Review Geelong tries its best to lose and finds a way to stagger to a 4 point win over Demons

[iameviljez]

When I was a little kid I played YMCA footy.
About six kids had arm bands and they were the only ones who could run all over the ground.
Can't remember if it worked, but it would stop everyone getting in front of the ball for sure.

Yep, I remember the same with VicKick (now AusKick) with forwards and backs confined to the relevant fifties. I would hate to see it, but it is the only thing I can think of that will definitely fix the problem.

 

[thejester]

When I was a little kid I played YMCA footy.
About six kids had arm bands and they were the only ones who could run all over the ground.
Can't remember if it worked, but it would stop everyone getting in front of the ball for sure.

Some serious cure is worse than the disease stuff here.

 

[Live in hope]

Horrible game, iced with a near choke. Only redeeming feature was to cadge a win with so many players still rusty and two players injured from the first quarter.

Thoughts on some players-

Menegola - really good linking game, but boy does he telegraph those handballs.

Guthrie - since finals last year has been only a notch or two behind Selwood in impact. (I guess the haters should expect a round 3 for him now ... ).

Parfitt - please stay fit. Brings the contest and in traffic clearance we desperately need. Potential Beast.

Duncan - the best person for ball in hand of our team. Surprised he doesn’t attract a tag.

Fort - his second half was actually quite reasonable- got some clear wins over Max and some nice cameos, including a timely pack mark in addition to the earlier goal - far from our worst. Remember, this is a guy with 5 games experience (his age is nearly irrelevant in those circumstances).

Sav - Those game turning 10 mins and the not to be underrated ruck chop outs shows you have to persist, although Scott does need to demand that he attacks the ball more consistently and holds his marks.

Henry - still off his game a little but really liked his intent.

Blitz - liable to the odd costly brain fade - eg. stood back whilst McDonald marked in the last quarter, stupidly leaving it to a scrambling, out of position Henry. Quicker thinkers would have also avoided that uncontrolled volley kick at the end and tried to ‘kill’ the ball instead.

Bews - only a couple of tricks to his game but I’m liking the direct line charges and 50 metre low punts to deep forward. He’s a big unit who is hard to stop with momentum and even 2 or 3 of these straight ahead charges a game can be disquieting to opposition mids.

Meirs - gun.

Hawk. A CHF from now on. Please. Much better in space, away from wrestling packs at deep forward.

Ablett - a true great of the game, in form coming into the milestone. Glad he played on in this terrible year. When fit, a pleasure to watch.

 

[fpm84]

Terrible game, terrible spectacle, but I’m not sure how many teams are in sparkling form at the moment perhaps apart from Port Adelaide and Gold Coast.

All of the premiership fancies including Collingwood, Richmond, GWS and WCE have played some terrible football since the season resumed.

I just want us to bank some wins while we scramble for some form.

 

[Pollywaffle]

Discovering the books that were stolen by movies is one of my favorite past times. Unless it was Fight Club. Amazing movie, weirdly just not a good book.
I am happy to accept however I recommend to you Robin Hobb, Assassins Apprentice followed by the trilogy. It has changed the life of every person I've suggested read it.

Great books and all meaty reads!
Throw in Fitz and fool and tawny man trilogies and they might last you until we win our next premiership

 

[Larry Donohue]

It's boring as fu** but its the only way we're going to win with our team as selected.

We use safe ball movement cause we're old and slow, so we try to hold the ball rather than risk an opening. Every second we have the ball is one less that we're fighting to get it back. As a team we can't beat the other team in a hour long foot race up and down the ground. There's nothing scarier then the other team counter attacking off a turnover we just can't close down the space. If we have to risk it's better having it be 100+ meters from our goal with our defensive structure already setup then 70 meters with everyone caught out of position as they are running forward ahead of their opponents.

We couldn't go for a territory game as we were outclassed in the ruck, every stoppage is rolling a loaded die.

There is a lot of truth in what you say, the loaded die are rolling. We do need to give our forwards more of a chance of success though.
If you play primarily the defensive game you are sitting ducks.
We desperately need run, carry and line breaking so Hawk and Rattatatat can strut their stuff.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Discovering the books that were stolen by movies is one of my favorite past times. Unless it was Fight Club. Amazing movie, weirdly just not a good book.

I am happy to accept however I recommend to you Robin Hobb, Assassins Apprentice followed by the trilogy. It has changed the life of every person I've suggested read it.

Irvine Welsh's books make great movies. Particularly Trainspotting. But the books are so much better.
I loved American Gods. But I'm not enjoying the show at all.

 

[Strange Cat]

Yep, I remember the same with VicKick (now AusKick) with forwards and backs confined to the relevant fifties. I would hate to see it, but it is the only thing I can think of that will definitely fix the problem.

