Opinion The I Was Wrong thread- Where Tom Atkins posts go to die

[Footy Smarts]

At the end of 2021 I thought Danger's career would always be tarnished by his lack of impact in finals.

Since then he's been BOG or next to BOG in 4 of 7 finals. Tonight might be the best performance of his career. Just a ridiculous game. I guess his finals record won't look that bad after all.

 

[Seeds]

At the end of 2021 I thought Danger's career would always be tarnished by his lack of impact in finals.

Since then he's been BOG or next to BOG in 4 of 7 finals. Tonight might be the best performance of his career. Just a ridiculous game. I guess his finals record won't look that bad after all.

He had some pretty big finals before 2021 as well.

 

[Seeds]

Just bumping this because......... well I can.

Its in reference to Atkins.

His best final tonight. Was excellent. Easily the best season of his career as well.

 

[Seeds]

Shout out to clark. He showed today he might have what it takes to be a good player afterall.

 

[catempire]

I think there’s a good chance Geelong supporters will be a bit disappointed with Smith, at least in 2025.

That’s because (a) he’s not the superstar some think he is and (b) the ACL will be a drag.

 

[Lana]

Man I've got some doozies about Smith and our midfield


After our game against Hawthorn earlier this year

"
I'm not so sure about how much growth as a group our guys have relative to their contemporary cohorts. Obviosuly they have room to go but so does everyone else.

On the weekend we had a midfield of Stanley, Holmes, Smith and Atkins and ?. That is objectively an awful midfield.
"


Some time early in 2024

"He has been out of form for a couple of years and then does his ACL, he is very far from being a guarantee.
At his wage, and you'd be locked him into your inside mid rotations. I see him as a less attractive prospect than Hopper who I really really didn't want. WB tried to put fit him somewhere outside the IM rotations it isn't his go.

He is a completely different player but his career trajectory might not be so different from Chad Wingard

20

Chad Wingard

Age

32

Ht

183cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

11.0

4star

HB

7.3

5star

M

3.5

4star

T

2.9

4star

G

1.5

5star

No current season stats available

D

10.2

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

5.6

4star

M

1.6

2star

T

2.0

4star

G

0.2

3star

with a super early peak.

We do need a blue chip inside mid recruit but if he is the best available I'd rather keep the money and the picks."

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Did the grand fish come Barres or fried?

It came with a side of about 6 wines

 

[CatToTheFuture]

King will be a big loss

As long as we hold Lappin

 

[Tandy]

I had been very judgemental on Neale. I made up my mind he should be delisted (however irrational that was)

It was mainly because I just didn't see it in previous seasons. I thought he was gifted games and when he did play he wasn't kicking any goals or doing much at all.

Did not expect him to come out this season and perform how he has. He's worked on his body and fitness alot. Good on him. Because we're going to need him to be kick 40+ every season for the next 10 seasons.

I was wrong

 

[catsfootyfan89]

I've been harsh on Dempsey in the past for not putting his head over the ball and taking the contact.

If he keeps doing the crazy stuff he's been capable of in recent months, I think I'll permanently have egg on my face on that one.

 

[Mr Meow]

I was wrong. Didn't think we'd make a grand fish this year. Did not think we had the midfield. Our midfield is f***ing awesome actually

People are finally coming around to it. Saving Danger for finals was always the last piece.

 

[Hinkley29]

I was a vocal opponent of the smith trade. Whilst I still think he has massive red flags, the payoff on field has more than covered the risk.

I never thought he had the upside that he has showed this year.

I am very happy to have been wrong.

 

[Mr Meow]

At the end of 2021 I thought Danger's career would always be tarnished by his lack of impact in finals.

Since then he's been BOG or next to BOG in 4 of 7 finals. Tonight might be the best performance of his career. Just a ridiculous game. I guess his finals record won't look that bad after all.

2nd most Gary Ayres finals votes other than Martin, since the award came out in 2016.

I realise he's played more finals than anyone in that time too, but a lot have been as a veteran. He's had his ups and downs along the team.

2016 - very good (prelim mixed bag)
2017 - poor, BOG, poor (injured)
2018 - shocker
2019 - BOG, average, decent
2020 - poor, BOG, great, poor
2021 - average all round, team sucked in finals
2022 - best finals player overall
2024 - great, good
2025 - good, BOG

 

[catempire]

2nd most Gary Ayres finals votes other than Martin, since the award came out in 2016.

I realise he's played more finals than anyone in that time too, but a lot have been as a veteran. He's had his ups and downs along the team.

2016 - very good (prelim mixed bag)
2017 - poor, BOG, poor (injured)
2018 - shocker
2019 - BOG, average, decent
2020 - poor, BOG, great, poor
2021 - average all round, team sucked in finals
2022 - best finals player overall
2024 - great, good
2025 - good, BOG

Before 2022 people needed someone to blame. That largely fell on Scott and Danger.

 

[Mr Meow]

Before 2022 people needed someone to blame. That largely fell on Scott and Danger.

