Things that differentiate Geelong

[DanA]

You have to wonder how much of our success can be attributed to some of the unique attributes Geelong's playing group has.


Back line:
Egan- 196 cm
Harley - 193 cm
Scarlett- 192cm
Mackie - 192 cm
Milburn - 189 cm
Enright - 187 cm

In a period where it is fashionable to give up height for mobility on key forwards in the backline. Geelong has bucked the trend with what surely must be the tallest backline in the league. This backline dominates contested marks for obvious reasons and lately it has been lead by Harley.

Midfeild:
Corey - 191 cm
Ling - 189 cm
Bartel - 186 cm
Ablett Jnr - 182 cm
Selwood - 182 cm
Kelly - 183 cm
Chapman - 179 cm
Wojcinski - 180 cm
Stokes- 177 cm

That's a very big midfeild as well and again pretty much all of them are good contested marks. The bottom 4 smaller players only play bit parts and it would be extremely rare to see more than one at a time in the middle at centre bounces. All apart from Wojak & Stokes are above 85 kg as well. We have tallest and heaviest engine room by a fair way.

At the moment prevailing idea is to be unpredictable and exploit match ups up forward, maybe even have a swingman that can pinch hit. Geelong don't really do that. I would argue that Geelong's is extremely specialised and quite rigid in its forwardline:
Target man - Mooney
2nd option - S.Johnson
Lead up Forward - N.Ablett
Deep crumbing forward - Stokes
Crumbing HF: Kelly/Chapman
Defensive pressure - Varcoe, Byrnes

It is pretty much how it is every week. It has not changed all year and I don't think it will. I think our forwardline is unique in the AFL for it's continuity and specialised roles.

Rucks:
Ottens
King
Blake

Geelong is the only side in the AFL that has 3 quality ruckmen with Ottens, King & Blake. You could argue that Brisbane are close but I believe both Blake & King would be picked well ahead of Wood, Mcdonald & Leuenberger in 07.


Are there any other area Geelong are different from other AFL teams?

 

[SJ]

Good read.

A major point which you have covered includes Egan. Is he the sole out-and-out centre-half back in the competition? Quite possibly. Meanwhile, other teams are matching players such as Raines up on Riewoldt with disastrous circumstances.

We definitely have the body size to match it physically with any team now.

 

[Cohzee]

Great post.

I didn't think Mackie was that tall. edit: well there ya go

 

[YOTC]

Mackie looks about and about 70kgs too. Has a long kick aswell. (I think he is Bruce's favourite)

 

[MmkMrMackie]

I stood next to a bunch of these guys when they were playing in the VFL last year. Either Geelong measures their players in platform soled shoes or they're telling lies.

 

[GeeCats07]

I agree. I'm 180cm and have stood just about next to Gary before, and he is smaller than me by a few cm's i would say.

 

[Prismall32]

I stood next to a bunch of these guys when they were playing in the VFL last year. Either Geelong measures their players in platform soled shoes or they're telling lies.

This is an interesting thread.
You notice the height on days such as the training session on St Mary's oval in KP where they are standing beside you before they start and afterwards with the kids - for some reason the tallish ones seem gigantic and the smaller players, like Stokesie, smaller. Mackie is much more solid than he appears on the field - has narrow shoulders compared to Tom Harley amd Matt Egan whom he happened to be standing between - possibly why he is regarded as slight.
I've often thought that Adelaide and other sides make us look shorter when they first appear for the warm-up at SS (though we play tall) but never get that impression at TD.

 

[Mooney_d'King]

I stood next to a bunch of these guys when they were playing in the VFL last year. Either Geelong measures their players in platform soled shoes or they're telling lies.

I'm 190cm and I saw a bunch of those guys at the VFL Grand Final and I felt they were as tall as claimed by the club. I remember being particularly surprised at how tall Steve Johnson was because people so often describe him as a small forward.

 

[cat in sydney]

I'm 190cm and I saw a bunch of those guys at the VFL Grand Final and I felt they were as tall as claimed by the club. I remember being particularly surprised at how tall Steve Johnson was because people so often describe him as a small forward.

I think that's why he's such a standout player. Really hard to match up on. He has the marking ability of a tall, but the mobility of a small. Whichever kind of defender is put on him, he'll play the different style and beat them hands down.

 

[chapmanmagic35]

Surely Corey isn't 191cm. Not that I am questioning your credibility, I just find it hard to believe

 

[cat in sydney]

Not sure of Corey's exact height, but he's definitely several centimetres taller than any of our other mids.

 

[Selwood07]

Not sure of Corey's exact height, but he's definitely several centimetres taller than any of our other mids.

He is 190 cm, a cm taller than Boris. SJ is considerably taller than I'd imagined too. And Egan is 196 cm and built like a tank when you are beside him.

 

[SJ]

I'm 190cm and I saw a bunch of those guys at the VFL Grand Final and I felt they were as tall as claimed by the club. I remember being particularly surprised at how tall Steve Johnson was because people so often describe him as a small forward.

Yeah you'd be one centimetre taller than Johnson, if I remember correctly he's 189cm (my height!).

 

[CF]

Joel Corey is listed in anumber of places at 191 cm

 

[Rosella]

Joel Corey is listed in anumber of places at 191 cm

I keep the guides that come with the papers (Age and Herald Sun) at the start of the year. He's listed in one as 190 and the other as 191. You wonder what sources they are using.

I met him at the coaches night - he's very tall for a midfielder.

 

[a.f.k.a.y.o.p.]

I'm 190cm and I saw a bunch of those guys at the VFL Grand Final and I felt they were as tall as claimed by the club. I remember being particularly surprised at how tall Steve Johnson was because people so often describe him as a small forward.

yeah i remember you saying that as well.
good work.
the heights are about right i think.

 

[Stripey PJs]

I keep the guides that come with the papers (Age and Herald Sun) at the start of the year. He's listed in one as 190 and the other as 191. You wonder what sources they are using.

Ya sure, Rosella? Both mine list him at 191cm, you may have a misprinted copy.

One of the more...questionable special comments I've heard this year came from David Parkin: "Why would the Saints run their ruckman, Blake, on Corey? Blake's a good ten centimetres taller." He then made several references to this supposed miss-match throughout the game. Now anyone who pays the slightest attention to team-lists knows that Blake's probably the most vertically-challenged ruck in the league. In fact, at 189cm, he's 2cm shorter than Corey. Just demonstrates how easily JC's height gets overlooked (and Parko's complete disinterest in the current gen. of players.)

 

[Asty]

GFC has him at 190cm

http://gfc.com.au/TheClub/Players/P...layerId/14212/teamId/30/typeId/2/Default.aspx


so maybe we can all just agree that he is 190.5cm tall

 

[Conan Troutman]

GFC has him at 190cm

http://gfc.com.au/TheClub/Players/P...layerId/14212/teamId/30/typeId/2/Default.aspx


so maybe we can all just agree that he is 190.5cm tall

Must have been measured later in the day for that one.