Toast Quinton Narkle

[Baudolino]

I can't think of many players who actually fit that bill at all. Of the young players who we have traded out/let go, the only one who'd walk into our team next week would be Lincoln McCarthy:

Mitch Brown - competent journeyman but not great.
Joel Hamling - limited, but gets a game in a weak backline at Freo.
Bundy Christensen - never the same player after 2013, retired at 29.
Jarrad Jansen - delisted by Brisbane.
Josh Walker - see Mitch Brown.
Josh Caddy - one brilliant half-season with the Tigers, otherwise good for two years, but form took a fat nosedive and will be delisted at end of contract. Not even 30 yet.
Shane Kersten - failed as a forward, then failed in defence and delisted.
Billie Smedts and Darcy Lang - both traded to Carlton, both done zero.
Nathan Vardy - played just one really good game at West Coast but it was a pretty important game. Retired at 30.
Lincoln McCarthy - he's the one I'd like back. He turned the corner last year and has been pretty good since.
George Horlin-Smith, Jordan Murdoch, Jackson Thurlow - all bombed in their second chance.

Part of the frustration I think isn't so much the quality of player anyone on the list has developed into after leaving the Cats, it's the fact that there's been a succession of ex-Cats win premierships 2012, which is an outcome that always leads to shallow "oh boy, he sure proved us wrong" type analysis. Most of the players who won those premierships have done so as basically the 22nd selected in their respective teams*, but regardless of their importance to the premiership-winning side, annoyed Cats fans naturally feel bitter watching departed faces picking up a medallion.

Ex-Cat Premiership Winners 2012-2021

Swans 2012: Shane Mumford
Hawks 2013: Jonathan Simpkin
Bulldogs 2016: Joel Hamling
Eagles 2018: Nathan Vardy
Tigers 2017: Josh Caddy
Tigers 2019: Josh Caddy

* Mumford aside, obviously!

 

[iameviljez]

Some others who have proven themselves to be AFL-worthy at other clubs. Fogarty at the Blues. Clark at Freo. Jones at West Coast. Laidler at Blues and Swans. Mumford at the Swans and GWS. Varcoe at Collingwood. Podsiadly at the Crows. And if you want to dig into the memory bank Bews at Brisbane. And Williams, Bolton, Toohey at the Swans.

I think you're over-emphasising the impact that others have had at their various clubs. Clark will absolutely hurt us, as did Mumford - but Varcoe didn't exactly pull up stumps at Collingwood, J-Pod was mostly a spent force, Jones has done nearly stuff-all at West Coast thus far, Laidler would never have gotten into the best 22 at Geelong and Fogarty hasn't stepped up.

AFL worthy is different to "good enough to make Geelong better".

 

[thecatattack]

Interesting list. The problem is that only the loss of a couple of them have caused some heartache here. Even the loss of Hamling caused only a murmur and he's proven himself at not only at Freo but the Bullies. Think he has a premiership medallion to show for it.

Some others who have proven themselves to be AFL-worthy at other clubs. Fogarty at the Blues. Clark at Freo. Jones at West Coast. Laidler at Blues and Swans. Mumford at the Swans and GWS. Varcoe at Collingwood. Podsiadly at the Crows. And if you want to dig into the memory bank Bews at Brisbane. And Williams, Bolton, Toohey at the Swans.

And the jury is still out on Cockatoo (who is still finding his feet and being played out of position) and Krueger.

Players move on for a variety of reasons sometimes it turns out to be a negative, sometimes a positive. It's not an exact science.

Gardner gets games for the Dogs too

 

[AM]

I think you're over-emphasising the impact that others have had at their various clubs. Clark will absolutely hurt us, as did Mumford - but Varcoe didn't exactly pull up stumps at Collingwood, J-Pod was mostly a spent force, Jones has done nearly stuff-all at West Coast thus far, Laidler would never have gotten into the best 22 at Geelong and Fogarty hasn't stepped up.

AFL worthy is different to "good enough to make Geelong better".

Most of the players you put forward as players people on this board wanted to keep were in fact not rated highly here. That includes Hamling who was one who went on to be a premiership player.

Setting subjecive rules to suit your position doesn't cut it mate.

 

[AM]

Mumford, like T.Kelly, we wanted to keep. Varcoe, Pods, Chappy, Stevie J, J.Kelly, etc - all proved themselves first at the cats. I also heard that Ablett bloke went ok at the Suns after we'd let him go. Though I believe he was already some player.

Many of the players I mentioned we wanted to keep. McCarthy and Cockatoo the most recent. Not the point.

Silly comment about Gaz.

 

[iameviljez]

Most of the players you put forward as players people on this board wanted to keep were in fact not rated highly here. That includes Hamling who was one who went on to be a premiership player.

Setting subjecive rules to suit your position doesn't cut it mate.

When did I say that people on the board wanted to keep these players?!?

At least quote me properly.

 

[allrighty]

Old mate of mine Mick McCarthy won two premierships with the Hawks and would not call himself more than a pretty good AFL footballer. Played his role, blah blah blah. Good on him no mistake there, and there are many like him who play the role they train to do exceptionally well. See Olympic track and field or swimming relays for example.

So we have let a few go who have gone on to win a gong. Good on them. Did they work for us is the question that is all that matters.

 

[The_Koulouriotis_Fan]

I think you're over-emphasising the impact that others have had at their various clubs. Clark will absolutely hurt us, as did Mumford - but Varcoe didn't exactly pull up stumps at Collingwood, J-Pod was mostly a spent force, Jones has done nearly stuff-all at West Coast thus far, Laidler would never have gotten into the best 22 at Geelong and Fogarty hasn't stepped up.

AFL worthy is different to "good enough to make Geelong better".

