Players or Coach

[Jack-Packenham]

At seasons end either the coach or some senior players must leave. After watching the structure of the Geelong forward line for most of the year I am leading towards sacking Bomber Thompson. How come Ottens is 2 against 1 all day. Why is there 4 opposition players across half back against 2 of our players. It's hard enough as it is let alone being outnumbered every time you go forward.

 

[Scarlett30]

The buck stops with the coach. He has made some bad decisions this year, at the selection table and on match days. He also has not had the ability to inspire his players which is always a bad sign.

Players have played bad, but are they doing what they are told to do? Or are they just ignoring what the coach is saying?

Either way it has lead to a wasted season that promised so much.

 

[catempire]

Bye-bye Bomber

 

[Reg Hickey]

The more I see of the Cats this year, the more I think coach.

A lot of people are complaining about his match day moves (or lack of them), but I think the bigger problem is the team's attitude. The complete and utter sh*te they served up yesterday shows an alarming lack of respect not just for members, supporters and teammates, but most pointedly for the coaching staff.

A new and ambitious young coach - Don Pyke comes to mind - with enough guts to put a few egos in their places is exactly what is needed.

Oh, and I reckon a few players need to go as well - Kelly, S Johnson and Kingsley head that list.

 

[Sir Gusset]

Bomber is a pea-brain plain and simple.

Seriously Thompson is the worst technical coach in the alf. He has the complete inability to re-structure the team if things aren't working and when he finally does it is much much to late.

 

[martyk]

How come Ottens is 2 against 1 all day.

Because no one else in our forward line looked dangerous.. especially when Mooney came out.. why wouldn't Laidley play 2 on him?

Why is there 4 opposition players across half back against 2 of our players. It's hard enough as it is let alone being outnumbered every time you go forward.

Players such as S.Johnson, Chapman, Mackie etc, didn't get down fast enough to crumbing situations... didn't help that our disposal to forwards was ***** either.

Bottome line.... Geelong has a list talented enough to be in the top 8 and aren't, therefore are under performing. This is a coaching issue...

 

[Jack-Packenham]

Because no one else in our forward line looked dangerous.. especially when Mooney came out.. why wouldn't Laidley play 2 on him?

So why didn't Bomber put another player in the forward line to even out the numbers and allow Ottens a chance at a 1on1. Teams that you are better than you should play 1 on 1 across the ground.

 

[martyk]

So why didn't Bomber put another player in the forward line to even out the numbers and allow Ottens a chance at a 1on1. Teams that you are better than you should play 1 on 1 across the ground.

Nearly every team every week plays one guy loose in the backline... they decided to use that extra player to take Ottens out of the game intead of being loose... not an issue when your winning the ball / clearances like the roos were. Bomber didn't want to give up a player from defense, as we were getting beaten.

The solution?? Don't go to Ottens.. yeah? NO!!! there was no other target. Well coached by Laidley...

 

[CF]

Bomber and his useless assistant coaches are to blame firstly. But there are also players who are capable of better but are giving half hearted efforts. A new coach may help some of those players but some may need to be delisted/traded because they aren't good enough. I am not going to name them because they are named in every second thread so you all know who they are.

 

[cats2rise]

Whats going to happen if he stays on next year?

 

[CF]

Whats going to happen if he stays on next year?

more of the same I suspect, but with a drop in memberships to the club.

 

[Mooney_d'King]

Compare this with the match against the Bulldogs -last week seemed to be generally very good coaching. SO what happened this week? Lack of respect for the opposition? I don't know exactly what a coach does so I'm definitely no expert, especially since I haven't been coached since the Notting Hill under 9s (which, like both my state schools, no longer exists).

 

[Sir Gusset]

Compare this with the match against the Bulldogs -last week seemed to be generally very good coaching. SO what happened this week? Lack of respect for the opposition? I don't know exactly what a coach does so I'm definitely no expert, especially since I haven't been coached since the Notting Hill under 9s (which, like both my state schools, no longer exists).

Yes we won last week but to go as far as to say it was very good coaching!!

We turned the ball over cheaply yesterday as much as when we played the dogs but we got punished this week cause north weren't as bad as the dogs in turn-overs and clangers. Bomber aslo refused to shut-down Brad Johnson even though he was clearly their only avenue to goal. It was a good win but also a lucky one.

This has been a feature of when we win close games. It's usually by luck or individual brilliance not coaching initiative. Also last week was the first close game GFC has won in 2006. This suggests that the correct moves and stategies just aren't being made from the coaches box when the pressure is on and the game is in the balance. Bomber is a pea-brain and over the last 2 years we have consistently been trounced by teams who are clearly weaker then us all because Bomber gets out coached from the first bounce onwards.

Time for a change. If Bomber is there next year I will be very dissapointed. We owe this man nothing more but a farewell and a a fake rolex.

 

[Zeroman]

With only two players fit on the bench, it only takes one lazy player to pull down the whole team in this era of football. Whereby they stop playing for each other, as what's the point - unchecked man is killing all our hard work. Why bother.

An outside top eight performance with 'talent to burn' (re BLions quote earlier this year) is UNACCEPTABLE.

Coach has had his chance. There is no leadership on and off the ground. Playing on the goodwill and hopes of Geelong people must end. This was a terrible, horrible game to watch - the fruit of the present leadership.

Time to rebuild (again), and it BETTER be sooner than later! Clear the list.

