I'm still not 100% convinced about Knevitt in traffic (one touch composure and kicking accuracy), but he had his moments, grew into the game and is absolutely worth persisting with if he acts as a tackling/pressure machine who looks to release our jets with smart handballs.
Review Cats belt Freo by 78 points.
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That commitment to tackling will earn him some games in 2025 no doubt.
I've been a Knevitt fan in the past, but I'll cop to wavering somewhat with his last senior game in 2024.
I thought he was a bit fumbly today too; his decision-making still needs some work, which will hopefully come with further exposure/experience. A few times he should have taken the 1st option but hesitated and got nailed.
Also, the one or two moments when he had a chance to grab a mark under pressure he failed to complete the grab; his previous games this looked as though it might have become a strength.
So, imo, definitely room for improvement, but he is fit and he tackles tackles tackles.
Yeah at AFL level that's been my question mark on Knevitt too, fumbly and too many scraps in tight where he doesn't win the battle. It was looking that way early today but after a bunch of those tackles seemed to get a thirst for the contest, with some decisive handballs etc. A bit of a mixed bag but to his credit harassed the opposition all day and found a way to get 20 touches. Hopefully a run of games gets him confidence.
I think a lot of the angst over Mullin is being caused by the fact that they kept showing closeups of him with Reid in the goal square before the next bounce. It made him look culpable. After the first one I knew there would be some knives being sharpened so watched closely at the replays. As many have now said, those goals weren't on him.
I watched a bunch of his matches in GAA back then, and he was never a one on one defender. IIRC he had a bit of dash and still young. I think the club is, in part doing what they always do, by putting in some guys in the early rounds to see if one of them is THE ONE who breaks out this year. And also getting those senior level defending skills and nous trained up. He looks too studious and unsure about being at the club and in the sport. Like many here, I think and hope ultimately he just lets loose and discovers the joy of playing attacking footy for himself. Just letting his natural ability rip, he could be an awesome player.
[caveat] I have no idea what the club is doing with him, in discussions, or what he is like as a person. He may be a Wojo in the making or a Jordan Murdoch.
I watched a bunch of his matches in GAA back then, and he was never a one on one defender. IIRC he had a bit of dash and still young. I think the club is, in part doing what they always do, by putting in some guys in the early rounds to see if one of them is THE ONE who breaks out this year. And also getting those senior level defending skills and nous trained up. He looks too studious and unsure about being at the club and in the sport. Like many here, I think and hope ultimately he just lets loose and discovers the joy of playing attacking footy for himself. Just letting his natural ability rip, he could be an awesome player.
[caveat] I have no idea what the club is doing with him, in discussions, or what he is like as a person. He may be a Wojo in the making or a Jordan Murdoch.
He is unconventional, he is kind of like waluigi
I can't remember when it was in the game but I loved Knevitt's long accurate handball out the stoppage that cleared the pack. It was almost Enright-like with its quickness and length.
He did a couple of these, which was huge in the contest. The one early in the fourth brought a goal and a start to the avalanche.
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I was at that game. I recall we looked a few times like blowing the game apart, but in the end Port did everything to try and save face after the last game they played.
Pure_Ownage
TheBrownDog
Guthrie is cooked and the other two are depth only. Mannagh will come back into the best 23 though.
Pure_Ownage
TheBrownDog
He has things to work on but he was noticeably better in the contest and his huge running ability plus the defensive chase and tackle (this is an area of weakness for us in transition between the arcs at times) should get him a solid block of games from here.
Pure_Ownage
TheBrownDog
I agree. The issue with fitting Clark in the side is he lacks a tank (unlike knevitt who has a big one) and he is smaller so it limits what roles we can put him in. But I agree he always does things that are footy IQ and you can't teach so I'd like to find ways to get games into him.
Thought that piece of play was the play of the day Spearman:.... Knevitt in stoppage and surrounded by a number of Freo players, then out of nowhere in a split second executes this sublime handball to Brad Close who with very little time quickly finds with a precision short pass to Ollie Dempsey who marks and goals. That handball and play by Mitch Knevitt reminded me of Greg Williams, it was elite in traffic and I'm just hoping it wasn't a fluke and his is capable of repeating that type of exquisite skill level and awareness repeatedly in future.
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If I recall, at a very important time of the game
Mattttty
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God that was a great game by us. Smith couldn't have done better in his first game and he seemed to get better as the game wore on.
Is there a better forward-line in the league? So many serious weapons down there. And really diverse, too. Cameron and Stengle are certified champs - one tall, one small. Ollie Henry is a prodigiously-talented medium-sized option. Shannon the Cannon is showing great signs as a tall CHF-style player with the ability to get himself to good spots, take a powerful contested grab, distribute intelligently, and convert himself. And then there's Close and Miers (high quality smalls who run and connect). Add in the bullocking presence of Dangerfield, who is basically impossible for opposition teams to contain. And you've got a seriously potent lineup of diverse and talented players.
I haven't even mentioned Mannagh, who is a dangerous and creative option. And Jack Martin is a possibility this year, too.
Look at other forward lines and they mostly look pathetic and patchy in comparison. Ours is just going to get better as they learn to play together but is already showing great signs.
