Preview Geelong v Melbourne Sun Apr 11 @ MCG 3:20 pm - Rd 4, 2021

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The reality is, these changes are fairly close to what everyone expected. We all knew it would be Menegola and Close for Higgins and Evans. The only slight surprise has been Zuthrie for Holmes and that’s hardly likely to be a decisive factor in the match.
 
Stats aren’t everything but 14 touches and a goal in 5 point win in a half... that’d take Guthrie 3 games to achieve
Some stats or lack there of are very telling

- In a full game against Brisbane he was restricted to 55% TOG. He had 13 disposals in the first half, 3 in the third quarter and 1 in the last

- As medical sub against Hawthorn he came on in the second quarter & had an impact when he came on with 9 disposals & a goal. But it was a usual story in the second half with only 5 disposals; in the match he also had zero tackles or clearances, and as a player who's described as a bigger bodied inside mid, we've been repeatedly told that clearances are a strength of his

He then finished last weeks match playing only 42% TOG; Higgins came off at the 9 minute mark of the 3rd quarter and finished with 48% TOG. For whatever reason, he's a player the coaches aren't using deep in matches, especially when it gets tight - and that whatever would be contributing to holding him back & him being omitted
 
No doubt we need to be bringing in more quality youth. Particularly mids. And players need to make way for those incoming. Just hope that Guthrie is the first out the door. For him to be retained whilst Fogarty is racking up 25 touches in the last fortnight is a bit galling.
Don’t see Zuth being the reason Fogarty isn’t here. He left for more senior opportunities given he was behind Joel, Paddy, Menegola, Duncan, Guthrie and Parfitt. Senior opportunities Zuthrie hasn’t got either.

So Zuthrie on the list only really affects someone who went undrafted, and hard to say whether they’d have been a better prospect
 
The reality is, these changes are fairly close to what everyone expected. We all knew it would be Menegola and Close for Higgins and Evans. The only slight surprise has been Zuthrie for Holmes and that’s hardly likely to be a decisive factor in the match.
And not sure Holmes being managed/omitted this week could be a complete surprise after he struggled to run out last weeks match

I would love to have seen him hold his spot this week, but that would have been dependant on how he pulled up & recovered from Monday's efforts

The fact he didn't play VFL today is a pretty good indication he wasn't omitted based on the coaches being unhappy with what they saw or didn't see on Monday, and him needing to go work back to on something, but more likely to do with how he's pulled up after Monday

He's a kid in his first year who likely didn't play any competitive sport last year, so it shouldn't be that surprising if he's got a bit of work to do to build his fitness levels and if he struggles a bit with things like cramping early in the season

I don't want to see the kid burnt out because he was pushed too hard early in the season
 
No doubt we need to be bringing in more quality youth. Particularly mids. And players need to make way for those incoming. Just hope that Guthrie is the first out the door. For him to be retained whilst Fogarty is racking up 25 touches in the last fortnight is a bit galling.

Trade period was Nov 4 to Nov 12 last year

The re-signings of Narkle, Zuth, Jarvis & Okunbor on 1-year deals and Fort for 2 years wasn't announced until Nov 23 - so we can't really say that any of those guys were kept in preference to say Fogarty who left during trade period

If Fogarty stayed at the club then one of Narkle, Zuth or Jarvis wouldn't have been re-signed
 
Ill disagree on that... id rather a Key Forward eg Jenkins/For or Jarvis as he Jarvis can play as Forward to kick to. If Fort or Jenkins play then we can play our best key defender in Blitz as a permanent defender
If we play any of our key forward options we're walking into a trap. We don't have anyone that will beat their key defenders and so we're just putting a player in that will get beaten playing Melbourne's game. We have to play a different game or it'll be on their terms

Clog their defenders around Hawkins early, shorter entries to guys that don't look like marking threats, kicks that are designed to hit the deck. If we can create disruptive entries in space we take their game away, force their defenders to give Hawkins more space.
 
