Prediction Changes v Adelaide, Friday night, GHMBA Stadium

[Pure_Ownage]

Sorry, cannot agree with this. Fort was awful. Totally noncompetitive in the air and in the ruck. Ablett and Clark gifted him two goals with brilliant play. To his credit, he did do one nice piece of play with a pick up and handball to Ablett and he converted his chances well.

But Esava is a mile ahead of him as a ruck and he provides a genuine contest in the air and on the ground. Sometimes the raw figures do not tell the true story I am afraid.

Fair enough I thought Fort was competitive enough where we needed him to be and I like his accuracy but to each their own. Hes not a pack crasher but has a footy brain.

But i cant agree Esava is miles ahead of anyone, he does a few things each game that show potential but is terribly inconsistent and a flag side needs a lot more from him. I think he will be good in time but currently he gets a game because MC dont like playing 2 specialist rucks and dont want to ruck Blicavs, at any side with depth in key forward stock he wouldnt get a game.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Great post, completely agree.

Sav is a better long term prospect and also better in the present.

There is no parallel universe in which Fort should play ahead of him if both are fit.

Wheres the 'we need a much better second key forward than either of them' option.

 

[Willo_]

As opposed to Sav, who took 3 marks in his first three games this year. Fort also took 3 contested marks in his first three games while Sav took zero. Sav basically did nothing for his first five games this year yet continued to get a pass.

That's because Sav actually demanded the respect of a defender and brought the ball to ground contesting consistently... He was average early in the year but comfortably better than Fort has shown he can be

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

Bring back the SAV!

 

[Pure_Ownage]

He's taken 6 marks in 3 games.. Of which off the top of my head 3 were double grabbers against smaller opponents and 1 was an Ablett silver service pass... I'm not sure there are any grounds to compare him marking the footy with Sav

Sav averages 2 marks and less than a goal a game. Which is kind of my point that we judge them both by different standards when in reality neither of them is currently adequate. Sav really hasnt done anything to warrant being brought straight back in.

 

[Strange Cat]

Bring back the CUP!

EFA

sorry going abit too early

 

[GeelongFTW]

Sav averages 2 marks and less than a goal a game. Which is kind of my point that we judge them both by different standards when in reality neither of them is currently adequate. Sav really hasnt done anything to warrant being brought straight back in.

Don't think we should be directly comparing raw numbers like that. Sav commands a level of respect that fort just doesn't- helping our other forwards (e.g. Hawkins) as well as reducing the direct influence of his opponent going the other way.

 

[you pick one]

We lost Ottens in 2011, Podsiadly in 2013 and have not even come close to replacing either,two key areas.

 

[longtimecat]

Bring in Sav and Freddy and make the crows defenders accountable

 

[Pure_Ownage]

We lost Ottens in 2011, Podsiadly in 2013 and have not even come close to replacing either,two key areas.

Very much the truth. Both players were very underrated.

 

[AM]

Sav averages 2 marks and less than a goal a game. Which is kind of my point that we judge them both by different standards when in reality neither of them is currently adequate. Sav really hasnt done anything to warrant being brought straight back in.

Think Sav is there to fill a role. Part of the one-up, bring the ball to the ground for the crumbers thingo. Working well while a player with quite some upside is getting invaluable experience. And I can't readily think of anyone who has taken him to the cleaners.

 

[AM]

Very much the truth. Both players were very underrated.

Still secretary of the Pods fan club I see PO.

 

[Ratcat]

Opportunity this week to swing a few changes without fear and a couple "you need a freshener or 2 in the ressies."
Would like to see Kreugs, Charlie, and Sav this week, maybe Jed as well.

 

[_Game_]

May not be an overly popular opinion, but I believe if we are to go all the way, we need S. Selwood to be in the side tagging. If he can successfully negate one of the oppositions best midfielders (one of the Crouch's this week) I think it goes a long way to winning. And I don't think we lose much in the middle considering we have been having the likes of Atkins and co in there at times.

 

[Strange Cat]

May not be an overly popular opinion, but I believe if we are to go all the way, we need S. Selwood to be in the side tagging. If he can successfully negate one of the oppositions best midfielders (one of the Crouch's this week) I think it goes a long way to winning. And I don't think we lose much in the middle considering we have been having the likes of Atkins and co in there at times.

I wouldn’t hold much confidence of Scooter on the mcg, and I very much rate him but Father Time has caught up with him

 

[Down at K Park]

Sav averages 2 marks and less than a goal a game. Which is kind of my point that we judge them both by different standards when in reality neither of them is currently adequate. Sav really hasnt done anything to warrant being brought straight back in.

Sav get’s to so many more contests than fort its not funny. Get’s up the wing to do it too. Don’t think i’ve seen fort outside 50.

Sav just needs to stick more of those marks he gets to. Like he did against richmond.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Every team needs an extractor to feed the ball to the outside runners.

We do but he's still looking a little skinny for that role and he needs a ruck palming it his way. Watching his highlights you can see him occasionally winning it on the inside but mostly he's off the ball trying to play a link up role. Others may see it differenly. I'd consider Misty for a recall. Can tag if Guthers isn't effectively shutting someone down, can play an Atkins role forward.

The number one thing that has to happen is that our ruck wins the hitouts to advantage. Rhys + Savrat should get it done.

