- Dec 11, 2009
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Agreed totally!
The rage is easy......but the energy and concentration needed is another matter. Not to brag or anything, but I can forget why, and what I'm doing, while I'm doing it.
Prediction 2024 Round 1 Team
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Agreed totally!
The rage is easy......but the energy and concentration needed is another matter. Not to brag or anything, but I can forget why, and what I'm doing, while I'm doing it.
catempire
Premium Platinum
Players passing others on merit is always good. If that happens we will be in a great spot as Tuohy is still performing at a high level. Underrated by most Geelong supporters IMO. I think people have mistakenly interpreted 2023 as decline when he battled injury issues that he looks to have put behind him now.
I also don‘t think we have a clear Tuohy replacement. Bowes has shown he’s better suited to a mid and doesn’t have the run or kicking ability of Tuohy anyway. Holmes has ‘it’ but is clearly being used in the HB role to break lines and won’t be asked for Tuohy’s defensive hardness. I guess Mullin could be it in concept although we haven’t seen it yet. The way I’ve heard Humphries described could be it, but given we haven’t seen him yet that appears to be a way off.
I can see the club gifting Neale games. He’s had three years in the VFL, they need to blood him in the seniors at some point. He’s not going to get any better playing VFL. If we can play Rohan and OHenry in the same side, we can play Neale and OHenry.
Pure_Ownage
TheBrownDog
Neale wont play.
Pure_Ownage
TheBrownDog
Both of them offer more when the ball is on tbe ground than neale does-im not sure we can.
That's a bizarre argument - the 203cm KPF isn't great at ground balls so we can't play him. We have Stengle, Miers, Close and Dempsey for that. Neale needs to be blooded, you can't have him languishing in the VFL for a fourth season. We gifted Esava 70 games.
- Jun 19, 2006
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We "gifted" Esava games because he was in our best 22. There's much more competition for spots now so it's harder for Neale but he's not that close to deserving a spot at the moment.
I'm happy for us to find ways to get him 5-8 games over the season to get him up to speed and obviously if he improves that will go up. But if he's not in our best team of course he can be in the VFL for most of the year. That's generally how it works!
catempire
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I’ll be thrilled if we can find a way to play Neale. Can’t see it though.
Mangy Carl
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- Mar 5, 2024
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My Round 1 team -
B: ******, Sam De Koning, Zach Guthrie
HB: Tom Stewart, Jack Henry, Max Holmes
C: Mark Blicavs, Patrick Dangerfield, Mitch Duncan
HF: Gryan Miers, Jeremy Cameron, Ollie Dempsey
F: Tyson Stengle, Tom Hawkins, Ollie Henry
Foll: Rhys Stanley, Jack Bowes, Tanner Bruhn
I/C: Jhye Clark, Brad Close, Tom Atkins, Shaun Mannagh, ***** Mark O'Connor/Jake Kolodjashnij/Jed Bews/Touhy - 2 out of these 4 to take a back pocket and bench spot
B: ******, Sam De Koning, Zach Guthrie
HB: Tom Stewart, Jack Henry, Max Holmes
C: Mark Blicavs, Patrick Dangerfield, Mitch Duncan
HF: Gryan Miers, Jeremy Cameron, Ollie Dempsey
F: Tyson Stengle, Tom Hawkins, Ollie Henry
Foll: Rhys Stanley, Jack Bowes, Tanner Bruhn
I/C: Jhye Clark, Brad Close, Tom Atkins, Shaun Mannagh, ***** Mark O'Connor/Jake Kolodjashnij/Jed Bews/Touhy - 2 out of these 4 to take a back pocket and bench spot
I don't think it's that bizarre when it's said in response to the argument "If we can play Rohan and OHenry in the same side, we can play Neale and OHenry".
On one hand you're basically saying that Rohan and Neale are interchangeable. Then you're also saying that the fact Neale doesn't bring any of the same traits as Rohan is both fine and expected?
I just rewatched the Essendon practice match for the second time.
I gotta say the more I watched, the more underwhelming Neale looked.
And I know people will probably come at me for saying that but I’ll live with it.
He had 4 touches halfway through the 2nd quarter and finished the game on 4 touches.
He probably had more dropped marks than he had touches.
I think my biggest concern is that he never really looked like clucking anything.
He goes up one armed in marking contested and had a bunch of opportunities to work his way into a good position but just didn’t get his body into the right spots.
He even was out bodied by McGrath in a one v one marking contest.
I want to see him throw his weight/size around a bit more.
Hopefully he can get into some really good form in the VFL and force his way into the team.
We obviously need him to come good because there’s really nobody else that is gonna take Hawkins spot after he retires.
- Jun 19, 2006
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I'd be tempted to give Neale some time on a wing or in midfield in the VFL. He's got the running power and the skills to be an excellent winger. For a bloke his size he's unreal below his knees. But he looks uncompetitive as a key forward at the moment against big bodied defenders.
If he excels at it it's a way to perhaps get him some AFL games too.
If he excels at it it's a way to perhaps get him some AFL games too.
