Toast Round 1 Selection - Hard Calls Made

[iameviljez]

They don't always get it right - and we flame them when they don't - but some hard calls were made and they came through well.

Finally biting the bullet on Taylor and Henderson was a big call, but I'm glad they finally stopped trying to go with both. Keeping Harry in even at the age of 32 was also the right move - his stock has been artificially lowered by being played out of position for years. The same goes with Kolo - he's a defender, not a winger.

I didn't expect them to pick Miers, Atkins and Rohan in the same side but I'm glad they did. Again, it would have been easier to just stick with the likes of Cunico.

I'm also glad they showed as much faith in Constable to be in the engine room and hold up well. Too often young players at Geelong have been shunted into an apprenticeship on a flank, and players who are clearly midfielders and only midfielders (such as Lang and Horlin-Smith) really struggle for game time.

Finally, I'm glad they also didn't stick with two ruckmen even though Grundy was playing. The extra run really told in the finish, especially in the last five or so minutes.

 

[Sttew]

100% agree. It was very bold particularly against 2018’s runners up and on the MCG.

 

[Down at K Park]

I’m glad they stuck with it during the game too. The temptation would have been there when the heat was on during the last quarter, to send the holy trinity back into the midfield. But they held faith in the young blokes. It will do their confidence and belief a world of good. You can’t buy those experiences.

 

[Man0gwaR74]

Yeah am loving that the Cats appear to be rewarding players on merit, rather than using the Guthrie option.

 

[iameviljez]

rather than using the Guthrie option

Injured, not omitted.

 

[Hamingja]

The only call they really made was Henderson. Let's see if they stick with it first. Maybe Miers you could argue against a couple of players for the last spot but the other guys were all playing. We cleared out all the mature age depth last year so changes were essentially forced with Guthrie/Tuohy/Bews/S.Selwood all injured. The test comes when they are available.

 

[DanA]

Only change I would have made was Narkle for Miers or when healthy Cockatoo. Longer term I’d take out Kolo for Touhy and O’Connor for Bews or Guthrie

 

[Man0gwaR74]

Injured, not omitted.

lol I said that 'appear' right

 

[winty]

Only change I would have made was Narkle for Miers or when healthy Cockatoo. Longer term I’d take out Kolo for Touhy and O’Connor for Bews or Guthrie

I wouldn't have based on JLT form.

 

[Hamingja]

Yeah not sure about the Narkle love at the moment. Clearly Miers was ahead based on the pre season form but you still have a number of people calling for Miers out for Narkle after last night which is strange.

 

[iameviljez]

lol I said that 'appear' right

Sure, but the point I'm making is that it was therefore out of the Selection Committee's hands.

The BigFooty GFC 2018/19 Rule: All Threads Lead to Guthrie.

 

[Max Milburn]

Yeah not sure about the Narkle love at the moment. Clearly Miers was ahead based on the pre season form but you still have a number of people calling for Miers out for Narkle after last night which is strange.

They aren't the same type of player either.
It's like calling Motlop and Chappy the same type just because they play forward.

 

[iameviljez]

Yeah not sure about the Narkle love at the moment. Clearly Miers was ahead based on the pre season form but you still have a number of people calling for Miers out for Narkle after last night which is strange.

I reckon for once it's a good selection quandry, not a bad one. Both deserve to play IMO.

We do have to be a bit careful about typecasting Narkle on the basis of so many great Aboriginal half-forwards, though. I get the impression he's more of a crash-and-bash dynamo through the middle, and not so much a direct swap for Miers' craft.

 

[DanA]

We’ve got more than JLT to base Narkle on and he has an AFL ready body. Miers simply doesn’t yet. He’s definately a midfielder IMO but has shown he’s serviceable as a forward.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Only change I would have made was Narkle for Miers or when healthy Cockatoo. Longer term I’d take out Kolo for Touhy and O’Connor for Bews or Guthrie

I wouldn't consider Cockatoo an option until his body shots it can hold up for any reasonable length of time.

 

[Man0gwaR74]

Yeah not sure about the Narkle love at the moment. Clearly Miers was ahead based on the pre season form but you still have a number of people calling for Miers out for Narkle after last night which is strange.

