Main forward 50 target

[keen cats fella]

It seems to me that like last year, it is obviously Mooney. But, does anyone else agree that he seems to have lost a little bulk from last year and hence i stuggling to out muscle opponents? This is a major concern because he is not particularly flash on the lead, and doesn't have great hands.

I think Hawkins is a better option. He is seriously stronger than most backman now, and he is only 19. Geelong for some stupid reason rarely kick it to him 20 metres out in a one on one contest. He would be up there in the most contested marks in the AFL this year. Show some faith. I also believe if it was to hit the deck, he is more skilled than Mooney, so why is this not being done?

 

[geelong_boy]

It simply didn't work Friday night, our midfield was having a bad enough game as it was yet most times they went forward and kicked it to the tall forwards the Pies were smart enough to have a third man coming back to help, ie. the delivery wasn't flash at all.

 

[symesy9]

I think that mooney is more then capable of playing anywhere on the ground.

He has shown this in the past, playing off the back line and in the ruck. Obviously Hawkins would be another option at chf but i dont think he quiet has the experience and know how yet.

He played up the ground a bit on Friday night and was impressive so maybe there is a chance that mooney might drop back to full forward while the tommahawk is unleashed up the ground a bit more.

 

[winty]

I'll probably get howled down for this, but I'd love to see Mooney line up in the middle at the start of the game on Saturday night, with Hawkins and Ottens starting in the goal square. I remember the final against Melbourne in 2005 when Moons started in the middle, and seemed to relish the freedom to just bash and crash. Being able to get his hands on the pill early on might just get his confidence up a bit too.

Even if they play him there for 15-20 minutes in the first quarter, then put him forward, it would certainly be out of left field, Ratten certainly wouldn't expect it, and I'm sure it would cast some doubts in a few taggers minds if they want to do a Crowley and scrag Gaz or Bartel at every opportunity. I know I wouldn't want to do that with big Cam in the area.

 

[sarah.13]

This type of imaginative thinking is sadly missing from the coaching staff.
I thought that West might have been thrown onto Rocca and Taylor up forward after half time,giving us a 3rd tall in the forward line and a stronger body on Rocca.
Scarlett back onto Cloke who was killing us.

 

[Spuddy23]

I love watching the Cats play footy. i think the ONLY area you fall down is at CHF. You guys should throw the world and more at Jonathan Brown. He is exactly what you need it would free Mooney up and then Hawkins would get the 3rd best defender, with Stokes and Chappy at their feet and Gazza, fair forward line..

The other area you dont dominate, but break even is in the ruck. Ottens will be a welcome addition. Blake goes alright and is still young, but i cant see Blake bing a dominate ruckman for the next 5-10 years, maybe you could trade some OF Tenace, Byrnes and Varcoe + Good draft picks, for a handy ruckman. To get J.Brown though, 1st round pick plus a decent player at least..

 

[Catman]

No chance of getting Brown, there is nowhere near enough money in our cap for him.

 

[year of the cat]

Similar to Winty, I would be inclined to start Mooney in the guts with Otto, Ablett and Corey. He played an improved game against the tigers but was woeful on friday night. Even if it is for only 10 minutes to give him a feel for the ball, I reckon that may be the tonic that he may currently need.

I seem to remember in 2005 when similarly out of form a move into the middle worked wonders for him.

 

[TheBigT]

I love watching the Cats play footy. i think the ONLY area you fall down is at CHF. You guys should throw the world and more at Jonathan Brown. He is exactly what you need it would free Mooney up and then Hawkins would get the 3rd best defender, with Stokes and Chappy at their feet and Stevie J, fair forward line..

edited for accuracy.. clearly ablett is a midfielder

 

[Spuddy23]

No chance of getting Brown, there is nowhere near enough money in our cap for him.

Thats what im saying, i think you should make way for him.. Trade out some of the players you have a lot of.. EG: Tenace, Varcoe, Byrnes, Prismall, and then make a few big calls on players such as Hunt, Rooke

Some big calls will be made at the end of the year, because as you said you havent got enough money in the cap for everyone, and if you want to go forward you have to make some tough calls.

 

[Duskfire]

Thats what im saying, i think you should make way for him.. Trade out some of the players you have a lot of.. EG: Tenace, Varcoe, Byrnes, Prismall, and then make a few big calls on players such as Hunt, Rooke

Some big calls will be made at the end of the year, because as you said you havent got enough money in the cap for everyone, and if you want to go forward you have to make some tough calls.

So drop all of our depth plus a couple of our regulars, not to mention a first round draft pick and God knows what else, to get one player? that seems like such a carlton mentality to me. I agree that Geelong are missing that big power forward, but at the same time I think us missing that big power forward is also a strength as well. And trading half of our team away won't help matters.

Not to mention, would that even free up enough> I imagine J Brown will be asking for alot. Would have to think to be able to pay him would need to drop a big name player who earns the big bucks. And thats a big no no.

