Gary Ablett 2016

[FRUMPY]

Probably take more money from the AFL and go play for the Auckland Asteroids.

 

[Jade]

I don't agree. Geelong's youth stacks up pretty well compared to Gold Coast's. Then we can talk about all the other variables that make up a successful club.

Mate, Geelong's youth is 'ok' by comparison to most of the non-expansion sides. Not bad, not fantastic, but by all intents looking pretty solid.

Caddy, Smedts, Guthrie look pretty good and I liked the look of Walker as well. The rest? Just as likely as any other young fella.

Gold Coast have collected some of the best young talent available for three years, including three or four absolute locks to be elite level players, and numerour others that could be.

It's all subjective of course, as youth always is - but from everything we know, Gold Coast are MILES ahead of Geelong in the youth stakes.

Just pissing into the wind with that comment.

 

[PatrickBateman]

I wouldn't put anything out out I the realm of possibilities when it comes to gaz

Tend to agree with you. While a true professional, he's definitely an emotional character. I'd imagine that the influences in his life at contract time would play a big part.

 

[PatrickBateman]

Mate, Geelong's youth is 'ok' by comparison to most of the non-expansion sides. Not bad, not fantastic, but by all intents looking pretty solid.

Caddy, Smedts, Guthrie look pretty good and I liked the look of Walker as well. The rest? Just as likely as any other young fella.

Gold Coast have collected some of the best young talent available for three years, including three or four absolute locks to be elite level players, and numerour others that could be.

It's all subjective of course, as youth always is - but from everything we know, Gold Coast are MILES ahead of Geelong in the youth stakes.

Just pissing into the wind with that comment.

Ah yeah, you missed a couple champ. Christensen, Menzel, Vardy, Duncan.. would all have shown as much as any Gold Coast youngster other than Swallow.

Other than this, Scott rotated almost the most new players into the senior side in 2012, with several other promising results. Add to this the VFL Premiership won by a very young Geelong side.

 

[Byron2008]

Probably take more money from the AFL and go play for the Auckland Asteroids.

Legit LOL

 

[Jade]

Christensen, Menzel, Vardy, Duncan.. would all have shown as much as any Gold Coast youngster other than Swallow.

I didn't miss them mate, I ignored them based on age. Although granted I didn't specify the criteria I used when looking at your list.

But hey, lets give this a crack.

Daniher, O'Brien, Kavanagh, Browne, Heppell, Carlisle, Melksham......

See this is the part where I say they've 'shown' more than the young players of opposition x, and snort when disagreed with.

Other than this, Scott rotated almost the most new players into the senior side in 2012, with several other promising results. Add to this the VFL Premiership won by a very young Geelong side.

I'll repeat the content of my initial post. Geelong has youth that look no better or worse than most sides. Never implied they were crap, quite the opposite said they looked alright.

But GC (along with GWS) is absolutely stacked with young talent. There are three or four young players on GC's list that I'd take ahead of any comparable player at Geelong. And that's not a swipe at the Cats, because the same would be true of the Bombers (except for probably Daniher).

Your assertion was that Geelong's youth stacks up pretty well to Gold Coasts.

And I'm here to tell you, fully aware that anything can happen, that from what we know there is a freakin mile between Gold Coast and Geelong. Such is the gap, it's an almost laughable comparison.

 

[NUFC Tiger]

I can still see GAJ being a great player in 2016 and I also reckon he will finish his career as a more than handy small forward. Cats already have quite a lot of young promising kids to build for the future with, in 2016 - most of those kids you would think would be just starting to hit their prime. Could be a great addition to add some leadership and experience if it were to happen.

 

[JUBJUB]

There's more hope of Andrew Walkers cap returning to Carlton than Jr returning to Geelong

 

[Falchoon]

Ah yeah, you missed a couple champ. Christensen, Menzel, Vardy, Duncan.. would all have shown as much as any Gold Coast youngster other than Swallow.

I'd take Bennell over all of them

 

[PatrickBateman]

Lesson number one on recognising a douche that doesn't like being corrected on BigFooty. They start using 'champ', or 'son', or 'sport'.

OK.. well, on the subject, I'm not your mate...

Plus, it's pretty obvious who's reacted over being corrected, isn't it?? The fact that you needed to insult me proved that point. Now move along.... son.

 

[Jade]

OK.. well, on the subject, I'm not your mate...

Plus, it's pretty obvious who's reacted over being corrected, isn't it?? The fact that you needed to insult me proved that point. Now move along.... son.

Nawwww come on....

Aren't you going to amaze us with tales of wonder of the amesomeness of Geelong's youth compared to one of the finest collections of young players ever assembled. Now go ahead, please do.

 

[tigers_of_old_08]

I wouldn't put anything out out I the realm of possibilities when it comes to gaz

Yup, he's not injury prone and comes from good stock (has good genetics)

 

[SuperCats9]

Gazza will finish he's career back at Geelong. I'd glady have him back, one of the all time greats in AFL, and if he was to have any kids further down the track, i want them going for the Cats, not the Suns.

 

[PatrickBateman]

Nawwww come on....

Aren't you going to amaze us with tales of wonder of the amesomeness of Geelong's youth compared to one of the finest collections of young players ever assembled. Now go ahead, please do.

