Geelong for the flag in 2019?

[Captain_Bender]

Mitchell > Chopsticks

Also Ablett and Dangerfield

 

[Ricketz]

Whatever you say mate.

They seem to have gotten pretty excited about anyone saying the Cats will go ok. I think it was because I said their midfield was s**t.

Which it is.

 

[Ricketz]

Also Ablett and Dangerfield

He did win the Brownlow.

 

[VineyToClark]

Geelongs youth is s**t mate. I'm not even trying to claim Essendons is world beating, just about any club could do the same thing and show you how much of a laughing stock your 'youth' is.

Hawthorn's youth better as well or is that going too far?

 

[Jade]

They seem to have gotten pretty excited about anyone saying the Cats will go ok. I think it was because I said their midfield was s**t.

Which it is.

Is it?

Comfortably outperformed Geelongs midfield - so there's that.

 

[Jade]

Hawthorn's youth better as well or is that going too far?

Rein it in there fella...

 

[Jade]

Lol, yes you are. Thanks for confirming it here

Ablett is a better player than every single mid that you have. One of the most highly decorated players the game has seen, his output last year was exceptional. Ranked 32 in the AFL player ratings he is above every single player in your team.

They obviously haven't cleared all the drugs at Essendon.

Ablett WAS a better player. I don't think I, or anyone else has disputed that.

He was also, however, outside the top 10 for Geelong in 2018, and certainly vastly inferior to Devon Smith.

 

[Hannabal]

There's just a lack of depth and quality on the list.

They're still being carried by their better players, but even then they were bashed up by Melbourne's young inside midfield.

And old man Ablett is now literally scared of body contact. He may be handy as an opportunistic small forward, but his days as an impactful midfielder are over. He has nightmares about Jack Viney hurting him.

 

[Ricketz]

Ablett WAS a better player. I don't think I, or anyone else has disputed that.

He was also, however, outside the top 10 for Geelong in 2018, and certainly vastly inferior to Devon Smith.

He also polled more Brownlow votes (along side two other midfielders in our team who did the same) than any player in your team.

Do you want to keep making a fool of yourself?

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

This is actually funny stuff.

 

[Ricketz]

There's just a lack of depth and quality on the list.

They're still being carried by their better players, but even then they were bashed up by Melbourne's young inside midfield.

And old man Ablett is now literally scared of body contact. He may be handy as an opportunistic small forward, but his days as an impactful midfielder are over. He has nightmares about Jack Viney hurting him.

Well he did average something like 2 less CP's per game than Viney, but that was still more than every other Melbourne midfielder apart from Oliver.

 

[Sparkle]

Geelong need to find some run off half back and a dominant ruck to dictate at stoppages.

We did. Jordan Clark and Darcy Fort will slide straight into our Round 1 line-up

 

[Benny78]

How was your culture between 63 and 07?

Laughable.

Better than yours up to 1960. We never finished below 12th whereas I was surprised you Mayblooms were even allowed in the competition tbh. took a good 40 odd years to develop. Did you even make a Grand Final or Final before 1961?

 

[Benny78]

We did. Jordan Clark and Darcy Fort will slide straight into our Round 1 line-up

Some real ones would be nice. Like a Gawn and a Tom Stewart

 

[Hannabal]

Well he did average something like 2 less CP's per game than Viney, but that was still more than every other Melbourne midfielder apart from Oliver.

He averaged the same CP as Brayshaw, which included Brayshaw being played out of position on a half-forward flank before being moved into the midfield in round 7. From the time Brayshaw moved into the midfield in round 7 I suspect he shades him. Viney, Oliver and Brayshaw plus Harmes, who was close to Ablett's CP, will win more in 2019 in his new role.

More importantly, I use my eyes. Ablett is scared of physical contact.

 

[Taylor]

We did. Jordan Clark and Darcy Fort will slide straight into our Round 1 line-up

Jordan will be great as a creative half back, he is always looking for opportunity to run with the ball and then kick long.