 

[TheYid]

I consider A-grade the top 2-3 in the competition. I would have Grundy, Gawn, NicNat as A-grade. There is absolutely no excuse for a player like Stanley to get beaten so badly by a ruckman like Lycett. Not good enough.

Stanley has stood up well against the "A-Graders" and flopped against the lesser lights. It's in the head or it's just a player by player proposition

 

[Goggin Our Best]

May not be an overly popular opinion, but I believe if we are to go all the way, we need S. Selwood to be in the side tagging. If he can successfully negate one of the oppositions best midfielders (one of the Crouch's this week) I think it goes a long way to winning. And I don't think we lose much in the middle considering we have been having the likes of Atkins and co in there at times.

My reaction to that - would be like Tony Jewells reaction when he was coaching Richmond - and sitting next to Paddy Guinane in the coaching box - when a Richmond player did something shockingly wrong

 

[witsend]

Stanley has stood up well against the "A-Graders" and flopped against the lesser lights. It's in the head or it's just a player by player proposition

Lycett played his one awesome game for the year against us. Credit to him, but Stanley is still our No 1 ruck for good reason. Savrat works beautifully with him structurally and is more than competitive against other rucks. He is also a definite "presence" at CHF whether he marks it or not. At age 20 he is an absolute beauty in development. Cram the games into him, I say. He and Stanly have been far and away our best ruck duo this year. Patience, grasshoppers. Port are one of those flukey emotive teams, especially at home. Let's face it, they got away with blue murder off the ball, as the reports and suspensions confirmed. Like it or not, when you have been winning as much as we have over 13 games, you are gonna put in a flat one occasionally. We are very good and I believe a Top 2 team this year, but we are not 2007 good. We never will be again.

 

[romeohwho]

Lycett played his one awesome game for the year against us. Credit to him, but Stanley is still our No 1 ruck for good reason. Savrat works beautifully with him structurally and is more than competitive against other rucks. He is also a definite "presence" at CHF whether he marks it or not. At age 20 he is an absolute beauty in development. Cram the games into him, I say. He and Stanly have been far and away our best ruck duo this year. Patience, grasshoppers. Port are one of those flukey emotive teams, especially at home. Let's face it, they got away with blue murder off the ball, as the reports and suspensions confirmed. Like it or not, when you have been winning as much as we have over 13 games, you are gonna put in a flat one occasionally. We are very good and I believe a Top 2 team this year, but we are not 2007 good. We never will be again.

Don’t even think we are ‘very good’. We are a good team that is capable of playing very good footy, and have done so several times this year when it was needed. Would describe the pies in a similar fashion.GWS and WC have been good too, but less consistent than the pies or us. They both may be on the improve though and if WC hit their straps, they do play very good footy.
As you say, this Geelong team is miles off the 2007 team. But the quality of the opposition means that luckily we don’t have to be that good this year. Thought our players all looked really teeed off coming off the field on sat night, a good thing to see.

 

[FredLeDeux]

The AFL Site match writer-up wants Christian to ping Miers for the head slam tackle.

Think Sav is there to fill a role. Part of the one-up, bring the ball to the ground for the crumbers thingo. Working well while a player with quite some upside is getting invaluable experience. And I can't readily think of anyone who has taken him to the cleaners.

Moore did.

 

[witsend]

Don’t even think we are ‘very good’. We are a good team that is capable of playing very good footy, and have done so several times this year when it was needed. Would describe the pies in a similar fashion.GWS and WC have been good too, but less consistent than the pies or us. They both may be on the improve though and if WC hit their straps, they do play very good footy.
As you say, this Geelong team is miles off the 2007 team. But the quality of the opposition means that luckily we don’t have to be that good this year. Thought our players all looked really teeed off coming off the field on sat night, a good thing to see.

Fair enough. I would argue, however, that we are playing consistently. I back that up by pointing out what I regard as one of THE most important stats...quarters won. We are 3 quarters clear of the next "best" in GWS and if you look at individual quarters we have won 9, 10, 9 & 7 of quarters 1,2,3 & 4.I would suspect that the last quarter being weaker "may" indicate the games were over somewhat at 3/4 time, but either way it shows a good level of 4 quarter consistency. We are 8Qs ahead of Collingwood and 11Qs clear of WC.

 

[romeohwho]

Fair enough. I would argue, however, that we are playing consistently. I back that up by pointing out what I regard as one of THE most important stats...quarters won. We are 3 quarters clear of the next "best" in GWS and if you look at individual quarters we have won 9, 10, 9 & 7 of quarters 1,2,3 & 4.I would suspect that the last quarter being weaker "may" indicate the games were over somewhat at 3/4 time, but either way it shows a good level of 4 quarter consistency. We are 8Qs ahead of Collingwood and 11Qs clear of WC.

Yep-good figures showing we are as good as anyone in it this year and our best footy is able to knock anyone off. It’s only June though so see how it goes. Pies and WC have pretty easy draws for rest of the year from memory- top 2 will be hard fought.

 

[nohairandfair]

I wouldn’t hold much confidence of Scooter on the mcg, and I very much rate him but Father Time has caught up with him

He's only just turned 29; a bit early to stick the fork in you would think.

If perennial struggler Matt de Boer (also 29) can transform himself into an effective run-with player then surely Scott Selwood can. I guess it's more to do with how his ankle(s) are holding up.