I would rather watch 22 Stokes newcomers try their best, than this sorry lot. Time to drop a swag of players to see who may take their places from the vfl.

This result at bottom 8 is what we expect of vfl players finding their feet, yet we missed the benefits of giving them match-time.

 

[worthogs]

With only two players fit on the bench, it only takes one lazy player to pull down the whole team in this era of football. Whereby they stop playing for each other, as what's the point - unchecked man is killing all our hard work. Why bother.

WE have had a heap lazy players all yearof them over the day SJ for a start,

An outside top eight performance with 'talent to burn' (re BLions quote earlier this year) is UNACCEPTABLE.

Our list is good but anint a super talented list. Lacks genuine pace and a Blood forward that can play 2 games in a row.

Time to rebuild (again), and it BETTER be sooner than later! Clear the list.

Dont be a dhead how long will it take to do that. It needs to be refined swap a couple for picks or talent if it is out there but roll it over is just dumb.

I would rather watch 22 Stokes newcomers try their best,

but who would be in the ruck?????

We dont need wholesale changes look a club like Melbourne renowned for being a Yo-yo. I think a lot of Cat fans got a Bar up when we got the NAB cup and thought it was all over bar the Parade. We will never win a flag with forwards the Calibre of Playfair, Kingsley, McCarthy and MacKie. Otto has started to repay what he was recruited for but he needs help. NAthan is still a year off knowing how to play properly and all the others..Batchelor Lonegan etc are usless these are the ones that need to go

 

[Reg Hickey]

We will never win a flag with forwards the Calibre of Playfair, Kingsley, McCarthy and MacKie. Otto has started to repay what he was recruited for but he needs help. NAthan is still a year off knowing how to play properly and all the others..Batchelor Lonegan etc are usless these are the ones that need to go

Absolutely. Don't know why you picked on Batchelor as he's never played a senior game, but Kingsley, Playfair, McCarthy and Lonergan are not premiership key forwards. I reckon Lonergan could still potentially be a premiership key defender, and I still wonder whether H could be a damaging ruckman particularly with his marking around the ground, but the others need to go.

Nathan on the other hand was excellent in the VFL on Saturday. Worked hard, went into contests with purpose, and used the ball well when he got it. Clearly still needs time to learn how to play key forward properly, but very promising. Watch out for him from 2008 onwards.

 

[GeeCat]

At seasons end either the coach or some senior players must leave.

Why not both?

Changes needn't be restricted to one group. If we're serious, both coaching staff and the playing group will be looked at.

 

[year of the cat]

Bomber is a pea-brain plain and simple.

Seriously Thompson is the worst technical coach in the alf. He has the complete inability to re-structure the team if things aren't working and when he finally does it is much much to late.

Second worse - Ayres was worse!!!

 

[Turbocat]

If Bomber has a problem , I feel its more a result of him abdicating power to a players group who have let him down. Its the modern trend , all this touchy feely stuff and it may well work with a mature playing group but I just dont think its works in all situations. I certainly dont like the sound of Bomber asking the players after the match "If they thought , the young guys should be brought in now etc." If we as a club decide to bring in our youth because its in our long term best interest , what has this to do with our current player group.Its a conflict of interest ... self interest.

IMO Bomber has been suckered by our group of players ,he thought we were on the crest of the big time, that we had the group to do it but its was only though his ability to meld this group of good, ordinary players that we reached the point of being considered a top 4 side. It was the method of play installed, the contested one on one with stagnant play and multiple ball ups , strong bodies and effort. Talent was handy but it was effort that got us of the floor. Thinking about it , maybe its not Bomber who has been suckered , maybe the the players have suckered themselves , they believe they are better than they are. They dont need to run hard because they are just oh so talented.

I have always thought that we would need an addition to our list The rich drafts 99 and 2001 have given us a core group but as most would say this core group has a little to much in common. This was fine with our previous style but the change in the football style , to a highly fluid game style has caught out our playing group. We may have been able to cope better if we had be trying have a scatter gun approach to finding a key forward tall.If one or two of the potential talls were talented running players we wouldn't be so reliant on likes of Wojo and Byrnes.

If Bomber wants to stay coaching its time to stop the democratic approach , its time to be ruthless.

 

[Partridge]

Why not both?

Changes needn't be restricted to one group. If we're serious, both coaching staff and the playing group will be looked at.

Absolutely. For me the following players MUST be booted:

Steve Johnson, Kelly, Kingsley, McCarthy. I'm sure there are others which we can debate about but those 4 are certainties.

And make sure that Mark Thompson goes with them. The walking excuse machine himself.

 

[geelong32]

coach needs to go. seven years is enough. Why can;t we have a forward set up like the dogs ? they play without kpp, johnson is a gun but he isn't the pack busting chf, when we move the ball quick into the forward line we look dangerous. But we tend move the ball quick from half back to centre wing then chip it 15m to a stationary player, who holds the ball up long enough for the oppostions players to flood back.

i agree with most comments on the playing list, i think there are a few players that are lucky. we must clean out the dead wood forwards that we have been holding on to for years, the majority wouldn;t be on any other afl list, mccarthy, lonergan, and charlie should go. Keep kingsley and playfair by default, personally both a clearly better than the 3 i have previously mentioned ( if they ever find form ), and hope n ablett and hawkins step up although both are prob a 2 years away of holding down kp.