All-Australian form?

[pinion]

Obviously the cats have provided the nucleus of the All-Australian team for the last three years, and given our form you'd think this year would be no different. Numbers could be down a little given the number of key players who haven't strung games together, but history says the top team will provide at least 4 or 5 players.

So, who do you think is on the money at the half-way point?

Certainties:
Ablett
Chapman

Probables:
Taylor
Bartel
Enright

Still a chance:
Selwood - been a little down on his form, but could still make it with a good second half of the year
Johnson - on raw data (goals) he's a very big chance. in reality, he's gone missing often and has looked almost inept at times
Podsiadly - there's probably too many other key forwards having bumper years, but he's number 1 in contested marks and not far off the pace in terms of goals.

anyone else worthy of a mention?

 

[noclashjumpers]

Taylor has to be a lock at this stage surely!

 

[pinion]

Taylor has to be a lock at this stage surely!

he'd be close. i don't think he's been beaten this year but hasn't been as prolific with the ball as last year. having said that, lake's the only other key defender i can think of who'd be ahead of him

 

[isen river]

This would have to be James Kelly's best shot at being AA, probably been one of our best clearance players this year. If Varcoe can have a blinding second half he might come into calculations but probably won't be on the mid year list due to missing those early games.

Obviously being on top of the ladder selectors will be looking at our team more closely than others so I think its reasonably to expect a player like Kelly to be up there.

 

[catempire]

This would have to be James Kelly's best shot at being AA, probably been one of our best clearance players this year. If Varcoe can have a blinding second half he might come into calculations but probably won't be on the mid year list due to missing those early games.

Obviously being on top of the ladder selectors will be looking at our team more closely than others so I think its reasonably to expect a player like Kelly to be up there.

Good call on Kelly.

SJ is on track to kick around 60 goals for the season. If he does that, given he is a previous AA, he will be a certainty for selection again.

Agree that Gaz, Chappy, Taylor, Bartel and Enright are very good chances.

 

[JUBJUB]

So, who do you think is on the money at the half-way point?

Certainties:
Ablett
Chapman

Probables:
Taylor
Bartel
Enright

Still a chance:
Selwood - been a little down on his form, but could still make it with a good second half of the year
Johnson - on raw data (goals) he's a very big chance. in reality, he's gone missing often and has looked almost inept at times
Podsiadly - there's probably too many other key forwards having bumper years, but he's number 1 in contested marks and not far off the pace in terms of goals.

anyone else worthy of a mention?

Kelly has had a better year than Selwood,otherwise I agree with the rest

 

[InnocentBystandr]

No one has mentioned Scarlett!

Missed too many games?

 

[fpm84]

No one has mentioned Scarlett!

Missed too many games?

Definitely - it's a shame because he would have been up for his fifth selection in a row.

Something would have to go horribly wrong for Ablett, Chapman or Taylor to miss out.

Bartel should be named in the squad and is a good chance for a bench spot in the final team, at least. He's been great this year.

On SJ, based on goals alone, he has to be a chance. The AA team won't be full of big forwards, there will have to be a mix of mid and small forwards. Jack Riewoldt looks a certainty at the moment and could win the Coleman, but aside from him SJ is the highest scoring mid-small forward. Behind him are Milne and LeCras, and I don't think either of them has been more impressive than him overall.

How amazing would it be if Pods made it in the squad? What other big forwards are certanties? Pavlich would have to be the first picked - Pods is on level par with Fevola and Hall, would you say?

 

[SJ]

Definitely - it's a shame because he would have been up for his fifth selection in a row.

Something would have to go horribly wrong for Ablett, Chapman or Taylor to miss out.

Bartel should be named in the squad and is a good chance for a bench spot in the final team, at least. He's been great this year.

On SJ, based on goals alone, he has to be a chance. The AA team won't be full of big forwards, there will have to be a mix of mid and small forwards. Jack Riewoldt looks a certainty at the moment and could win the Coleman, but aside from him SJ is the highest scoring mid-small forward. Behind him are Milne and LeCras, and I don't think either of them has been more impressive than him overall.

How amazing would it be if Pods made it in the squad? What other big forwards are certanties? Pavlich would have to be the first picked - Pods is on level par with Fevola and Hall, would you say?

Fourth.

2007-2009 (and 2003-2004).

 

[CatTricks]

Chappy, SJ, Ablett, Kel, Bartel, Boris, Taylor, maybe Lonners and Varcoe should all get into the initial squad you would think..

 

[fpm84]

Fourth.

2007-2009 (and 2003-2004).

Ah, my bad.

Still very impressive. Would love him to finish with 6 or 7 before he retires and really cement his spot among the all-time greats.

 

[SJ]

Ah, my bad.

Still very impressive. Would love him to finish with 6 or 7 before he retires and really cement his spot among the all-time greats.

Yeah I was hoping he'd jag his sixth this year but will probably miss now on weight of numbers. Will be harder and harder to receive the honour as he gets older.

