Analysis Mid season assessment - on track or not?

[Live in hope]

Thought I’d get away from AFL during the bye but with Australia pretty sh*te in very other sport except soccer and the weather in Melb not much better, thought some other Cats tragics might want to share a view or two on our season - is Geelong on track with your expectations for the year?

IMO - Expecting a 6 to 12 finish at pre season, we are actually tracking ahead of my expectations, particularly taking account of our injuries and (until last the two games) hopeless rucks.

The clear bonus so far has been the amazing overnight transformation from an aging and slow backline to a rock solid opposite, followed closely by the sudden/unexpected emergence of Sav, Henry and Cunico and Kelly delivering on the pre season hype. With Fogarty, Constable and possibly Narkle and Meirs showing great potential, my hopes are right up there for the future.

Still not sure that we are top 4 side this year but if we finally get some luck with injuries, in particular with Menzel, Cocky, Scooter and even one of Taylor and Henderson, who knows? Last two seasons have shown that peak form in the last 7 or 8 weeks can be enough.

Other views ? (Including, if you feel inclined, how sh*te Australia is in practically every other men’s sport)

 

[iameviljez]

Yes, I think it's been a very good season IMO - not so much because of the win-loss tally, but because there's now some more light beyond the Big Three. I thought that on paper we were around about 6th, and so far that's pretty much where it's turned out.

However, for the first time since 2014, it looks like we finally have some depth at the club. Cunico, Stewart, Kelly, Henry, Parfitt, Fogarty, Blitz and Ratugolea have all made a huge difference to the depth of the 22, through either arrival or improvement.

We also finally have some succession planning at CHF, and a few promising smaller forwards. It's just the ruck that really needs solving now.

I don't think we're a genuine premiership threat. Our ball movement isn't fluent enough, and we're getting beaten up in the middle by the better clearance teams. However, it's still a good season... so far.

 

[cynical]

Developed some good young players and moved Blicavs back to a spot where he is doing well at. Stewart has also taken another step.

Henry looks good as does Sav and Cunico.

Kelly if he doesnt stay will at least have good trade value.

Not sold on Fogarty though, tackles well but not much else.

I think we will finish 7-8th and at best win 1 final.

Really need to start turning over our list and get some new coaches.

 

[Isaac Norm Smith]

Developed some good young players and moved Blicavs back to a spot where he is doing well at. Stewart has also taken another step.

Henry looks good as does Sav and Cunico.

Kelly if he doesnt stay will at least have good trade value.

Not sold on Fogarty though, tackles well but not much else.

I think we will finish 7-8th and at best win 1 final.

Really need to start turning over our list and get some new coaches.

Not sold on Fogarty? He's a first year player mate, they can't all come in and become stars from the beginning. He has shown enough imo to suggest he'll be a good player for us in 2-3 years. No guarantees he'll make it, it's to early to tell, but I'm not sure what your expectations of him were given he's an 18-year-old first year player.

 

[Isaac Norm Smith]

Yes, I think it's been a very good season IMO - not so much because of the win-loss tally, but because there's now some more light beyond the Big Three. I thought that on paper we were around about 6th, and so far that's pretty much where it's turned out.

However, for the first time since 2014, it looks like we finally have some depth at the club. Cunico, Stewart, Kelly, Henry, Parfitt, Fogarty, Blitz and Ratugolea have all made a huge difference to the depth of the 22, through either arrival or improvement.

We also finally have some succession planning at CHF, and a few promising smaller forwards. It's just the ruck that really needs solving now.

I don't think we're a genuine premiership threat. Our ball movement isn't fluent enough, and we're getting beaten up in the middle by the better clearance teams. However, it's still a good season... so far.

Great assessment

 

[cynical]

Not sold on Fogarty? He's a first year player mate, they can't all come in and become stars from the beginning. He has shown enough imo to suggest he'll be a good player for us in 2-3 years. No guarantees he'll make it, it's to early to tell, but I'm not sure what your expectations of him were given he's an 18-year-old first year player.

His kicking is just very ordinary, he'd want to improve it a fair bit in the coming years.

 

[Isaac Norm Smith]

His kicking is just very ordinary, he'd want to improve it a fair bit in the coming years.

Yeah he needs to improve in that area but he has lots of time to do it. He should get better with more years of development. Corey Enright and Joel Corey are two players that come to mind who were horrendous kicks early on in their careers.

 

[iameviljez]

His kicking is just very ordinary, he'd want to improve it a fair bit in the coming years.

Perhaps - but composure also comes with a bit more experience.

 

[Spearman]

hard to add anything to first two posts

 

[bulletproof]

Overhaul happy with progress. The loss to Sydney rankles as I feel we are 1 win behind where we need to be and we had that game in our control.

