Footscray v Geelong - Round 5 VFL

**Bornadog** · 20-05-2015, 04:11 PM

Re: Footscray v Geelong - Round 5 VFL

Ashley Hansen's review: Link

Macrae, Minson lead Footscray to a big win over the Cats

Footscray have moved to 2-2 on the season after an emphatic 62-point victory over Geelong at Victoria University Whitten Oval on Saturday.

The Bulldogs started strong, piling on the first five goals of the match before the Cats were able to register their first major 29 minutes into the first term.

After conceding six first quarter goals to the Magpies in the week before the bye, Coach Ashley Hansen said a strong start was crucial to his team’s chances of success against Geelong.

“That was our focus after a poor start against Collingwood. They came out and really played the three phases of the game well in regards to the contested ball, our offensive spread, and our defences structures held really strong in denying Geelong some inside 50s and keeping the game in our forward half.

“I was really pleased with how the boys started.”

Jack Macrae was impressive, amassing 34 touches, including 6 inside 50s and Brent Prismall continued his strong start to the season.

Midfielder Nathan Hrovat was at times electrifying, booting four first half goals, and Jarred Grant chipped in with four of his own.

But Hansen reserved special praise for experienced ruckman Will Minson, particularly his work around the ground.

“Will played his best game for the year in regards to his spread and his use. He probably should have kicked three or four, only ended up with one, but was certainly a threat forward of the ball.”

While the Bulldogs were in control on the scoreboard from start to finish, the Cats continued to challenge the home side and Hansen said that the way the young Dogs steadied before ultimately kicking away was a sign of things to come.

“It’s about them learning how to play the Bulldogs way and it’s also them learning how to play with their teammates. I certainly thought the group took a step forward together this week in achieving that and that’ll get some good results if they continue to build on that team spirit.”

Both Caleb Daniel and father-son selection Zaine Cordy both made encouraging debuts coming back from injury.

Cordy in particular catching the coach’s eye.

“Zaine was fantastic, especially in that third quarter, he was a highlight.

"He’s marking and ball use when we were under pressure coming out of our forward half, he was like a wall.

"For such a young kid to play the way he did was fantastic in his first game of senior footy.”

Footscray are back at Victoria University Whitten Oval next Sunday to take on North Ballarat.

Footscray Bulldogs 5.5 9.6 12.10 17.13 (115)
Geelong Cats 1.0 5.2 7.3 8.5. (53)

Goals: Hrovat, Grant 4, Redpath 2, Minson, Greenwood, Hamilton, Pearce, McLean, Hayes, Campbell

Best: Macrae, Prismall, Grant, Minson, Hrovat, Hamling, Z Cordy

**bulldogtragic** · 20-05-2015, 04:35 PM

Re: Footscray v Geelong - Round 5 VFL

Grant & Zaine doing it. Stuff my exciting dreams are made of.

**Missing Dog** · 20-05-2015, 04:46 PM

Re: Footscray v Geelong - Round 5 VFL

I read an interesting assessment on Hamilton by "Skippos" who does some phantom draft commentary on the other site. Really interesting and gives another perspective on one of the draftees....

Hamilton's Victorian championship games were severely average. It was the early games in SA/WA where he really proved himself and where your recruiters would have seen the glimpses that prompted them to pick him. His evasion, agility and movement in traffic is elite as is his ability to find targets by hand. The real highlight of Hamilton is his spacial awareness though. He knows where everyone is on the field and knows how to work the ball to them. He's just got a natural feel despite not being naturally skilled.

I was overly harsh in my assessment of Hamilton as a junior purely because there were so many flaws in his games despite the freakish positives. My belief with Hamilton though was that we'll know early whether he'll make it - he'll either be exposed for not being a naturally skilled player on the outside with neither good footskills, speed or accumulation - or he'll show these flashes that indicate just how much control he can have over a football field.

And it seems like, despite his slowish start and non dominance, that he's already shown these traits. That's enough for me to rate him in the top 20-25 of his crop, potentially higher. I think you've got a star on your hands. Players are often considered either inside, outside or both - when really it all exists on a spectrum. Hamilton isn't part of this spectrum; he exists in the area between inside and outside the contest. He's so, so rare in that regard. He's not going to win the hard ball nor is he going to provide absolute silk on the outside - but he's going to be your best player at transitioning an inside gather to a safe outside possession. He receives the ball outside the contest but still very narrow of it such that he's always under pressure and he finds ways to convert that initial disputed possession into a safe ball. So often teams win the hard ball but lose it transitioning it to the outside. Hamilton is the best junior I've seen at allowing the side to retain disputed and pressured possession - and that's a role that'll transfer to the AFL. From everything I've read in this thread I think you've got a real player in here - and a player whose influence won't be measurable by stats.

**Remi Moses** · 20-05-2015, 06:35 PM

Re: Footscray v Geelong - Round 5 VFL

Looks a real smart player does Hamilton .
The breeding is decent as well .

**Twodogs** · 20-05-2015, 07:04 PM