Agreed.

Dangerfield's stats and voting averages don't appear to have taken a hit in finals, but if your team are swarmed and outmatched it's going to be hard to star. There will be the odd match where you try to do too much to compensate and stuff up, then any mortal man will have the odd quiet game.

I do think - rightly or wrongly - Dangerfield's veteran virtuoso finals in sides better suited to finals heat has added to his legacy. He's replaced a few panicky rushed moments with smart % plays over the years too. I think he trusts his 2022-current teammates as weapons more than he did some of the 2016-2021 era sides.

 

[catempire]

Agreed.

Dangerfield's stats and voting averages don't appear to have taken a hit in finals, but if your team are swarmed and outmatched it's going to be hard to star. There will be the odd match where you try to do too much to compensate and stuff up, then any mortal man will have the odd quiet game.

I do think - rightly or wrongly - Dangerfield's veteran virtuoso finals in sides better suited to finals heat has added to his legacy. He's replaced a few panicky rushed moments with smart % plays over the years too. I think he trusts his 2022-current teammates as weapons more than he did some of the 2016-2021 era sides.

Your last para is spot on. The brand we played pre-2020 was really bad for finals football. It was reactive and passive and when sides came at us with pressure we could not get the game on our terms. Most players sucked in that environment. Dangerfield at least played very good games in that period.

 

[Seeds]

2nd most Gary Ayres finals votes other than Martin, since the award came out in 2016.

I realise he's played more finals than anyone in that time too, but a lot have been as a veteran. He's had his ups and downs along the team.

2016 - very good (prelim mixed bag)
2017 - poor, BOG, poor (injured)
2018 - shocker
2019 - BOG, average, decent
2020 - poor, BOG, great, poor
2021 - average all round, team sucked in finals
2022 - best finals player overall
2024 - great, good
2025 - good, BOG

In the 2016 prelim he had 39 disposals, 9 clearances, 1 goal and 5 tackles. The prelim was not a mixed bag. He was absolutely dominant we just had very few who went with him.

Had a couple of big finals at the crows too.

 

[Mr Meow]

In the 2016 prelim he had 39 disposals, 9 clearances, 1 goal and 5 tackles. The prelim was not a mixed bag. He was absolutely dominant we just had very few who went with him.

Had a couple of big finals at the crows too.

It might be harsh but I remembered it as one of his scrappier ball use games. The Swans mids were just so clean. Still, very good by Danger in that game overall. And I agree the issue was he had no help besides Selwood, which sort of summed up 2016.

He did have some superb finals as a Crow. The 2012 prelim in particular. They weren't quite good enough to give him enough huge finals in other seasons.

 

[catters_28]

Like many in here I owe Jhye Clark an apology.

Also I thought Smith would be a good pick up for us but not this good. Wowee.

 

[D BRIDGE]

Mullin getting it done week in, week out.

Solid as a rock.

Don't even mind the pill being in his hands of late... Feels efficient, although defending is still his 1-wood.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Mullin getting it done week in, week out.

Solid as a rock.

Don't even mind the pill being in his hands of late... Feels efficient, although defending is still his 1-wood.

His kicking is better than Smith's by a margin i think

 

[D BRIDGE]

His kicking is better than Smith's by a margin i think

And Clark, whose radar is just off, kicks it directly down the opponent's throats.

Smith hits it funny sometimes, so I can go anywhere.

Clark looks like he hits it just the way he wants to hit it... but it doesn't go where he wants (radar needs adjusting).

 

[Footy Smarts]

In the 2016 prelim he had 39 disposals, 9 clearances, 1 goal and 5 tackles. The prelim was not a mixed bag. He was absolutely dominant we just had very few who went with him.

Had a couple of big finals at the crows too.

Honestly I think that's in the worst 10 games he's played for the club. From memory in the first quarter his mistakes directly led to 4 Sydney goals. He tried to do everything himself and let us down time and time again.

The stats look great but the performance was atrocious.

 

[Hinkley29]

His kicking is better than Smith's by a margin i think

Mullin is a fantastic kick over 30-40m. He hits them sweet and they go low and hard. When he kicks those they cover the ground quickly which can be a huge weapon, especially when switching play or hitting a man who is in space in transition.

I have no doubt that as he continues to develop and just play more games, the offensive side of his game is going to be very strong.

You can see he is focussed on locking down on his man right now, but he is starting to get better at knowing when to get involved in the play. He was doing that more last night when he was playing in defence rather than a pure tagging mid.

I don’t think he is going to be a pure tagger for much longer. He will be a 2 way mid by the middle of next season.

 

[Hinkley29]

Honestly I think that's in the worst 10 games he's played for the club. From memory in the first quarter his mistakes directly led to 4 Sydney goals. He tried to do everything himself and let us down time and time again.

The stats look great but the performance was atrocious.

If that is in the worst 10 games of his Geelong career then he would be the greatest player in the history of the game by a fair margin.

Just nonsense