Analysis Geelong 2017 Defence

[Art Vandelay_]

I actually thought Hendo was our best big man this year, most likely as he was freed up more to play the role Taylor has done so well intercept marking... but i seem to remember thinking Taylor was battling a bit as the year goes on.
Just goes to show it was more likely doing a role and rated by the coaches for that.

Hendo with a year on his belt will be fantastic this year I'm tipping, Taylor more likely to play the Doms style shut out game...sacrificing himself getting as much ball for the good of the team.

The bolded is why complaints about Blicavs finishing position in the B&F are unfair.

It's not our award to hand out and adjudicate on, it's the clubs. Just like Taylor he was obviously doing something they valued highly that we laymen may not have been cognisant of or valued as highly as they did.

That doesn't make our valuations wrong and theirs right either. Just different.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

I actually thought Hendo was our best big man this year, most likely as he was freed up more to play the role Taylor has done so well intercept marking... but i seem to remember thinking Taylor was battling a bit as the year goes on.
Just goes to show it was more likely doing a role and rated by the coaches for that.

Hendo with a year on his belt will be fantastic this year I'm tipping, Taylor more likely to play the Doms style shut out game...sacrificing himself getting as much ball for the good of the team.

What I'm going to be most interested in is if one of them is going to play forward or not?

 

[Willo_]

What I'm going to be most interested in is if one of them is going to play forward or not?

I hope not

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Willo_ lol

Yeah that's the 10 basically and to be honest except Mackie who I think is in real decline (probably his last year) the other 9 I think are all AFL standard but I doubt we can fit them all in the team. My preferred back 6 is probably Lonergan Henderson Stewart Tuohy Thurlow and Bews but that's harsh on Kolo. I wonder if we will play one of the defenders up the field (say Thurlow on a wing or similar) so we have someone to drop back into the back 6 when one of the guys is on the bench.

I wonder what Thurlow has done in the last year to replace a young player like Kolodjasnij, who performed well.

 

[nohairandfair]

What I'm going to be most interested in is if one of them is going to play forward or not?

Both of them have honed their defensive skills over many seasons and are natural defenders. The half-arsed experiment of sending Henderson forward late in season 2016 was ill-conceived at best.

Both HarryT and Henderson are too slow up there and struggle to apply the requisite defensive pressure when the opposition defence runs the ball out.

Sure both of them have the ability to pinch hit the odd goal but they are the first two players I would select down back as that is where they are clearly most effective.

I'd be looking at the mobile talls in Stanley and Black to support Hawkins with Motlop, Menzel, McCarthy and possibly Lang the support cast. Perhaps Dangerfield should be rested up there more often to add even more fire power with his ability to win the contested ball and take pack marks.

We don't need a massively tall forward line to make things gel up there. Gunston (193cm) and Breust (184cm) have been excellent for the Hawks in terms of goal scoring with an ability to regularly snag opportunistic goals via deft knock-ons and reading the ball off packs.

Hopefully Brad Johnson, also an opportunistic goal scorer has/will impart a bit of that knowledge during his coaching stint at the Cattery.

 

[you pick one]

Might I add I also am very concerned about us being too tall...

Ideally I'd prefer NOT to see Doms/Kolo/Hendo/Taylor out there at the same time... I'm assuming that Doms drops off and out, but he surprised me this year and still handles the monsters well. I hope we play a horses for courses type of team and if one of them miss so be it. No one should be un-droppable

We need to be ruthless, we haven't been for a while now

I feel in my water that more than the usual number of our games will be won or lost at the selection table in2017.To compete we simply must get that balance right each week.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

I feel in my water

Now there's an uncommon turn of phrase.

 

[David the Cat]

Willo_ lol

I wonder what Thurlow has done in the last year to replace a young player like Kolodjasnij, who performed well.

Kolo's reputation far outweighs his performance IMO. The board loves him, and he is a walk-up start in most posters teams on here..He could turn out to be a good player... And yes, he needs games...but he has a fair way to go IMO.

Personally I think Thurlow and his quality footskills were badly missed last season.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Kolo's reputation far outweighs his performance IMO. The board loves him, and he is a walk-up start in most posters teams on here..He could turn out to be a good player... And yes, he needs games...but he has a fair way to go IMO.

Personally I think Thurlow and his quality footskills were badly missed last season.

Thurlow has played how many games? Another example of overrating young players based on potential.

Kolodjasnij more than held his own last year.