 

[Taylor]

Tim Kelly is fantastic at winning the ball in stoppages but he is only reliably effective in using it handballing within five metres or kicking at goal.

I'd be playing him at the stoppage with Ablett looking for the handball receive, that should be a forty to fifty metre play most times with the Cats maintaining possession.

Inside fifty I'd instruct both to shoot for goal.

 

[Luv_our_club]

Tim Kelly is fantastic at winning the ball in stoppages but he is only reliably effective in using it handballing within five metres or kicking at goal.

I'd be playing him at the stoppage with Ablett looking for the handball receive, that should be a forty to fifty metre play most times with the Cats maintaining possession.

Inside fifty I'd instruct both to shoot for goal.

Perhaps, but i thought Kelly was at his best at breaking out of stoppages.

Selwood and Ablett better on the inside.

 

[Ricketz]

He averaged the same CP as Brayshaw, which included Brayshaw being played out of position on a half-forward flank before being moved into the midfield in round 7. From the time Brayshaw moved into the midfield in round 7 I suspect he shades him. Viney, Oliver and Brayshaw plus Harmes, who was close to Ablett's CP, will win more in 2019 in his new role.

More importantly, I use my eyes. Ablett is scared of physical contact.

Between rounds 8 and 23 Ablett 166 Brayshaw 169

More importantly, Melbourne players appear to have some indefinable quality like the Essendon-ness.

If Ablett is soft it doesn't say much about Brayshaw in his prime.

 

[Taylor]

Perhaps, but i thought Kelly was at his best at breaking out of stoppages.

Selwood and Ablett better on the inside.

He absolutely is but his kicking is too unreliable, one of those small forwards starting off the back of the square or a winger running by the stoppage solves that though. The hardest part is getting hands on the ball and he has magnetic hands.

 

[Luv_our_club]

He absolutely is but his kicking is too unreliable, one of those small forwards starting off the back of the square or a winger running by the stoppage solves that though. The hardest part is getting hands on the ball and he has magnetic hands.

I will watch for that.... but i always hated watching him run away from Hawthorns mids. And his kicking was not that bad. Sometimes it was exquisite.

i don't know about Ablett on the outside. I think he will get a hard tag, and be easier to stop than Kelly.

Anyway, the Cat's are spoiled for choice on the inside.

 

[Hannabal]

Between rounds 8 and 23 Ablett 166 Brayshaw 169

More importantly, Melbourne players appear to have some indefinable quality like the Essendon-ness.

If Ablett is soft it doesn't say much about Brayshaw in his prime.

So I was right. He "shaded" him.

Btw, Brayshaw played 2018 as a 22 year old having a breakout season. I'd hardly call that his "prime". I'd hardly call a 58 game player as having peaked.

Let me give you some context. In Ablett's first 100 games, which coincided with him being 22, he averaged 15 disposals per match across those first 100 games.

Do you think Ablett was in his "prime" at 22 ? Do you think he was in his "prime" in 2006 at 22 and averaging 16.9 disposals per game ?

Btw, there are moments in games when a player doesn't go, or avoids contact, etc. One needs to use their eyes to discern these moments. And to be honest, I don't blame Gary protecting his shoulders at 34 bearing in mind his recent history.

 

[Taylor]

Angus playing out the year was far ahead of expectations and for a guy who, this time last year, was one concussion away like Reggie Ray - it was so good for football that he got back into it.

 

[branedotorg]

Ablett is done as a top line mid.

Wasn't this guy your best and fairest winner?


In fact, he is all over your second and third too - Heppell and Merrett.

You wish you had a midfielder with his output.

you'd take merrett and smith though, ablett is too old to build a side around. how much longer do you think he'll be able to stay on pace?

 

[JeddaB]

...but even then they were bashed up by Melbourne's young inside midfield.

You make it sound like that happening is odd.
Geelong wasn't the first, and most definitely won't be the last team to be bashed up by Melbourne's mids in the next few years.
Awesome setup.