Harley?

[Ricketts]

I thought Harley was solid enough. We should remember that he is clealry our #3 defender these days so he isn't really expected to show the awesomeness of Egan and Scarlett. He crashed in hard and showed good leadership which is solid enough for me.

 

[rizzo]

Pretty much his first game for the year. Gotta give Harls atleast 4 weeks to find some form. You can't expect a bloke who has missed 9 weeks of footy to come out and dominate.

 

[Mr.Chicken]

Don't be so harsh on Harley. Indeed, we must give him some time to find form. Also we must remember that St.Kilda has one of the stronger fowardlines in Riewoldt, Gehrig and Kozza. I think it was a hard game to bring Harley back for and a baptism of fire for him if u will. He should play better next week.

 

[MmkMrMackie]

He can hardly be expected to be match fit after all the time he has off. He certainly didn't play a great game and Josh Hunt must have been spewing to have been dropped after that performance.

But Harley will get better as he plays more that is for sure. Chapman didn't play a great game either for that matter.

Harley had a ruptured ligament in his thumb... Hardly an excuse for trailing every one of his opponents to the ball all night. Even Gherig made him look like a snail. I love Harls and as he is the captain he must be given more time + opportunities, but I still don't think we made the right decision in making him captain in the first place.

 

[MmkMrMackie]

Put his body on the line going for the pill in the last quarter. Will be better for the outing. He's the captain, key part of the backline, bleeds for the jumper. If he's fit, he plays.

Not really. The incident I think you might be referring to, the StKilda player had his eyes on the ball, and Harley only had eyes for the man. Gave away a free kick. Brain freeze?

 

[Selwood07]

Harley had a ruptured ligament in his thumb... Hardly an excuse for trailing every one of his opponents to the ball all night. Even Gherig made him look like a snail. I love Harls and as he is the captain he must be given more time + opportunities, but I still don't think we made the right decision in making him captain in the first place.

At the time it seemed ideal after the debacle of King's off-field captaincy - if I remember correctly, Tom Harley's occurred in Round 1 - he seemed slow in the VFL but that is often deceptive since players naturally go up a notch in the seniors - Tom was a bit disappointing last night but I am reluctant to say that we've made the wrong decision making him captain - he is a natural leader and I'm sure his game will improve. We seem to be able to play with each player accepting responsibility unlike last year. I did notice the number of times when we fumbled or over-handballed as the Saints closed in, that it was Bartel who put the ball to foot and then we were off again. Great on-field leadership from him - doesn't make him a better option to Tom H as captain. I sat with St K members who were livid with the hands in the back nonsense - some laughable (for us) decisions where little more than a finger-tip was all that was required. Their language was very colourful!

 

[CatFan79]

to be honest though, Josh Hunt is ahead of him but Josh Hunt isnt captain

Yes indeed. Reiwodlt OWNED Harley for the 10 minutes he played on him. Thompson took Harley back off the ground to save the embarrassment.

Really, if he couldn't handle a tall forward then Hunt would have been the better option. Any other player in the same position as Harley would have HAD to get form in the 2's.

Pretty clear he's purely in the side because he's captain.. Good? Bad? People have different opinions, I say Bad!

 

[a.f.k.a.y.o.p.]

Cant be too harsh on Harley - only one game back after all.
Seems an even spread of diessnters though - and not a thread to question the mantle of captaincy, but his form alone.
We can be a pretty harsh lot on this site, but like or not he is captain and he plays.
And that incident on the wing where he gave away the free, from where we were, looked like officiating gone mad. Thats exactly how Kosi got cleaned up last year, off the ball, no awareness on his part, yet nothng came from that. Wheres the consistency? And why is football become more sanitised even further and the contact being taken out? It makes you want to cry in your mid strength beer..........

 

[Partridge]

Don't be so harsh on Harley. Indeed, we must give him some time to find form. Also we must remember that St.Kilda has one of the stronger fowardlines in Riewoldt, Gehrig and Kozza. I think it was a hard game to bring Harley back for and a baptism of fire for him if u will. He should play better next week.