Is there a better forward-line in the league? So many serious weapons down there. And really diverse, too. Cameron and Stengle are certified champs - one tall, one small. Ollie Henry is a prodigiously-talented medium-sized option. Shannon the Cannon is showing great signs as a tall CHF-style player with the ability to get himself to good spots, take a powerful contested grab, distribute intelligently, and convert himself. And then there's Close and Miers (high quality smalls who run and connect). Add in the bullocking presence of Dangerfield, who is basically impossible for opposition teams to contain. And you've got a seriously potent lineup of diverse and talented players.
I haven't even mentioned Mannagh, who is a dangerous and creative option. And Jack Martin is a possibility this year, too.
Look at other forward lines and they mostly look pathetic and patchy in comparison. Ours is just going to get better as they learn to play together but is already showing great signs.
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this
Make no mistake, this is list management that is unheard of in professional sports.
i try to explain this to non aussies and say it's like Liverpool not.being able to choose any player in the world unless 100 other global clubs had their choice first
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Reckon Shannon (the Cannon) Neale has near-on become the most important player in our Cats side. His physical and athletic presence in contest now has become critical to our forward line structure and as example, when he went off the ground with the blood rule and was off the ground for around 12 to 14 minutes period, our forward line began to look very ordinary because we didn't have anyone else to play his role. Then in the last quarter he was simply awesome, growing in confidence with ever play he contested and was against a high quality opponent in Alex Pearce, who admittedly was a slightly underdone but Alex still struggled 'big time' against in 'The Cannon' Shannon Neale. Looking forward to Shannon having a big 2025 season and GO CATS !!!
No thanks. He needs to build an AFL body.
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Well FMD.... i never saw that coming.
I couple pats of encouragement.
Mitch Knevitt. Well done.
Love a bloke who might not be as gifted as others but puts his hands in the dirt and tackles.
Mullin. Keep persisting. He's getting there. Patience Grasshopper... patience.
Shannon Da Cannon... Just getting better every time i see him.
Samuel DeKoning. Getting tuffer and tuffer after every outing. Gonna take another step this year i reckon.
ZGuthrie and Jack Henry. Are the back bone of that D6 along with Kolo. They Play within their capabilities and limitations.
Young Lawson. Kudos 2 ya capable of taking another decent step this year.
Maxy Maxy the man with the thighs like tree trunks. Never thought i'd say it but, Super stardom is within reach son.
Now for a whack. Tom Stewart FFS son. Yeah Yeah... All Australian reads the play well and has excellent foot skills.
But WTF goes on in that head of yours worries me sometimes.
Cost us a goal with a brain fart free against and then costs us another with a horrible Polly Farmer hand balling impersonation that opened us up badly the other way.
Oh and i nearly forgot!! Bailey Friggin Smith!!! Thanks for choosing us. You're a RIPPER!!
All in all had a good day in the heat watching the boys. Sweaty loins and all.
I couple pats of encouragement.
Mitch Knevitt. Well done.
Love a bloke who might not be as gifted as others but puts his hands in the dirt and tackles.
Mullin. Keep persisting. He's getting there. Patience Grasshopper... patience.
Shannon Da Cannon... Just getting better every time i see him.
Samuel DeKoning. Getting tuffer and tuffer after every outing. Gonna take another step this year i reckon.
ZGuthrie and Jack Henry. Are the back bone of that D6 along with Kolo. They Play within their capabilities and limitations.
Young Lawson. Kudos 2 ya capable of taking another decent step this year.
Maxy Maxy the man with the thighs like tree trunks. Never thought i'd say it but, Super stardom is within reach son.
Now for a whack. Tom Stewart FFS son. Yeah Yeah... All Australian reads the play well and has excellent foot skills.
But WTF goes on in that head of yours worries me sometimes.
Cost us a goal with a brain fart free against and then costs us another with a horrible Polly Farmer hand balling impersonation that opened us up badly the other way.
Oh and i nearly forgot!! Bailey Friggin Smith!!! Thanks for choosing us. You're a RIPPER!!
All in all had a good day in the heat watching the boys. Sweaty loins and all.
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Love the enthusiasm. He has more development to come of course, but I agree that you can see his structural importance. He's an excellent athlete who takes the less showy aspects of his role very seriously - bringing the ball to ground, bringing others into the game, assisting goals as much as kicking them. Excited to watch him continue to develop this year!
dazbroncos
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Sore groins
go Catters
dazbroncos
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Why you gotta bring up old shitI think where Freo really went wrong was when they made chappy the sub.....
Go Catters
The way I see Knevitt is more of that Blicavs, big defensive presence through the middle of the ground with his size and running power.
Obviously he is not doing the ruck work, but SDK is not going to bang into bodies in close like Blicavs did. SDK offers much more offensively in that role, whereas Blicavs was a stopper first.
Agree with others, that some of the ball handling is not at the level required. Worth persisting with for now. He will give Smith and Holmes more freedom to hunt the ball.
Obviously he is not doing the ruck work, but SDK is not going to bang into bodies in close like Blicavs did. SDK offers much more offensively in that role, whereas Blicavs was a stopper first.
Agree with others, that some of the ball handling is not at the level required. Worth persisting with for now. He will give Smith and Holmes more freedom to hunt the ball.
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