News Mark Blicavs

[meto]

If this guy can come from elite athletics where middle distance runners are built like Kenyans, it will be one of the most remarkable transitions to an alternative sport in the history of Australian sport.

The guy has come from a non contact individual sport where weight is your enemy to a team game that requirers power, size and heavy contact, and he hadn't play since 14 years of age, amazing.

If this kid gets up Steven Wells is a freak judge of footy talent no doubt.

 

[muttonchops]

Looks like he might be chucked in the deep end this week. Great. I have been pumping him up for a while, i rate him. I really hope he does well, looking forward to seeing him get a full run in the ruck.

 

[SleazySimon]

If ruck is going to be his forte, then what's his around the ground work going to be like? Hasn't the guy only played 5 games of footy in his life?

Maybe he can be the games first ruck/running outside player? He was an Olympic sprinter.

Now that could change the game like Polly Farmer.

Interesting experiment.

 

[meto]

If ruck is going to be his forte, then what's his around the ground work going to be like? Hasn't the guy only played 5 games of footy in his life?

Maybe he can be the games first ruck/running outside player? He was an Olympic sprinter.

Now that could change the game like Polly Farmer.

Interesting experiment.

He was a top Australian Middle distance runner, head and shoulders above any AFL player on running talent you can be assured.

 

[SleazySimon]

He was a top Australian Middle distance runner, head and shoulders above any AFL player on running talent you can be assured.

I'm pretty excited about the boy.

But I wonder from those in the know what his other skills are like; kicking, disposal, etc. If he can have that then he's a lock for the future.

Just running skills on its own arnt enough

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

Really interested in seeing how Mark goes against the Crows as I presume he will Ruck most of the game and change with Bathie.
As discussed the pace and endurance is totally off the scale and to see him go on a burst at Subi was truly a thing of beauty - 198cm and runs so effortlessly , like a gazelle. His skills were difficult to gauge as he played limited time but he tackled aggressively ( and often ) jumped out of sight and won taps , the one kick went to a target.
How will the endurance go after getting hit a few times ? He looks a determined SOB so let's sit back and enjoy.

 

[dazbroncos]

I'm pretty excited about the boy.

But I wonder from those in the know what his other skills are like; kicking, disposal, etc. If he can have that then he's a lock for the future.

Just running skills on its own arnt enough

Small sample pool I know... but watch the WC game and I thought his skills were fine - relatively speaking. Moved the ball on well and delivered a few passes on the chest...

Ive seen a LOT worse... cough cough Tenace... cough....

Go Catters

 

[FredLeDeux]

Really interested in seeing how Mark goes against the Crows as I presume he will Ruck most of the game and change with Bathie.
As discussed the pace and endurance is totally off the scale and to see him go on a burst at Subi was truly a thing of beauty - 198cm and runs so effortlessly , like a gazelle. His skills were difficult to gauge as he played limited time but he tackled aggressively ( and often ) jumped out of sight and won taps , the one kick went to a target.
How will the endurance go after getting hit a few times ? He looks a determined SOB so let's sit back and enjoy.

He will most likely ruck with Walker.

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

He will most likely ruck with Walker.

Cheers Fred , I thought Bathie was an inclusion but it appears he may be an emergency.
Wouldn't surprise me if Blicavs does most of the work with Walker mainly playing forward giving him the occasional chop out

 

[FredLeDeux]

Cheers Fred , I thought Bathie was an inclusion but it appears he may be an emergency.
Wouldn't surprise me if Blicavs does most of the work with Walker mainly playing forward giving him the occasional chop out

Yes, most likely, though Walker may also play back with Lonergan out.

 

[meto]

I'm pretty excited about the boy.

But I wonder from those in the know what his other skills are like; kicking, disposal, etc. If he can have that then he's a lock for the future.

Just running skills on its own arnt enough

To make it onto a VFL list and even interest the likes of Stephen Wells you'd need to be a standout in any case. Not every runner is invited onto a rookie list at Geelong or elsewhere.

How many kids make it to the big time, a handful, so to be serious the guy must have something to be given an AFL jumper to start with.
We're talking elite professionalism here so afford him a little respect please!

 

[winty]

Interesting article in the Geelong Advertiser today.

GEELONG'S rock-bottom ruck stocks could sensationally pave the way for Mark Blicavs to move into contention for an AFL debut against Hawthorn in Round 1.
The 198cm project rookie, who this time last year was chasing his Olympic dream, looks set to shoulder much of the Cats' ruck load in tomorrow's NAB Cup clash against Adelaide.
Blicavs, 21, will have tomorrow's match and the remainder of the pre-season to stake his claim for a Round 1 debut should the Cats have no fit ruckmen to take on the Hawks.
Geelong's big-man stocks are depleted, with Dawson Simpson (back), Trent West (knee), Hamish McIntosh (knee) sidelined. Nathan Vardy (hip) has not yet played in the NAB Cup.
The Cats have room to promote a rookie for the home-and-away season after they placed Simpson on the long-term injury list last week.
Rookie Josh Walker, who pinch hit in the ruck last year, will also take on a greater role tomorrow and may also be the man the Cats turn to early in the season.