 

[Partridge]

Kolo's reputation far outweighs his performance IMO. The board loves him, and he is a walk-up start in most posters teams on here..He could turn out to be a good player... And yes, he needs games...but he has a fair way to go IMO.

Personally I think Thurlow and his quality footskills were badly missed last season.

Agree completely on Kolodjashnij. Was more impressive to my mind in 2015. Thought he was average to solid, always dodgy below the knees, and made absolute howlers that cost us goals. Including in finals.

That said, I don't think Thurlow has fully established himself either, and to presume that he'll effortlessly slot in after a knee reconstruction, I'd prefer to wait and see.

 

[David the Cat]

Agree completely on Kolodjashnij. Was more impressive to my mind in 2015. Thought he was average to solid, always dodgy below the knees, and made absolute howlers that cost us goals. Including in finals.

That said, I don't think Thurlow has fully established himself either, and to presume that he'll effortlessly slot in after a knee reconstruction, I'd prefer to wait and see.

Agree ... and right about Thurlow as well, but I am bemused that anyone would doubt that his foot skills would be a positive addition...given that he has overcome his knee issue of course..

Kolo jogging off to the interchange bench leaving Franklin alone to receive an uncontested handpass and sink a goal showed the lad has a fair way to go.....

Thurlow has played how many games? Another example of overrating young players based on potential.

Kolodjasnij more than held his own last year.

The irony in this post is unmistakeable....

oh....and Kolo and Thurlow have both played 29 games btw.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Willo_ lol

I wonder what Thurlow has done in the last year to replace a young player like Kolodjasnij, who performed well.

Structure. I feel having 2 sub average field kicks in the back half (both lonners and kolo are despite the fact that they excel at defence) inhibits our ball movement out of there too much. Thurlow by contrast would be the best field kick in the backline aside from tuohy. Personally i would play kolo and keep lonners out but i wonder how likely it is that they do that.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Both of them have honed their defensive skills over many seasons and are natural defenders. The half-arsed experiment of sending Henderson forward late in season 2016 was ill-conceived at best.

Both HarryT and Henderson are too slow up there and struggle to apply the requisite defensive pressure when the opposition defence runs the ball out.

Sure both of them have the ability to pinch hit the odd goal but they are the first two players I would select down back as that is where they are clearly most effective.

I'd be looking at the mobile talls in Stanley and Black to support Hawkins with Motlop, Menzel, McCarthy and possibly Lang the support cast. Perhaps Dangerfield should be rested up there more often to add even more fire power with his ability to win the contested ball and take pack marks.

We don't need a massively tall forward line to make things gel up there. Gunston (193cm) and Breust (184cm) have been excellent for the Hawks in terms of goal scoring with an ability to regularly snag opportunistic goals via deft knock-ons and reading the ball off packs.

Hopefully Brad Johnson, also an opportunistic goal scorer has/will impart a bit of that knowledge during his coaching stint at the Cattery.

Unless stanley finds the consistency that has eluded him so far or 2017 black becomes 2013 black i think its pretty likely taylor or henderson is going to CHF.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Structure. I feel having 2 sub average field kicks in the back half (both lonners and kolo are despite the fact that they excel at defence) inhibits our ball movement out of there too much. Thurlow by contrast would be the best field kick in the backline aside from tuohy. Personally i would play kolo and keep lonners out but i wonder how likely it is that they do that.

Kick Lonners out for Kolo when we're going for a flag? Dunno.
Lonegan would be one of my first picked.
Kolo would be one of my last.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Structure. I feel having 2 sub average field kicks in the back half (both lonners and kolo are despite the fact that they excel at defence) inhibits our ball movement out of there too much. Thurlow by contrast would be the best field kick in the backline aside from tuohy. Personally i would play kolo and keep lonners out but i wonder how likely it is that they do that.

Based on this prioritising of skills in the back half what would be your back 6 and bench defenders?

 

[cynical]

Kolo is hugely overrated, he has mostly been hidden in the backline. The guy should be taking the 2nd KPF or he shouldn't be in the team. I dont think he has the run and carry/offensive skills to be the 3rd tall.

If we structure up well we will have a good defense eventually. Might leak a few more goals for a while but it'll result in better ball movement and more opportunities for our forwards.

I hope we go with 2 KPD and someone like Stewart as the 3rd defender, then all smalls.

Throw Taylor forward and have Kolo or Lonergan as the other tall next to Henderson. Leave Mackie in the VFL.

