Opinion The Cats will improve in 2013

[geelong_crazy26]

i always said since the pre season and the long term injuries we had that 2013 will be better, I believe it will be a break out year or huge improvement for a lot of our 2-5th year players on our list, here is what i believe will be our best 22 next year given everyone has an uninterupted pre season and what they rate this year and potentially will be next year

B- Guthrie, 2012 C/ 2013B. FB, Lonergan, 2012 A/ 2013A. B- Mackie, 2012 B+/ 2013B+

HB- Smedts- 2012 C/ 2013A CHB, H Taylor, 2012 A/ 2013A. HB- Enright, 2012 A/ 2013A

C- T Hunt, 2012 B/ 2013B+ C- Kelly, 2012A/ 2013A. C- Duncan, 2012 B/ 2013A

HF- Varcoe, 2012 NA/ 2013A, CHF- Podsiadly, 2012B/ 2013A. HF- Motlop 2012 B/ 2013A

FF- Johnson, 2012 B+/ 2013A, FF- Hawkins- 2012A/ 2013A+. FF- Menzel 2012 NA/ 2013A

R- Simpson 2012 NA/ 2013B+, Fol- Selwood 2012A/ 2013A, RR- Bartel 2012B/ 2013A

Int- Murdoch 2012 C+/ 2013B+, Vardy 2012 NA/ 2013B+, Chapman 2012B/ 2013C+
Christensen 2012 B/ 2013A

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Not a bad assessment, but I want us to be the best team this year first. And that will be achieved by winning back to back flags.

 

[you pick one]

Quick to dump West.

 

[Senatorguesty]

I agre YPO.
West and Vardy for mine.
Regardless, that side could be DAMN POWERFUL.
Its funny though I see that side more based on the forward line and run and carry mids (with a few hardies in there of course), whereas the 07-11 Cats were based on a hard backline and mids.
Could be just as good, but at the same time completely different.
BTW not bagging that backline, but its no 2007 backline....
And dont forget Boak

 

[FredLeDeux]

An awful lot of hope and belief being sunk into Simpson all over this board.
Extraordinary really, considering that he's only played a handful of games (most of them only half-games).
And that in none of them has he appeared to show anything except size.
On what he's shown so far, he would need to improve 200% to pass Vardy, let alone West.
Still, stranger things have happened.

 

[Senatorguesty]

An awful lot of hope and belief being sunk into Simpson all over this board.
Extraordinary really, considering that he's only played a handful of games (most of them only half-games).
And that in none of them has he appeared to show anything except size.
On what he's shown so far, he would need to improve 200% to pass Vardy, let alone West.
Still, stranger things have happened.

Yeah I dont understand the hate for Westy. For a guy who played single figure games every year until this year he has been nothing short of AMAZING. Yes hes not the biggest or strongest ruckman around but what he gives around the ground is fantastic and he gives his all every game (unlike some).
I would love to see Simpson come along but I'm very happy with a West/Vardy combo if need be....

 

[FredLeDeux]

Yeah I dont understand the hate for Westy. For a guy who played single figure games every year until this year he has been nothing short of AMAZING. Yes hes not the biggest or strongest ruckman around but what he gives around the ground is fantastic and he gives his all every game (unlike some).
I would love to see Simpson come along but I'm very happy with a West/Vardy combo if need be....

Agreed.
Mind you, in the longer term we need Simpson to come along and take a ruck role, because Vardy simply looks too good to waste in the ruck. He will be needed to replace Pods as a forward.

 

[Senatorguesty]

Agreed.
Mind you, in the longer term we need Simpson to come along and take a ruck role, because Vardy simply looks too good to waste in the ruck. He will be needed to replace Pods as a forward.

I tend to agree, although I dont know what we do with Walker then....
Brown will go back, maybe Walker has to aswell? Time will tell...

 

[FredLeDeux]

I tend to agree, although I dont know what we do with Walker then....
Brown will go back, maybe Walker has to aswell? Time will tell...

Yes, Walker looks potentially too good to waste, we'll need to find a spot for him somewhere.
Of course, it may be an issue only when and if Simpson improves.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

Not a bad assessment, but I want us to be the best team this year first. And that will be achieved by winning back to back flags.

