Competitions The Geelong Football Club Draft

[dazbroncos]

Catgirl's Club?

Go Catters

 

[Lana]

I already have a few teams submitted, if nothing else I need team names from 10lana

Lana's Legends will do the trick

 

[Art Vandelay_]

No. There's always a hurry with this thread.

Hiss!

 

[catempire]

Catempire's Cronies for me.

 

[year of the cat]

Having seen Cats the musical recently, I'm going with YOTC's "Memories" . Such a strong moniker for a team

 

[Art Vandelay_]

How are we tracking krisholio14 ?

 

[krisholio14]

not all that well. Came down with gastro overnight and have been out of commission all day.

 

[Lana]

Lana's Legends

B: Teddy Rankin, John Scarlett, Billy Orchard
HB: Les Armstrong, Tom Lonergan, Bill Eason
C: Tony Polinelli, James Kelly , Angie Muller
HF: Charles Coles, Cameron Mooney, Mathew Stokes
F: Trent West, Kent Kingsley, Shannon Byrnes
R: Brad Ottens,Brent Moloney , Cameron Ling
19th: David Johnson

Method of Selection
Before the competition I had a short list of 20 players who I thought would be available at my various picks, and another list of acceptable KPPs. My rules when selecting KPPs and Ruckmen was that they had to fit the modern height and weight for there positions, it's a little silly to have a 189 cm player as your number 1 ruckmen. It's less of an issue with other players though I wouldn't want a 170cm small defender.

Ottens, Ling and Mooney were the first three players on that list, I picked Kelly with my 4th which was my first departure from the list as I felt he should have gone early in the 3rd round. Before my 5th pick KPD started coming in vogue so I grabbed the next two on that list while there was still players I wanted, I think I got Lonergan and Scarlett without reaching. I was able to back to my original Short list with Stokes as my 7th pick. With my 8th pick I wanted to start fleshing out my outside mids and a family member recommended Polinelli who they compared to Wojcinski but better (who went in the 2nd round). With my 9th pick I grabbed the last KPF on my shortlist who fit my criteria in Kent Kingsley as there was a rush on KPFs the palyer I really wanted was Mark 'Jacko' Johnson.

At this stage the next player on my short list was Byrnes but It was a little early so I mixed up my strategy to get under appropriated players from before the 40s in Eason, Armstrong and Muller. Eason (our first 200 gamer for the club) and Armstrong (a member of Geelong's Hall of Fame) should have gone a lot earlier then they did. I caught up to Byrnes on my Short list so I grabbed him with my 14th pick.

I took my next 3 picks in a rush in Moloney, Johnson and West without looking at the pool of players available, in hindsight there were better players available at the end of the draft then the latter two. So I wanted to make my last two picks count so I grabbed Teddy Rankin and Billy Orchard with my last two picks. Rankin especially was an absolute steal.

Pro's of my team
1) My team have the best head to head ruckmen in our clubs h in my team, some might have better reputations but Ottens has 10+ cm on them.
2) My team has the best tagger in our history in Ling
3) A strong pair of KPD who are equipped to play in the modern era.
4) Massive depth through the midfield, at least 10 players can rotate through the midfield.
5) No unproved kids in my team, no Cockatoo or Bews in sight

Con's on my team
1) My wingmen are short. Fast but short.
2) My small defenders played the bulk of there career as midfielders but all played down back to a high level at some point in their careers
3) Kingsley, Johnson and West. In hindsight there were still better players available at the end of the draft. Stupid recency bias. At least Kingsley is well credentialed

 

[Vdubs]

Lana's Legends

B: Teddy Rankin, John Scarlett, Billy Orchard
HB: Les Armstrong, Tom Lonergan, Bill Eason
C: Tony Polinelli, James Kelly , Angie Muller
HF: Charles Coles, Cameron Mooney, Mathew Stokes
F: Trent West, Kent Kingsley, Shannon Byrnes
R: Brad Ottens,Brent Moloney , Cameron Ling
19th: David Johnson

Method of Selection
Before the competition I had a short list of 20 players who I thought would be available at my various picks, and another list of acceptable KPPs. My rules when selecting KPPs and Ruckmen was that they had to fit the modern height and weight for there positions, it's a little silly to have a 189 cm player as your number 1 ruckmen. It's less of an issue with other players though I wouldn't want a 170cm small defender.

Ottens, Ling and Mooney were the first three players on that list, I picked Kelly with my 4th which was my first departure from the list as I felt he should have gone early in the 3rd round. Before my 5th pick KPD started coming in vogue so I grabbed the next two on that list while there was still players I wanted, I think I got Lonergan and Scarlett without reaching. I was able to back to my original Short list with Stokes as my 7th pick. With my 8th pick I wanted to start fleshing out my outside mids and a family member recommended Polinelli who they compared to Wojcinski but better (who went in the 2nd round). With my 9th pick I grabbed the last KPF on my shortlist who fit my criteria in Kent Kingsley as there was a rush on KPFs the palyer I really wanted was Mark 'Jacko' Johnson.

At this stage the next player on my short list was Byrnes but It was a little early so I mixed up my strategy to get under appropriated players from before the 40s in Eason, Armstrong and Muller. Eason (our first 200 gamer for the club) and Armstrong (a member of Geelong's Hall of Fame) should have gone a lot earlier then they did. I caught up to Byrnes on my Short list so I grabbed him with my 14th pick.

I took my next my next 3 picks in a rush in Moloney, Johnson and West without looking at the pool of players available, in hindsight there were better players available at the end of the draft then the latter two. So I wanted to make my last two picks count so I grabbed Teddy Rankin and Billy Orchard with my last two picks. Rankin especially was an absolute steal.