Clarke won’t hurt us. He’s doing exactly the same at the Dockers as he did with us. Only difference is that there’s other players ahead of him at the cats

 

[standupand]

Many of the players I mentioned we wanted to keep. McCarthy and Cockatoo the most recent. Not the point.

Silly comment about Gaz.

I thought that was the point of the discussion. We were talking about players that the club had been happy to let seek greater opportunities elsewhere and about how many of those players had proven us wrong in the decision to do so. It wasn't about the ones we wanted to keep.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

I think you're over-emphasising the impact that others have had at their various clubs. Clark will absolutely hurt us, as did Mumford - but Varcoe didn't exactly pull up stumps at Collingwood, J-Pod was mostly a spent force, Jones has done nearly stuff-all at West Coast thus far, Laidler would never have gotten into the best 22 at Geelong and Fogarty hasn't stepped up.

AFL worthy is different to "good enough to make Geelong better".

Of all those Clark is the one you pick out as hurting us. He’s crap lol

 

[Strange Cat]

Clarke won’t hurt us. He’s doing exactly the same at the Dockers as he did with us. Only difference is that there’s other players ahead of him at the cats

11 disposals in todays game …why is his name being brought up ?

 

[iameviljez]

Of all those Clark is the one you pick out as hurting us. He’s crap lol

He's started off pretty well for Freo this year.

11 disposals in todays game …why is his name being brought up ?

21, 16 and 20 in the three prior, but to answer your question, a poster raised the idea that players improve significantly on leaving Geelong and so we were discussing players who have recently left Geelong.

 

[thecatattack]

11 disposals in todays game …why is his name being brought up ?

1 bad game of the 4 so far. Nice work.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

He's started off pretty well for Freo this year.

He was a 2018 first round selection, who after 3 years at Geelong couldn’t break in. At Fremantle he will find it easier and likely goes on to have a decent AFL career.

But decent AFL career at a shit club is probably a fail for a Round 1 selection. Glad we cut our losses. Never going to reach the heights needed for a R1 pick.

Not a lot drafted after I’d have wanted at Geelong though. Duursma

 

[iameviljez]

He was a 2018 first round selection, who after 3 years at Geelong couldn’t break in. At Fremantle he will find it easier and likely goes on to have a decent AFL career.

To be fair on Clark, that seemed to have just as much to do with the mesh between player and coaching staff as anything else.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

To be fair on Clark, that seemed to have just as much to do with the mesh between player and coaching staff as anything else.

Or IMO he simply wasn’t in our best team. Whose place atm would he take?

 

[iameviljez]

Or IMO he simply wasn’t in our best team. Whose place atm would he take?

Jed Bews is the obvious one. For a player who is fleet of foot, Bews just doesn't get enough of the footy.

Zac Guthrie and Jake Kolodjashnij are other obvious candidates.

Let's face it, it's hardly as though we've got Milburn, Enright, Hunt and Wojcinski in the back six.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Jed Bews is the obvious one. For a player who is fleet of foot, Bews just doesn't get enough of the footy.

Zac Guthrie and Jake Kolodjashnij are other obvious candidates.

Let's face it, it's hardly as though we've got Milburn, Enright, Hunt and Wojcinski in the back six.

I cannot take this seriously. Your first out confirms you severely overrate Clark. Bews!?!

Clark can’t defend for shit and you’re taking out our best small defender. He was bog average and we will not miss him.

 

[iameviljez]

I cannot take this seriously. Your first out confirms you severely overrate Clark. Bews!?!

Serious disagreement about a footballing opinion on BigFooty? Well I never!

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Serious disagreement about a footballing opinion on BigFooty? Well I never!

Your argument against bews is not getting enough footy.
I couldn't give a stuff if he gets 0-10 touches... If his man has no influence. And it's been a while since he has been well beaten.

 

[#cats2021]

Let’s try and keep this on topic imo.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

I think you're over-emphasising the impact that others have had at their various clubs. Clark will absolutely hurt us, as did Mumford - but Varcoe didn't exactly pull up stumps at Collingwood, J-Pod was mostly a spent force, Jones has done nearly stuff-all at West Coast thus far, Laidler would never have gotten into the best 22 at Geelong and Fogarty hasn't stepped up.

AFL worthy is different to "good enough to make Geelong better".

I dont think clark will hurt us as much as people think.. he has talent but freo dont have a great record with trade ins so i doubt he becomes elite there and conway (who we got for him) to my eye is a very good prospect if he becomes the ruck i think he can no one will be unhappy with the trade. I do hope jordan does well though.

 

[iameviljez]

I dont think clark will hurt us as much as people think.. he has talent but freo dont have a great record with trade ins so i doubt he becomes elite there and conway (who we got for him) to my eye is a very good prospect if he becomes the ruck i think he can no one will be unhappy with the trade. I do hope jordan does well though.

A ruckman is worth a lot more than a half back.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Jed Bews is the obvious one. For a player who is fleet of foot, Bews just doesn't get enough of the footy.

Zac Guthrie and Jake Kolodjashnij are other obvious candidates.

Let's face it, it's hardly as though we've got Milburn, Enright, Hunt and Wojcinski in the back six.

Bews is a lockdown on the best small forward which clark cant do...as much as kolo annoys me with hendo retiring he is needed for talls (which clark cant do) and zuthrie has been a depth non best 23 player for years so he wasnt keeping clark out as he wasnt in. The only player whose spot clark could have taken in the back 6 was atkins and while clark has more upside i can understand why the coaches preferred atkins.

I think clarks best position is wing but we are absolutely stacked for options in that role so i can understand both why he wanted to go and why we were willing to let him go.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

A ruckman is worth a lot more than a half back.

Correct and especially to our list that has been searching for a ruck for 10 years. Which is why even if clark does well at freo if conway becomes a top line ruck we still 'win' the trade.