This. The improvement has to come from us from today onward. We can still win this, Hawks are on top but they finished the same wins and losses as last year which they came 3rd. It's us and Pies that have dropped off. So it's up to us to get back there! (biased much?)

Pies and Wet Toast looked cooked. Don't rate North Melbourne and we'll beat Freo and Adelaide down here. (dunno bout Crows at AAMI)

If we play at our best we will beat anyone and go b2b.

GO CATS!!!

 

[supahoops]

West in for Simpson at this stage.

Vardy to CHF for pods. Both rucks can play forward or leave Hawk one-out.

This lets us play an extra mid, maybe an ex-falcon looking to come home.

Murdoch Boak Chapman Christensen..bench looks good to me

 

[Sttew]

B- Guthrie, 2012 C/ 2013B. FB, Lonergan, 2012 A/ 2013A. B- Mackie, 2012 B+/ 2013B+
HB- Smedts- 2012 C/ 2013A CHB, H Taylor, 2012 A/ 2013A. HB- Enright, 2012 A/ 2013A
C- T Hunt, 2012 B/ 2013B+ C- Kelly, 2012A/ 2013A. C- Duncan, 2012 B/ 2013A
HF- Varcoe, 2012 NA/ 2013A, CHF- Podsiadly, 2012B/ 2013A. HF- Motlop 2012 B/ 2013A
FF- Johnson, 2012 B+/ 2013A, FF- Hawkins- 2012A/ 2013A+. FF- Menzel 2012 NA/ 2013A
R- Simpson 2012 NA/ 2013B+, Fol- Selwood 2012A/ 2013A, RR- Bartel 2012B/ 2013A

Int- Murdoch 2012 C+/ 2013B+, Vardy 2012 NA/ 2013B+, Chapman 2012B/ 2013C+
Christensen 2012 B/ 2013A

Where is Travis Boak?

 

[vinum coupe]

I agree we will be a better team next year.
But the best? Seriously doubt it.

 

[Sttew]

Do we sign up Matthew Scarlett as Assistant Coach responsible for defence? That way his presence around the club is maintained. He will be sorely missed as a player, no matter how indifferent his form has been in recent weeks

 

[Senatorguesty]

I agree we will be a better team next year.
But the best? Seriously doubt it.

I dont know mate.
Ok sure we are banking on guys reaching near their potential and Vardy and Menzel to come good after some time off but I could see that side being top 2 or 3 in the comp easy.
Great group of veterans (all superstar/some of Geelongs best ever players), good amount of 50-100 game players (if Boak comes) and some genuinely exciting kids... it could be a VERY potent mix...
Those older stars will still know what it takes, and from our point of view they WILL teach the kids how to play, this is the intangible I believe that will keep this club at the top for many many years to come and why sides like the tigers and dees wont.
We dont have that gulf from the veterans to the next group, they will play together and guys like Duncan and Bundy have played in premierships with the older guys, so already we have a handful who have WON a flag with them and another group of 6-8 who have played/learnt next to them, when those guys do leave then that group will be teaching the guys we pick up in the next 3-6 years exactly what the bartels, Coreys, Chapmans are teach the group now. On top of that those young guys are very similar people to the older group, extremely competitive and determined to continue on the legacy.
I can see this side surpassing the Hawks of the 80s...
To that I raise a glass to Cooke and Costa, we should immortalise these 2 somehow...

 

[Belisarius]

I have been writing for the last 3 months next year we will be a better side than this one.

The younger players you state will be in the side will have another 20 games under thier belt and will consequently be better players.

Not sure Smedts will go to an A grade next season - with less than 50 games experience. I also doubt Simpson will be a B+ ruckman next season. Menzel may not also be an A grader straight away with 2 years footy off. Not sure Chappy will drop below a B rating either.

The rest seem about right.

Will we be the best team next season ? Well Hawthorn's team will be still there for another 2 seasons at least - Pies also. I think North, Essendon and Richmond are coming - and who knows with Freo ?

Sydney look quite good and Adelaide have the makings of a very good team.

So I expect next season to be much like this one - close at the top. That means to me GFC can win another flag - but we wont necessarily finish on top of the ladder.

 

[Senatorguesty]

I have been writing for the last 3 months next year we will be a better side than this one.

The younger players you state will be in the side will have another 20 games under thier belt and will consequently be better players.

