Opinion How well has Geelong used its Ablett compensation picks?

[Senatorguesty]

Now that its been confirmed we will get Caddy for the compo pick I'd like to start a thread on how we all think we will do out of Gaz leaving.

Personally Smedts and Caddy have the potential to be 200 game players for us, individually not as good as Gazza of course but collectively could trump him.

Also add in the extra coin we have saved (potentially used to get HMac and Rivers to us?) I think we will come out well infront!

Surely be win win win (counting the AFL marketing dept.) for everyone.

Thoughts?

 

[vinum coupe]

Ask in 5 years.

We were always going to be screwed over with the compo we got.
Melbourne got better compo for a player that had only been in the system 2 years. So it (the loss) doesn't really affect them.

See you in 2017

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

I'd prefer Ablett of course, but like you said in Caddy and Smedts we have 2 potential 150 game players who are only just beginning their journey.

If they both turn out half as good as Gaz or marginally better than half as good, then we can't complain about the compensation we received.

PS: I think Smedts will turn out to become an absolute star.

 

[thejester]

Hard to be unhappy with it, although equally there's a lot of water under the bridge before Smedts and Caddy justify where they were taken in the draft.

 

[Kaatman]

Time will tell but i''m pretty happy with what we got given the limitations.

What's GAJ worth on the open market? More than what we got

 

[Senatorguesty]

Hard to be unhappy with it, although equally there's a lot of water under the bridge before Smedts and Caddy justify where they were taken in the draft.

Absolutely there is, like VC said aswell but the signs are there.
I was dirty when we all found out about Melbournes compo the year after but with some hindsight and Wells magic (and good trading) I can see a bright light at the end of the Ablett tunnel.
I'm excited about both players.

 

[footscore]

better than hoped!
Wait 3 years and if injuries do not come into play then both Smedts & Caddy will both end being a far greater asset to Geelong than if Gazza had stayed

 

[Moggy]

We've got in two very promising players, but I would rather have kept Ablett.

You can't add Caddy and Smedts together and compare to Ablett because they take up two places on the field against Ablett's one.

 

[Baudolino]

Direct comparisons to Ablett are futile - GAJ is one of the greatest footballers ever to pull on the boots, a freak of the game, a once in a lifetime player we were wildly under-compensated for - and probably irrelevant, all things considered. The pertinent question is whether or not we have got sufficient value out of two mid first round draft picks (which is effectively what the compensation picks turned out to be)? And even with that question, it's probably premature to answer with too much confidence.

Smedts is an intriguing prospect. Really excited by many of the raw component parts of his talents as a player - his agility, his creativity, his overhead marking - but I honestly have no idea where his future lies positionally. Chris Scott threw him around a lot this season, which indicates the coaching staff rate his flexibility, but I do wonder what their plans are medium to long term. I have a feeling we'll have to wait for him to grow into his rather oddly proportioned frame (broad shoulders, skinny arms) before we get any concrete ideas as to where he'll end up playing.

 

[Scottland2007]

Should have picked up Lake with it

 

[muttweed]

Who cares.

Gary left us when we needed him most. When our older players seemed past it, when a bunch of our coaches jumped ship, when we were demolished on a stage that suits us best - finals, when young guys were coming in begging for a role model, someone, ANYONE to help them continue the Geelong era. Instead he played petty games with our coach, sooked when he couldn't play for Brownlow votes, ditched our B&F night and ditched us for the big bucks.

Contrast that to Byrnes who knew from the start of this year that he wouldn't have a huge part in our premiership campaign. Byrnesy respected and showered everyone at the club with his love, leadership and grace till the day he left; he didn't quit the club when we needed him, instead he played a huge part in developing and leading our kids to the VFL flag. He attended the B&F and announced his obvious departure, and told of how he would always love Geelong, unlike Ablett who bitched about us to several media outlets, that he was supposedly tired of winning. What a bloody joke.