Pro's of my team
1) My team have the best head to head ruckmen in our clubs h in my team, some might have better reputations but Ottens has 10+ cm on them.
2) My team has the best tagger in our history in Ling
3) A strong pair of KPD who are equipped to play in the modern era.
4) Massive depth through the midfield, at least 10 players can rotate through the midfield.
5) No unproved kids in my team, no Cockatoo or Bews in sight

Con's on my team
1) My wingmen are short. Fast but short.
2) My small defenders played the bulk of there career as midfielders but all played down back to a high level at some point in their careers
3) Kingsley, Johnson and West. In hindsight there were still better players available at the end of the draft. Stupid recency bias. At least Kingsley is well credentialed

Great team.
Not sure what you mean there about your rucks. This is where comparisons can be futile.
Ottens/ West cf RBlake/Mitchell
Blake's 1981 season was sensational B&F, record hitouts, Brownlow favouritism, 79, 80, 82 weren't poor either.
Or are you quoting on Premierships? Nobody comes close to Ottens there
Height is irrelevant. If it is relevant, sadly, we can not start to make any reasonable comparisons at all.

 

[Vdubs]

not all that well. Came down with gastro overnight and have been out of commission all day.

Doesn't your laptop work in the loo?

Seriously, hope all is ok with you- lot of bugs going around.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Great team.
Not sure what you mean there about your rucks. This is where comparisons can be futile.
Ottens/ West cf RBlake/Mitchell
Blake's 1981 season was sensational B&F, record hitouts, Brownlow favouritism, 79, 80, 82 weren't poor either.
Or are you quoting on Premierships? Nobody comes close to Ottens there
Height is irrelevant. If it is relevant, sadly, we can not start to make any reasonable comparisons at all.

I think he's saying that Ottens' accomplishments coupled with his height and weight, making him a capable ruck in the modern era, makes him the best because he would perform the best in the modern game. As you point out, though, it's futile to take into consideration how a player would perform in the modern game because standards change from era to era and the game evolves. A lot of historically excellent rucks and key position players of yesteryear would be considered too small for those roles today. It's more sensible to compare players in terms of how they performed relative to the eras of the game in which they played and what they accomplished. The draft would have gone a lot differently if we were working under the assumption that we were drafting a team to be competitive in 2016.

 

[Cursed Cat]

Great team.
Not sure what you mean there about your rucks. This is where comparisons can be futile.
Ottens/ West cf RBlake/Mitchell
Blake's 1981 season was sensational B&F, record hitouts, Brownlow favouritism, 79, 80, 82 weren't poor either.
Or are you quoting on Premierships? Nobody comes close to Ottens there
Height is irrelevant. If it is relevant, sadly, we can not start to make any reasonable comparisons at all.

Largely agree with this; different eras shouldn't be compared and definitely shouldn't be discounted.
With that logic, who's to say in 70 years time modern champions of the club like Ottens, Bartel etc etc won't be written off for being too short, or not fit enough by comparison to their future counterparts?

If a player was good enough to have been a dominant force in their respective era, then that's good enough for me.
Polly Farmer was 'only' 191cm but was the premier ruckman of his era (along with John Nicholls) and revolutionised the game - to write off his contributions as a ruckman based on his height alone is a bit disrespectful and lacks a bit of imagination.
As far as I'm concerned, Polly has everyone covered in this particular comp, end of story.

By the same token; Alec Eason may have been our first 200 gamer, but who's to say he wouldn't be doubled over, out of puff in trying to keep up with even the most ordinary of modern day mids, given the increased stamina and superior training regimes of this age?

I have no problem acknowledging Brad Ottens as a seriously good player and one of our finest-ever ruckmen; but to discount the careers of the likes of Polly and Sam Newman based on their height alone is a bit silly in this type of comp, I reckon.
Also, since when did height alone make a good ruckman? Peter Street wouldn't be on the beat if that was all it took. Dawson Simpson would be one of the best ruckmen in the game's history!

Apart from that pretty big quibble, I do like 10lana's team, it probably has the most modern-flavour of any of the teams selected, and it's hard to argue with the credentials of any of the triple-premiership legends he snagged (Kent Kingsley though ... ), plus I like the wingers he was able to nab.

 

[Vdubs]

I think he's saying that Ottens' accomplishments coupled with his height and weight, making him a capable ruck in the modern era, makes him the best because he would perform the best in the modern game. As you point out, though, it's futile to take into consideration how a player would perform in the modern game because standards change from era to era and the game evolves. It's more sensible to compare players in terms of how they performed relative to the eras of the game in which they played and what they accomplished. The draft would have gone a lot differently if we were working under the assumption that we were drafting a team to be competitive in 2016.

I seriously struggle to see how we can really compare any of these teams meaningfully, when you have such a collection over that timespan.
I'm just going to admire all the teams for the players in them.
Trying to imagine a competitive game is more futile.
Stats alone puts me out of contention stat- I openly admit I selected players on their very best form and talent, ignoring injuries, short careers, inconsistencies etc.
And, if I had the chance again, I would not alter that thought process. Probably be even more aggressive in getting the players that turned me on. Turner, Varcoe, Jefferys, Bews, etc

 

[Cursed Cat]

I seriously struggle to see how we can really compare any of these teams meaningfully, when you have such a collection over that timespan.
I'm just going to admire all the teams for the players in them.
Trying to imagine a competitive game is more futile.
Stats alone puts me out of contention stat- I openly admit I selected players on their very best form and talent, ignoring injuries, short careers, inconsistencies etc.
And, if I had the chance again, I would not alter that thought process. Probably be even more aggressive in getting the players that turned me on. Turner, Varcoe, Jeffereys, Bews, etc

I wouldn't sweat it too much, as it is impossible to quantify.

But the way I see it, if a player was a champ in their era then they should be respected as such.

 

[Lana]

Vdubs, everyone will have there own criteria and will spin their teams in there own way. Naturally the players I selected would fit my criteria well. FWIW Blake was the second ruckmen on my list

 

[Vdubs]

I wouldn't sweat it too much, as it is impossible to quantify.

But the way I see it, if a player was a champ in their era then they should be respected as such.

Vdubs, everyone will have there own criteria and will spin their teams in there own way. Naturally the players I selected would fit my criteria well. FWIW Blake was the second ruckmen on my list

Agree with all of that.
The description of each team is the beauty.
The comparative judgement is the beast.
IMHO.