Not sure Smedts will go to an A grade next season - with less than 50 games experience. I also doubt Simpson will be a B+ ruckman next season. Menzel may not also be an A grader straight away with 2 years footy off. Not sure Chappy will drop below a B rating either.

The rest seem about right.

Will we be the best team next season ? Well Hawthorn's team will be still there for another 2 seasons at least - Pies also. I think North, Essendon and Richmond are coming - and who knows with Freo ?

Sydney look quite good and Adelaide have the makings of a very good team.

So I expect next season to be much like this one - close at the top. That means to me GFC can win another flag - but we wont necessarily finish on top of the ladder.

hes only going to miss 12 months mate.
He'll be alright.

 

[Belisarius]

Yeah mistake by me there - two knee recons and maybe misses only one season. However still reckon it might take more than one season for him to get back fully confident and getting enough senior games before he becomes a true A grader in the competition.

 

[barmy44]

on boak, is he really as good as people keep saying? ive heard a lot, but havent caught that many port games. and the ones i saw, he was ok without blowing me away.

West in for Simpson at this stage.

Vardy to CHF for pods. Both rucks can play forward or leave Hawk one-out.

This lets us play an extra mid, maybe an ex-falcon looking to come home.

Murdoch Boak Chapman Christensen..bench looks good to me

i read that as leave hawk out, and was quite confused.

 

[supahoops]

on boak, is he really as good as people keep saying? ive heard a lot, but havent caught that many port games. and the ones i saw, he was ok without blowing me away.



i read that as leave hawk out, and was quite confused.

Nah nah was saying with west and vardy ruck/forward we could have them all on the ground at once, helping give our mids a rest and also giving an extra place in the team to a mid, while if ones on the bench or injured could just play hawk one-out inside 50 or push Taylor or perhaps a Walker forward from defence . Even play Jimmy CHF for a period. A pretty versatile set up, but obviously going in without a genuine #1 ruckman.

Re:boak, yeah he's good, could be a whole lot better in the hoops though..

 

[Stig_90]

I could see us improving if we get Boak without giving up too much, if Menzel and Varcoe can get back to their best and our remaining vets don't drop off too much. Adelaide might drop down a bit with a much tougher draw and Collingwood might not have a forward to kick to with the way Dawes and Cloke are going. But I agree that us being the best is a stretch.

 

[barmy44]

Nah nah was saying with west and vardy ruck/forward we could have them all on the ground at once, helping give our mids a rest and also giving an extra place in the team to a mid, while if ones on the bench or injured could just play hawk one-out inside 50 or push Taylor or perhaps a Walker forward from defence . Even play Jimmy CHF for a period. A pretty versatile set up, but obviously going in without a genuine #1 ruckman.

Re:boak, yeah he's good, could be a whole lot better in the hoops though..

i know what you meant, buddy, just thinking someone suggesting that hawkins could be left out of the side caused a double take, before i read it properly.

i could imagine a player like boak would probably get more out of themselves at the geelong environment.

there is still a part of me that hates the idea of trading in outsiders, though. i like being totally draft built. i think it is one of the reasons the playing group is so tight.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Quick to dump West.

Just my opinion and I wouldn't mind seeing someone else have a go and their opinion, for me I just don't see west as a genuine number 1 ruck like I see Simpson potentially being and I think in the near future vary will overtake him for that second ruck/ forward role, it is going to be a dilemma for us next year, althought a good one to have.. Trying to fit in simpson west vardy podsiadly Hawkins and walker in the same side

 

[supahoops]

i know what you meant, buddy, just thinking someone suggesting that hawkins could be left out of the side caused a double take, before i read it properly.

i could imagine a player like boak would probably get more out of themselves at the geelong environment.

there is still a part of me that hates the idea of trading in outsiders, though. i like being totally draft built. i think it is one of the reasons the playing group is so tight.

You'd love to have them all home- grown in a perfect world.
I like the idea when it lands you ottens and mooney
Notsomuch when you bring in white and sphinx

 

[Gaz_Brownlow]

2012 is what we should be worrying about right now.

I believe we have the best team this year....may take a gamble with Varcoe and Vardy, but put us on a field and I don't believe there is a team we can't beat.

Watch for a huge finals series from the likes of Duncan, Hawkins and Christensen....these blokes are making a difference right now!