I use to play like that in primary school ...essential zoning in the key postition while allowing the midfielders to control the game

it would be a nightmare to the development and fitness of the zoned areas if the rules were reversed down the track

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

Shambolic, absolutely horrendous. Worst game of footy over the weekend and their were some absolute stinkers, this took the cake.

It’s evident we are just continuing to play that putrid style of footy, nothing’s changed. Also, under pressure the same players continue to fail when the heat is on, time and time again, no improvement.

Paper over cracks, we’re cooked.

 

[Live in hope]

Irvine Welsh's books make great movies. Particularly Trainspotting. But the books are so much better.
I loved American Gods. But I'm not enjoying the show at all.

‘Ecstasy’ is going to be a challenge, the censers could never find the appropriate rating! (Strangely the story on the TV host has proved to be very real!). Hilarious, very very sick but hilarious.

 

[cats_09]

When I was a little kid I played YMCA footy.
About six kids had arm bands and they were the only ones who could run all over the ground.
Can't remember if it worked, but it would stop everyone getting in front of the ball for sure.

Kinda like zones?

I know they have the 6-6-6 rule at centre bounces, but that doesn't make much difference to things once the ball is in play

I don't want to see them go full on netball where players wear bibs dictating where they are permitted to play/run, but one way of opening things up or stopping the full 35 player flood in front of the ball could be requiring a minimum number of players remain within the 50m arcs

Say 2 or 3 players from each team remain within the 50m arc - straight up that's 4 or 6 players not pushing up the ground adding to congestion. Would probably also help Geelong because how many times have we seen it where we win a turnover in the back half of the ground, go with the quick ball movement only to hit a wall as there's no one to kick to

 

[Spazz Cat]

‘Ecstasy’ is going to be a challenge, the sensors could never find the appropriate rating! (Strangely the story on the TV host has proved to be very real!). Funny sick reading.

Haha I haven't read ecstasy but I can imagine who the TV host is!
Yeah some of them I just dunno how they could find a way to do them.
They made Filth though! Had to tame it a bit but it was still good

 

[Spazz Cat]

Kinda like zones?

I know they have the 6-6-6 rule at centre bounces, but that doesn't make much difference to things once the ball is in play

I don't want to see them go full on netball where players wear bibs dictating where they are permitted to play/run, but one way of opening things up or stopping the full 35 player flood in front of the ball could be requiring a minimum number of players remain within the 50m arcs

Say 2 or 3 players from each team remain within the 50m arc - straight up that's 4 or 6 players not pushing up the ground adding to congestion. Would probably also help Geelong because how many times have we seen it where we win a turnover in the back half of the ground, go with the quick ball movement only to hit a wall as there's no one to kick to

Yeah 666 doesn't really work.
I'd just leave it all TBH. The teams playing good footy are up around the top of the ladder at the moment.
That's good enough! It shows a good style works.
Clarko is full of shit trying to blame the rules. It ain't the rules it's him.

 

[winty]

Was anyone else getting annoyed with how often Melbourne players were over-stepping the mark yesterday and not told to get back? It was almost like we were playing Hawthorn...

 

[Pollywaffle]

Was anyone else getting annoyed with how often Melbourne players were over-stepping the mark yesterday and not told to get back? It was almost like we were playing Hawthorn...

Definitely. Needs to be better policed .Maybe a few 50m penalties might send a message. Hawks have been doing it for years.

 

[Down at K Park]

Geelong doesn't tank.....not now, not ever.

Where did I suggest we would, or should?

I was just saying even if we were bad enough to finish bottom 4, it won't effect stage 5.

 

[Bring back Moloney]

Didn’t want to comment last night, as emotions can sometimes get the better of us.

But after sleeping on it, I honestly can’t think of even one single positive from that game. Literally nothing.

SURELY Jordan Clark comes in now!???? Any news on how the scratch match went?

 

[JohnZ]

One goal the difference we could be 3-1 or 1-3. You take 2-2 and move onto the next week.

WCE and Richmond, the two teams you'd expect to make the Prelims haven't fired a shot. GWS and Pies not much better. Footy is ordinary this year, sucks but better than watching better homes and gardens repeats.

 

[Drunkcat]

I record the game got home stated watching and i was so lucky i did not watch live, as i could fast forward the game....i have watch local footy that was a better game than that

 

[Cataholic]

So Clarko was banging on about opening the game up by paying more free kicks.

Sure, the umpiring could be better, but the fundamental problem Mr Clarkson is that coaches like you, Scott, Lyon, Roos etc have become so obsessed with teaching players to defend at all costs that you've suffocated the attacking flair that's crucial to the game as a spectacle.