Nice if Fogarty was still with us. Still not sure why we let him go.
He asked for a trade. If he's not best 22 and asks for more opportunities somewhere else you let them go. Shouldn't be any hard feelings either way
 

foxdog50

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If we play any of our key forward options we're walking into a trap. We don't have anyone that will beat their key defenders and so we're just putting a player in that will get beaten playing Melbourne's game. We have to play a different game or it'll be on their terms

Clog their defenders around Hawkins early, shorter entries to guys that don't look like marking threats, kicks that are designed to hit the deck. If we can create disruptive entries in space we take their game away, force their defenders to give Hawkins more space.
I strongly disagree with that... really strongly... but that's your opinion...

I honestly think Melbourne will win tomorrow, but I hope I'm wrong...
 
I strongly disagree with that... really strongly... but that's your opinion...

I honestly think Melbourne will win tomorrow, but I hope I'm wrong...
Melbourne has no excuse not to win, but if we play a kpf we know is going to be comfortably beaten we give them a much better look
 

catscratchfever

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We haven't hit our straps at all and could easily have been 0-3, so I'm not full of confidence at the moment. So many missing and seeing Zuthrie's name on the teamsheet always fills me with fear. Menegola a positive and Close might be handy.

Difficult to tell where Melbourne really is as their victories have been against bottom teams, but you can only beat who you're playing. And they've done it impressively.

Geelong by 10-15 points if things go our way.
 

Pollywaffle

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Odd start to the season.
I have no idea where we are, or will be in this years race.
Are we foxing? Behind in preparation? Keeping something up our sleeves, or just an unimaginative team/coaching group dining out on past glories?
Another game against a middling team at the G may go some way to answering some of those questions.
Melb also have their issues. If this were a horse race the punters would stay away.
I think we will win, but once more in unconvincing fashion.
 

Catsmaninamerica

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The over reacting on this board is hilarious. People going on like Zuthrie is the worst player ever and we’ll lose for sure because he’s in the side. These same people breathing fire because Fogarty has had a couple of decent games at Carlton, after doing * all at Geelong for multiple seasons. Take a breath and understand that this is what it will even out to looking like.
 

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I think the MC see Zuthrie as a utility type that can play half back, half forward (or possibly a wing), important with Henry forward and Blitz likely to spend time in the ruck. Whilst Zuthrie has nice size now and has ‘smarts’/play reading, he just doesn’t have a stand out attribute or two (ie speed, marking, footskills, contested ball). I think the MC see upside to Zuthrie that many of us don’t see - expect that he’ll get multiple games this year.
 
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bulletproof

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I think the side they have picked is fine given the players they have missing.

Don’t love ZGuth but he has not awful in his games over last two years.

Holmes is good option as sub, ran out of legs last week.
 

Baudolino

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The over reacting on this board is hilarious. People going on like Zuthrie is the worst player ever and we’ll lose for sure because he’s in the side. These same people breathing fire because Fogarty has had a couple of decent games at Carlton, after doing fu** all at Geelong for multiple seasons. Take a breath and understand that this is what it will even out to looking like.

Tend to agree on Fogarty. He's decent enough but this reminds me of the way everyone (probably including myself - I genuinely can't remember!) freaked out after Lincoln McCarthy kicked four goals on debut for Brisbane back in 2019. Since then Linc's been pretty much just a role player for Brisbane who has averaged 12 disposals and less than a goal a game in his time at their club.

Fogarty might become a competent AFL contributor but I don't see him as someone whose departure we'll end up massively regretting.
 
Yeah I think people are forgetting this too - it's not going to be perfect weather. An overly tall forward line probably isn't the way forward
Seems to have not been the best conditions at Deakin today for the VFL, and while Jenkins did kick 3 goals there really didn't seem too many positive mentions regarding our tall forward stocks & their performances

In the VFL we kicked 8.10, Jenkins kicking 3 but not even in the bests

So maybe it's just not the weather for tall stock

Besides, Hawkins tends to enjoy the wet weather so it could suit him tomorrow
 
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