Opinion List Importance 2014

[carnthemlions]

Just a recap of the top 10:

1. Leuenberger - long term injury - has barely played
2. Rich - long term injury - has barely played
3. Rockliff - injury/suspension - has missed a couple of games - career best form
4. Moloney- injured/form loss - has barely played
5. Hanley - injury affected - has missed a couple of games - not in great form over season
6. Patfull - wasn't in best form earlier in the year
7. Zorko - probably career best form
8. Redden - worked into season
9. Green - career best form
10. Merrett - going OK, missed 3 games

The bolded players are the only 2 whose output probably exceeded my pre-season expectations. I won't go through the rest of the list but it is fair to say that few are playing at their peaks (obviously, given how poor we've been). But that collective drop in output from the guys I had as our 10 most important is pretty remarkable.

I agree with Tairy- bolded for you

 

[pulpdriver]

What changes if any would you make to your list with the 2014 season finished, POBT ?

 

[SizeMatters]

Pobts prominence prospectus will be totally changed for 2015 one would presume.

 

[pulpdriver]

Pobts prominence prospectus will be totally changed for 2015 one would presume.

It's updated annually and is always a good read, just curious for a 2014 retrospective.

 

[jackess]

Not too many in POBTs most important 22 had big seasons.

 

[POBT]

What changes if any would you make to your list with the 2014 season finished, POBT ?

I don't ordinarily do it retrospectively because it would just be my assessment of the 2014 season which is roughly just my view of the B&F. If we are talking about 2015, I'll definitely do the same exercise next year but after the pre-season games.

I don't think it is particularly insightful of me to say that injuries to some of our most important players really cost us but it is certainly true. That had a massive bearing on our year. I overrated our list at the beginning of the season but not to a great extent - I think I said absolutely everything needed to go right for us to play finals. That was clearly not ever likely to be the case although I maintain a fully fit Rich, Redden, Brown and Moloney - as a starting point - probably would have made a massive difference to our competitiveness.

Rather than re-do the list, I might post whether I thought each player overperformed, performed or underperformed - based on my pre-season expectations.

I think losing 4 of our top 10 footballers - plus the only key forward of note - to injuries/retirement for a large part of the year was incredibly damaging. We might look at guys like Merrett, Golby, Mayes and maybe Harwood as underperforming but I think that is balanced by the likes of Maguire, Bewick, Martin and perhaps Clarke having much better seasons that i had expected.

1. Matthew Leuenberger (last year: 12) - Underperformed (injury)

2. Daniel Rich (1) - Underperformed (injury)

3. Tom Rockliff (8) - Overperformend

4. Brent Moloney (5) - Underperformed (injury)

5. Pearce Hanley (6) - Overperformed

6. Joel Patfull (9) - Overperformed

7. Dayne Zorko (7) - Overperformed

8. Jack Redden (4) - Underperformed (injury)

9. Josh Green (17) - Overperformed

10. Daniel Merrett (2) - Underperformed

11. Jonathan Brown (3) - Underperformed (injury/retirement)

12. Sam Mayes (Not ranked) - Underperformed

13. Jed Adcock (10) - Overperformed

14. Ryan Lester (26) - Underperformed

15. Brent Staker (28) - Underperformed (injury)

16. Ryan Harwood (29) - Underperformed

17. Mitch Golby (14) - Underperformed

18. Luke McGuane (unranked) - Underperformed (injury)

19. Claye Beams (20) - Performed

20. Justin Clarke (not ranked) - Overperformed

21. Trent West (not ranked) - Underperformed (injury)

22. Ash McGrath (22) - Underperformed (injury)

23. Andrew Raines (18) - Underperformed

24. Matt Maguire (24) - Overperformed

25. Jack Crisp (32) - Overperformed

26. Rohan Bewick (13) - Overperformed

27. Jordan Lisle (33) - Underperformed

28. Marco Paparone (not ranked) - Overperformed

29. Jackson Paine (not ranked) - Performed

30. Stefan Martin (16) - Overperformed

31. James Polkinghorne (27) - Underperformed

32. Sam Michael (not ranked) - Underperformed

 

[Sanchez365]

Good idea POBT looks like martin clearly the only one who really surprises you, as he did most of us.

 

[notting18]

5. Pearce Hanley (6) - Overperformed

6. Joel Patfull (9) - Overperformed

7. Dayne Zorko (7) - Overperformed


I would say that these three had good seasons but they would fall into the "performed" camp for me.

 

[Kevvo]

This is an interesting exercise, and I agree with all of those appraisals. Looking at this, I expect that beyond the top 5 or so, next year's list may be unusually tricky to order.

- Stef will obviously rocket up the rankings, and I suspect Leuey may come back a bit. It will be difficult to place them though, largely because it's still unclear how they will fit in the side together.

- A lot of the form-related underperformance is clustered around the middle band of our list. Will that impact on how much we depend on those players, or are they still just as critical?