Just as some might say Blight focused too heavily on attack, so too have you guys focused on excessive defense. It's what YOU guys have taught that is killing the game.

It doesn't need to be all out kamikaze attack, but have the daring, the courage, the balls to embrace attack as a key plank in your game plan, and let it evolve.

Don't go on letting attack just be an afterthought. Encourage flair, straight running, quicker passing, and don't give the players, or us, any more crap about having to learn more defensive aspects to their games and running stupid bloody patterns.

How about running in a straight line towards your F50 and adopting that as your running pattern??

 

[Goggin Our Best]

The problem with the game is not contests. Its chip kicking, switching sides of the ground in defence and holding the play up. The exact same thing makes soccer terribly boring.

One rule fixes everything wrong with the game. No kicks backwards can be marked and a mark can only be allowed for 20 metre kicks or more. Some of the chip kicks paid as marks on the weekend were so ridiculously small it was silly.

A couple of years ago David Parkin ( who also thinks the game is boring to watch ) said if the ball doesnt go 40 metres it is not a mark -

I would like to see that brought in - because these tiny short passes are a cancer on the game

And when you think about it - games at KP and the Adelaide oval are probably the best to watch - because the grounds are long and narrow - there doesnt seem to be so much sideways kicking

I watched the Carl v Ess game ( on the wide MCG ) - and it was a carbon copy of Geel v Melb - terrible - so much sideways - backwood kicking

 

[FredLeDeux]

Great books and all meaty reads!
Throw in Fitz and fool and tawny man trilogies and they might last you until we win our next premiership

Looking forward to the next trilogy and meeting Fitz, the Fool and the Wolf again, as Bee Supergirl sets out to solve the mystery of Kelsingra and the Elderlings.
Just hope the 68-y-o author survives long enough to finish it.

 

[ATSAM]

Horrible game, iced with a near choke. Only redeeming feature was to cadge a win with so many players still rusty and two players injured from the first quarter.

Thoughts on some players-

Menegola - really good linking game, but boy does he telegraph those handballs.

Guthrie - since finals last year has been only a notch or two behind Selwood in impact. (I guess the haters should expect a round 3 for him now ... ).

Parfitt - please stay fit. Brings the contest and in traffic clearance we desperately need. Potential Beast.

Duncan - the best person for ball in hand of our team. Surprised he doesn’t attract a tag.

Fort - his second half was actually quite reasonable- got some clear wins over Max and some nice cameos, including a timely pack mark in addition to the earlier goal - far from our worst. Remember, this is a guy with 5 games experience (his age is nearly irrelevant in those circumstances).

Sav - Those game turning 10 mins and the not to be underrated ruck chop outs shows you have to persist, although Scott does need to demand that he attacks the ball more consistently and holds his marks.

Henry - still off his game a little but really liked his intent.

Blitz - liable to the odd costly brain fade - eg. stood back whilst McDonald marked in the last quarter, stupidly leaving it to a scrambling, out of position Henry. Quicker thinkers would have also avoided that uncontrolled volley kick at the end and tried to ‘kill’ the ball instead.

Bews - only a couple of tricks to his game but I’m liking the direct line charges and 50 metre low punts to deep forward. He’s a big unit who is hard to stop with momentum and even 2 or 3 of these straight ahead charges a game can be disquieting to opposition mids.

Meirs - gun.

Hawk. A CHF from now on. Please. Much better in space, away from wrestling packs at deep forward.

Ablett - a true great of the game, in form coming into the milestone. Glad he played on in this terrible year. When fit, a pleasure to watch.

Agree. And please time to get over the Steven experiment. Bring in a kid,any kid and let them loose instead of him. They will do no worse.

 

[Strange Cat]

Agree. And please time to get over the Steven experiment. Bring in a kid,any kid and let them loose instead of him. They will do no worse.

Disagree he is finding form at the moment , but I agree it is strange they are letting him build his fitness at this level instead of the other kids having to sit back due to a lack of fitness

there must be more going in the background that what we think, they must be backing up Stevens due to his numbers in the past.

Mengola is only getting games due to his speed and run ...his disposals worry me far more than Steven’s

 

[Tony Barber]

I'm going to get in trouble. But I liked the discipline in the way we played and our skill execution.

Did I want more scoring? Sure. By not scoring we kept Melbourne in it.

But that game style effectively cut out the influence of Gawn, Viney, Petracca.
We minimised stoppages by playing keeping off.

Well done to fort.
And I thought o'connor was excellent right up until he almost handed them the game.

Excellent coaching. Albeit a defence first plan, he got the players to buy in.