Please explain....

[BulldogBelle]

Re: Please explain....

Add a fit Egan at CHB and Hawkins at FF. I still think Geelong will be top 2 contenders next year.

Yes, they will definitely be up there and will be hell bent on trying to atone after losing the Grand Final.

[Missing Dog]

Re: Please explain....

Oh he was really exposed...Buddy really lit him up didn't he?

on another day with another umpire Buddy could have had 3 or 4 frees against Scarlett inside 50. NB All FF's are hugely dependent on the midfield supply, and on this day the delivery to Buddy wasn't what it could have been. Scarlett doesn't get the credit for that

[Missing Dog]

Re: Please explain....

Thats a load of crap. I would love some of those in our side and so would Hawthorn.

Who? And more relevant who would you move out to make room? Milburn for Morris or Gilbee? Scarlet for Lake? Maybe not much really gained. S Johnson for Murph or Aker or Brad johnson? Chapman for Murph or Brad Johnson or Gia? Rooke for ??? Mooney for B Johnson?

[Missing Dog]

Re: Please explain....

Hard to see them dropping off, but I'm not so sure they will win 21/22.

Teams have a 3 year window to win premierships. Next year will be Geelong's toughest of the three. They would have peaked this year.

[Happy Days]

Re: Please explain....

Who? And more relevant who would you move out to make room? Milburn for Morris or Gilbee? Scarlet for Lake? Maybe not much really gained. S Johnson for Murph or Aker or Brad johnson? Chapman for Murph or Brad Johnson or Gia? Rooke for ??? Mooney for B Johnson?

Here's the team (as lined up) for the game against Geelong:

FB:Morris Lake Callan
HB:Hargrave Tiller Gilbee
C:Giansiricusa Boyd Cross
HF:Murphy Hahn Johnson
FF:Higgins Welsh Akermanis
Foll:Hudson Cooney Griffen
I/C:Eagleton Harbrow Hill Minson

Here it would be with the players you mentioned:

FB:Morris Lake Milburn
HB:Hargrave Scarlett Gilbee
C:Giansiricusa Boyd Cross
HF:Murphy Hahn S. Johnson
FF:B. Johnson Mooney Chapman
Foll:Hudson Cooney Griffen
I/C:Rooke Harbrow Akermanis Minson

Are you trying to say team two isn't much much better to team one? No disrespect to our boys, but don't be stupid.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Please explain....

Teams have a 3 year window to win premierships. Next year will be Geelong's toughest of the three. They would have peaked this year.

Geelong still have scope for improvement, though. I doubt they'll drop off. If Egan is able to make a full recovery, he's going to add quite a lot to their side again. Hawkins might still be another few seasons away, but there's no doubt he'll be contributing more - especially after their GF loss.

IMO Geelong still have another two years minimum - so long as their list stays relatively the same, with only a few retirements (Milburn) in the near future. Their core still has plenty to give. Ablett, Bartel, Ling, Selwood, Johnson, Chapman, Scarlett, Egan, Ottens & a few other handy types will still be around for a few years yet. I suppose it depends on whether Milburn, Harley, Enright & Mooney can keep delivering and whether Varcoe, Taylor, Hawkins & Stoakes can keep improving.

It'll be interesting.

[Missing Dog]

Re: Please explain....

You're playing some of the Geelong players out of position to get them in the team and you've omitted Tiller and Callan who are just starting out. Thats comparing apples versus oranges

Scarlett at CHB? He wouldn't know what to do there. The question is: Scarlett or Lake at FB?

Milburn in the BP? He's a half back. Instead of Gilbee? NOOOO

S Johnson Or Brad Johnson (or Acker or Murph) on a HFF?

Chapman plays more as a HFF no FP. Ahead of Acker? NOOOO.

So Rooke gets in on the bench. Big deal.

What about Mooney? Ahead of B Johnson? NOOOO

What this exercise shows is that a part from a tall leading forward and maybe CHB (Williams if he ever gets fit or Tiller or White in a season or two) we match up man-for-man very very well against Geelong

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Please explain....

You're playing some of the Geelong players out of position to get them in the team and you've omitted Tiller and Callan who are just starting out. Thats comparing apples versus oranges

Scarlett at CHB? He wouldn't know what to do there. The question is: Scarlett or Lake at FB?

Milburn in the BP? He's a half back. Instead of Gilbee? NOOOO

S Johnson Or Brad Johnson (or Acker or Murph) on a HFF?

Chapman plays more as a HFF no FP. Ahead of Acker? NOOOO.

So Rooke gets in on the bench. Big deal.

What about Mooney? Ahead of B Johnson? NOOOO

What this exercise shows is that a part from a tall leading forward and maybe CHB (Williams if he ever gets fit or Tiller or White in a season or two) we match up man-for-man very very well against Geelong

You're taking a very, very simplistic approach.