- Our young guys went really well this year, by and large, but to what extent to you make allowance for second year symptoms? They are kids that we might expect to play well, but it's unfair to rely too heavily on a large core of second year players to be consistent.

 

[Tairy Greene]

5. Pearce Hanley (6) - Overperformed

6. Joel Patfull (9) - Overperformed

7. Dayne Zorko (7) - Overperformed


I would say that these three had good seasons but they would fall into the "performed" camp for me.

Hmm I can see it both ways, Zorko genuinely become a clearance winning mid rather than just a small forward who has spurts through the middle, and Hanley though not as flashy as he was off half back or playing wing, started to show that he could become a genuine midfielder too. Although they both really still have to fix up the discrepancies between their best and worst.

 

[JasRulz63]

Where I've seen Patfull has improved this year is his improved ability to take intercept marks this season (both contested and uncontested). It's such a valuable skill to have, and it what makes Geelong's defense to dangerous. It's one thing to spoil the ball away, but if you're marking it off the opposition's entries into the 50 you firstly top their forward taking possession of the ball, but secondly you take clean possession of the ball which is very valuable if you're going to play a fast counter attack style of game.

He's benefited a lot off Maguire, Clarke and Gardiner overperforming in their roles as KPD players this season, and it's released him to be able to drop off his man and impact the contest.

 

[matwt73]

I recall thinking you had over emphasised Josh Green's importance. (I was wrong)

And checking back i see that I thought you had been harsh on Bewick (I was right)

I also accused you of being harsh on Clarke, and whilst I stand by that the fact that Gardiner came on, Mcstay and Cutler both got games and Goose restablished himself, probably meant that he is not as vital as I thought he would turn out to be. Best 22 yes, but maybe not top 10.

I would say you generally got it pretty correct as (except for Merret), if you take out the injured players, the order is probably not too far off.

 

[John_Proctor]

5. Pearce Hanley (6) - Overperformed

6. Joel Patfull (9) - Overperformed

7. Dayne Zorko (7) - Overperformed


I would say that these three had good seasons but they would fall into the "performed" camp for me.

one of the thigns with those three is they (like much of the team) had there down games particularly early in the season that weren't so memorable where as they've really lifted the second half of the year (and particularly Patfull and Zorko of those three I'd say).

 

[Fatcat08]

I recall thinking you had over emphasised Josh Green's importance. (I was wrong)

And checking back i see that I thought you had been harsh on Bewick (I was right)

I also accused you of being harsh on Clarke, and whilst I stand by that the fact that Gardiner came on, Mcstay and Cutler both got games and Goose restablished himself, probably meant that he is not as vital as I thought he would turn out to be. Best 22 yes, but maybe not top 10.

I would say you generally got it pretty correct as (except for Merret), if you take out the injured players, the order is probably not too far off.

Worth noting that this isn't a who will have the best season list it's who's most important to our team. Think Leuey drops this year due to martin's emergence

 

[notting18]

one of the thigns with those three is they (like much of the team) had there down games particularly early in the season that weren't so memorable where as they've really lifted the second half of the year (and particularly Patfull and Zorko of those three I'd say).

Yeah, my point being that they had a couple of poor games/negatives that meant that overall they met POBT's ranking expectations.

 

[POBT]

Hmm I can see it both ways, Zorko genuinely become a clearance winning mid rather than just a small forward who has spurts through the middle, and Hanley though not as flashy as he was off half back or playing wing, started to show that he could become a genuine midfielder too. Although they both really still have to fix up the discrepancies between their best and worst.

Yeah, it is that transition to a near full time midfield role which I think is the real development of these guys' careers. I probably didn't expect that and I think it made them so much more important to our side in 2014.

What will be interesting before next season is to try and work out a pecking order of the midfield. I suspect the genuine versatility of Hanley and Zorko may see them play both midfield and on a flank/wing more than, say, Rockliff.

 

[Betty Noir]

Looks like Roger the wrecking ball is highly prized by the club. They have him as a key part of the forward structure to assist in the development of Freeman and Close. That's great, because I have a lot of respect for where Rog has been able to get to.... who'd have thought he'd be a (near) 200 game player at the start of his career. I'm not sure if his role is particularly healthy for him, but that's another story. For this reason I have him top 3 at the club, because there is simply no one else who can do what he does. He's contracted till end 2016... imagine the carnage between now and then. Hmmmm.

 

[alscotoz2]

I thought our best player this year was Patfull. Rockliff and Martin not far behind.

 

[alscotoz2]

I thought our best player this year was Patfull. Rockliff and Martin not far behind.

Knew you wouldn't let me down patfullkezz!

I genuinely believe it though.

 

[patfullfankezz]

Knew you wouldn't let me down patfullkezz!

I genuinely believe it though.

Personally I think so too, but I am blinded by bias. Certainly made a few more improvements to his game.

I think the new game plan definitely hurt his chances, plus the fact we got done so badly so many times. You can look everywhere but at the end of the day it's the defence that lets the goals through - it's not surprising they're the ones who cop it most when we lose.