 

[Down at K Park]

I’m just happy we have some solid youth coming through, cause the cupboard looked a bit bare the last 2 years. Now it looks like we have some real stars in the making coming through. Our draft haul was A+.

 

[Chinacats]

I thought 14 wins at the beginning of the year so we are tracking towards that. However, when we go out and get Ablett it’s obvious we are topping up for a tilt, so expectations are top 4 and that’s looking unlikely. Many injuries though so a good effort and unearthed a few good players . Henry, Kelly, Fogarty. Names coming back so no excuses in second half of year. Cmon cats!

 

[Scottland2007]

Losing Mackie and Lonners last year and Hendo and Taylor at the start of this year, I thought we were stuffed, but our defense has been amazing. I don’t think we can fit both Hendo and Taylor back into our back line. Our forward line has looked good with Sav and Hawkins. Our midfield group has started to play well together and playing Duncan off the back of the square has been revolutionary. I wish we had some small forwards that could stay on the park but in general been a good year so far. Won’t win the flag but we’ve now got a back line that’ll be an assert for 5+ years.

 

[iameviljez]

Really need to start turning over our list and get some new coaches.

Mackie, Lonergan, Lang, Walker, Stevie J, Kersten, Caddy, Vardy, Rivers, Stokes, Kelly, Enright and Bartel not enough for you over the last three years?

 

[iameviljez]

I wish we had some small forwards that could stay on the park but in general been a good year so far.

McCarthy really could have been something if he'd just got a decent run at it a few years back. We are missing that kind of player so badly.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Despite our horrid injuries (which apparently are non existent compared to every other team...) we have done really well. On track for finals sure, but not for top 4 unfortunately.

As others have said we have really unearthed some absolute rippers in Henry, Kelly, Kolo ect.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

McCarthy really could have been something if he'd just got a decent run at it a few years back. We are missing that kind of player so badly.

How I wish we had got Devon Smith.

 

[iameviljez]

How I wish we had got Devon Smith.

Yeah, I agree with that - and Jacob Hopper would have been a great fit, too.

Still, at least we lost out on Jake Stringer.

 

[Scottland2007]

McCarthy really could have been something if he'd just got a decent run at it a few years back. We are missing that kind of player so badly.

Cocky, Menzel and Mcarthy. That’s gold if we can get them happening.

 

[fpm84]

We are a top four quality side and if we finish 5th - 8th it will be solely due to injuries.

FWIW I think we will finish 4th.

 

[Landgraft]

I dunno about you guys but I had a great time of my bye period. I'm also between semesters at Uni, and my work is only part-time at the moment so I've been on a nice stretch of "should be catching up on sleep, but aren't because the World Cups on".

For the season I'm mostly happy, but I think we've dropped some games we shouldn't have and our senior core haven't stood up as well as we should hope they can. Hoping that we can build some form and consistency post-bye, that our injured players make perfect, career defining returns from injury and Brian Cook hand delivers each member a unicorn.

 

[Jeff76]

Haven’t been a big fan of the footy we’ve played this year, it’s not good footy to watch and bad coaching has cost us a few games.
Impressed with Blicavs move to defence, finally found his best position. Henry has been the surprise packet so far and Kolo has done well, I was a bit worried about our defence after Loners and Mackie retired but nothing to worry about now.
Having a look at our run home I think we might just scrape into the finals, probably finish 7th or 8th, our forward line is the shambles with Savrat, McCarthy, Menzel and Cocky all missing.

 

[Vdubs]

Yes, I think it's been a very good season IMO - not so much because of the win-loss tally, but because there's now some more light beyond the Big Three. I thought that on paper we were around about 6th, and so far that's pretty much where it's turned out.

However, for the first time since 2014, it looks like we finally have some depth at the club. Cunico, Stewart, Kelly, Henry, Parfitt, Fogarty, Blitz and Ratugolea have all made a huge difference to the depth of the 22, through either arrival or improvement.

We also finally have some succession planning at CHF, and a few promising smaller forwards. It's just the ruck that really needs solving now.

I don't think we're a genuine premiership threat. Our ball movement isn't fluent enough, and we're getting beaten up in the middle by the better clearance teams. However, it's still a good season... so far.

Agree completely.
But I still don't think our rucks will be the issue at finals time.

 

[Vdubs]

How I wish we had got Devon Smith.

I didn't, but he would be so perfect for our team. I've seen more of him with Ess than all the rest of his career. Quality.

 

[Vdubs]

His kicking is just very ordinary, he'd want to improve it a fair bit in the coming years.

We used to say that about Spriggs; I hope Fogarty is an upgrade on him at least.

Yeah he needs to improve in that area but he has lots of time to do it. He should get better with more years of development. Corey Enright and Joel Corey are two players that come to mind who were horrendous kicks early on in their careers.

Just beat me to that one.