Club Focus Geelong 2020 - Smith, Cameron, Higgins, Holmes, Neale, Stevens

AFL Club Focus

What is the Cats' priority this off-season?

  • Recruiting via trade

    Votes: 6 40.0%

  • Managing the salary cap

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Managing the age profile

    Votes: 5 33.3%

  • Recruiting via the draft

    Votes: 4 26.7%
  • Total voters
    15

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Geelong club focus thread
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    Data from footywire. To check the draft order (updated weekly) see the thread here.
     
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    Sweet Jesus said:
    Cameron will probably cost you two of them.
    Click to expand...

    Maybe..as for the older player thing people simply look at age stats and not player role..the only over 30s that will be irreplaceable are danger selwood (although guthrie and menegola stepping up does help) taylor (although blitz going back to defence helps) and hawkins..the rest of our older guys are role players who will be replaced by players already on the list or by players we bring in.
     
    Sweet Jesus said:
    Do Geelong fans have any concerns about the addition of more veterans? Smith will be 32 by next season. Higgins will turn 33 in March.

    Jeremy Cameron is a longer-term acquisition obviously but are there any worries about skewing too old?
    Click to expand...
    The age thing is real but a bit overstated. The mean average age of best 22 is high but dragged up by Ablett, Taylor, Hawkins. We still have basically the same number of less experienced players as other top 4 contenders.

    More important than the number of over 30s is where those numbers are stacked. Hawkins out and Cameron in I'd say our forward line is straight for the next 3-4.

    Backline has SDEK coming through just in time to replace probably Hendo in 2022 and I think we have options.

    We looked ok through the middle of the year with Selwood out and Dangerfield in the middle but I think if we have neither we're a yard behind the better teams. Maybe we can deal with it, maybe Stephens turns out to be an elite player, maybe Constable finds no takers and takes it as a kick in the arse and starts gut running, maybe Lachie Fogarty with a string of uninterrupted games can come in and play defensive mid with Parfitt then being a playmaker.

    More likely i think the mc tries to come up with a structure that hides our weaknesses like we are lucky enough to do so often.

    Whether they're successful or not i don't know but gun to my head if I had to pick a time and place to be concerned the place is the midfield and the time is Guthries 30th birthday. That's when the critics mass of current mainstays with no clear replacements are all around 31
     
    Prochard123 said:
    I mean don't get me wrong Smith, Higgins and definitely Cameron are really strong players.

    But as someone who personally rates Menegola as one of league's best wingman, and with you guys having Duncan on the opposing wing, how much value do Higgins and Smith really add? Smith could arguably play half forward, but that's not really his natural position, and even his best position nowadays is barely above average. Higgins has played a lot of wing, and a little bit on the flank this year, but once again his natural position is inside mid, which I thought was why he was unsettled, but guess that is wrong.

    The only player from that list I see having a genuine impact and upgrades your list is Cameron, the other 2 I still feel are quite redundant, makes your team softer and are simply big name recruits.

    Also, next year your biggest obstacle is still Richmond. And your list is already much stronger than theirs, but their game plan just seems to overcome talent differential year after year after year. How much actual impact on performance would bringing in marginal upgrades at best make instead of adjusting your playstyle?
    Click to expand...
    Blitz was the one on the opposing wing when we were hitting our straps but he'll have to be in the backline now so Smith would take his spot.

    I agree Smith doesn't make the most sense but I think looking at what we need to change with Cameron in we are going to need to move it quick and I can see us going smaller in defence and parking Duncan there more often for more drive like we used to but more likely that's a Tuohy/Clark role. It's an opinion that would get a beer poured over my head in cats circles but I don't think we can rely on peak Selwood through the middle and so Guthrie and Duncan will need to be ball winners.

    So my opinion is they're just plugging holes for free and we go around again. If the alternative is playing kids then I think we'll find that by the time they hit 50 games we'll have too many older players retired so it's a waste of time playing kids on promise alone.
     
    Prochard123 said:
    I mean don't get me wrong Smith, Higgins and definitely Cameron are really strong players.

    But as someone who personally rates Menegola as one of league's best wingman, and with you guys having Duncan on the opposing wing, how much value do Higgins and Smith really add? Smith could arguably play half forward, but that's not really his natural position, and even his best position nowadays is barely above average. Higgins has played a lot of wing, and a little bit on the flank this year, but once again his natural position is inside mid, which I thought was why he was unsettled, but guess that is wrong.

    The only player from that list I see having a genuine impact and upgrades your list is Cameron, the other 2 I still feel are quite redundant, makes your team softer and are simply big name recruits.

    Also, next year your biggest obstacle is still Richmond. And your list is already much stronger than theirs, but their game plan just seems to overcome talent differential year after year after year. How much actual impact on performance would bringing in marginal upgrades at best make instead of adjusting your playstyle?
    Click to expand...

    You realise modern AFL requires rotation and midfielders only play about 80% game time right? Having two good wingers isn’t enough, especially when those wingers (Menegola/Duncan) also attend centre bounces.

    And it’s hard to really comment on any tweaks to the game plan before we’ve actually seen the entire list. So far we've added Isaac Smith and I can see how he fits into the wing rotation with Duncan and Menegola. Beyond that, I'm happy to wait until more information is available.
     
    catman2006 said:
    What year was the last top 5 pick in the draft for the cats?
    Click to expand...
    Stephen Hooper in the early 90s I think.

    Never had one in my time following Geelong (1993 onwards).

    If you want to get very, very technical then Brad Ottens was once Pick 2 but I don't think that's the intent of your question.

    Edit: I have no doubt that on talent alone, Tom Hawkins would have been a top-five pick in the year we got him. However, none of our father-sons - not even THAT one - were stars as juniors.
     
    iameviljez said:
    Stephen Hooper in the early 90s I think.

    Never had one in my time following Geelong (1993 onwards).

    If you want to get very, very technical then Brad Ottens was once Pick 2 but I don't think that's the intent of your question.

    Edit: I have no doubt that on talent alone, Tom Hawkins would have been a top-five pick in the year we got him. However, none of our father-sons - not even THAT one - were stars as juniors.
    Click to expand...


    Steven King maybe. He was a 90's version of Jesse Hogan/Jack Martin.
     
    A Cut Above said:
    These days its pretty difficult to imagine Stephen Wells ever saying that.
    Click to expand...
    I'm sure one of Brooksby, Minchington or Hartigan will come good this yeah though. The Hawks have done some sensational recruiting over the past 12 months. Blessed
     
    catman2006 said:
    What year was the last top 5 pick in the draft for the cats?
    Click to expand...
    1990, since then Geelong has had 7 total picks in single figures over 30 years. The highest of those picks was 7, which we've had 3 times (Mackie, Tenace, Selwood)
     
    Last edited:

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    DanA said:
    Steven King maybe. He was a 90's version of Jesse Hogan/Jack Martin.
    Click to expand...
    Sort of - he was compo for Stephen O’Reilly or Andrew Wills if I recall correctly
     
    Just some reflection of the reliance on older players at the cats. Top 10 in the Carji below. There are 2 players over 30 and the average age is 26 and a half.

    Cameron Guthrie - 228
    Tom Hawkins - 224
    Mark Blicavs - 221
    Patrick Dangerfield - 214.5
    Mitch Duncan - 213.5
    Sam Menegola - 210
    Jed Bews - 208.5
    Jack Henry - 205
    Mark O’Connor - 202
    Gryan Miers - 194.5
     
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