 

[darrenmorgan]

Chappy, SJ, Ablett, Kel, Bartel, Boris, Taylor, maybe Lonners and Varcoe should all get into the initial squad you would think..

are you for serious? sure he has improved this year but he is a hell of a long way off AA selection....jeez

 

[witsend]

Enright, Ablett, Chapman, are near certainties.
Scarlo will be a certainty if he plays the rest of the year, I reckon.
Taylor would be very unlucky to miss out.
Bartel, Selwood, SJ and jPod the smokies, depending on their remaining form and their competitors.
I reckon the selectors would LOVE to name Pods, just for the romance of his story, plus he is at least as good as the other key forwards. J. Riewoldt could get his spot on current form but jPod has been very very consistent in getting the footy, and looks to be doing a lot of stuff other than just kicking goals now he knows the structure. His confidence is growing too.
With a marginal improvement to close out the year, I reckon he could nail it!

 

[candiehappy]

Enright, Ablett, Chapman, are near certainties.
Scarlo will be a certainty if he plays the rest of the year, I reckon.
Taylor would be very unlucky to miss out.
Bartel, Selwood, SJ and jPod the smokies, depending on their remaining form and their competitors.
I reckon the selectors would LOVE to name Pods, just for the romance of his story, plus he is at least as good as the other key forwards. J. Riewoldt could get his spot on current form but jPod has been very very consistent in getting the footy, and looks to be doing a lot of stuff other than just kicking goals now he knows the structure. His confidence is growing too.
With a marginal improvement to close out the year, I reckon he could nail it!

just can't see that happening, but might be worth a lazy 10 with the bookies!

 

[JUBJUB]

Chappy, SJ, Ablett, Kel, Bartel, Boris, Taylor, maybe Lonners and Varcoe should all get into the initial squad you would think..

You're yanking our leg,right ?

 

[witsend]

just can't see that happening, but might be worth a lazy 10 with the bookies!

Pavlich has to get CHF, I guess. I reckon it's a 4 way bet between Fev, Riewoldt, Hall and Pods for FF. It's gonna boil down to 2nd half form. The advantage Pods has is that he's in the best team in the comp. The advantage Riewoldt has is that he is the only avenue to goal for Richmond, but given his current form, I would think teams are gonna put a lot more work into him now.
Fev's fitness, or lack thereof may work against him later on, plus when Brown comes back, he'll be back to 2nd fiddle.
Hall is certainly kicking goals consistently but for some reason he seems like a "boring" choice.
I just have a feeling that if it's a toss of a coin, the romance might get the jPod over the line.

 

[CatTricks]

are you for serious? sure he has improved this year but he is a hell of a long way off AA selection....jeez

stranger things have happened....like nick maxwell making the team last year..lonners shits all over fagwells form last year..

 

[oozeboss]

I'll confess to be blinded by the romance, but I fail to see how a forward who kicks 5 goals in over half of his games and leads the league by a bull's roar in contested marks taken could not be considered a drop dead cert.

Not to mention that the subsequent PR tsunami (throughout the wide brown land and all points beyond) would be worth more than anything generated by all the thugby league converts and wanna-be-converteds combined.

 

[Vdubs]

C A T (S)

Chappy
Ablett
Taylor
(Scarlett if injury free from now on)

 

[ZosoCat]

certain aa: ablett, chapman, enright, jpod (if he keeps the current form)
maybe: bartel, selwood

 

[jaykay72]

Agree with most of names mentioned: Ablett, Bartel, Chapman, Enright, Podsiadly.
Taylor early, perhaps Johnson & I do like Kelly's form.

 

[Partridge]

C A T (S)

Chappy
Ablett
Taylor
(Scarlett if injury free from now on)

Add Enright to that list and I think it's spot on. Kelly maybe just maybe an outside chance if he can keep up his form.

 

[D BRIDGE]

These 3 are dead set locked in 100% if form continues on

Enright on the HBF with id say Gilbert on the other. I have no doubt about that.
Chapman on the HFF even though he could be named in the middle he will be named HFF
Ablett was named rover last year and is a lock in the team 90% chance as rover for me.

90% Taylor for mine will be in at CHB but i couldnt put him as a lock but if his form keeps up and due to the dead set lack of true CHBs in the comp you gotta be very confident he will be named there.

Bartel and Johnson would be in the mix but a big second half of the season is needed but id have Bartel as a 70% chance if form stayed the same and Johnson as 50/50

Scarletts form would definatley get him in but games missed will bring him right back to the pack. He will need a big last 10 games and even then its hard to know if he will get into the 22 but form isnt what will hold him out if he misses.

Pods will be in the squad no worries but the 22 we will have to wait and see. Even though he may deserve it i would be surprized due to the way you seem to need to have had a feeler year.

Selwood will be in the squad but not 22 at this time.

Varcoe, i would love for him to dominate the last half of the year and make the 40.

Kelly will push for the 40 but it would be 50/50 for mine. Still a great effort and a great sign for how good our list is going in terms of depth of quality players on every line.

But if i had to say who is in or out as of right now i would go.
Enright HBF
Ablett ROVER
Chapman HFF
Bartel BENCH or WING

 

[darrenmorgan]

although its always nice to have players in the AA squad - THE LAST THING WE NEED IS ANY MORE AA'S!! With our salary cap issues as they stand, the last thing we need is a Kelly, Taylor, Varcoe, JPod going AA this year and meaning we need to pay them even more....!!
the way we're going, the only players in the Geelong 22 who are not gonna finish their careers with an AA selection are gonna be Blake, Hunt, Byrnes and Lonergan!