Skilledfan
Debutant
- Jul 30, 2002
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- Geelong
From New Years Day Geelong Info Site
:
Starting lineup
Wednesday, January 1
Ken Hinkley
FORMER Geelong football star and present GFL coach Ken Hinkley has cast his eye over the Cats talent to suggest who should comprise the team's starting lineup in 2003.
The experiment of captain Ben Graham at centre half forward didn't work this past season and he needs to go back to where he has played his best football, full back, in 2003.
Sometimes when you struggle a bit and haven't been playing too well the best thing to do is go back to where you feel comfortable.
It's a good position to lead the side and with the booming foot that Ben has he can certainly move the side forward into attack.
Regular full back in 2002, Matthew Scarlett, has earned the opportunity to come out and tackle some of the best centre half forwards in the competition.
With Sanderson, Harley and Milburn also filling back half positions it provides the Cats with an experienced springboard into attack.
While my perfect scenario is for Ben at full back it should be remembered that when you pick a side now you really pick a back six or a forward six, not necessarily positional backs or forwards.
And Geelong's back six I expect will be its real strength next season. It looks the strongest part of the side and I think it will be in the top eight in the competition in terms of holding sides to scores.
The centre is a blend of experience and exciting young players that are heading towards 50 games.
Riccardi on one wing provides a wealth of experience while Ling in the centre and Enright on the other wing have both shown they can win plenty of the ball.
Riccardi will need to go forward and kick 30-35 goals for the season if Geelong's to have a good year.
He had a super season in 2002 and is a really dangerous forward but also a clever playmaker too.
If the back six is the Cats strength, its forward six is probably the weakness. I've included plenty of young players in Steve Johnson and James Kelly on flanks and Ablett and Bartel in the forward pockets.
I've included most of the young ones because I reckon once you've made the decision to play them you need to follow through on it and continue to play them, and not just off the interchange but whole games of football on a regular basis.
If you're going to blood a young side then you've got to have the courage to continue that through and I think that's what Bomber will do.
I thought Mooney made some big steps last year and remains the best option for the key forward position.
Kingsley is the other key forward but I'm concerned that he can't cop the pressure and might need someone else down there to deflect the attention, which was probably the Graham strategy last season.
After a great start to the year he was found out in the second half. The opposition worked him out and tied him down and the goals dried up.
Sides will step up to him again next year so the Cats will need to find other options forward.
Maybe one of the young blokes in McCarthy or Gardiner will turn up and be that but just at the moment for Geelong to genuinely be thereabouts it needs that extra forward.
One option, and why I've included Peter Street in the side, is to rest King forward as they've done before and throw Street onto the ball, but it's a strategy that requires meddling with one of the sides greatest strengths without any guaranteed result.
Spriggs inclusion after a year off pushes David Clarke out of the side and onto the bench where he should be rotated along with Paul Chapman.
Together with Joel Corey it is the nucleus of a good midfield that I reckon will trouble a lot of sides.
There's a couple of players that are unlucky. James Rahilly finished the year off well and Josh Hunt and Will Slade should be pressing for regular selection.
One of the keys to creating a really competitive team is to create internal competition and that looks to be what Geelong is in the process of doing.
KEN HINKLEY'S STARTING LINE UP FOR GEELONG IN 2003.
BACKS:
B. Sanderson B. Graham D. Wojcinski
HALF BACKS:
D. Milburn M. Scarlett T. Harley
CENTRES:
C. Enright C. Ling P. Riccardi
HALF FORWARDS:
S. Johnson C. Mooney J. Kelly
FORWARDS:
J. Bartel K. Kingsley G. Ablett
RUCKS:
S. King J. Corey D. Spriggs
INTERCHANGE:
P. Chapman D. Clarke J. Rooke P. Street
:
Starting lineup
Wednesday, January 1
Ken Hinkley
FORMER Geelong football star and present GFL coach Ken Hinkley has cast his eye over the Cats talent to suggest who should comprise the team's starting lineup in 2003.
The experiment of captain Ben Graham at centre half forward didn't work this past season and he needs to go back to where he has played his best football, full back, in 2003.
Sometimes when you struggle a bit and haven't been playing too well the best thing to do is go back to where you feel comfortable.
It's a good position to lead the side and with the booming foot that Ben has he can certainly move the side forward into attack.
Regular full back in 2002, Matthew Scarlett, has earned the opportunity to come out and tackle some of the best centre half forwards in the competition.
With Sanderson, Harley and Milburn also filling back half positions it provides the Cats with an experienced springboard into attack.
While my perfect scenario is for Ben at full back it should be remembered that when you pick a side now you really pick a back six or a forward six, not necessarily positional backs or forwards.
And Geelong's back six I expect will be its real strength next season. It looks the strongest part of the side and I think it will be in the top eight in the competition in terms of holding sides to scores.
The centre is a blend of experience and exciting young players that are heading towards 50 games.
Riccardi on one wing provides a wealth of experience while Ling in the centre and Enright on the other wing have both shown they can win plenty of the ball.
Riccardi will need to go forward and kick 30-35 goals for the season if Geelong's to have a good year.
He had a super season in 2002 and is a really dangerous forward but also a clever playmaker too.
If the back six is the Cats strength, its forward six is probably the weakness. I've included plenty of young players in Steve Johnson and James Kelly on flanks and Ablett and Bartel in the forward pockets.
I've included most of the young ones because I reckon once you've made the decision to play them you need to follow through on it and continue to play them, and not just off the interchange but whole games of football on a regular basis.
If you're going to blood a young side then you've got to have the courage to continue that through and I think that's what Bomber will do.
I thought Mooney made some big steps last year and remains the best option for the key forward position.
Kingsley is the other key forward but I'm concerned that he can't cop the pressure and might need someone else down there to deflect the attention, which was probably the Graham strategy last season.
After a great start to the year he was found out in the second half. The opposition worked him out and tied him down and the goals dried up.
Sides will step up to him again next year so the Cats will need to find other options forward.
Maybe one of the young blokes in McCarthy or Gardiner will turn up and be that but just at the moment for Geelong to genuinely be thereabouts it needs that extra forward.
One option, and why I've included Peter Street in the side, is to rest King forward as they've done before and throw Street onto the ball, but it's a strategy that requires meddling with one of the sides greatest strengths without any guaranteed result.
Spriggs inclusion after a year off pushes David Clarke out of the side and onto the bench where he should be rotated along with Paul Chapman.
Together with Joel Corey it is the nucleus of a good midfield that I reckon will trouble a lot of sides.
There's a couple of players that are unlucky. James Rahilly finished the year off well and Josh Hunt and Will Slade should be pressing for regular selection.
One of the keys to creating a really competitive team is to create internal competition and that looks to be what Geelong is in the process of doing.
KEN HINKLEY'S STARTING LINE UP FOR GEELONG IN 2003.
BACKS:
B. Sanderson B. Graham D. Wojcinski
HALF BACKS:
D. Milburn M. Scarlett T. Harley
CENTRES:
C. Enright C. Ling P. Riccardi
HALF FORWARDS:
S. Johnson C. Mooney J. Kelly
FORWARDS:
J. Bartel K. Kingsley G. Ablett
RUCKS:
S. King J. Corey D. Spriggs
INTERCHANGE:
P. Chapman D. Clarke J. Rooke P. Street