This year's facts so far

[Gogeelong]

Geelong has a huge challenge this year

The team is not settled, 3 talls, 2 rucks etc etc
Huge quesion marks over Hawkins, Corey, Ling, Ottens, Bartel fitness etc
Ageing list big time.
Form of players like Kelly, Chapman, Byrnes not as good as they have played in the past
Questionable game plan which has been exposed
Smashed in inside 50's, hard ball gets, centre breaks
Midfield is off the pace, we do not have the run of some other teams.
Seconds will not play finals which means no game time to players trying to get fit or abilty to find form.


We have faith that they will pull it together for the final series however alarm bells are ringing that the team has to be refreshed.
Must be new players in the side next year and we must loose some of our ageing players.

 

[Big Fozza]

Re: This years facts so far

i understand what you're saying but lets wait to see how we go in september before we start swinging the axe.

 

[David the Cat]

Re: This years facts so far

Talk about a Henny Penny mentality. Chill matey.....this is a class outfit.

When it matters they will be right there.

 

[LotsofCuddles9]

Re: This years facts so far

Kelly has had a really good season - To me he has stepped up a level

 

[Turbocat]

Re: This years facts so far

Geelong has a huge challenge this year

The team is not settled, 3 talls, 2 rucks etc etc
Huge quesion marks over Hawkins, Corey, Ling, Ottens, Bartel fitness etc
Ageing list big time.
Form of players like Kelly, Chapman, Byrnes not as good as they have played in the past
Questionable game plan which has been exposed
Smashed in inside 50's, hard ball gets, centre breaks
Midfield is off the pace, we do not have the run of some other teams.
Seconds will not play finals which means no game time to players trying to get fit or abilty to find form.


We have faith that they will pull it together for the final series however alarm bells are ringing that the team has to be refreshed.
Must be new players in the side next year and we must loose some of our ageing players.

Facts ? I see very few facts mainly observations and opinions.

Huge questions marks over Ottens? Hardly , GFC know very much what they have. IMO , them being willing to go with the 1&1/2 setup means they have confidence in Ottens Capabilities.

Form of Kelly. Your kidding right? He played a shocker against the Pies but he has been in our best most weeks.

Aging list bigtime? That we have going with much of the same players for the last 4 years , a current best 22 is aging. But the emergence of Duncan , THunt , Menzel certainly gives me hope that we can refresh the best 22 without too much effort. We have plenty of quality youth on our list.

Yes our mids got beaten by the Pies. Its in this area that I'd like to see another young guy push his way in to help out Selwood. Perhaps the above mentioned players can do this perhaps a couple of guys that we haven't seen yet like Christensen or Weston.

No matter what happens with the result this year , I still think just like last years the balls are in the air , we have enough younger talent to support the 01 group. We can still be in the zone till 2012

 

[proboy]

Re: This years facts so far

Shit thread.
KELLY and CHAPMAN have been in sensational form this year.!!!

 

[RegHickeyStand]

Re: This years facts so far

Should change your nic to NoGeelong.



"But, but....I'm only trying to be realistic."

 

[Sttew]

Re: This years facts so far

The same was being said after the Carlton loss late 2009, and we got it together when it counted.

As one club official was quoted as saying in the Age today, its funny how individual H&A games become referendums for everything. All that counts is the finals, and we are all but guaranteed a top 4 berth

 

[SJ]

Geelong has a huge challenge this year

The team is not settled, 3 talls, 2 rucks etc etc
Huge quesion marks over Hawkins, Corey, Ling, Ottens, Bartel fitness etc
Ageing list big time.
Form of players like Kelly, Chapman, Byrnes not as good as they have played in the past
Questionable game plan which has been exposed
Smashed in inside 50's, hard ball gets, centre breaks
Midfield is off the pace, we do not have the run of some other teams.
Seconds will not play finals which means no game time to players trying to get fit or abilty to find form.