- Sep 11, 2006
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Bews, SDK, Zuthrie
Stewart, Henry, Holmes
2E, Dangerfield, Duncan
Close, Cameron, Miers
Stengle, Hawkins, Henry
Stanley, Atkins, Blitz
Bruhn, Kolo, Bowes, Clark, Dempsey
Sub
Neale
O’Connor doesn’t get a game
Stewart, Henry, Holmes
2E, Dangerfield, Duncan
Close, Cameron, Miers
Stengle, Hawkins, Henry
Stanley, Atkins, Blitz
Bruhn, Kolo, Bowes, Clark, Dempsey
Sub
Neale
O’Connor doesn’t get a game
Pre-season games, narrowed the squad
FB Henry De Koning Z.Guthrie
HB Stewart Kolodjashnij Duncan
C Tuohy Bruhn Holmes
HF Close Cameron Miers
FF O.Henry Hawkins Stengle
Fol Stanley Dangerfield Atkins
Int Blicavs O'Connor Clark Dempsey
Sub Bowes
Big worries are at the clearances and defensive workrate. Real danger we'll get cut open in the open field. If we get the ball in hand outside of a pressure situation we'll look unstoppable. Our ability to get the ball on our terms will dictate our chances.
Bowes v Clark was the last call
Could easily also be Bowes v O'Connor
FB Henry De Koning Z.Guthrie
HB Stewart Kolodjashnij Duncan
C Tuohy Bruhn Holmes
HF Close Cameron Miers
FF O.Henry Hawkins Stengle
Fol Stanley Dangerfield Atkins
Int Blicavs O'Connor Clark Dempsey
Sub Bowes
Big worries are at the clearances and defensive workrate. Real danger we'll get cut open in the open field. If we get the ball in hand outside of a pressure situation we'll look unstoppable. Our ability to get the ball on our terms will dictate our chances.
Bowes v Clark was the last call
Could easily also be Bowes v O'Connor
I understand that view…and that would probably be better for him…
But I think the club also has to figure out whether he is the replacement for Hawkins in 2025 - or do they need to go out in free agency and replace him? To that end I reckon they give him a full year banging bodies to try and prove he can step in
- Jun 29, 2023
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Whatever way you look at it , Neale is going to be stiff while Hawkins is still playing. Its either you go with Dempsey or Neale atm and the first is probably ahead unless we're playing a team with two rucks.
There's no other forwards you can pull out of the squad and becomes even harder for him once Rohans back and tbh i'd be wanting to get Mannagh straight in as he could become a gun midfielder. You almost need to move Jeremy on to the wing to get it to work with Neale.
Have we ever tried having Rohan through the midfield or on the wing ?
Biggest selection headaches we've ever had and I love it !
There's no other forwards you can pull out of the squad and becomes even harder for him once Rohans back and tbh i'd be wanting to get Mannagh straight in as he could become a gun midfielder. You almost need to move Jeremy on to the wing to get it to work with Neale.
Have we ever tried having Rohan through the midfield or on the wing ?
Biggest selection headaches we've ever had and I love it !
Last edited:
- May 20, 2014
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I'd really like to see him go back to VFL and kick the selectors door down by kicking 3 a game at that level. He has athletic potential but he hasn't put together a body of work like that yet.
I feel the same.
He actually has never really dominated the VFL.
This year would be a good time to start doing so.
Ollie Henry averaged nearly 3 a game in the VFL in his second year… and that was playing as a skinny flanker type and not the main target that Neale will be.
So far we are just going on hope and potential projection for Neale.
This is the year when he should be able to start really getting it done in the VFL and hopefully when he is called upon to step into the AFL side he starts to look better.
I worry about his competitiveness to be honest and for a key forward, it’s not an area where you’d wanna be lacking in the AFL.
I’m of the opinion us and a few other clubs will chuck JUH just about the biggest contract in AFL history to try to get him out of the Doggies and locked away for 10 years.
He's averaged 2.2 goals per game over the past two VFL seasons, why is a 3-goal average the magical pass mark?
Rohan isn't in the side for his ground ball gets, is he?
The role he plays is as a marking target and pressure forward, that's a role Neale can play, what does ground ball gets have to do with that role?
Who cares if Neale can't do everything Rohan can do? Rohan can't do everything Neale can do, e.g. pinch-hit in the ruck. The only thing that matters is they both have the attributes to play the 3rd tall forward role.
There are more considerations than just one stat. He's done his VFL apprenticeship, just like SDK before him. He now has the body/size and the fitness to play seniors. Now is the time to give him a string of games at the top level.
Of course… but let’s name them.
Contesting marking is important… He isnt great at that.
Crashing packs as a key forward is important… He isn’t great a that.
Chasing and applying pressure is important… He isn’t great at that.
Going into the ruck for him could be important… He isn’t great at that.
If he is below par in those other considerations I’d at least want him getting the job done in what should be a full forwards most important job, and that’s kicking goals… and he isn’t great at that either.
I don’t think he should be playing until he shows some great VFL form and kicks a few bags.
- Jun 19, 2006
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SDK wasn't gifted games.
He got 1 game in 2021. He started 2022 based on good form in the practice matches and a lack of other options. He was clearly best 22. He then received coaches votes in his 5th, 9th, 10th and 11th games of the year in just his 3rd season on the list.
Neale has played 5 career games in his first 3 seasons. Going into his 4th season he showed glimpses in the practice games but clearly doesn't deserve a spot given the superior performances of others. He will be given a chance at some point this year due to injuries or managing others. But he needs to take it with both hands and demand he get picked like SDK did. Not just expect to be played in spite of his form not deserving it.
catempire
Premium Platinum
You’d hate to be a key forward in the VFL the way they kick it in there.
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