Strategy Geelong 2017 Midfield

[foodles05]

Hamling was a skinny key position player and let go after only two years. He was not given any time to make his case. You complained brown wasn't given enough opportunities at 24. Yet hamling was at 20? It wasn't like he was completely hopeless at vfl either. He did kick a couple of bags of 5 goals in the vfl. Also showed a bit in the preseason games as well. I thought he was far more talented then kersten yet we kept him and gave him numerous opportunities. Hamling just nullified franklin in a gf at a still young age. We gave him away for nothing. We stuffed up royally.

I love this about Hamling. For the record I think it didn't make any sense to delist a high draft pick who came as a skinny kid we openly admitted would take a few years to develop. Strange decision to draft a raw kid and not give him the time to develop. However this celebration of what he has become is ridiculous in my opinion! He couldn't get a game in a defence that is well short of key defenders for more than half the year and was only included after 5 of their first choice defenders got injured. That's right 5!! He played ok in the finals and looked very good against an injured Franklin in the GF. I want to see a lot more from Hamling before I castigate the club for letting him go even though I agree it was a strange decision. To suggest the club has erred is way too premature!

 

[Ricketz]

Delisted from main list means he was let go. Why would he stay when offered a main list spot with a higher wage at another club. And he doesnt definately know he will be picked up on the rookie list. Anything can happen before it would become official. Do his knee before rookie draft day and he doesnt get a spot even on the rookie list.

Ummm, what exactly did he do to deserve anything other than a rookie spot? Geelong is not a charity.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Geez. Now we've moved on to hypotheticals. The facts are correct, they intended to keep him

Nah man. Being a bit technical there.
They delisted him off the main list.
Club obviously didn't really care if he left.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Nah man. Being a bit technical there.
They delisted him off the main list.
Club obviously didn't really care if he left.

Whatever. The core discussion point was that we erred by not playing them. Neither deserved a game and for all the subsequent bleetings about Hamling being batter than Kolo, well that wasn't the case when he left. Naturally if Kolo couldn't get a game then what chance did Hamling have?

So the complaints about the club ****ing up fall on deaf ears with me. You have to earn a game, neither did. Both took the easy way out.

 

[Partridge]

Hamling was a skinny key position player and let go after only two years. He was not given any time to make his case. You complained brown wasn't given enough opportunities at 24. Yet hamling was at 20? It wasn't like he was completely hopeless at vfl either. He did kick a couple of bags of 5 goals in the vfl. Also showed a bit in the preseason games as well. I thought he was far more talented then kersten yet we kept him and gave him numerous opportunities. Hamling just nullified franklin in a gf at a still young age. We gave him away for nothing. We stuffed up royally.

Three years. Drafted in 2011, and let go at the end of 2014. I never said it was 100% the right decision with Hamling, I said he didn't consistently demand selection. I stand by that, and can see why the club moved him on. And yes I did rate Brown more as he had shown more at VFL level plus of course AFL level.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Whatever. The core discussion point was that we erred by not playing them. Neither deserved a game and for all the subsequent bleetings about Hamling being batter than Kolo, well that wasn't the case when he left. Naturally if Kolo couldn't get a game then what chance did Hamling have?

So the complaints about the club ******* up fall on deaf ears with me. You have to earn a game, neither did. Both took the easy way out.

I don't think he earned a game either. Thought he was ok though (especially forward) and it was strange that the club delisted him when they did.
I don't really care though and don't think the club really f**ked up.
Just don't get why people can't admit he's done well, and playing really well in 4 finals makes him a spud.

 

[catempire]

Except for the fact one was a project player and let go at the ripe age of 20. Not 23-24 like a brown or walker. 20. At 23 he was a premiership defender who beat the best forward of the past twenty years in a gf.

So what? He didn't do anything close to deserving a game so the decision was made to move him to the rookie list. He found a better opportunity. Good on him. Everything Partridge said was right, so there's no "except".

 

[Stan The Caddy]

Yes, yes I do.

I think he has a breakout year this season.
The Brisbane Lions will also be much improved as a lot of their kids currently on the cusp will begin to elevate their games.