 

[NakedDeadGuy]

NakedDeadCats

B A Coghlan M Scarlett R Byrne
HB K Hinkley J Hawkins R Card
C M Yeates P Featherby M Woolnough
HF A Wills B Stoneham D Bauer
F K Sheehan L Hagger A Houlihan
Foll D Bourke R Renfrey B Cousins
Int A Woodman

https://slate.adobe.com/cp/xu7Pf/

I'm happy with this team. I think the thing that makes it a standout is the toughness, which is something I aimed for. The weak links are Wills & Houlihan, with their consistency a worry. Loved the write-ups on Coghlan & Bauer, who were the only 2 I didn't know anything about.
This team is clearly the best, as if they were being beaten the coach would send the message to go the knuckle - which this mob could no doubt do.
A great exercise, well done to all involved.

 

[krisholio14]

Sorry for the delays folks, apart from damaging in Doulton for most of the night and day, I felt like I was being stabbed and/or punched from the inside and hit with a baseball bat from the outside. Needless to say I was a bit delirious too.

I will do a bit of a stock take of what I have so far and report back ASAP.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

The Wonder Cats

B: Allan Everett, Roy West, George Gniel
HB: Brenton Sanderson, Tom Fitzmaurice, Tom Arklay
C: Allen Christensen, Greg Williams, Syd Tate
HF: Norm Glenister, Clyde Helmer, Bob Troughton
F: Gordon Abbott, Lindsay White, Tim Evans
R: John Mossop, Joel Corey, Neil Trezise
19th: Harry Marsham

I have endeavoured to build a side that represents multiple generations of the club’s history, filling it with players who, individually or as part of a team (or hopefully both), have achieved success and acclaim. I looked for players who had been able to play high level football on a consistent basis, often reflected by winning accolades such as B&Fs or leading goalkicker medals, and I also sought players who were known to stand up in big games, such as finals, and I think a number of my players satisfied this, particularly as a number of my premiership players had performed well in the finals series and/or grand final leading to a premiership win.

I think a unique tinge to my team is the number of quality, highly-acclaimed players who played at Geelong but didn’t make names of themselves with the Cats, instead being already-established and accomplished players prior to joining the club or breaking out and/or further enhancing their playing career at other clubs post their Geelong playing career. Such examples include Tim Evans, Greg Williams, and Tom Fitzmaurice. Indeed, the four V/AFL club team of the century places in my side are shared by these three (Evans with Port, Fitzmaurice with Essendon, and Williams with Sydney and Carlton). Additionally, the likes of Gordon Abbott and George Gneil can be said to have achieved equal success elsewhere as they did at Geelong.

My selection strategy for the draft was to try and get the best available as early as possible, and with all he accomplished in his career, I believe that, for my pick, Williams was the best available. Beyond that, my feeling was that I had to complete my spine and on-ball brigade first, because key position and midfield stocks are generally the most important when building a successful team. Pairing Corey with Williams with my second pick gave me two extremely proficient ball-winners who had both experienced premiership success and played consistently high-quality football in finals. I then sought to fill out my key position stocks with Tim Evans, Lindsay White, Tom Fitzmaurice, and Roy West, enlist a quality ruckman in John Mossop, and fill out my strong ball-winning brigade with Trezise. From that point, I think I managed to fill the flanks of my side with some pretty good-value additions. I was pleased to snare Sanderson and Arklay as half-back flankers, who share 346 games of V/AFL experience and 3 Geelong B&Fs. A number of my players also have the ability to play in multiple positions, which adds versatility and adaptability to the line-up. Several individuals in my side could have their positions swapped around, which I consider a good thing.

In terms of where I could have done better, I think my insistence on drafting on a positional basis meant that I overlooked some better overall players who didn’t play in the area I was interested in, and I probably reached on a few players due to this strategy. The game was intriguing to follow, though, because every selector seemed to approach it in a different way and have different priorities and preferences, which meant that some players I thought might have gone earlier were overlooked for a few rounds, whilst players who I had earmarked for later rounds were taken earlier than I expected. On several occasions, a player I had high up on my shortlist was taken within a few picks of my next one, which made the game fun and challenging.

Here’s a summary of each area of my side and a brief description of each player in it:

Backline
My backline is a group of six accomplished cats of yesteryear. Strength, reliability and versatility are hallmarks of this backline, and success has been seen by every player that comprises it. Four of the six played in at least one flag-winning V/AFL side during their careers and all bar one won a best and fairest award at a V/AFL club. With Fitzmaurice, Arklay and Gneil all having served as captains, there’s also a considerable amount of leadership potential coming out of the back half of the ground.

Allan Everett, a pacey rebound defender with clean hands and high-class defensive attributes, played 117 games for Geelong and represented Victoria in interstate football twice. Frequently named among the best on ground throughout the year, Everett capped off the 1937 season playing in a back pocket as part of Geelong’s triumphant grand final outfit, in which he was considered to be one of the best performers.

Roy West, the fullback of Geelong’s 1963 premiership side and 1961 Carji Greeves medallist, played 108 games for the club and represented Victoria in interstate football. Considered one of the better full backs of his generation, West was unlike many of his peers in that he excelled in his role by relying on his speed, anticipation, and formidable leap, rather than pure strength. Despite being on the wrong end of the result, West was one of the side’s best players in the 1967 grand final.

George Gniel’s primary position was full back, but he slots into the backline in my side as a hard, uncompromising defender with strong hands and a penetrating kick. Whilst Geelong was out of the competition as a result of the war, Gniel proved a valuable temporary acquisition for Carlton, winning their best and fairest award in a year in which they made the finals and considered the best on ground in the semi-final they played that year. He concluded his career with 143 games for Carlton and Geelong, his final year spent as captain of the Cats.

Brenton Sanderson was a solid and reliable backman for the club, as evidenced by consistently high finishes in the Cats’ B&F counts, with a win in 2001. After just 10 AFL games in his first few years in the competition, spread across stints at Adelaide and Collingwood, he finally settled at Geelong, spending 10 years at and playing 199 games for the club. He was able to produce fine run and dash from the backline while also locking down opposition forwards during an overall more underwhelming period for the club, sandwiched between the team’s near-success of the early 90’s and its period of dominance in the late 2000s.