Realistically, I don't think it would be a bad idea to push for Kennedy from WCE, or someone of that nature (not that they would give him up.) Although, it depends if Nablett will return or not.

 

[linelefty]

Its true that getting his ass up the ground and getting his confidence up with early touches would be great. Not sure about chucking him in the midfield.

Could be realy exposed by judd/murphy/gibbs/Stevens running forward.

Works with the big Pav and Richo because they have the speed. Not sure Mooney does. That said however, you could play mooney as 'a loose man in the middle' rather than dropping milburn in front of Fev. Moons could then patrol the middle for the first 20mins, basically linking up and being a real physical presence at stoppages between the 50metre arcs.

Is this not what big Cox does every week?

 

[winty]

I'll probably get howled down for this, but I'd love to see Mooney line up in the middle at the start of the game on Saturday night, with Hawkins and Ottens starting in the goal square. I remember the final against Melbourne in 2005 when Moons started in the middle, and seemed to relish the freedom to just bash and crash. Being able to get his hands on the pill early on might just get his confidence up a bit too.

Even if they play him there for 15-20 minutes in the first quarter, then put him forward, it would certainly be out of left field, Ratten certainly wouldn't expect it, and I'm sure it would cast some doubts in a few taggers minds if they want to do a Crowley and scrag Gaz or Bartel at every opportunity. I know I wouldn't want to do that with big Cam in the area.

Someone at the Addy must log onto Big Footy. This is in today's paper.

Onball role could reignite Mooney
Michael Auciello
29May08

WORTH A PUNT: Cam Mooney could spend more time further up the ground.

MARK Thompson has no doubt Cameron Mooney could play a Matthew Richardson-style role further up the ground.
So then, is a short stint on the ball the solution to building a bit of confidence in the All-Australian's game?
Mooney is a big, imposing figure who would no doubt add an intensity that was lacking in the Cats last Friday against Collingwood.
It would also certainly have the opposition on its toes, knowing the 195cm, 99kg Cat could steam through a stoppage at any second.
Last week, Mooney spent some time at training practising roving to Mark Blake, Trent West and Shane Mumford. There were no other midfielders in the drill.
Thompson said this week he considered giving Mooney a run on the ball against the Magpies, before ultimately deciding against it.
"Yeah, we've thought about it, maybe last week we could have done it in the wet," Thompson said.
"But it wasn't a big man's night. But in saying that, (Travis) Cloke and (Anthony) Rocca took 18 marks between them, so he (Mooney) probably should have marked the ball.
"I think a lot of teams have stopped us from carrying the ball through the middle of the ground and a lot of teams have got better, and Cameron last year might have got an unbelievable supply of good football to him that maybe you and I could have marked it and turned around and kicked a goal.
"So I'm not worried about his form, he's just going to have to fight a little bit harder to get the rewards he's after."
Actually getting the ball hasn't been Mooney's problem, it's what he's been doing with it that has shown he's not at the top of his game in 2008.
Last year, he averaged 13.2 possessions, 7.6 marks and 2.7 goals a game. This year, he's averaging 13.2 touches, 7.3 marks and 1.7 goals.
But it's the efficiency of the disposal that is down.
Last year, Mooney had a disposal efficiency of 81.8 per cent. So far this season, it's running at 64 per cent.
On Friday night, a shank off the side of the boot was another indication his confidence isn't quite sky high.
And Mooney has history in playing a damaging onball role. In the final two home and away games of 2005, he moved himself into the middle to stunning effect.
He started in the centre square against West Coast in round 21 and racked up 26 touches, before doing it again the following week against Richmond.
But it was his best on ground performance in the first final against Melbourne that proved his enormous versatility. He played in the ruck, as a rover, up forward and down back. He picked up 22 kicks, four handballs, 11 marks, three clearances and two goals in a starring role.
In losing Nathan Ablett at the start of this season, Thompson lost the opportunity to start grooming Ablett and Tom Hawkins into the centre half-forward and full forwards that would take the Geelong forward line through the next decade.
No doubt, Mooney still belongs at centre half-forward, but that doesn't mean there should be no flexibility in trying different things.
If half-an-hour on the ball means he gets his confidence up enough to go back to the forward line and play to the level he's capable of playing, maybe it's worth the punt.
Clearly it's in the back of Thompson's mind. But he's probably just hoping it doesn't get to the point where he has to try it.
Does Mooney still have the engine to play a Richardson-style role on the ball or off a wing? "Yeah, for sure," Thompson said. "But losing Nathan, we probably built our forward line around him (Mooney). He's the captain of the forward line, he controls it, he positions people and he's such a presence we probably need him in the forward line.
"We'll probably just leave him there to let him fight his way through it like everybody has to in this game."

And before you ask, no, I'm not Michael Auciello!