We have faith that they will pull it together for the final series however alarm bells are ringing that the team has to be refreshed.
Must be new players in the side next year and we must loose some of our ageing players.

Agree with the bold.

Need to get back to basics. The contested ball must become a focus in the next three weeks. As should creating some variety in game play, we are very predictable and refuse to change when things are going wrong. You cannot continue to handpass your way from full back to full forward when the opposition picks you off again and again. Even Collingwood was prepared to go the torpedo out of full back last week. Even if it doesn't work every time, at least it means our normal plan isn't as predictable.

 

[CF]

There are many similarities to last season this year. But I think the comp has really caught us up and this final series is going to be the hardest yet. Even though I know our lads at their best can still win it they need to get "The eye of the tiger" back IMO.

Personally I don't think the torpedo should be done from the goal square but at about 40m in the defensive arc, to really go over the zones into our CHF area. Like a pagans paddock type move.

Kelly, Chapman & Byrnes are having good years, so I don't understand your logic there Gogeelong.

I said after the Sydney game if we lose the clearances & inside 50's against Collingwood (in the same manner we did against Sydney) we would lose the match and I was dead right. Nothing changes this week.

Personally I am not feeling confident about our chances this year.

 

[witsend]

There are 4 teams that can win a flag this year. We are one of them.
Enjoy the ride.
That is all.

 

[i_need_a_pencil]

OP made some good points... but overall its a very reactive thread.

The critics of Kelly for example highlight that... because I think this has been his best year, and its was only last week he was crap (I'd back that not to happen again).

For a long while I've thought that when Geelong lose, we look extra bad. Because of our handballing, playing on all the time, and the fact we aren't the quickest team going round we are made to look slow.

We still have 3 games - people's form can seriously change in 3 games, and if they need to get up and going, then now is the time I'd back them all to do it.

Having said all that - another thing different from last year is Ablett's form? I think he's been up and down, and barely at his best. I know he's just one player, but I still miss it when he's completely dominate. Prob being to harsh.

 

[Copernicus]

OP made some good points... but overall its a very reactive thread.

The critics of Kelly for example highlight that... because I think this has been his best year, and its was only last week he was crap (I'd back that not to happen again).

For a long while I've thought that when Geelong lose, we look extra bad. Because of our handballing, playing on all the time, and the fact we aren't the quickest team going round we are made to look slow.

We still have 3 games - people's form can seriously change in 3 games, and if they need to get up and going, then now is the time I'd back them all to do it.

Having said all that - another thing different from last year is Ablett's form? I think he's been up and down, and barely at his best. I know he's just one player, but I still miss it when he's completely dominate. Prob being to harsh.

I think we can attribute part of Gazza's form to the way he has been played as a switch hitter. Stick him in the guts for 90% of the game, which I think we will start doing, and watch him hit his straps.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

OP makes a couple of good points but overall is way OTT.

Certainly fitness is a major issue, and if you compare us to our competitors come finals some of the guys we have carrying injuries are a worry, but we have to manage that as best we can, and hopefully what we are seeing now is the fact that getting them right for finals is more important than getting them right for H&A games.

Certainly it would be nice to have more speed and less slow in the side, but the kids like Weston aren't all ready yet so you can't just chuck them in. We have plenty of quality youth in the side and in time they will replace some of the older players.

The 3 talls thing I agree I would rather Hawkins was dropped and we settled with the rest now, but I am sure a decision will be made come QF.

The sky is not falling in, when we play patches of our best footy our best is still way better than anyone else's, we just need to address some of the deficiences and work to playing near our best more consistently for a whole game, instead of 15 minutes. Hopefully that starts tonight.

 

[SJ]

I think we can attribute part of Gazza's form to the way he has been played as a switch hitter. Stick him in the guts for 90% of the game, which I think we will start doing, and watch him hit his straps.