Tom Fitzmaurice is certainly my backline’s most accomplished and versatile player, with three consecutive premierships to his name (one of only two players in V/AFL history to do this at different clubs), three Essendon best and fairest awards, 13 interstate rep games, two leading goal-scorer awards at North Melbourne, an AFL Hall of Fame placement and membership in Essendon’s team of the century. Beginning his career at Essendon as a ruckman, Fitzmaurice rose to prominence after a move to CHB, which is where he was positioned in the Essendon and Geelong premiership sides he played for. Likely seen as a steadying force in the backline due to his previous experience, Fitzmaurice played in Geelong’s first VFL premiership win and captained the club in 1928. He eventually finished his career at North Melbourne, where he added another string to his bow as a goal-scorer, to finish with 188 games and 246 goals overall.

Tom Arklay, to me, sounds like he was a player akin to one Max Rooke. Strong, quick, and ruthless, it seems Arklay sought to win the ball with little regard for his own – or anybody else’s – safety. His son reports that Arklay was responsible for the breaking of the ribs of several opposition players during the course of his career. However, Arklay also clearly coupled toughness and a relentless attack on the ball with talent and consistency, as he saw both individual and team success with two Carji medals and a place in Geelong’s 1937 premiership side. Arklay played 137 games and kicked 45 goals.

Midfield
My midfield again features a collection of players who have tasted team success. Christensen, Williams, Tate, Corey and Trezise all experienced premiership success. Initially, a focus with my midfield was getting in guys with elite ball-winning ability, and with the drafting of Greg Williams and Joel Corey, I think I accomplished that. Trezise was also a brave in-and-under player with good skills who was clearly potent when playing forward. Christensen and Tate provide outside dash, with the former being able to play inside and forward too. Though I have drafted players who possessed tremendous ball-winning ability and footy IQ, the one knock is that it is a little slow.

Greg Williams was a star centre for three different clubs who made up for a lack of pace with a supreme adeptness at winning the ball and getting it out to his teammates with superb use of handball. Possessing tremendous footballing nous and skill, he was a driving force out of the midfield and a dangerous attacking option for the brief time he spent at the Cats, where he won a B&F in just his second season, and during the longer stints he spent with the Swans and Carlton. He finished a dual-Brownlow medallist, four-time All-Australian, dual-B&F winner (the other coming at Carlton), a premiership player with Carlton and Norm Smith medallist, along with a myriad other accolades. He was acknowledged as one of the greats of the game with selection in the AFL’s Team of the Century, and he occupies the centre position in both Sydney and Carlton’s Team of the Century line-ups, as well as being inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame and Carlton and Sydney club halls of fame. His career consisted of 250 V/AFL games and 217 goals, as well as 9 interstate games for Victoria. He takes prime position in my midfield as an elite ball-winner, extractor and attacking force.

Joel Corey was another highly prolific, hard, in-and-under contested ball winner for Geelong, where he played 278 games and was one of our triple-premiership stars. Corey was a consistent, no-fuss footballer who combined masterfully with Ablett and Bartel to create one of the most dominant midfield trios of all time and certainly the most dominant during the late 2000s period. He may have lacked the class and finishing ability of other star mids, but he was a vital inside player during an extremely successful era for the club, earning B&F medals in 2005 and 2008 and All-Australian selection in 2007 and 2008. I’ve tried to develop a theme of taking big-game players in my side – those who stood up when needed – and Corey definitely fits the bill. Across the four grand finals, he averaged 27 disposals, and few Cats fans will forget his smother late in the 2007 prelim final, without which the Cats may not have made it to the grand final the following week to break the 44-year drought.

Neil Trezise played 185 games and kicked 272 goals for the Cats as one of the finest rovers of the time, playing a key role in Geelong’s 1951 and 1952 premiership wins. He finished second in Geelong’s B&F in 1951 and third in 1952, 55, and 58. He also showed potency when resting up forward by topping the Cats’ goal-kicking in 1958, and in a game against Footscray in 1953, his attacking prowess was on show when he drove 8 goals home. Trezise was not an overly quick player, but he was a good kick on both sides and so proficient at reading the game that he was often first to the ball regardless, attacking the contest with courage and conviction despite his diminutive size.

Allen Christensen adds some modern-day texture to my side and is the only current player I have. Still only in his early twenties, Christensen has a considerable amount of time to go in his football career, and I tend to think he’ll continue to improve and evolve into a very formidable midfielder, despite him leaving the Cats in rather dubious and regrettable circumstances and now playing for the Lions. Christensen played some good football for the Cats as a talented youngster who was capable of playing as an inside or outside mid as well as up forward. Though he earns some contentious free kicks, he’s a skilful ball-winner and hard at the contest. He was a member of Geelong’s 2011 grand final side and took a memorable mark at a pivotal moment of the game.

Syd Tate was considered a powerful and pacey wingman who loved to run and carry the ball and then deliver it to the forwards with skills described as excellent over both short and long distances. Tate played in Geelong’s 1951 premiership in what would be his last game for Geelong and in the VFL competition. He finished with 85 games and 13 goals to his name.

John Mossop is my ruckman. He was a solid performer for the Cats during the eighties, capable of winning an abundance of hit-outs and also moving into the forward line and kicking goals, which he demonstrated on such occasions as the 1981 QF against Collingwood, when he kicked 7.3. In 1982, he was awarded the Carji Greeves medal for his consistent service in the ruck. He played 171 games for Geelong and North Melbourne and kicked 102 goals.

Forwardline
My forward line lacks the spread of premiership success that other areas of my side have, at least in the V/AFL. Some of the players here were unlucky for one reason or another and had their careers cut short or interrupted. However, I think I have a number of players who had tremendous scoring potential in the time they played, even if it wasn’t necessarily for the Cats or the game didn’t see all that they might have been able to achieve. The side possesses some potent attacking goal-kickers, including three leading club goal-scorers, a two-time leading league goal-scorer, and the second highest overall goal-scorer and multiple-time leading seasonal goal-scorer for the SANFL, and some who possess the ability to play in the midfield effectively, as well.

Clyde Helmer occupies my centre half-forward position, and is perhaps the greatest example of wasted potential in my side. He burst onto the scene in his second year at the club, kicking 74 goals in the 1938 season to lead Geelong’s goal-scoring. The next year he kicked 32 goals from 17 games, but his career seemingly began to fizzle out as his commitments to the army and the war effort took precedence over his commitment to football. He briefly re-joined the competition as part of Melbourne, where he played just two games, but his footballing career was ultimately postponed and never to be re-visited, as he died trying to defuse a bomb in New Guinea in 1945. Helmer finished with 73 games and 140 goals to his name.