Yes I am still mad that he left us, and if Byrnes left the same way, I'd be pretty peeved at him too. But he didn't. So here's to a shitty leader, traitor and painfully good player. Gary can shove his group of cellar-clad cash seekers up his arse. If Caddy and Smedts are in any way less nasty than Ablett, we are bound for success, whether they are stars or not.

A team of champions won't ever beat a champion team, and a champion team isn't built on golddigging misfits.
We win the deal by miles.

 

[Baudolino]

Sooked when he couldn't play for Brownlow votes

Wasn't aware of this. Having posted such a claim on a public forum, I'm sure you have solid evidence to back it up?

 

[BallerO]

Who cares.

Gary left us when we needed him most. When our older players seemed past it, when a bunch of our coaches jumped ship, when we were demolished on a stage that suits us best - finals, when young guys were coming in begging for a role model, someone, ANYONE to help them continue the Geelong era. Instead he played petty games with our coach, sooked when he couldn't play for Brownlow votes, ditched our B&F night and ditched us for the big bucks.

Contrast that to Byrnes who knew from the start of this year that he wouldn't have a huge part in our premiership campaign. Byrnesy respected and showered everyone at the club with his love, leadership and grace till the day he left; he didn't quit the club when we needed him, instead he played a huge part in developing and leading our kids to the VFL flag. He attended the B&F and announced his obvious departure, and told of how he would always love Geelong, unlike Ablett who bitched about us to several media outlets, that he was supposedly tired of winning. What a bloody joke.

Yes I am still mad that he left us, and if Byrnes left the same way, I'd be pretty peeved at him too. But he didn't. So here's to a shitty leader, traitor and painfully good player. Gary can shove his group of cellar-clad cash seekers up his arse. If Caddy and Smedts are in any way less nasty than Ablett, we are bound for success, whether they are stars or not.

A team of champions won't ever beat a champion team, and a champion team isn't built on golddigging misfits.
We win the deal by miles.

Excellent post.

Caddy only just turned 20, 2 weeks ago and is already a solid player. With so much room to improve, and with the guidance of our unmatchable list of veterans, he should be a star and have a huge impact on our quest for more premierships.

 

[Moggy]

Who cares.

Gary left us when we needed him most. When our older players seemed past it, when a bunch of our coaches jumped ship, when we were demolished on a stage that suits us best - finals, when young guys were coming in begging for a role model, someone, ANYONE to help them continue the Geelong era. Instead he played petty games with our coach, sooked when he couldn't play for Brownlow votes, ditched our B&F night and ditched us for the big bucks.

Contrast that to Byrnes who knew from the start of this year that he wouldn't have a huge part in our premiership campaign. Byrnesy respected and showered everyone at the club with his love, leadership and grace till the day he left; he didn't quit the club when we needed him, instead he played a huge part in developing and leading our kids to the VFL flag. He attended the B&F and announced his obvious departure, and told of how he would always love Geelong, unlike Ablett who bitched about us to several media outlets, that he was supposedly tired of winning. What a bloody joke.

Yes I am still mad that he left us, and if Byrnes left the same way, I'd be pretty peeved at him too. But he didn't. So here's to a shitty leader, traitor and painfully good player. Gary can shove his group of cellar-clad cash seekers up his arse. If Caddy and Smedts are in any way less nasty than Ablett, we are bound for success, whether they are stars or not.

A team of champions won't ever beat a champion team, and a champion team isn't built on golddigging misfits.
We win the deal by miles.

Think that Byrnes and Ablett situations are incomparable.
Ablett was the star player with all the focus and expectation - Byrnes was a squad player with little, if any, expectation and focus.
Much easier to keep everyone happy when no-one expects anything.

Having said that, Byrnes did handle things very well.

 

[Senatorguesty]

Wasn't aware of this. Having posted such a claim on a public forum, I'm sure you have solid evidence to back it up?

