years. Remember he'd be a dual premiership ruckman if the cats weren't so scared that he'd get thrown around like a rag doll in 07 (fair call too I thought)

It's a very important position in my opinion, and I'm tipping the coaches know a tad more about the expectations and requirements than you do.

 

[Greg Brady]

Re: Forests Blake Thread

Seriously though, how do you know that he didn't palm it to a spot not designated prior to the ball-up? Just 'cause he got his hand to the ball you assume he put it exactly where is was meant to go

Bingo!
For some of you, think about what your saying. Would you think that Mark Blake has a better football mind than Ablett, Bartel, Selwood etc?
If yes. you are incorrect.

gb

 

[Junk Time]

Re: Forests Blake Thread

We ALL know this because if his tap work was crap there would be no way in hell he'd have played so much football over the past 3 years. Remember he'd be a dual premiership ruckman if the cats weren't so scared that he'd get thrown around like a rag doll in 07 (fair call too I thought)

It's a very important position in my opinion, and I'm tipping the coaches know a tad more about the expectations and requirements than you do.

So Mark Blake never gets it wrong, he never gets corralled by an opposing ruckman into putting it in the wrong spot and all the mid-fielders at the club are to blame if the ball doesn't go straight down their throat, cause remember, Mark Blake could/should/would have been a dual premiership player, if xyz?

It is a very important position, you're right, and i'm tipping that the coaches are a tad more realistic about the expectations and requirments than you. Looking at the players around him on the ball I think you'll agree they know a little more about getting it right than Mr Blake.

 

[vinum coupe]

Re: Forests Blake Thread

Huh?

Are you just hitting random keys on a keyboard.

No he isn't perfect, and there's a number of rucks from opposition clubs that I'd rather have, but he's clearly our best option at the moment.

And FWIW I'd rather have Blake than King.