Preview AFL NAB Challenge match 1 - Geelong v Collingwood, Simonds Stadium, 7:10PM Wednesday 12 February

[Partridge]

Pre-season. Of course during the H&A season Blicavs (as with every young player) will be one of a number of guys fighting for the last few spots in our best 22, and so everything is up to form, injuries, etc. elsewhere in the team.

The NAB Cup will merely give us a guide to the strengths/weaknesses of players such as him and where they best fit in a tactical sense. In that case I feel he'd offer us much more on a wing/flank than as a part-time ruckman.

Could be the way they go. Either way I'd be surprised if there wasn't significant development time put in at VFL level this year. For one thing there's already Lonergan, Taylor, Rivers and Mackie in the backline. They can't add another guy even taller.

 

[vealesy]

Depends on your definition of tall. Regardless of any actual scientific stats Partridge, Rivers and Mackie are not "tall" defenders, Imo.

He is a wingman imo, but i cant see why instead of creating space he cant choke it up better than rivers or mackie. Would be interesting to see regardless of who is better, though, the potential is there for Blitz to push Rivers/Lonergan out of the side.

 

[Partridge]

Depends on your definition of tall. Regardless of any actual scientific stats Partridge, Rivers and Mackie are not "tall" defenders, Imo.

He is a wingman imo, but i cant see why instead of creating space he cant choke it up better than rivers or mackie. Would be interesting to see regardless of who is better, though, the potential is there for Blitz to push Rivers/Lonergan out of the side.

Agree on Mackie as he's been in that backline for ever (it seems) alongside 3 genuine tall defenders. The issue as I see it is whoever it may be might have to pick up a dangerous small forward. Hence why having even more big guys could be a little too risky.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Agree on Mackie as he's been in that backline for ever (it seems) alongside 3 genuine tall defenders. The issue as I see it is whoever it may be might have to pick up a dangerous small forward. Hence why having even more big guys could be a little too risky.

It sort of ties into that point, but I think the other thing is, regardless of the roles they're best suited to, you wouldn't have five guys in the back line who were 192cm+ for the same reason you wouldn't have five guys in the forward line who were that height, or four in the centre square: because they're just going to naturally have a tougher time when the ball gets on the deck. And, considering the sort of forwards who took us to the cleaners last year, it's why, if anything, we need more legitimate small defenders in the team to help Guthrie and Enright, not less of them.

 

[Partridge]

It sort of ties into that point, but I think the other thing is, regardless of the roles they're best suited to, you wouldn't have five guys in the back line who were 192cm+ for the same reason you wouldn't have five guys in the forward line who were that height, or four in the centre square: because they're just going to naturally have a tougher time when the ball gets on the deck. And, considering the sort of forwards who took us to the cleaners last year, it's why, if anything, we need more legitimate small defenders in the team to help Guthrie and Enright, not less of them.

Precisely.

It's also why I'm very reluctant to move Guthrie away from the backline. It's hard enough to replace veterans with terrific young talent and we've managed to do it now with Motlop up forward and Guthrie in defence. Shifting Guthrie to the midfield might work, but leaving him in the backline definitely will. Not to mention we've got a ton of midfielders needing more games anyway.

If I had to nominate one section of the ground that is pretty settled, to me at least, it's the backline. I see Lonergan, Taylor, Mackie, Enright and Guthrie as absolutely automatic selections. Add Rivers and there's our backline. Adding a 6 foot 6 player there, apparently just for the sake of doing it doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

 

[vealesy]

I see it as a defensive tactic to plug the gap left after a fast turnover. Blitz covers ground.

Id still prefer he was creating space and running oppo ragged though.

 

[Hans_Moleman]

Couldn't agree more on moving Guthrie into the midfield. May be useful there, but I don't entirely see the point in it when he's exactly what we're after down back- a smaller defender who is capable overhead and reads the play well.

In fact, on a few occasions last year it appeared to me as though we lacked that type of defender (there's always Enright but it pays to have an additional small). Our backline struggled against small forwards (Monfries, Wells, Ash McGrath) when good opposition midfields supplied said smalls with low delivery into their F50.

Guthrie is the sort of player whose speciality is intercepting that kind of lower ball. Some of his more influential games in 2013 were ones where we didn't have to wrangle as much with small forwards (the Hawthorn and Port games mid-season + Sydney in Round 22 being clear standouts). Notice any correlation between the two?

 

[Partridge]

Guthrie is the sort of player whose speciality is intercepting that kind of lower ball. Some of his more influential games in 2013 were ones where we didn't have to wrangle as much with small forwards (the Hawthorn and Port games mid-season + Sydney in Round 22 being clear standouts). Notice any correlation between the two?

I'll give you three more games - all our finals. Fremantle's only poor performer in the Qualifying Final was Ballantyne, who was completely nullified by Guthrie. Then he did the job on Wingard (I think) in the Semi, and then kept Rioli quiet in the Prelim. That's a pretty damn impressive trifecta for a player with under 50 games' experience. And two of those games were losses so it's not like we could cruise either.