While you could be right about the Gold Coast youngsters, I just haven't seen enough myself yet to give them the same cred. I'd be happy to be proven wrong if they do start blowing the competition away. I've got issues with the unity of that playing group. The ease that they fall apart early in games and their effort level in losses (often big margins) is terrible. Talent alone just doesn't cut it.

I'd like to see the Geelong VFL group (minus players over 22-23yrs) up against the AFL Gold Coast side. I think It'd be closer than you think...

 

[Jade]

While you could be right about the Gold Coast youngsters, I just haven't seen enough myself yet to give them the same cred. I'd be happy to be proven wrong if they do start blowing the competition away. I've got issues with the unity of that playing group. The ease that they fall apart early in games and their effort level in losses (often big margins) is terrible. Talent alone just doesn't cut it.

I'd like to see the Geelong VFL group (minus players over 22-23yrs) up against the AFL Gold Coast side. I think It'd be closer than you think...

Maybe, maybe not. After all it would be one bunch of kids against another bunch of kids; most of which have some level of talent. Junior games can be close, or they can be absolute blow outs. So who knows.

Not that it would really matter. Even if the hypothetical matchup were to occur, judging the collective talent of 44 kids from one game is pointless.

Now the thread questions what Ablett will do in three years. And honestly, I have no idea. I suspect he will stay put.

Your contention was that Ablett might come back because Geelong's youngsters rivalled that of Gold Coast and are therefore as big a chance as GC to be playing finals / contending at that point in time.

It was a throwaway line, the kind used a thousand times a day on here, and I don't think you meant it to be anything more than an assertion of confidence in your young kids. Geelong's kids MIGHT come on as a collective very well and be contending at that time. Gold Coast's kids MIGHT fail to reach the heights expected of them. Who knows? But as it stands today, without the benefit of hindsight we'll have in three years, Gold Coast's collection of youngsters look SUBSTANTIALLY better than Geelong's.

And I mean that with genuine praise for some of the young kids the Cats have. But the Suns have a collection of potentially elite youngsters, and no one with time to think about it would consider the Cats youngsters anywhere near the talent assembled up there.

 

[Donakebab]

I don't agree. Geelong's youth stacks up pretty well compared to Gold Coast's. Then we can talk about all the other variables that make up a successful club.

Of course a Geelong supporter sees the best of Geelong's youth. I do agree there is some great talent, I just don't feel it stacks up to both what they will lose or what GC have, assuming that they manage to hold on to the bulk of it.

 

[PatrickBateman]

Maybe, maybe not. After all it would be one bunch of kids against another bunch of kids; most of which have some level of talent. Junior games can be close, or they can be absolute blow outs. So who knows.

Well, unless draft camps and the hours spent by clubs monitoring the under 18 competitions around Australia are a complete waste of time, I'd say the GC youngsters are definitely more talented. Like I said though, talent is only a part of what's required. The club culture, environment, personnel, attitude.. all crucial to a players development. The point that the Cats boys could even be close in a game with the GC youngsters shows this to be true. The Cats youngsters have the aid of what is currently very strong club to start at... Gold Coast the opposite. Apart from Ablett their leadership is severely lacking on field.

Most of this is of course speculation, so more or less a throw away argument if taken seriously. I'd still gladly see Ablett back at the Cats.

 

[PTizzle]

Small forward, moving up when needed, 50+ goals a season. I'm excited, but it's hard not to be with Gaz.

Not out of the realms of possibility he could play another 8 seasons if his body holds up. Suns won't be in a hurry to get rid of him.

 

[Superstar swan]

In all honesty (and I'm just guessing here) I don't think the first 2 years have gone quite like gaz probably would have hoped. I think he would have been convinced that he would be surrounded by tons of talent and had more senior players wanting to play for the club. He conceivably won another 2 premierships at the cats. I struggle to think that the the gc will make finals while gaz is there. Yer they have a lot of great youth but without a lot of on field leadership and experienced players to learn their craft off I think it will take a lot I tw youngsters a lot longer to develop than maybe less talented players at other clubs

 

[brendan84]

Hmm do I want one of the best players in the game to stay at my club...?

I think he'll stay, I expect GC to be in a good position for contention when he comes out of contract.

No need to be modest. He is by far the best player in the game.

 

[Shagga is all Class]

GC would be out of extra cap by the end of 2015, so GAJ could go anywhere.

That said I would rather have Bennell.

 

[Big Fozza]

Depends on which fan.
I'm watching all his GC games, will always be a fan, he is simply the best, would be stoked to see him finish his career at Geelong.

i love watching him play but i hope that we don't have a spot for him on our list if he wants to return

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Ah yeah, you missed a couple champ. Christensen, Menzel, Vardy, Duncan.. would all have shown as much as any Gold Coast youngster other than Swallow.

Other than this, Scott rotated almost the most new players into the senior side in 2012, with several other promising results. Add to this the VFL Premiership won by a very young Geelong side.

.

 

[muttweed]

.

What's there to facepalm about?

Everything he stated was a fact.

 

[Dwight Schrute]

What's there to facepalm about?

Everything he stated was a fact.

Bennell is better than all of them. Smith, Mckenzie, Lynch, Dixon and Matera are better than Vardy and Menzel and that's not even taking account the fact that most of the Gold Coast players are younger.