Norm Glenister sits on one of my forward flanks. Glenister did not accrue the staggering seasonal goal tallies that the likes of White, Helmer or even Evans in the SANFL did. However, he was a consistent goal-kicker, and in his 9 years playing for the club, the only year in which he kicked fewer than 20 goals was his debut season consisting of only 2 games. He kicked 50 goals in 1938 (finishing behind Helmer in Geelong’s goal-kicking) and was Geelong’s highest goal-scorer the following year with 36 goals. Glenister was unlucky to not be a premiership player, as he would have played in the 1937 grand final if not for injury. Glenister initially left Geelong in 1941 to play with VFA club Coburg but returned to the Cats for the 1945 and 1946 seasons. Glenister represented Victoria in interstate football and finished his career with 124 games and 262 goals for Geelong.

Bob Troughton was one who could be used as a rover or wingman as well, but he rests on my half-forward line. Before coming to Geelong, Troughton played for SANFL club West Torrens, topping their goal-kicking on two occasions. He was recruited by Geelong for their 1930 season and played in the losing grand final of that year, followed up with a premiership win in 1931. A hard ball-winning player who used the ball well, he played 92 games for Geelong for 100 goals.

Lindsay White is my side’s full forward. It is debatable as to who should be the primary spearhead of the side, given what Tim Evans achieved in the SANFL. However, in terms of what they accomplished within the VFL competition and for Geelong, there is no doubt that White is my most accomplished forward. Considered one of the most effective full forwards of the 1940s, White was quick on the lead and a strong marking presence. He kicked 67 goals for the Cats in his debut year in what was a very lowly season in the club’s history. Upon crossing to South Melbourne due to Geelong’s absence from the competition during the war, White was the leading goal-kicker in the VFL and for South Melbourne in 1942 with 80 goals. He returned to Geelong in 1944 and continued to be Geelong’s most dangerous forward option, consistently leading Geelong’s goal-kicking. He seemingly grew in potency as the side around him improved towards the end of the 1940s, as he achieved overall goal tallies of 76 and 86 in ’47 and ’48 respectively, the latter earning him a second leading VFL goal-kicker award for the season. Overall, he topped Geelong’s goal-kicking for 5 seasons (making 6 overall VFL club leading goalkicker awards) and was twice the VFL’s leading goal-scorer. He finished his career with 142 games for 540 goals in the VFL, averaging out to 3.8 goals per game across his career.

Tim Evans is the other highly potent goal-scorer I have, though certainly much of his success up forward was found in the SANFL playing for Port Adelaide. Still, I think Evans and White would make a formidable duo and many backlines would struggle to contain the evident scoring prowess of the two. Evans spent four seasons amounting to 59 games for the Cats, mainly playing at half back. In 1975, he crossed to Port Adelaide in the SANFL, and was moved permanently to the full forward post in 1977. He dominated the SANFL’s goal-kicking for much of his career thereafter, leading the SANFL’s goal-scoring for six seasons and Port Adelaide’s for ten. He played in four SANFL premierships for Port, represented South Australia for 7 games, is the SANFL’s second highest ever goal-scorer, was named in Port’s team of the century at full forward, and is a member of the Tasmanian and South Australian halls of fame. He played 59 games for 26 goals for Geelong and 248 games for 1044 goals for Port Adelaide.

Gordon Abbott takes the final spot in my forward-line, named in the forward pocket. Abbott spent three years with Geelong in the late ‘30s and was a member of the 1937 premiership side, in which he kicked two goals. He then moved to South Australia and played with Glenelg for a year and then Tasmania to play with New Town, before he was enlisted by Essendon and returned to the VFL. There, he won Essendon’s best first-year player award in 1941 and played in Essendon’s 1942 and 1946 premiership sides, to finish his career a three-time premiership player. Able to play as a ruck or forward, Abbott finished his career with 133 games and 70 goals at VFL level.

19th Man
Harry Marsham, a ruckman from the early 20th century, fills out my team as the 19th man. Marsham spent 10 years at Geelong and played 135 games in the VFL, playing mainly as a ruckman but also able to present as a marking option up forward, kicking 67 goals throughout his career. He was considered one of the better ruckman of his generation and was an interstate representative on three occasions.



A breakdown of the cumulative accolades of my team (not as extensive as krisholio14’s):
Brownlow medals: 2 (Williams x2)
V/AFL club B&Fs: 14 (Fitzmaurice x3, Williams x2, Corey x2, Arklay x2, White, Mossop, West, Sanderson, Gneil)
Coleman medals/leading V/AFL goalkickers: 2 (White x2)
Leading V/AFL club goalscorer awards: 11 (White x6, Fitzmaurice x2, Trezise, Glenister, Helmer)
All Australian Selections: 6 (Williams x4, Corey x2)
Norm Smith medals: 1 (Williams)
AFL Team of the Century members: 1 (Williams)
V/AFL Club Team of the Century members: 4 (Williams x2, Evans, Fitzmaurice)
AFL Hall of Fame inductees: 2 (Williams, Fitzmaurice)
V/AFL club captainships: 6 (Fitzmaurice x2, White, Trezise, Arklay, Gniel)
Premiership medals: 18 (Corey x3, Fitzmaurice x3, Abbott x3, Trezise x2, Williams, West, Arklay, Christensen, Everett, Troughton, Tate)

 

[Cursed Cat]

The Wonder Cats

B: Allan Everett, Roy West, George Gniel
HB: Brenton Sanderson, Tom Fitzmaurice, Tom Arklay
C: Allen Christensen, Greg Williams, Syd Tate
HF: Norm Glenister, Clyde Helmer, Bob Troughton
F: Gordon Abbott, Lindsay White, Tim Evans
R: John Mossop, Joel Corey, Neil Trezise
19th: Harry Marsham

I have endeavoured to build a side that represents multiple generations of the club’s history, filling it with players who, individually or as part of a team (or hopefully both), have achieved success and acclaim. I looked for players who had been able to play high level football on a consistent basis, often reflected by winning accolades such as B&Fs or leading goalkicker medals, and I also sought players who were known to stand up in big games, such as finals, and I think a number of my players satisfied this, particularly as a number of my premiership players had performed well in the finals series and/or grand final leading to a premiership win.