 

[Jon Douglas]

Could agree more Partridge. Guthrie will be a long term good backman for us.

 

[CatTricks]

Guthrie's 3 best games of his career were the 3 finals from last season.
Would make a terrific tagger, but I would prefer to keep him back, unless someone steps up the same sort of peformance and discipline.

 

[Partridge]

Guthrie's 3 best games of his career were the 3 finals from last season.
Would make a terrific tagger, but I would prefer to keep him back, unless someone steps up the same sort of peformance and discipline.

That's a terrific distinction. If say Thurlow steps up this year (or next) and can do the same job then sure, you can consider moving him. But Enright will be gone by that time so we'll still need to find another good small defender. It's not quite as easy as everyone thinks.

 

[CatTricks]

That's a terrific distinction. If say Thurlow steps up this year (or next) and can do the same job then sure, you can consider moving him. But Enright will be gone by that time so we'll still need to find another good small defender. It's not quite as easy as everyone thinks.

Exactly.
2 Guys on the list could possibly take the step and become a solid defender, Thurlow and Bews spring to mind. Who knows, we could even see T.Hunt return to the backline.

 

[sarah.13]

Apparently Smedts is training with the backline group, would need to vastly improve his defensive skills which if he did would make a fine attacking HBF ala Hinkley

 

[Catdog]

Apparently Smedts is training with the backline group, would need to vastly improve his defensive skills which if he did would make a fine attacking HBF ala Hinkley

That interesting, look forward to seeing how it turns out!

 

[Copernicus]

Hard to believe footy season is only three weeks away.

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

Who knows, we could even see T.Hunt return to the backline.

Poor old Taylor Hunt - fast becoming a forgotten man at the G.F.C. Ever since that injury and subsequent loss of confidence in himself. I really hope he gets his mojo back this pre-season, as I think we all saw glimpses of a bloody good player in there somewhere.

 

[BlitzenTrapper]

Poor old Taylor Hunt - fast becoming a forgotten man at the G.F.C. Ever since that injury and subsequent loss of confidence in himself. I really hope he gets his mojo back this pre-season, as I think we all saw glimpses of a bloody good player in there somewhere.

I hope so too. I think with a good uninterrupted injury pre-season he can crack his way back into the team.
No easy ticket, with a lot of competition for a spot, but I hope he has the hunger and drive.
One of my favorite players to watch for sure. Before he did his shoulder last year he was impressive.

 

[vinum coupe]

That's a terrific distinction. If say Thurlow steps up this year (or next) and can do the same job then sure, you can consider moving him. But Enright will be gone by that time so we'll still need to find another good small defender. It's not quite as easy as everyone thinks.

That's the only thing that stops me saying Guthrie must play mid. I think he should. But he and Thurlow are going to be very different going forward.

I'm not sure Thurlow will end up covering smalls at all.
I still say he will be our new Colbert.

 

[year of the cat]

Poor old Taylor Hunt - fast becoming a forgotten man at the G.F.C. Ever since that injury and subsequent loss of confidence in himself. I really hope he gets his mojo back this pre-season, as I think we all saw glimpses of a bloody good player in there somewhere.

Hunt's best games for us were early last year when he played a defensive mid role but was prepared to run off at the right time to provide an offensive, running option. If he can get back to that form that's his go. It also allows us to play Guthrie back which I think is best for us at the moment without another obvious ready made small backman.

 

[vinum coupe]

Hunt's best games for us were early last year when he played a defensive mid role but was prepared to run off at the right time to provide an offensive, running option. If he can get back to that form that's his go. It also allows us to play Guthrie back which I think is best for us at the moment without another obvious ready made small backman.

He never defended though.

He just ran up and down the middle with no one near him.
I remember posting about it.

 

[year of the cat]

He never defended though.

He just ran up and down the middle with no one near him.
I remember posting about it.

He didn't provide a hard tag but his opponents got SFA of the ball - Murphy in the game against Carlton who he was definitely opposed to had only a dozen or so touches while Hunt kicked 3. Was a similar story in at least one of the other early games he played well in. He will never be a Ling like tagger but I still think he has potential to be that running defensive mid which we need.

 

[vinum coupe]

He started well on Murphy.
But I think Murphy still had 25.

He had a couple of decent games. But generally he just floated up and down the lines.
Bad year for him.

I'm not sure that he actually knows what he is meant to be. Or meant to be developing.
Because at VFL level he did the same. But at that level you dont get exposed.

 

[thejester]

He started well on Murphy.
But I think Murphy still had 25.

He had a couple of decent games. But generally he just floated up and down the lines.
Bad year for him.

I'm not sure that he actually knows what he is meant to be. Or meant to be developing.
Because at VFL level he did the same. But at that level you dont get exposed.

Just checked, Murphy had 27. But Hunt kicked three goals in a 16 point win.

 

[year of the cat]

Just checked, Murphy had 27. But Hunt kicked three goals in a 16 point win.

Stand corrected. I reckon a lot of those touches though were after half time when the game was in our grasp. Any way of checking that?!!

 

[vinum coupe]

Yeah he started well.