I think the most important factor with Harley isn't that he's in the seniors, it's who he's being matched up on. In my own opinion I think he cannot handle good key forwards anymore. And really he's been declining for the last few years, with or without injuries. I think there is still a spot in the team for him, but as a half back flanker, NOT as a key defender (Egan has absolutely galloped past him).

So to me, Scarlett and Egan get the key forwards, and either Milburn or Harley get the third tall (if there is one). It's the only way forward for him now.

 

[CatFan79]

I think the most important factor with Harley isn't that he's in the seniors, it's who he's being matched up on. In my own opinion I think he cannot handle good key forwards anymore. And really he's been declining for the last few years, with or without injuries. I think there is still a spot in the team for him, but as a half back flanker, NOT as a key defender (Egan has absolutely galloped past him).

So to me, Scarlett and Egan get the key forwards, and either Milburn or Harley get the third tall (if there is one). It's the only way forward for him now.

We shouldn't have to "find a spot" for our captain. Our captain should be one of our top 5 performing players who can stay on the park for a majority of the season.

Even when fit, Harley is no longer one of our top 5, even top 10 and he has struggled over the past few years with injuries.

It highlights what a mistake the Harley appointment was. Just look at the S.King situation last year.

 

[Budha32]

Not really. The incident I think you might be referring to, the StKilda player had his eyes on the ball, and Harley only had eyes for the man. Gave away a free kick. Brain freeze?

Brain Freeze?? When Harl's slammed that dog Baker to the turf it was one of the nights most satisfying moments! (Ablett got winded by himself did he?)That is why he is captain.

The poise, balance and safe hands of Tom Harley shall return. I much prefer him than Mackie in that back six...

Bomber, this scares me.. Has anyone else seen what i have seen in Mack when the pressure is on?

 

[DanA]

Appointing Harley as captain was not a mistake. Look at how much better our playing group are playing ad by all report communicating. A massive turn around and I am sure Harley is a large part of that.

Harley was pretty good towards the end of the year in 06.
It will probably take him 3 weeks to hit good form.

Loved the hit on Baker, was a professional free kick and Baker got a bit of his own medicine making it all the more satisfying.

 

[year of the cat]

Brain Freeze?? When Harl's slammed that dog Baker to the turf it was one of the nights most satisfying moments! (Ablett got winded by himself did he?)That is why he is captain.

The poise, balance and safe hands of Tom Harley shall return. I much prefer him than Mackie in that back six...

Bomber, this scares me.. Has anyone else seen what i have seen in Mack when the pressure is on?

I actually reckon that will be looked at by the match review panel. Looked pretty clumsy from where I was sitting.

Harley whether we like it or not will be given an opportunity to prove himself in the next few weeks. I reckon that if he becomes a liability then he will have to make way for Hunt, DJ or Hawkins.

Finding the appropriate matchup for him will be a challenge for Bomber. If Perrie is playing this week it may be him, though Egan probably would be a better bet. In the upcoming games perhaps Clark (Brisbane) and Barry Hall (who is horribly out of touch - can't find anyone else) are possibilties.

 

[cat in sydney]

Yes indeed. Reiwodlt OWNED Harley for the 10 minutes he played on him. Thompson took Harley back off the ground to save the embarrassment.

Really, if he couldn't handle a tall forward then Hunt would have been the better option. Any other player in the same position as Harley would have HAD to get form in the 2's.

Pretty clear he's purely in the side because he's captain.. Good? Bad? People have different opinions, I say Bad!

While I agree that Egan has overtaken Harley as CHB, I'm not sure that last night was as comprehensive a comparison as you might like to think.
Yes, while Harley was on Riewoldt, he got a few marks and a couple of goals from memory. But this co-incided with the time in the game when our midfield was actually getting outplayed by the Saints. Riewoldt goaled from two lace-out passes that even Egan would have not stopped (for an example, look in the final quarter while he was on Egan, where Riewoldt actually had two marks iirc in the forward 50, but kicked two points). Imagine, if he had kicked straight while on Egan and kicked crooked while on Harley, we'd be saying the exact opposite. Egan came away looking better than Harley because Riewoldt missed those shots.