I think a unique tinge to my team is the number of quality, highly-acclaimed players who played at Geelong but didn’t make names of themselves with the Cats, instead being already-established and accomplished players prior to joining the club or breaking out and/or further enhancing their playing career at other clubs post their Geelong playing career. Such examples include Tim Evans, Greg Williams, and Tom Fitzmaurice. Indeed, the four V/AFL club team of the century places in my side are shared by these three (Evans with Port, Fitzmaurice with Essendon, and Williams with Sydney and Carlton). Additionally, the likes of Gordon Abbott and George Gneil can be said to have achieved equal success elsewhere as they did at Geelong.

My selection strategy for the draft was to try and get the best available as early as possible, and with all he accomplished in his career, I believe that, for my pick, Williams was the best available. Beyond that, my feeling was that I had to complete my spine and on-ball brigade first, because key position and midfield stocks are generally the most important when building a successful team. Pairing Corey with Williams with my second pick gave me two extremely proficient ball-winners who had both experienced premiership success and played consistently high-quality football in finals. I then sought to fill out my key position stocks with Tim Evans, Lindsay White, Tom Fitzmaurice, and Roy West, enlist a quality ruckman in John Mossop, and fill out my strong ball-winning brigade with Trezise. From that point, I think I managed to fill the flanks of my side with some pretty good-value additions. I was pleased to snare Sanderson and Arklay as half-back flankers, who share 346 games of V/AFL experience and 3 Geelong B&Fs. A number of my players also have the ability to play in multiple positions, which adds versatility and adaptability to the line-up. Several individuals in my side could have their positions swapped around, which I consider a good thing.

In terms of where I could have done better, I think my insistence on drafting on a positional basis meant that I overlooked some better overall players who didn’t play in the area I was interested in, and I probably reached on a few players due to this strategy. The game was intriguing to follow, though, because every selector seemed to approach it in a different way and have different priorities and preferences, which meant that some players I thought might have gone earlier were overlooked for a few rounds, whilst players who I had earmarked for later rounds were taken earlier than I expected. On several occasions, a player I had high up on my shortlist was taken within a few picks of my next one, which made the game fun and challenging.

Here’s a summary of each area of my side and a brief description of each player in it:

Backline
My backline is a group of six accomplished cats of yesteryear. Strength, reliability and versatility are hallmarks of this backline, and success has been seen by every player that comprises it. Four of the six played in at least one flag-winning V/AFL side during their careers and all bar one won a best and fairest award at a V/AFL club. With Fitzmaurice, Arklay and Gneil all having served as captains, there’s also a considerable amount of leadership potential coming out of the back half of the ground.

Allan Everett, a pacey rebound defender with clean hands and high-class defensive attributes, played 117 games for Geelong and represented Victoria in interstate football twice. Frequently named among the best on ground throughout the year, Everett capped off the 1937 season playing in a back pocket as part of Geelong’s triumphant grand final outfit, in which he was considered to be one of the best performers.

Roy West, the fullback of Geelong’s 1963 premiership side and 1961 Carji Greeves medallist, played 108 games for the club and represented Victoria in interstate football. Considered one of the better full backs of his generation, West was unlike many of his peers in that he excelled in his role by relying on his speed, anticipation, and formidable leap, rather than pure strength. Despite being on the wrong end of the result, West was one of the side’s best players in the 1967 grand final.

George Gniel’s primary position was full back, but he slots into the backline in my side as a hard, uncompromising defender with strong hands and a penetrating kick. Whilst Geelong was out of the competition as a result of the war, Gniel proved a valuable temporary acquisition for Carlton, winning their best and fairest award in a year in which they made the finals and considered the best on ground in the semi-final they played that year. He concluded his career with 143 games for Carlton and Geelong, his final year spent as captain of the Cats.

Brenton Sanderson was a solid and reliable backman for the club, as evidenced by consistently high finishes in the Cats’ B&F counts, with a win in 2001. After just 10 AFL games in his first few years in the competition, spread across stints at Adelaide and Collingwood, he finally settled at Geelong, spending 10 years at and playing 199 games for the club. He was able to produce fine run and dash from the backline while also locking down opposition forwards during an overall more underwhelming period for the club, sandwiched between the team’s near-success of the early 90’s and its period of dominance in the late 2000s.

Tom Fitzmaurice is certainly my backline’s most accomplished and versatile player, with three consecutive premierships to his name (one of only two players in V/AFL history to do this at different clubs), three Essendon best and fairest awards, 13 interstate rep games, two leading goal-scorer awards at North Melbourne, an AFL Hall of Fame placement and membership in Essendon’s team of the century. Beginning his career at Essendon as a ruckman, Fitzmaurice rose to prominence after a move to CHB, which is where he was positioned in the Essendon and Geelong premiership sides he played for. Likely seen as a steadying force in the backline due to his previous experience, Fitzmaurice played in Geelong’s first VFL premiership win and captained the club in 1928. He eventually finished his career at North Melbourne, where he added another string to his bow as a goal-scorer, to finish with 188 games and 246 goals overall.

Tom Arklay, to me, sounds like he was a player akin to one Max Rooke. Strong, quick, and ruthless, it seems Arklay sought to win the ball with little regard for his own – or anybody else’s – safety. His son reports that Arklay was responsible for the breaking of the ribs of several opposition players during the course of his career. However, Arklay also clearly coupled toughness and a relentless attack on the ball with talent and consistency, as he saw both individual and team success with two Carji medals and a place in Geelong’s 1937 premiership side. Arklay played 137 games and kicked 45 goals.

Midfield
My midfield again features a collection of players who have tasted team success. Christensen, Williams, Tate, Corey and Trezise all experienced premiership success. Initially, a focus with my midfield was getting in guys with elite ball-winning ability, and with the drafting of Greg Williams and Joel Corey, I think I accomplished that. Trezise was also a brave in-and-under player with good skills who was clearly potent when playing forward. Christensen and Tate provide outside dash, with the former being able to play inside and forward too. Though I have drafted players who possessed tremendous ball-winning ability and footy IQ, the one knock is that it is a little slow.

