Strategy New Direction

[The rabbi]

Every time I see the title I keep reading it as "One Direction".

And that isn't really improving my mood any.

Hahaa. I have the same problem.

 

[allrighty]

We best get this dude to work then.

HAHA very good.

 

[The rabbi]

Motlop Hawkins Smedts
Blicavs Vardy Bartel
Christensen Selwood Caddy
Enright Taylor Varcoe
Guthrie Lonergan Mackie
Simpson Johnson Kelly
Rivers Duncan Stokes (s. Thurlow)

I hope they give players like Enright, Bartel, Kelly & Johnson a month off during the season each to give players like Hunt, Horlin-Smith, Brown & Murdoch to get some game time.

What....no Kersten!!!

 

[Rainfall]

What....no Kersten!!!

When I said give players a month off (the veterans) and wrote players who should get game time I was thinking 7 names of my head and Kersten was one of them, just didn't write it

 

[beckhamsam69]

There is a lot to be exited about. We could be the most exiting team in the comp next year. The moving on of the older guys, while sad, will be a great motivating tool for our entire side especially our younger generation during the pre-season. 2014 will be the year where the competition without a shadow of a doubt will know that we have some very good years yet to come.
CS will have something left-field planned I'm sure. Like playing Guthrie in the middle or Jimmy in the forward line or Walker down back. After all he sees the players more than we do. And I think we will go very hard at a midfield recruit like SS or Adams.
Potential team:

Rivers Lonergan Enright

Guthrie Taylor Mackie

Caddy SJ/Adams/SS Duncan

Smedts Vardy Motlop

Stokes Hawkins JB

R: Simpson Selwood Christensen

Int Walker Kelly Varcoe Hunt/GHS(s)

E Thurlow Kersten Blicavs

 

[Vdubs]

New direction: straight to the bottom of the ladder.

Best way to get top draft picks at least.

 

[candiehappy]

Plenty of teams have come close to winning a flag, and then tried to patch themselves up for a crack the next year. Giving old players another go who slip backwards. Bring in that experienced player from another club, who doesn't bridge the gap. Or maybe it does work. I don't know where to from this year, but I'll back the coach & the match committee. After all, we didn't really get close this year, we were "derailed"

we will still have a large number of very senior players. We have to get games in to the younger one's - both to bring them on and to keep them. I'm prepared to wait and see.

 

[4quarter_cat]

I'm very hopeful. Sad to see those guys go but as others have posted, Our list still looks like one that may challenge for a flag next year even with these champions retiring. And who knows next year we may lose: Enright; Bartel; Kelly; SJ; Lonergan.

I don't want to lose them, but they may retire, and I wouldn't want to lose Pods, Chappy, Corey at the same time. It would be a disaster.


Assuming we don't bring anyone in during TW. I think we only need 4 of our kids to really break through and we'd be a better team than this year.

I also think there is a decent chance of this happening.

Walker - looks like a fantastic proposition in the VFL, if he can learn to kick straight, and make the adjustments required to hold on to those marks at AFL level he'll be a monster for us.

Brown - is looking fantastic in the VFL, if he cna bulk up abit during preseason I would definately rate him to come into the side for either Lonergan or Rivers.

T.Hunt - if he can get his head back in the right place and back in form he'll be fantastic for us in 2014

GHS - With gone/resting more, we can afford to have a man of his pace in the MF, and he has proven capable of using it very well

Thurlow - Looks a ready made replacement if either Mackie or Guthrie play higher up the pitch next year as touted.

Caddy - With an extra pre-season at geelong to get his fitness base up, I can see him moving to the midfield next year and being very damaging at busting packs and extracting the ball for us.

Murdoch - Has shown glimpses of greatness, who knows where he'll be with another preseason and the confidence he'll have gained from the game against Hawks.

Simpson - Was looking the goods and strong and reliable, before what really was the most unlucky knee injury. I think he'll be a huge addition to the team next year.

Then there are all the other blokes who I haven't mentioned (Kersten, Stringer,Smedts, Burbury, Schroder, Cowan, McCarthy) who could all step up.


I know that some of you don't rate some of the names on this list, and thats your perogative, however you are a fool if you can't see the mountain of upside.

 

[Partridge]

Are we in part "paying the price" for what happened with Brisbane? They kept the older blokes too long and paid the price? Perhaps CS saw similar writing on the wall and decided to go earlier than later.

He's doing the right thing. Chapman is certainly a questionable decision but there's no arguments with Pods or Josh Hunt, and almost certainly Corey. Even with those delistings, we're still going to have too many older players. But it's far more manageable and it means more young guys will get games. That's the crucial part.

 

[candiehappy]

He's doing the right thing. Chapman is certainly a questionable decision but there's no arguments with Pods or Josh Hunt, and almost certainly Corey. Even with those delistings, we're still going to have too many older players. But it's far more manageable and it means more young guys will get games. That's the crucial part.