And put our only 2009 All-Australian forward in the forward line for 90% of the game. Some may think that Chapman is having a career-best season. And I probably think he is at his best fitness for years. However he is averaging 0.1 more kicks per game, 1.6 more handpasses per game, but 0.7 less goals per game. Only 19 for the year from 18 games.

Think we need him kicking goals if we are to win a flag.

 

[Claude Balls]

As I see the critical differences between Geelong now and Geelong at it's best:

Midfield is struggling.
- Corey has basically been missing all year
- Bartel is carrying an injury that needs surgery so won't be winning much more hardball in 2010
- The game has become too fast for Ling
- Ablett been spending a lot of time forward

Backline
- No longer the rock and foundation of our gameplan.

Forwardline
- Chapman spending less time across half forward.

 

[CatTricks]

The Cats turn into a completley different team in september.
The gap between us and the rest of the contenders is closing, but have some faith.

 

[Maydok]

There's another collection of facts concerning an incredible (especially considering the salary cap's intention) and history making win/loss ratio over the last 4 years, a dozen All Australians, a couple of Brownlow and Norm Smith Medalists, an amazing finals record AND a recent turn-around against the odds (or perfectly timed run to September depending on which way you look at it) to win the flag that we shouldn't forget.

If we can't believe in this team, who the hell can we believe in?

 

[BarryG]

We have had a few players wit injuries yet we are 2nd on the ladder having lost only 5 games with 14 wins. We are the highest scoring team, with the 4th stingiest defence. Talk about a glass half empty thread.

 

[Vdubs]

Can we do well in finals without Corey and Max? Think we'd better get used to it. Having T Hunt and Wojo IN gives me hope. We lacked what thay bring last week.

 

[Gogeelong]

Geelong has a huge challenge this year

The team is not settled, 3 talls, 2 rucks etc etc
Huge quesion marks over Hawkins, Corey, Ling, Ottens, Bartel fitness etc
Ageing list big time.
Form of players like Kelly, Chapman, Byrnes not as good as they have played in the past
Questionable game plan which has been exposed
Smashed in inside 50's, hard ball gets, centre breaks
Midfield is off the pace, we do not have the run of some other teams.
Seconds will not play finals which means no game time to players trying to get fit or abilty to find form.


We have faith that they will pull it together for the final series however alarm bells are ringing that the team has to be refreshed.
Must be new players in the side next year and we must loose some of our ageing players.

I missed Taylor and Lonergan as injuries
Chapman is regaining form and is also not fit
Peraps I as harsh on Kelly as last week clouded my judgement
Blake is in the seconds and will be lucky to get in
Mooney can NOT take a mark otr kick straight

All Iam saying is that te club is under the pump big time

 

[RegHickeyStand]

I missed Taylor and Lonergan as injuries
Chapman is regaining form and is also not fit
Peraps I as harsh on Kelly as last week clouded my judgement
Blake is in the seconds and will be lucky to get in
Mooney can NOT take a mark otr kick straight

All Iam saying is that te club is under the pump big time

Yeah, we are totally getting thrashed by Premiership favoured Western Bulldogs at the moment.

Hawkins looks terrible. Ablett hasn't touched the ball. Mooney has lost all confidence. Our entire bunch of midfielders are yet to get a kick. Pods is getting killed. Varcoe is running around waving a white flag.

We should just give up.

 

[PoidaCat]

Yeah, we are totally getting thrashed by Premiership favoured Western Bulldogs at the moment.

Hawkins looks terrible. Ablett hasn't touched the ball. Mooney has lost all confidence. Our entire bunch of midfielders are yet to get a kick. Pods is getting killed. Varcoe is running around waving a white flag.

We should just give up.

I hope we don't serve up the same shit the next half. All about respectability now.

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

I hope we don't serve up the same shit the next half. All about respectability now.

I actually laughed out loud at this

 

[RegHickeyStand]

I hope we don't serve up the same shit the next half. All about respectability now.

I don't care how much we lose by. But we must get repect back into the brand. Steve Johnson should be dropped.