Greg Williams was a star centre for three different clubs who made up for a lack of pace with a supreme adeptness at winning the ball and getting it out to his teammates with superb use of handball. Possessing tremendous footballing nous and skill, he was a driving force out of the midfield and a dangerous attacking option for the brief time he spent at the Cats, where he won a B&F in just his second season, and during the longer stints he spent with the Swans and Carlton. He finished a dual-Brownlow medallist, four-time All-Australian, dual-B&F winner (the other coming at Carlton), a premiership player with Carlton and Norm Smith medallist, along with a myriad other accolades. He was acknowledged as one of the greats of the game with selection in the AFL’s Team of the Century, and he occupies the centre position in both Sydney and Carlton’s Team of the Century line-ups, as well as being inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame and Carlton and Sydney club halls of fame. His career consisted of 250 V/AFL games and 217 goals, as well as 9 interstate games for Victoria. He takes prime position in my midfield as an elite ball-winner, extractor and attacking force.

Joel Corey was another highly prolific, hard, in-and-under contested ball winner for Geelong, where he played 278 games and was one of our triple-premiership stars. Corey was a consistent, no-fuss footballer who combined masterfully with Ablett and Bartel to create one of the most dominant midfield trios of all time and certainly the most dominant during the late 2000s period. He may have lacked the class and finishing ability of other star mids, but he was a vital inside player during an extremely successful era for the club, earning B&F medals in 2005 and 2008 and All-Australian selection in 2007 and 2008. I’ve tried to develop a theme of taking big-game players in my side – those who stood up when needed – and Corey definitely fits the bill. Across the four grand finals, he averaged 27 disposals, and few Cats fans will forget his smother late in the 2007 prelim final, without which the Cats may not have made it to the grand final the following week to break the 44-year drought.

Neil Trezise played 185 games and kicked 272 goals for the Cats as one of the finest rovers of the time, playing a key role in Geelong’s 1951 and 1952 premiership wins. He finished second in Geelong’s B&F in 1951 and third in 1952, 55, and 58. He also showed potency when resting up forward by topping the Cats’ goal-kicking in 1958, and in a game against Footscray in 1953, his attacking prowess was on show when he drove 8 goals home. Trezise was not an overly quick player, but he was a good kick on both sides and so proficient at reading the game that he was often first to the ball regardless, attacking the contest with courage and conviction despite his diminutive size.

Allen Christensen adds some modern-day texture to my side and is the only current player I have. Still only in his early twenties, Christensen has a considerable amount of time to go in his football career, and I tend to think he’ll continue to improve and evolve into a very formidable midfielder, despite him leaving the Cats in rather dubious and regrettable circumstances and now playing for the Lions. Christensen played some good football for the Cats as a talented youngster who was capable of playing as an inside or outside mid as well as up forward. Though he earns some contentious free kicks, he’s a skilful ball-winner and hard at the contest. He was a member of Geelong’s 2011 grand final side and took a memorable mark at a pivotal moment of the game.

Syd Tate was considered a powerful and pacey wingman who loved to run and carry the ball and then deliver it to the forwards with skills described as excellent over both short and long distances. Tate played in Geelong’s 1951 premiership in what would be his last game for Geelong and in the VFL competition. He finished with 85 games and 13 goals to his name.

John Mossop is my ruckman. He was a solid performer for the Cats during the eighties, capable of winning an abundance of hit-outs and also moving into the forward line and kicking goals, which he demonstrated on such occasions as the 1981 QF against Collingwood, when he kicked 7.3. In 1982, he was awarded the Carji Greeves medal for his consistent service in the ruck. He played 171 games for Geelong and North Melbourne and kicked 102 goals.

Forwardline
My forward line lacks the spread of premiership success that other areas of my side have, at least in the V/AFL. Some of the players here were unlucky for one reason or another and had their careers cut short or interrupted. However, I think I have a number of players who had tremendous scoring potential in the time they played, even if it wasn’t necessarily for the Cats or the game didn’t see all that they might have been able to achieve. The side possesses some potent attacking goal-kickers, including three leading club goal-scorers, a two-time leading league goal-scorer, and the second highest overall goal-scorer and multiple-time leading seasonal goal-scorer for the SANFL, and some who possess the ability to play in the midfield effectively, as well.

Clyde Helmer occupies my centre half-forward position, and is perhaps the greatest example of wasted potential in my side. He burst onto the scene in his second year at the club, kicking 74 goals in the 1938 season to lead Geelong’s goal-scoring. The next year he kicked 32 goals from 17 games, but his career seemingly began to fizzle out as his commitments to the army and the war effort took precedence over his commitment to football. He briefly re-joined the competition as part of Melbourne, where he played just two games, but his footballing career was ultimately postponed and never to be re-visited, as he died trying to defuse a bomb in New Guinea in 1945. Helmer finished with 73 games and 140 goals to his name.

Norm Glenister sits on one of my forward flanks. Glenister did not accrue the staggering seasonal goal tallies that the likes of White, Helmer or even Evans in the SANFL did. However, he was a consistent goal-kicker, and in his 9 years playing for the club, the only year in which he kicked fewer than 20 goals was his debut season consisting of only 2 games. He kicked 50 goals in 1938 (finishing behind Helmer in Geelong’s goal-kicking) and was Geelong’s highest goal-scorer the following year with 36 goals. Glenister was unlucky to not be a premiership player, as he would have played in the 1937 grand final if not for injury. Glenister initially left Geelong in 1941 to play with VFA club Coburg but returned to the Cats for the 1945 and 1946 seasons. Glenister represented Victoria in interstate football and finished his career with 124 games and 262 goals for Geelong.

Bob Troughton was one who could be used as a rover or wingman as well, but he rests on my half-forward line. Before coming to Geelong, Troughton played for SANFL club West Torrens, topping their goal-kicking on two occasions. He was recruited by Geelong for their 1930 season and played in the losing grand final of that year, followed up with a premiership win in 1931. A hard ball-winning player who used the ball well, he played 92 games for Geelong for 100 goals.