It is pointless either way. Jansen will do well and you idiots will still find any excuses to negate his improvement.

And just to put things into perspective, Jansen averaged 14.5 disposals, 8.7 contested possessions, 3 clearances, 4 tackles and 0.5 goals in only 7 games played.
A newbie averaging 9 contested possessions a game is exactly what Geelong need more of in the team.
Only Menegola has shown he can produce such numbers and he's 24 years of age.

Like Hamling, Geelong will regret letting him go. They should have blood him when they had the chance.

Haha! Good on ya mate.

 

[Bobby_]

Haha! Good on ya mate.

Your very welcome Stan.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

Your very welcome Stan.

We need your boy, Lang to step up this year Bobby! Can he do it?

 

[Partridge]

We need your boy, Lang to step up this year Bobby! Can he do it?

He was my pick for best improver last year (that particular dart bounced right off the board). Hopefully I'm out by 12 months and he steps up this season. Prefer him to play mainly in midfield.

 

[David the Cat]

He was my pick for best improver last year (that particular dart bounced right off the board). Hopefully I'm out by 12 months and he steps us this season. Prefer him to play mainly in midfield.

He is, by all reports, too good for VFL football, so I look forward to him holding some form and therefore getting a good run at establishing himself in the best 22. Holding form is the rider though....

I suspect your dart will stick in 2017....hopefully a bullseye.

 

[DangerIsLove]

I think we lack in tall forwards
Reckon we could sign someone next trade period or pinch a young gun
Same as defence just Gardner to rely on
Taylor can't be our swing man for 5 years he only has 2-3 left in him

 

[Seeds]

Three years. Drafted in 2011, and let go at the end of 2014. I never said it was 100% the right decision with Hamling, I said he didn't consistently demand selection. I stand by that, and can see why the club moved him on. And yes I did rate Brown more as he had shown more at VFL level plus of course AFL level.

My mistake then. Still was let go atleast 2 years earlier than any of our other key position prospects of the past decade. The notion that he was a hopeless vfl player was rubbish. If it wasnt for the fact we had the best 3 tall defensive unit in the league he would of got games in the firsts.

 

[Seeds]

So what? He didn't do anything close to deserving a game so the decision was made to move him to the rookie list. He found a better opportunity. Good on him. Everything Partridge said was right, so there's no "except".

So we should get rid of all project players after 3 seasons if they dont break into our very strong key position line up. No thoughts to the future when lonergan, taylor, hawkins et al are retired in 3-4years time. Its not like we were short of list spots. At the time we still had josh cowan given a list spot.

 

[catempire]

So we should get rid of all project players after 3 seasons if they dont break into our very strong key position line up. No thoughts to the future when lonergan, taylor, hawkins et al are retired in 3-4years time. Its not like we were short of list spots. At the time we still had josh cowan given a list spot.

They made the call he wasn't good enough based on the bugger all he showed. Fair enough. The label of "project player" doesn't make him immune from that decision. Even project players have to meet expectations and clearly he didn't.

 

[00VicWard001]

Doubt the Bobmeister at your own peril!

He reminds me of Eugene from the Walking Dead.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

He was my pick for best improver last year (that particular dart bounced right off the board). Hopefully I'm out by 12 months and he steps up this season. Prefer him to play mainly in midfield.

Don't worry, you did better than me. Thurlow was my tip to be the big improver last year and he didn't even play one game. Hopefully we were both 12 months out but we probably shouldn't expect too much from Thurlow first year back from an ACL I guess.

I think that Lang will see a huge opportunity for himself this year with Bartel and Caddy both not there any more. If he's anywhere near good enough he'll take the opportunity that will no doubt be given to him. And yes, I agree that he should be seeing more time in the midfield this year compared to previous seasons.

 

[Scottland2007]

Just saw a tweet with Dangerfield shrugging off a Duncan tackle. Fairly sure it was GHS that got the ball out to Dangerfield. #IStillBelieveInGeorge

 

[Jon Douglas]

I think that without one of the best midfields in the league you are very unlikely to win a flag. Think Lions and the FAB 4 and how that group helped attain 3 Premierships.

