Discussion The future of Gears

[JG22]

I've heard and read for years now tough comments on Gears to drop him, remove his captaincy or just get rid of him, but it always comes off as quite narrow minded.

But I do want to hear everyones realistic views on his future. All things considered.

2019 he was savaged by injury, but in the two years previous he went top five in the bnf, including third in 2017.

An undeniably limited player, but a courageous and tight one with clear leadership.

At 32 he's not going to improve though and he won't make us better.

The emergence of Ben Paton in the small defender role makes you wonder where he sits. I mean you have a Papley or a Cameron and were sending Paton to them, not Geary.
He has never been an offensive offering player. I do question his position looking at that.

Out of contract at years end at age 32, yet still our captain. I think that role he will almost certainly be relieved of at years end but his list position I remain unsure.

 

[#saintsfooty]

Think he will give it away at the end of the year. Has been seriously underrated his whole career, but it’s time. Great leader who bleeds for the club, but there’s no spot in the 22 anymore.

 

[Stan_Darsh72]

Geary has been a warrior for the club during its worst period since the 80's.

You dont play 200 games and captain a club by being a crap player. He had the very unenviable task of replacing Rooey as captain and he has done a good job at it.

His injures lately have cost him a better sendoff but footy can be a harsh game and time waits for no man, Bloke deserves a good send off at the end of the year

 

[#gosaintas]

Nowhere near best 22 and his much vaunted leadership is a myth.

 

[austinnn]

Geary has been a warrior for the club during its worst period since the 80's.

You dont play 200 games and captain a club by being a crap player. He had the very unenviable task of replacing Rooey as captain and he has done a good job at it.

His injures lately have cost him a better sendoff but footy can be a harsh game and time waits for no man, Bloke deserves a good send off at the end of the year

You can say that again

 

[Strahany]

Quite a few of our players suffered dramatically from the change in coaching staff. The switch in emphasis, from “hard at the contest” to fast ball movement with precision kicking, has meant that many regulars from prior years aren’t getting a game. Unfortunately, with Geary being captain, not getting a game isn’t really an option. He has continue to play in a set up which isn’t suited for him, and has been exposed as a result.

It’s like that saying along the lines of “best to hold your silence and appear the idiot, than to speak up and remove all doubt”.
A lot of our players have been “silent” in the reserves, whilst Geary has been forced to “speak up” and play in the ones; he’s certainly no idiot, nor is he inherently a bad footballer, but he’s just not as suited to this style of play.

Barring dramatic list reductions, I wouldn’t be against having Geary stay on the list. He is clearly a very good leader and would provide very valuable off-field contributions whilst being far from the worst back up player, in the event of an injury.

1 more season, especially as we transition towards being a contender, would be warranted. Just not as the captain; his auto-selection hasn’t been the best thing for us, this year, IMO.

 

[Atomboy]

Most games this year it appears as if opposition clubs are happy to sag off Gears and make him be the loose man in the backline because they know it is 50-50 he will hit a target with ball in hand.

 

[plugger66]

Geary has had an ordinary year and most likely would have been dropped if he wasn’t captain but if are picking on form geary would 100% be playing next week after last nights game. He deserves his spot and hopefully does for the rest of the year and when our year is finally over we can thank him for performance at the club

 

[puppy_dog7]

If we want to be a serious football club, and make the right tough decisions, then he doesn’t play again this year. But we all know that won’t happen, and it’ll cost us a finals spot you wait.

 

[Mowman]

If we want to be a serious football club, and make the right tough decisions, then he doesn’t play again this year. But we all know that won’t happen, and it’ll cost us a finals spot you wait.

Said the same thing earlier

 

[puppy_dog7]

Said the same thing earlier

I’d rather miss finals playing Bytel and/or Byrnes then miss finals playing Gears, at least that way we get crucial games into Bytel and Byrnes

 

[hayes]

A captain never gets dropped but we are really struggling to find a role for him. It’ll be a slow process so my guess is the captaincy will be taken off him in the off-season and he’ll finish next year in the twos. Not really anyone banging down the door to take it off him yet though so will probably have to be a joint role.

 

[jwikked]

Coming into the Melbourne game, Geary had a win ratio of 50% which is interesting. 98 wins, 98 losses and two draws. Now it's 99 losses. If this is his last year, hopefully he can finish with a win ratio above 50%

 

[#gosaintas]

Coming into the Melbourne game, Geary had a win ratio of 50% which is interesting. 98 wins, 98 losses and two draws. Now it's 99 losses. If this is his last year, hopefully he can finish with a win ratio above 50%

Hopefully he finishes with his current stats

 

[Diehard Saint]

Hopefully he finishes with his current stats

You know, no matter how much you don’t wish it, he will get his 200 games as he should. He was far from terrible last night.

 

[#gosaintas]

You know, no matter how much you don’t wish it, he will get his 200 games as he should. He was far from terrible last night.

He's out of his depth. The worst player in our 22

 

[Saint_Dos]

Been a big fan of Gears over the journey. Has done a lot for the club in some pretty hard times.
No doubt the game is starting to get away from him. I reckon he may well know it too.
Whether he goes round again next year may well come down to what the changes to the salary cap and list sizes are.
If he leaves he will be celebrated as a great club man, as he should be.
If he stays I doubt he will be captain and would imagine he will be told that he is depth and coaching similar to Nathan Brown this year.
Either option I am happy with.

 

[Roddy Grant]

I think Geary will retire and take the decision out of the clubs hands (I don’t think he would be offered another contract anyway).

He has done a great job in what was a very difficult captaincy role to take on after one of our best players / captains ever. He has massive respect from me the way he has went about it.

Age and injuries seem to have taken their toll and he has lost his edge and that ability to blanket the games best small forwards.

If he goes around again then it’s not as captain so he is droppable if not in form.

 

[ScrappyDo]

He's done at the end of the year. Close thread. There's nothing to be gained here..

 

[DarkSaint]

Has had a very good career with the Saints.

Effort could never be questions unlike some players who have donned the colours.

unfortunately the time has come for him to move on.