I agree, and I sadly and reluctantly agree with the Chappy decision. I just don't see any logical reason why we would get more games out of him next year than this.

For those who lived through the Ayres era - this is how to maintain & rebuild a quality list, not faarrk it over as '95 onwards showed ....

 

[GeelongFTW]

He's doing the right thing. Chapman is certainly a questionable decision

im pretty sure we offered chappy a contract but he had to play reserves to let the younger players play seniors and refused. Not 100% certain though.
if true, the club imo made the right decision,

 

[GeelongFTW]

I agree, and I sadly and reluctantly agree with the Chappy decision. I just don't see any logical reason why we would get more games out of him next year than this.

For those who lived through the Ayres era - this is how to maintain & rebuild a quality list, not faarrk it over as '95 onwards showed ....

how long do you have that av and sig for? for the love of god dont say rd1.......

 

[Partridge]

Maybe Chapman is more fragile physically than we are aware? Chapman is a fairly pig-headed individual and might not be willing to accept that his body is not up to another preseason/season.

I think that might be closer to the truth than some want to accept. Don't forget as soon as he was added to the leadership group in 2008 they removed him, and questioned his professionalism. So as much as we love him, he hasn't been perfect.

 

[Pavlovs Cat]

Did he? We were lucky to beat Brisbane at home, were beaten by Freo at home, struggled past Port - all with Chappy. I dont think Chappy was going to take us to the next level next year. Its improvement of our young players which is going to get us back up there, and they need to start getting games now in order to do that.

Chappy might not have taken us to the next level next year but we sure as hell wouldn't have struggled by Port withuit him.

 

[Catatonic Shock]

im pretty sure we offered chappy a contract but he had to play reserves to let the younger players play seniors and refused. Not 100% certain though.
if true, the club imo made the right decision,

Correct.
He was offered a contract that stipulated time in the VFL, he refused.
Now the real question is did the club offer that contract knowing Chappy would refuse?
Regardless he was a shattered man at the B&F but held himself well and his speech was typical Chappy, straight down the line honest and I can 100% say I never felt any animosity from him towards the club.
He was disappointed he is leaving but understands why, that's important I think.
The club has made the correct decision absolutely no doubt.
Chappy out, Bartel goes into the forwardline and we play Thurlow down back for 20 games.
The teams mentioned above are going to be very very good teams so long as we can get games into the kids!
What would you prefer next year, 20 games from Chapman in his last year or 20 games into Kersten to start his career?

 

[Whit3y]

I know that some of you don't rate some of the names on this list, and thats your perogative, however you are a fool if you can't see the mountain of upside.

one can say only a fool cannot see the mountain of downside

 

[Pavlovs Cat]

I'd say the club is clearing space to front-load some contracts in 2014 more likely. Play the kids more aggressively, prepay as much of Harry's and Sels deals as we can. Hawkins comes out of contract as a FA next year and will require a decent deal. Next years crop of free agents is very attractive. I'd say this is more likely than chasing a big fish this offseason.

I hope we can land a Fish that can swim.

 

[Pavlovs Cat]

Jimmeh to the forward line?
#mrfixit

Jimmy'll fix it! Um.....maybe not!

 

[Partridge]

I am struggling to work out what our best team will look like next season...

I'll have a go*:

B: Guthrie - Taylor - Enright
HB: Mackie - Rivers - Brown
C: Duncan - Horlin-Smith - Christensen
HF: Motlop - Kersten - Stokes
F: Bartel - Hawkins - Murdoch
R: Simpson - Johnson - Selwood
I/C: Vardy - Caddy - Smedts - T.Hunt

That still looks like a pretty good team to me.

* - On the assumption that Varcoe is traded and West won't get selected.

 

[GeelongFTW]

Jimmy'll fix it! Um.....maybe not!

 

[GeelongFTW]

Partridge

that team is what you want to happen not will happen. i dont think kelly and longeron will be dropped.

 

[candiehappy]

how long do you have that av and sig for? for the love of god dont say rd1.......

end of next week - can't come around soon enough

 

[Partridge]

We are now even further away from a flag than 2013. Window officially closed.

We don't know that. The decisions made this week might just push us closer to the next one.

 

[cats_09]

Partridge

that team is what you want to happen not will happen. i dont think kelly and longeron will be dropped.

exactly, Lonergan finished 10th in the b&f last night - the coaches are happy with is performance this year and what he bought to the side even if some fans are questioning his value.

I will admit I have questioned Lonergan's game at times, particularly later in the season - but he wants to play on and doubtful the club will relegate him to the VFL for Rnd 1.

 

[Partridge]

Jimmeh to the forward line?
#mrfixit

To the forward line yes. We shouldn't expect 40 goals and for him to be the key to our side though. For the good of the team Bartel should be relied upon less and less. It's Motlop, Duncan, Christensen, Guthrie et al we should be looking to now.