Blicavs' rapid development this summer has been the talking point at Simonds Stadium, with captain Joel Selwood admitting he had been surprised how well Blicavs had come on.
"I don't like pumping guys up too much but there's just something about 'Blitz' that you just want to be excited about," Selwood said.

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2013/03/01/360337_gfc.html

 

[muttonchops]

Looks like he might be chucked in the deep end this week. Great. I have been pumping him up for a while, i rate him. I really hope he does well, looking forward to seeing him get a full run in the ruck.

I have been pumping him up since last year and his performance today was very encouraging. Give him a full season this year and another pre season and we could have something special on our hands.

 

[Turbocat]

At the very least , he broke even in taps to advantage. Is he good enough to in best 22 with all fit? Well No. Vardy is way ahead but Vardy is also far more like glass. To be a legit part of the 22, he needs to be influential up forward. One advantage I doubt he would unbalance our forwardline with Pods /Hawkins there. He is the epitome of a mobile tall

 

[FredLeDeux]

At the very least , he broke even in taps to advantage. Is he good enough to in best 22 with all fit? Well No. Vardy is way ahead but Vardy is also far more like glass. To be a legit part of the 22, he needs to be influential up forward. One advantage I doubt he would unbalance our forwardline with Pods /Hawkins there. He is the epitome of a mobile tall

I don't know who was rucking when, since I didn't see the game, but in the last 2/3rds of the game the hitouts went from 13-15 to 22-38; so I doubt we were breaking even in taps to advantage, since Adelaide won the clearances (though not by much).

 

[Turbocat]

I don't know who was rucking when, since I didn't see the game, but in the last 2/3rds of the game the hitouts went from 13-15 to 22-38; so I doubt we were breaking even in taps to advantage, since Adelaide won the clearances (though not by much).

Fred , my comments are all based on observation , not statistical fact. To me he got his hand to it far more often than I thought he would , he didn't look like an u18 kid , he looked light but certainly able to contest.
To a mark , kicked a goal , more than I saw Blake do in the forwardline. And it makes me wonder , what could he be worth with 40 games into him.

 

[FredLeDeux]

Fred , my comments are all based on observation , not statistical fact. To me he got his hand to it far more often than I thought he would , he didn't look like an u18 kid , he looked light but certainly able to contest.
To a mark , kicked a goal , more than I saw Blake do in the forwardline. And it makes me wonder , what could he be worth with 40 games into him.

I still haven't seen him, but he sounds like he has a lot more potential upside than may have been thought when we drafted him.
But if he's running the ruck in Rd 1 I suspect we'll be in diabolical trouble.

PS, I really shouldn't quote raw hit out stats to prove a point, because I think they're BS; but 38-22 is a big disparity, so it may give a general idea of ratios.

 

[you pick one]

I don't know who was rucking when, since I didn't see the game, but in the last 2/3rds of the game the hitouts went from 13-15 to 22-38; so I doubt we were breaking even in taps to advantage, since Adelaide won the clearances (though not by much).

Do you have a good excuse for not seeing the game Fred?

 

[FredLeDeux]

Do you have a good excuse for not seeing the game Fred?

Yes.

 

[jazzee]

Also an article from The Age - http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/rookie-cat-springs-surprises-20130302-2fddb.html

Biggest surprise for me in the article is that today was his sixth game since U14s. SIXTH! Bloody hell.

 

[David the Cat]

Well just watched the game. Blicavs was good.....showed good signs and very serviceable in the ruck. We might see a bit more of this bloke.

 

[The Casey Cat]

I'm thrilled with the progress. After Nat & Cox big Jacobs is about as tough as the opposition gets and the young man appeared to handle it well. I can't wait to see him after another pre season his body appears to have responded excellently to the weights & training.

 

[David the Cat]

He did a tap down, regather and then roosted it into full forward at one stage.

If it had been NicNat it would have been front page news.

Blicavs has a future in AFL on that performance....what a pick up by Wells!

 

[CF]

I agree David. I thought he looked the goods today and even though Jacobs got more hit outs (as you'd expect) Blicavs beat him around the ground easily. Could be our next Otto in a few years.

 

[footscore]

did ok but still a long way off from senior footy imo, we got beaten comprehensively in ruck which is to be expected given the size difference but 14 hit-outs is ok, as poorly as Walker played, he only played half the game in ruck and finished with 7 fewer hitouts but I think the opposition need to be taken into account as it was one of the poorest games I seen from Jacobs and McKernan in a long time.

Would need to have brilliant game next week in order to get selected RD1 because I reckon both Vardy and West will end up playing anyways.