We have lost Caddy, which does somewhat weaken our midfield, but he was not going to be an A grade mid for us IMO.

We really need -

1. Scott Selwood to play most games and be an effective mid as a tagger or just getting the ball more often. I think he can be a decent mid for us this year.
2. Menegola just needs to keep doing what he did in the few senior games he played for us and he will be an asset in the midfield.
3. Lang needs to make ground and become more of a ball winner - although I suspect he may get a bit of time in the FP.
4. Blitz needs to regain a bit of his better form but now with no 3rd man up he becomes less of a dominant prospect.

If Guthrie keeps improving he will be a very good mid for us. Of course Selwood and Danger are our gun mids.

I include the rucks as mids - and I think both ruckman (Stanley and Smith) can both improve maybe 10 % on last year's performances.

A lot of hoping there. Possible that it could all turn out ok but it is not written in stone. Our midfield needs to be in the top 4 in the league for us to be seriously competitive this year IMO.

 

[Bobby_]

We need your boy, Lang to step up this year Bobby! Can he do it?

I now have grave doubts having seen him play forward pocket last year.
He's not a forward but this coach will persist with it.

Lang is a midfielder or a running half back flanker. I truly hope the coach plays him in that position come the practice matches as that is when we see Lang turn out to be the next Pops Kelly.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

I now have grave doubts having seen him play forward pocket last year.
He's not a forward but this coach will persist with it.

Lang is a midfielder or a running half back flanker. I truly hope the coach plays him in that position come the practice matches as that is when we see Lang turn out to be the next Pops Kelly.

Can see him getting mid minutes. Can't see him getting lots of mid minutes though. About as much as Caddy is feasible.
He's still behind a few in the queue.

 

[00VicWard001]

Just saw a tweet with Dangerfield shrugging off a Duncan tackle. Fairly sure it was GHS that got the ball out to Dangerfield. #IStillBelieveInGeorge

Anyone seen the video on Facebook? GHS is very noticeable, as is Guthrie. GHS is seen in the thick of things, while Guthrie is an outside receiver.

Lang is also looking good.

 

[BlightysCats]

I think we lack in tall forwards
Reckon we could sign someone next trade period or pinch a young gun
Same as defence just Gardner to rely on
Taylor can't be our swing man for 5 years he only has 2-3 left in him

We lack in quality small forwards, we're desperate for them. We had some of the worst ground ball stats inside our forward 50 of any team in the league last season so I fail to see how Taylor going forward or Black is going to help us at all, in fact it'll probably just encourage our favourite past time of blindly kicking it long without purpose or system.

 

[Ricketz]

I think that without one of the best midfields in the league you are very unlikely to win a flag. Think Lions and the FAB 4 and how that group helped attain 3 Premierships.

We have lost Caddy, which does somewhat weaken our midfield, but he was not going to be an A grade mid for us IMO.

We really need -

1. Scott Selwood to play most games and be an effective mid as a tagger or just getting the ball more often. I think he can be a decent mid for us this year.
2. Menegola just needs to keep doing what he did in the few senior games he played for us and he will be an asset in the midfield.
3. Lang needs to make ground and become more of a ball winner - although I suspect he may get a bit of time in the FP.
4. Blitz needs to regain a bit of his better form but now with no 3rd man up he becomes less of a dominant prospect.

If Guthrie keeps improving he will be a very good mid for us. Of course Selwood and Danger are our gun mids.

I include the rucks as mids - and I think both ruckman (Stanley and Smith) can both improve maybe 10 % on last year's performances.

A lot of hoping there. Possible that it could all turn out ok but it is not written in stone. Our midfield needs to be in the top 4 in the league for us to be seriously competitive this year IMO.

True. I hope they can do it. I think they will give it a crack.

I think there is improvement in Joel too, with a decent preseason. Then there is Motlop, who should definitely improve his output. I think Duncan has more upside, Cowan should improve, and we should also see more from Cocky.

I am not suggesting they will all star in every game, but some will. I reckon we have the talent and depth to beat any team in the comp. It will be good to see who steps up to the plate.