He publicly was "disappointed" that the Cats wanted to play him forward a bit more instead of just in the middle.

 

[Topper]

We got a premiership after Ablett left, and now we've got 2 quality 10 year players.

Couldn't ask for more

 

[muttweed]

Wasn't aware of this. Having posted such a claim on a public forum, I'm sure you have solid evidence to back it up?

Thompson and others said that a rift between him and Ablett had formed in 2010, mainly because Ablett refused to play forward.

Instead of listening to his double-premiership coach, as every player should, greatest midfielder to play the game or not, he caused problems for the club that otherwise could have seen us perhaps not get embarrassed in the preliminary final.

 

[Sttew]

Ablett is / was a once in a generation player, bit like a Shane Warne. The best you can do is make do, and with Billy Smedts and Josh Caddy we are making damned do, IMO

 

[muttweed]

Think that Byrnes and Ablett situations are incomparable.
Ablett was the star player with all the focus and expectation - Byrnes was a squad player with little, if any, expectation and focus.

They are the same to me. I don't really play favourites, and my only favourite player will forever be Cameron Mooney.

Both were Geelong players who got to choose how they left the club. One was smart and left on good terms. The other showed not one hint of respect for his former club when he left. I don't care if one is a star and one is a spud, you will respect the club that put multiple premierships to your name.

 

[supahoops]

We got a premiership after Ablett left, and now we've got 2 quality 10 year players.

Couldn't ask for more

Premiership sure eased the pain that first year. Like a never ending green whistle

But who knows we could've gone three in a row with GAJ?

Anyway, here's to that pick in the forties circa 2001 that could deliver over 600 games..

And everything muttweed said. Gold.

 

[Baudolino]

He publicly was "disappointed" that the Cats wanted to play him forward a bit more instead of just in the middle.

Thompson and others said that a rift between him and Ablett had formed in 2010, mainly because Ablett refused to play forward.

Instead of listening to his double-premiership coach, as every player should, greatest midfielder to play the game or not, he caused problems for the club that otherwise could have seen us perhaps not get embarrassed in the preliminary final.

That's misrepresenting muttweed's original post though, which said Ablett objected to the move to the forward line because he "couldn't play for Brownlow votes". The whole "playing for Brownlow votes" thing is just needlessly (and erroneously) adding colour to the story for the purpose of servicing the broader character assassination.

 

[muttweed]

That's misrepresenting muttweed's original post though, which said Ablett objected to the move to the forward line because he "couldn't play for Brownlow votes". The whole "playing for Brownlow votes" thing is just needlessly (and erroneously) adding colour to the story for the purpose of servicing the broader character assassination.

He'd already won the Brownlow in the midfield the year before, right? Taking that into consideration, give me some good reasons as to why else he would want to disobey his coach and stay in the midfield.

 

[donbooger]

Player vs player we will lose, Ablett is just too good.

However in the end we may have won simply because we won the premiership in 2011 without him, I dont believe we would have won any more premierships with Ablett, with Caddy and Smedts in the future we may just do that.

 

[DanA]

Who cares.

Gary left us when we needed him most. When our older players seemed past it, when a bunch of our coaches jumped ship, when we were demolished on a stage that suits us best - finals, when young guys were coming in begging for a role model, someone, ANYONE to help them continue the Geelong era. Instead he played petty games with our coach, sooked when he couldn't play for Brownlow votes, ditched our B&F night and ditched us for the big bucks.

Can you really say Gary left us when we needed him most considering we went on to win the premiership. You could argue Gary left and we didn't need him.

 

[Turbocat]

Both are players I liked in the Champs , very difficult to complain about us getting them. The key here is to reverse the Ottens trend. In theory the two kids that Richmond got should still be stars in their side , taken in the Deludio year. But both are gone.
For it to be a success , we dont need either of them to become GA , we need both to be playing for us , hitting their prime , key members of the side when GA retires.