Lindsay White is my side’s full forward. It is debatable as to who should be the primary spearhead of the side, given what Tim Evans achieved in the SANFL. However, in terms of what they accomplished within the VFL competition and for Geelong, there is no doubt that White is my most accomplished forward. Considered one of the most effective full forwards of the 1940s, White was quick on the lead and a strong marking presence. He kicked 67 goals for the Cats in his debut year in what was a very lowly season in the club’s history. Upon crossing to South Melbourne due to Geelong’s absence from the competition during the war, White was the leading goal-kicker in the VFL and for South Melbourne in 1942 with 80 goals. He returned to Geelong in 1944 and continued to be Geelong’s most dangerous forward option, consistently leading Geelong’s goal-kicking. He seemingly grew in potency as the side around him improved towards the end of the 1940s, as he achieved overall goal tallies of 76 and 86 in ’47 and ’48 respectively, the latter earning him a second leading VFL goal-kicker award for the season. Overall, he topped Geelong’s goal-kicking for 5 seasons (making 6 overall VFL club leading goalkicker awards) and was twice the VFL’s leading goal-scorer. He finished his career with 142 games for 540 goals in the VFL, averaging out to 3.8 goals per game across his career.

Tim Evans is the other highly potent goal-scorer I have, though certainly much of his success up forward was found in the SANFL playing for Port Adelaide. Still, I think Evans and White would make a formidable duo and many backlines would struggle to contain the evident scoring prowess of the two. Evans spent four seasons amounting to 59 games for the Cats, mainly playing at half back. In 1975, he crossed to Port Adelaide in the SANFL, and was moved permanently to the full forward post in 1977. He dominated the SANFL’s goal-kicking for much of his career thereafter, leading the SANFL’s goal-scoring for six seasons and Port Adelaide’s for ten. He played in four SANFL premierships for Port, represented South Australia for 7 games, is the SANFL’s second highest ever goal-scorer, was named in Port’s team of the century at full forward, and is a member of the Tasmanian and South Australian halls of fame. He played 59 games for 26 goals for Geelong and 248 games for 1044 goals for Port Adelaide.

Gordon Abbott takes the final spot in my forward-line, named in the forward pocket. Abbott spent three years with Geelong in the late ‘30s and was a member of the 1937 premiership side, in which he kicked two goals. He then moved to South Australia and played with Glenelg for a year and then Tasmania to play with New Town, before he was enlisted by Essendon and returned to the VFL. There, he won Essendon’s best first-year player award in 1941 and played in Essendon’s 1942 and 1946 premiership sides, to finish his career a three-time premiership player. Able to play as a ruck or forward, Abbott finished his career with 133 games and 70 goals at VFL level.

19th Man
Harry Marsham, a ruckman from the early 20th century, fills out my team as the 19th man. Marsham spent 10 years at Geelong and played 135 games in the VFL, playing mainly as a ruckman but also able to present as a marking option up forward, kicking 67 goals throughout his career. He was considered one of the better ruckman of his generation and was an interstate representative on three occasions.



A breakdown of the cumulative accolades of my team (not as extensive as krisholio14’s):
Brownlow medals: 2 (Williams x2)
V/AFL club B&Fs: 14 (Fitzmaurice x3, Williams x2, Corey x2, Arklay x2, White, Mossop, West, Sanderson, Gneil)
Coleman medals/leading V/AFL goalkickers: 2 (White x2)
Leading V/AFL club goalscorer awards: 11 (White x6, Fitzmaurice x2, Trezise, Glenister, Helmer)
All Australian Selections: 6 (Williams x4, Corey x2)
Norm Smith medals: 1 (Williams)
AFL Team of the Century members: 1 (Williams)
V/AFL Club Team of the Century members: 4 (Williams x2, Evans, Fitzmaurice)
AFL Hall of Fame inductees: 2 (Williams, Fitzmaurice)
V/AFL club captainships: 6 (Fitzmaurice x2, White, Trezise, Arklay, Gniel)
Premiership medals: 18 (Corey x3, Fitzmaurice x3, Abbott x3, Trezise x2, Williams, West, Arklay, Christensen, Everett, Troughton, Tate)

excellent summary; I particularly liked your selection of Clyde Helmer, who is a player I really didn't know of at all, but whose record is very impressive - also the photo you posted of him told a story in itself, rangy dude, looked like he could take a grab and execute the skills just by looking at him.

I thought it was interesting throughout with how many players you selected who had forged the bulk of their respective reps at other clubs; not something I set out to exploit personally, but you snagged some nice picks in that regard (I really didn't know about Evans, either, so that was an informative one as far as I was concerned).

 

[Vdubs]

Having seen Cats the musical recently, I'm going with YOTC's "Memories" . Such a strong moniker for a team

Great choice, but what about the almighty

You already have the superb username and title every day of the week- nobody else can use it, or can they?

 

[krisholio14]

excellent summary; I particularly liked your selection of Clyde Helmer, who is a player I really didn't know of at all, but whose record is very impressive - also the photo you posted of him told a story in itself, rangy dude, looked like he could take a grab and execute the skills just by looking at him.

I thought it was interesting throughout with how many players you selected who had forged the bulk of their respective reps at other clubs; not something I set out to exploit personally, but you snagged some nice picks in that regard (I really didn't know about Evans, either, so that was an informative one as far as I was concerned).

Danger was another player who took a lot of guys that did most of their best work at other clubs. Thing with Biggy's side is that most of his players that played elsewhere, did win a flag with us.

I have a couple, but I did try to pick players who had their best years at Geelong.

 

[year of the cat]

Great choice, but what about the almighty

You already have the superb username and title every day of the week- nobody else can use it, or can they?

Seemed a bit obvious going back to the Al Stewart song as great as it is. The "Memories" song also seemed apt considering we were looking back into our own memories and history. Also, to steal a term from Catgirl , it is also more "cringeworthy"!!

 

[krisholio14]

Seemed a bit obvious going back to the Al Stewart song as great as it is. The "Memories" song also seemed apt considering we were looking back into our own memories and history. Also, to steal a term from Catgirl , it is also more "cringeworthy"!!

She asked me to suggest a name and I was going to suggest 'Purrrrrrrfect Pussies', but didn't want to sound sexist....

 

[manboob]

Mr. Mistoffelees

Spoiler: NSFW