 

[you pick one]

I'm thinking they will both play a lot of AFL footy with the retirements coming up and if they both remain at Geelong will compliment each other with Thurlow being the link man coming out of defense.Thurlow is a classy player and I admit to not taking a lot of notice of Kolo,that to me says he's not terrible,a couple of 21 year olds I'm pleased to have on the list with a lot of upside.We forget some times even the great Matthew Scarlett took time to develop.
Anyway the backline will do its job in 2017 the concern is the structure of the forward line and the delivery into it.
A happy and prosperous new year all,the count down to some footy has begun.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Based on this prioritising of skills in the back half what would be your back 6 and bench defenders?

I am not sure i would want a 7th defender on the bench as where will he play when the back 6 are on field? Unless he is genuinely being used say on a wing the rest of the time. I would go kolo/lonergan (one or the other not both) henderson then either stewart or mackie (both can play taller as the 3rd tall if we need it but still give us run and carry from defence). Then tuohy and thurlow on the flanks and either bews or ruggles as the small defender (this is genuinely line ball both were very good last year and i expect will be fighting for the same spot this year). In this scenario taylor plays CHF.

In reality i think they will play mackie though (i wouldnt but i think they will) and i cant see them dropping lonners in rnd 1 so i am unsure how they will structure up. At least we have options.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

The irony in this post is unmistakeable....

oh....and Kolo and Thurlow have both played 29 games btw.

Kolodjashnij played in our last side did he not?

I guess the mistake involved you deciding to ignore the last line. It happens so I'll forgive and forget this time.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Structure. I feel having 2 sub average field kicks in the back half (both lonners and kolo are despite the fact that they excel at defence) inhibits our ball movement out of there too much. Thurlow by contrast would be the best field kick in the backline aside from tuohy. Personally i would play kolo and keep lonners out but i wonder how likely it is that they do that.

Neither Kolodjashnij or Lonergan are 'sub average' field kicks. Also, I think Lonergan is competing with Taylor for the full back position since they're the only two really suited to that role and Domsy has the runs on the board and did pretty well in the spot last year. Taylor plays forward or in the VFL imo If we're talking structure.

As for Thurlow, I think he needs to earn his spot back as his previous performances weren't good enough for him to be an automatic inclusion in the side... and taking into account him coming back from a knee reco which can take up to a year before you're anywhere near what you were before the injury happened. People expecting the world from Thurlow next year could be left a little disappointed.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

This would be my starting defense against Freo barring injury.

B: Jake Kolodjashnij, Tom Lonergan, Jed Bews
HB: Zach Tuohy, Lachie Henderson, Rod Stewart

 

[you pick one]

This would be my starting defense against Freo barring injury.

B: Jake Kolodjashnij, Tom Lonergan, Jed Bews
HB: Zach Tuohy, Lachie Henderson, Rod Stewart

Not sure Stewart gets a gig first up,my money would be on Mackie its been the way Scott rolls,some one will have to crowbar Mackie out of the side.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Not sure Stewart gets a gig first up,my money would be on Mackie its been the way Scott rolls,some one will have to crowbar Mackie out of the side.

I'll now post what I expect to be a round 1 defence.

B: Jake Kolodjashnij, Tom Lonergan, Harry Taylor
HB: Zach Tuohy, Lachie Henderson, Andrew Mackie

 

[Ricketz]

Kolo is hugely overrated, he has mostly been hidden in the backline. The guy should be taking the 2nd KPF or he shouldn't be in the team. I dont think he has the run and carry/offensive skills to be the 3rd tall.

...


Throw Taylor forward and have Kolo or Lonergan as the other tall next to Henderson. Leave Mackie in the VFL.

Why put needless pressure on him to perform, weakening our backline and forward line as a result? We are having a crack at the flag this year, and won't speculate on 2nd kpf and kpd unless the kitty litter has hit the fan, imo.

I agree with you in principle, though, and don't think it will be an either or proposition to play Kolo or Thurlow. E.g a Ruggles or Bews makes way for Thurlow, rather than Kolo, or Thurlow takes a wing, or Taylor/Hendo go forward, or neither Thurlow or Kolo play. Cattle available and cattle opposed will play a big part in who plays where and when.

Whatever the combination, I hope the mc choose with a view to maximise the best matchups to our advantage each week, which means all the boys will need to be flexible in their roles back there, imo.

 

[TEDDY24INC]

I'll now post what I expect to be a round 1 defence.

B: Jake Kolodjashnij, Tom Lonergan, Harry Taylor
HB: Zach Tuohy, Lachie Henderson, Andrew Mackie

They won't make the same mistakes again this year.. I hope