Preview AFL Round 23 - Geelong v Sydney, Simonds Stadium, 1:45PM Saturday 1 September

[Gaz_Brownlow]

why would you significantly tamper with the team structure of the past few weeks? Definitely get Varcoe back if fit. I still want to West & O going together. But otherwise, it aint broke, don't fix it.

Thats the problem.....West and O haven't got together since early season. We have been going with either O/Walker or West/Walker and the results speak for themselves. Was a firm believer in two rucks at start of the season, but given the evidence it is clear we function better with 1 genuine ruck and one more mobile option. Vardy is perhaps the best compromise if he can get up.

 

[candiehappy]

Gaz, maybe it depends on who we are playing? I think it's too late to bring Vardy in now. West/Walker is fine against Sydney - but West Coast are a different team altogether. If we end up playing them we do need two genuine ruckman. It was Cox who won the game for them in the last quarter against us, we have to plan against that happening again.

 

[topic97]

why would you significantly tamper with the team structure of the past few weeks? Definitely get Varcoe back if fit. I still want to West & O going together. But otherwise, it aint broke, don't fix it.

Agreed!
I think West and big O have finally started gelling together - especially Orren and the midfielders.
Why bring another into the equation that could potentially upset the apple cart & have the on ballers second guessing the rucks decision - this is the most important aspect of a good ruck combo = getting the clearances, forward rotations are just a plus.

 

[Partridge]

Thats the problem.....West and O haven't got together since early season. We have been going with either O/Walker or West/Walker and the results speak for themselves. Was a firm believer in two rucks at start of the season, but given the evidence it is clear we function better with 1 genuine ruck and one more mobile option. Vardy is perhaps the best compromise if he can get up.

I disagree with that. To me two ruckmen is the only way to go. West can't go it alone against two good opposition ruckmen and you can't throw a part-timer in for support - as we found out the hard way against West Coast. If they play one ruckman to add another runner to me that just means the rest of the team aren't doing their job.

 

[fpm84]

Rohan Connolly is categorically reporting that Vardy will play and Varcoe won't.

Geelong ruckman Nathan Vardy will play his first game of AFL football for more than a year-and-a-half when he returns to the Cats' line-up for Saturday's crucial final round match against Sydney.

But the Cats will lose Travis Varcoe, who the club has confirmed will not play against the Swans after injuring a foot in his comeback game last week. He is also unlikely to play in Geelong's first final.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/cats-gain-vardy-lose-varcoe-20120830-2521m.html#ixzz24zlSIigL

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Hmm, don't like it.

Hope it works but to bring him back after only two consecutive games following a 12 month layoff is a huge call one week before the finals.

Would have gone with Orren.

 

[fpm84]

Clearly Vardy's a better option if he'll be anywhere near his best, as he's a more than capable forward than Orren. But yes, I don't think anybody would expect Vardy to play a blinder given how long he's been out of action. It seems like a roll of the dice, knowing that we can replace him with Orren for our first final if Vardy struggles or pulls up sore after the game.

 

[SJ]

Clearly Vardy's a better option if he'll be anywhere near his best, as he's a more than capable forward than Orren. But yes, I don't think anybody would expect Vardy to play a blinder given how long he's been out of action. It seems like a roll of the dice, knowing that we can replace him with Orren for our first final if Vardy struggles or pulls up sore after the game.

Would rather get another game under Stephenson's belt rather than throwing him in the deep end in a knock out final.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Clearly Vardy's a better option if he'll be anywhere near his best, as he's a more than capable forward than Orren. But yes, I don't think anybody would expect Vardy to play a blinder given how long he's been out of action. It seems like a roll of the dice, knowing that we can replace him with Orren for our first final if Vardy struggles or pulls up sore after the game.

Of course, but he's still a baby and it's not like he's been out a short time or had a heap of time under his belt in the 2's.

It's a risk we don't need to take providing Orren is fit so it's not a risk I would be taking.

But for our sake, I hope it works as I want us to succeed in September.

 

[Son_Of_God29]

Rohan Connelly has just tweeted Vardy will play this week and Varcoe will miss....good news Vards is back

 

[proboy]

Of course, but he's still a baby and it's not like he's been out a short time or had a heap of time under his belt in the 2's.