Harley needs a couple of more weeks to get in form. If he's not by then, then let's drop him after that.

 

[sarah.13]

What's all the hoo..haa about. He is our Captain,he will regain touch and form.We carried Hunt for more than a year we can carry Harley for a few games. Come finals time his leadership and poise will be invaluable.

 

[Zeroman]

might be awhile, tredrea hasn't even found form yet and he has been back for a few weeks now. surely, you can't drop the skipper.

Tredrea can't jump anymore. He's shot. We are here to win a flag. Josh Hunt carves up the middle, and take a look at Harley's attempt at a bump, Hunt buries those he bumps. Harley should not be selected just because he is the captain. Best team to win flag needed.

 

[Furious_G]

I thought both Harley and Chapman had similar games, and will need another 1 or 2 weeks to get back to their best. The defence did seem a bit better with him there though, maybe because it freed up Dasher?

 

[MmkMrMackie]

There seems to be a captains curse at Geelong. Whoever we appoint as captain struggles under pressure. Their performance drops and they get injured frequently. I suppose by appointing Harley, it can't get much worse. He is already massively injury prone, and not being one of our 'top' players, we can afford to carry him during form slumps.

 

[lohnro]

Harley in Best 22?

It might just be my biased opinion (ive never really rated harley)
but i dont think harley did anything to cement his spot in the side against stkilda
anyone agree?

 

[Prismall32]

Re: Harley in Best 22?

It might just be my biased opinion (ive never really rated harley)
but i dont think harley did anything to cement his spot in the side against stkilda
anyone agree?

He used to be terrific - really reliable with Scarlett and they seemed to understand exactly where the other one was. Egan has surpassed him in that role - and I like Harley but phew!!, he looked slow yesterday. Dasher made a number of unusual blues across the backline - have we upset the system we had? It was still pretty effective but it made me wonder where Tom fits in now.

 

[hotdog_hotdog]

Re: Harley in Best 22?

If he can string together a few games, you'll see him get back to somewhere near where he was.

 

[CF]

Re: Harley in Best 22?

I merged your thread lohnro because there was already one discussing the same thing

 

[CatFan79]

There seems to be a captains curse at Geelong. Whoever we appoint as captain struggles under pressure. Their performance drops and they get injured frequently. I suppose by appointing Harley, it can't get much worse. He is already massively injury prone, and not being one of our 'top' players, we can afford to carry him during form slumps.

Not good enough when you have guys "in form" playing in the 2's.

Harley was injury prone and his form was slumping before he was named captain..

 

[GeeCat]

Poor game, but bringing in guys like Hunt into the argument is pretty irrelevant. Okay, he took his spot (and Hunt was fairly 'harshly delt with', in that sense), but the swap wasn't a simple defender-for-defender move.

If anything else thinks Hunt, or whoever else, could have been an option for Riewoldt or Kossie, then I'd suggest your head is screwed on wrong. And yes, I'm quite aware Harley got his handed to him by the forementioned opponents. I suppose that's when you forward the 'out of touch' argument.

And before we begin, he will not be dropped. Reality, please.

 

[CatFan79]

Poor game, but bringing in guys like Hunt into the argument is pretty irrelevant. Okay, he took his spot (and Hunt was fairly 'harshly delt with', in that sense), but the swap wasn't a simple defender-for-defender move.

If anything else thinks Hunt, or whoever else, could have been an option for Riewoldt or Kossie, then I'd suggest your head is screwed on wrong. And yes, I'm quite aware Harley got his handed to him by the forementioned opponents. I suppose that's when you forward the 'out of touch' argument.

And before we begin, he will not be dropped. Reality, please.

He's out of touch. Why is he exempt from getting form in the seconds like everyone else in the squad? Because he's captain??

Sorry, thats not how it should work. We didn't NEED Harley in the team last night and everyone who was saying this before the game now seem to be resigned to the fact that he's currently in the team to "find form."