Johnson, Chapman, Scarlett & Mooney would ALL be certainties in our 22. Milburn & Rooke can be made a case for, but there's no disputing the first four.

[Missing Dog]

Re: Please explain....

Geelong still have scope for improvement, though. I doubt they'll drop off. If Egan is able to make a full recovery, he's going to add quite a lot to their side again. Hawkins might still be another few seasons away, but there's no doubt he'll be contributing more - especially after their GF loss.

IMO Geelong still have another two years minimum - so long as their list stays relatively the same, with only a few retirements (Milburn) in the near future. Their core still has plenty to give. Ablett, Bartel, Ling, Selwood, Johnson, Chapman, Scarlett, Egan, Ottens & a few other handy types will still be around for a few years yet. I suppose it depends on whether Milburn, Harley, Enright & Mooney can keep delivering and whether Varcoe, Taylor, Hawkins & Stoakes can keep improving.

It'll be interesting.

The best team I have ever seen is Brisbane Lions and they did 3 premierships in a row-and no more. To do it whern it matters: like Tiger does it in golf, like Federer, like Lendl hitting a top spin lob on the baseline over Cash's head on matchpoint is what makes a true champion. GYes Geelong will be top 3 next year and top 4 after that but they have peaked. The signs were there against us in the prelim and confirmed in the GF: pressure them and they're 75% of the team they are when they are confident and in front.

[Dry Rot]

Re: Please explain....

Chapman plays more as a HFF no FP. Ahead of Acker? NOOOO.

You've got to be joking vs 2008 vintage Aker.

[dog town]

Re: Please explain....

A combination of bad conversion and a well prepared Hawthorn cost Geelong. So many grand finals go exactly as last weeks played out. The favourites struggle to put a gap on then the under dogs get a sniff and seize that moment. I thought Geelong overused the footy to be honest.

What did everyone think of the Norm Smith? Hodge was the most influential on the ground I thought but do you take points off the individual's performance because he played loose for half of the game? Its not the hardest role to play. Its not having a crack at Hodge because he just does the best he can with the role he is given. I just think we overrate some of the guys who play loose at times. Valuable for the team but perhaps not as good individually as some of the midfield performances. To me Ablett worked harder and put more into his game. I dont really know how to compare the different types of performances. Perception is amazing, J.Cloke was chased out of the game for being effective as a loose man. He is not in the same hemisphere as Hodge but some of the criticism he copped is in stark contrast to what some of today"s player cop.

Stewie Dew could not have been far from getting the medal either. When your talking influential he is a name that pops up for that game. He had a hand in every goal that put the gap on the cats. Master stroke by Clarkson to have him floating around up forward. While the cats zoned back Dew was cutting them up from outside 50. Would like us to have a few deeper kicks to allow us the same flexibility.

[The Doctor]

Re: Please explain....

Would like us to have a few deeper kicks to allow us the same flexibility.

This is where we could send Gilbee forward a bit more often. Whilst I'm reluctant to tinker with our backline as it is the one area of our team that has become fairly solid I think it would be a good attacking move from time to time.

[dog town]

Re: Please explain....

This is where we could send Gilbee forward a bit more often. Whilst I'm reluctant to tinker with our backline as it is the one area of our team that has become fairly solid I think it would be a good attacking move from time to time.

Well he might only get 12-18 touches but its going to get us 5 or more goals. The main problem is that we dont have that flexibility at this point with our lack of run and class out of the backline.

[GVGjr]

Re: Please explain....

This is where we could send Gilbee forward a bit more often. Whilst I'm reluctant to tinker with our backline as it is the one area of our team that has become fairly solid I think it would be a good attacking move from time to time.

I was hoping for this move to the wing last season because just the quality of his kicking into the forward 50 would be invaluable for the leading forwards.
Doesn't Eade have the notion that he can't manage tags?

Even with Hargrave's great season in the backline, I would still be tempted to put him on a wing as well because with his pace and long kicking it could really help our forwards.
Covering Gilbee and Shaggy might difficult though.

[The Doctor]

Re: Please explain....

I was hoping for this move to the wing last season because just the quality of his kicking into the forward 50 would be invaluable for the leading forwards.
Doesn't Eade have the notion that he can't manage tags?

Even with Hargrave's great season in the backline, I would still be tempted to put him on a wing as well because with his pace and long kicking it could really help our forwards.
Covering Gilbee and Shaggy might difficult though.

I would leave Hargrave in the backline full stop. I like the idea of a settled back 6 and if we can keep Lake, Morris, Hargrave, Gilbee, Callan and Williams together we have an excellent defence. Allowing Gilbee a bit of adventure up forward occassionally wouldn't upset the back half. We still have Everitt, Tiller, Addison in reserve and could call upon Griffen or Murphy to lend a hand. But I wouldn't want to change it around too much as a cohesive backline is essential in a premiership challenging side.