No real improvers

[finrod]

I think we need to be really worried because this year our team has had no players who have performed exceptionally better than last year. You look at a team like Collingwood and they have quite a few blokes who have stepped up this year - Fraser, Swan, Shaw, etc. Guys like Mackie, Playfair, Tenace, Gardiner and so on haven't taken the next step and this is really hurting us. Can anyone name one Geelong player apart from Chapman who looks to be on the improve? Maybe we should get rid of Bomber Thompson? Just my 2 cents...

 

[chapmanmagic35]

You raise a reasonable point. The glaring lack of improvement seems to be in our disposal, an area where we have never been able to master.

 

[darren forssman]

I think we need to be really worried because this year our team has had no players who have performed exceptionally better than last year. You look at a team like Collingwood and they have quite a few blokes who have stepped up this year - Fraser, Swan, Shaw, etc. Guys like Mackie, Playfair, Tenace, Gardiner and so on haven't taken the next step and this is really hurting us. Can anyone name one Geelong player apart from Chapman who looks to be on the improve? Maybe we should get rid of Bomber Thompson? Just my 2 cents...

it looks like they arent buying into what bomber is saying...too early to sack him but just an observation.

 

[ablettallica]

Using Collingwood as an example - What did Fraser - Swan - Shaw do last year? Shaw couldnt get a game in a she-ite team till Rd15, Fraser was injured but uninspired and Swan was marking time. Collingwood had a shocking year - who improved for them in 2005? And many - O'Bree - Tarrant - Didak - were down last year

The faith all supporters have in their teams is based on the expectation that players improve or hold their level.

Any expectations of the Cats to be fair dinkum top 4 material is based on the assumption that our good players stay good and our young players keep improving. Based on the last 5 weeks we have no one bar Chapman in any decent form - yet alone any younger players who have made a significant mark.

To be a real class side we should have 3-5 players who would be selected as All Australians - at the moment might have one - Chapman. Who are the others that should be up there? King/Scarlet have been there before.(BTW I dont think King can get to that level again) Corey/Ablett/Milburn would be the guys I would pick as being closest but they would need to lift to get there.

On paper I assummed our full strength team - in form - would beat the Pies. The reality was the Pies were red hot & importantly were in form and we were not.

Whos to say that Playfair - Tenace -etc - etc are not massive improvers next year?

I think the issue of this post is whether the Coach is the driving force behind any player who finally steps - up a la Swan this year or say Tuck in 2005. Or has these guys who have big improvements - had there time just come? (i.e make it this year or you're gone)

If their time doesnt come - their career is over - re. any player delisted aged 22+ who hasn't made a mark.

Blame the coach - I think not.

 

[darren forssman]

Blame the coach - I think not.

i like bomber and think he is good and not blaming him, just an observation that the players are not listening to him. or is their something more...

 

[Lunchlady Doris]

i think you make a good point. our list hasn't changed since everyone was raving about us, we're just not in good nick.

we ran into the pies, who are red hot.

just wish we could get our minds right. other teams have turned it around (sydney, melbourne) hopefully we can too. the problem here though, we may not have the right leaders at the club.

 

[afl genius]

besides chapman is now a dead set star the only other one would be rooke he seems to of got a bit better and if we played callan i reckon he would turn in to a good little player pretty quickley