I think it great that we have this sort of competition forcing out players that a lot of us would prefer there.

Remember when Bartel was 'loitering' in the reserves for being overlooked. The rest is history now but that time he was forced to play in reserves could have helped to make him into that Brownlow/NormSmith/Premiership/Legendary player that he is renowned for being today.

 

[Sttew]

The only call they really made was Henderson.

A fit and in-form Henderson is irresistible. Too often last year he was underdone

 

[catswhiskers]

They don't always get it right - and we flame them when they don't - but some hard calls were made and they came through well.

Finally biting the bullet on Taylor and Henderson was a big call, but I'm glad they finally stopped trying to go with both. Keeping Harry in even at the age of 32 was also the right move - his stock has been artificially lowered by being played out of position for years. The same goes with Kolo - he's a defender, not a winger.

I didn't expect them to pick Miers, Atkins and Rohan in the same side but I'm glad they did. Again, it would have been easier to just stick with the likes of Cunico.

I'm also glad they showed as much faith in Constable to be in the engine room and hold up well. Too often young players at Geelong have been shunted into an apprenticeship on a flank, and players who are clearly midfielders and only midfielders (such as Lang and Horlin-Smith) really struggle for game time.

Finally, I'm glad they also didn't stick with two ruckmen even though Grundy was playing. The extra run really told in the finish, especially in the last five or so minutes.

That first line is spot on.

They said they would review things and for round one we do see a different approach - not totally different but refreshing nevertheless.

Quite a few have said on here in a difficult summer that the only way up is for the middle to bottom tier to push through and make the former "favoured" players redundant. The MC followed up the review by recruiting strategically and then selecting four from the "bottom half" of the list to give them a chance to show they are better than those that were moved on / dropped. Looks good so far.

Hopefully those that remain on the list who were not part of this very enjoyable victory will get their heads down and bums up and will be ready when the inevitable injury stick or tiredness kids suffer sets in. We need all of them. By round 23 + we will need all those who are fit welded in to a nicely oiled machine - and hopefully we push deep in to finals.

As always I turn to the very young. To see JJ (behind the ball again I assume) named in VFL bests is very encouraging. Fort seems to have finally got rid of the stage fright and with 5 or 6 more VFL outings may put his hand up. And Cunico who I could assume might have his nose out of joint racked up possessions again is a very good sign. He too has a lot to do but he has something. Okunbor in the bests V pies VFL.... WTF .....and Narkle.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

The only call they really made was Henderson. Let's see if they stick with it first. Maybe Miers you could argue against a couple of players for the last spot but the other guys were all playing. We cleared out all the mature age depth last year so changes were essentially forced with Guthrie/Tuohy/Bews/S.Selwood all injured. The test comes when they are available.

From a selection standpoint maybe, but certainly not a setup standpoint.
They stuck with Ablett mostly forward, they stuck with Selwood on a wing and they stuck with playing kids in the middle when the game was hottest.
Even late when scores were level and to where we got a goal in front they never put numbers behind the ball, they constantly stuck to even numbers no matter what.
Selection changes may have been minimal but style, plan and system changes were huge.

 

[iameviljez]

From a selection standpoint maybe, but certainly not a setup standpoint.

I was pleasantly surprised by Miers. There are three players with AFL experience (Jones, Cunico, Narkle) who they could have picked in that spot instead.

 

[Turkey Tom]

Thought they were crazy selecting so many new players....proved wrong again!

 

[Turbocat]

The question now is ... will the hard calls continue to be made. Forget names and play form ..and if the form of players in the afl an the vfl is barely discernible than play the younger player. Back the kid.

 

[Cataholic]

The question now is ... will the hard calls continue to be made. Forget names and play form ..and if the form of players in the afl an the vfl is barely discernible than play the younger player. Back the kid.

What happens with Cuthrie next week will reveal the answer.

 

[Turbocat]

What happens with Cuthrie next week will reveal the answer.

I have already said what id do .. but historically players at a certain level come straight back in

 

[Cataholic]

I have already said what id do .. but historically players at a certain level come straight back in

And there's the problem. It's highly debatable that Cam is at a level where he justifies automatic selection.