Analysis Small Forward

[Art Vandelay_]

Completely disagree, given he has been thrown into the backline when he seems a natural forward I think he's been fine. Better than some of our much more experienced players

Hasn't been as bad as I'd have thought he would have been. Still has a bit of fish out of water about him though

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

I know it's been said before, but Chapman could have easily played this role for us in 2014-2015.

6 goals in his last 2 games with us and 46 disposals, supposed spiritual leader at the club.

Boy that would have been handy right now, all things we're lacking.

 

[Daniel McL]

We need to do what Bomber did and start the midfielders in the forward pocket play them there and give them spells in the middle. When they've earned it or want it bad enough then they can "graduate". IMO this is the reason why a lot of our midfielders, past and present, were decent at sniffing out a goal.

Hopefully they are trying that out with Lang

 

[Daniel McL]

I think Gregson would have been a good choice if we didn't play him as much through midfield.
Guys like Blease & Cockatoo are better suited to wings to use their pace.
McCarthy showed signs but never actually kicked a goal...
So I have no idea...

Smedts classifies as a small/medium player now we just have to move him forward...

 

[BlightysCats]

Completely disagree, given he has been thrown into the backline when he seems a natural forward I think he's been fine. Better than some of our much more experienced players

Who's he been better than apart from Simpson? Walters destroyed him on the weekend and he was like a lost toddler wandering around in defense against the Hawks.

 

[you pick one]

We don't have a damaging small forward ready to go, we could rob Peter to pay Paul by leaving Motlop up there but he's required on ball,so for now I guess our best option is to play a 6 man defence,throw numbers around contest and hopefully win some more clearances, separate Hawkins and Clark up forward and leave the crumbing to the resting mids.

 

[CharacterFirst]

Get Gazza back,and Patty over next year. Kill two birds with one stone - midfield and roving goal kickers sorted.

Easy

 

[Willo_]

Who's he been better than apart from Simpson? Walters destroyed him on the weekend and he was like a lost toddler wandering around in defense against the Hawks.

Off the top of my head Duncan, Cockatoo, Clark, Guthrie and Mackie from the weekend alone... and no worse than Enright, Lang, Gregson, Horlin-Smith and Stanley.

I'm in no way a Smedts lover and have been very very critical of him very often previously, but he's improved to the point he deserves to be preserved with... and it would help his cause to go to a wing/half forward role

 

[The Casey Cat]

Is a problem but is far secondary to our midfield being utterly dominated. Also need to have a think about how we get the ball back from the opposition or at least force a contest. We just have no purpose or idea when the other team has it with players sagging back or just coasting around like gooses with their ####en heads cut off.

 

[BlightysCats]

Is a problem but is far secondary to our midfield being utterly dominated. Also need to have a think about how we get the ball back from the opposition or at least force a contest. We just have no purpose or idea when the other team he it with players sagging back or just coasting around like gooses with their ####en heads cut off.

Yeah completely!! That's why I'm quite happy to bash the coaching staff we just look completely structureless.

 

[manboob]

Something something something Hawkins and Clark need to work a bit harder up the field to make us less predicatable. Or we if we insist on playing with the same plan Motlop, Gregson and Lang need to be the other 3 forwards. Bartel, Caddy, Guthrie and SJ should really be enough support for Selwood.

 

[crocsta]

Yep we can add small forward to out list of woes. When you have a good midfield it usually means one or two quality mids get time to play forward. Also ball is coming inside 50m more often and deeper so more opportunities for small forwards.

Selwood looks the best small forward when playing there which is not great for team. Gregson looks best options from average bunch. He's too small to compete with big boys in centre at the moment but lively up forward. Schroder would have been useful.

 

[winty]

How about putting Stokes up forward near Hawkins & Clark ?

So we can bomb the ball on top of his head like we used to?

 

[manboob]

So we can bomb the ball on top of his head like we used to?

In our defence he did often make leads he was in no position to make.

 

[The Casey Cat]

6 goals in his last 2 games with us and 46 disposals, supposed spiritual leader at the club.

Boy that would have been handy right now, all things we're lacking.

Thing is I could handle it until we persevered with Kelly the last couple of years and even Enright this year. Now the decision seems just as inconsistent as it does stupid.

 

[Vdubs]

We need goal-kicking mids. They are priceless.
But I look back longingly at the turn of the millennium when we had these 2 small forwards who competed with each others goal tallies, Ablett and Chappy.
Then they became mids.

 

[manboob]

Amen brother Vdubs.

 

[BlightysCats]

Menzel is the one that really hurts. By now without injuries he would've been a silky goal kicking mid for us that could destroy teams.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Amen brother Vdubs.

I know a goal kicking mid we could recruit

 

[manboob]

I know a goal kicking mid we could recruit

Smatrick Pangerfield?

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Smatrick Pangerfield?

Nah that doesn't ring a bell

Who else you got

 

[manboob]

This guy.

 

[dazbroncos]

Yep... there is just something about him isn't there

Have seen zilch about him other the few pre draft snippets but the text from back then was that had he not been sick and missed the 18 months or so, he would have been a top 30 ND pick.

Based on that I presume you blokes have seen the skills, movement, natural ability and size of him being put to good use. I would expect him to be miles away from it physically - both in strength an endurance but what else have you seen that makes you encouraged…

GO Catters

 

[dazbroncos]

If anyone involved at list management at Geelong considers Menzel, Cowan, McCarthy or Vardy as part of their long term plans, they need their heads examined. The only viable and sane option right now is assume they're all finished, and start planning for replacements damn quick.

As a supporter of the 3 in question, I would say you are right about the succession plan. By end of year, its either played itself out and they are done OR they are going ok and kept. There is not more waiting.

Go Catters

 

[TomsBulgingDisc]

Completely disagree, given he has been thrown into the backline when he seems a natural forward I think he's been fine. Better than some of our much more experienced players

Rubbish, I don't know where this notion comes from that he is a fwd? People complain about our delivery to the forwards now, imagine how bad it would be with his scrubbers and poor decision making, then his lack of defensive ability to stop the ball being run out of defence while he misses yet another tackle. I really don't understand the fascination the MC have with him, been on the list for plenty of years, has shown no ability to do anything other than run quick and does nothing with that ability to help Geelong be a better side. Can't tackle, can't mark, can't kick, can't make a good decision (particularly under pressure), gets pushed off every contest. He might be a likeable character around the club but I don't care, he will be remembered as a 10year player that had 'potential'. Potential counts for nothing after 3-4 seasons at a club unless you deliver on some of it!