It's a risk we don't need to take providing Orren is fit so it's not a risk I would be taking.

But for our sake, I hope it works as I want us to succeed in September.

i think you summed it up there, he must not be fit enough

 

[James1970]

Any mention down Geelong way about Scarlo's last game at Kardinia Park this week? True, he's not one for cakes and dances, and we have more important issues at hand, but would love to see something done for the great man.

 

[iameviljez]

why would you significantly tamper with the team structure of the past few weeks? Definitely get Varcoe back if fit. I still want to West & O going together. But otherwise, it aint broke, don't fix it.

Not sure that it ain't broke, though.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

i think you summed it up there, he must not be fit enough

Snelling said yesterday they expected him to be fit for Saturday so any alternative would surprise me.

Besides even if he wasn't you'd just give Walker one more game then dump him for Orren come the first final rather than trial Vardy at the 11th hour.

 

[candiehappy]

you couldn't seriously consider Vardy at this late hour. What's he played - a dozen games? Wouldn't be match fit. Just makes no sense to even discuss it.

 

[swish05]

Lets no forget after the last time we played the Swans, The MC was criticised for playing 2 genuine rucks as it was obvious the difference Bundy made when he came on as the sub. At least with West and Vardy they can both play ruck and forward where as if Big O has a flaw it is his inability to go forward. If Vardy is up to AFL standard after his long lay off is debatable but the only way to find out was to play him this week similar to Varcoe last week.

 

[candiehappy]

Not sure that it ain't broke, though.

they made some good running repairs a few weeks back, just needs some touch up work now. Saturday afternoon will tell us a fair bit.

 

[BallerO]

you couldn't seriously consider Vardy at this late hour. What's he played - a dozen games? Wouldn't be match fit. Just makes no sense to even discuss it.

I think he will do well. They know what they're doing.
I'm fairly sure, at the least, he will match what Walker has been doing. But Vardy is taller, a better mark and kick.

To do this in his 2nd game shows he is a quality player:

 

[Jmac2225]

Do we even know if Orren is fit to play yet? I agree it's a bit soon for Vardy but if Orren isn't ready Vards is a better option than Walker IMO.

 

[candiehappy]

I think he will do well. They know what they're doing.
I'm fairly sure, at the least, he will match what Walker has been doing. But Vardy is taller, a better mark and kick.

To do this in his 2nd game shows he is a quality player:

don't you love the typical dick head comment from Robert Walls - "Tom Hawkins won't come back in this team ..."

what an absolute pillock

 

[Jazz71286]

To be fair,at that stage Hawk was on the outer as he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn and the only thing going for him was his contested marking.

Then again, who wants to be fair to Walls....

 

[candiehappy]

I seem to recall Walls bagging Hawk at the start of last years GF as well .....

 

[Pure_Ownage]

you couldn't seriously consider Vardy at this late hour. What's he played - a dozen games? Wouldn't be match fit. Just makes no sense to even discuss it.

Yup.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Do we even know if Orren is fit to play yet? I agree it's a bit soon for Vardy but if Orren isn't ready Vards is a better option than Walker IMO.

Not really. There's absolutely no reason to pick Vardy this week unless you're also going to pick him for finals, in which case you're picking him over Orren. The problem is I'm not convinced one game is enough to assess whether he's fit enough and ready enough as a young colt to ruck against quality experienced big boys in finals. If they'd done it 6 weeks ago it would have been the right move given the weakness in our ruck stocks (but of course that wasn't possible given his injury layoff) but I think it's too late now. Orren was playing well in his last two games so that's probably what we should go with.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Playing Vardy just seems weird. In the last round surely we're only playing people who we think will play in finals and I'd be shocked if Vardy is in contention.

The only reason I could think of is that the MC really don't like the combination of both West and Stephenson thinking it makes us too immobile and doesn't give us enough in the forward line. They think that West/Walker is our best option with Stephenson only coming in if West misses and Vardy coming in if Walker misses. Even with Walker out of form I'd be shocked if Vardy got the nod over him. Unfortunately if this is the case we're going to have some players coming off injuries going in to finals. Teams generally don't perform to their best in that situation.