Roast Geelong can't develop young players

[jezza1435]

Clark has played 1 quarter of AFL footy. You cannot make that call yet.

Bruhn, Knevitt, Holmes, Neale, Conway, De Koning and Henry have a lot of ground to make up to become the next elite young group to take the Cats forward.

A lot of similarities to Hawthorn around 2019/2020.
Will be interesting to see if Geelong can reverse the trend.

So the current Geelong side is like the 2019/20 hawks, that is very interesting

 

[Mr Meow]

I was sceptical of Geelong even when they were 7-0 as to me they had not played many particularly good sides and they just didn't win in a particularly impressive way. There is no shame in that, Geelong were a very good side and age has caught up with them but I really did get a North Melbourne feel from them from a number of years ago when North were something like 9-0. No one but North fans really thought North were a great team, everyone could sense the wheels were about to fall off.

I don't want to sidetrack the other thread. This was the post and it was a memorable comparison, it definitely had potential to play out.

NM fizzled out to 8th and were absolutely pummelled in an EF by Adelaide.

Ironically Geelong fans haven't thought their team is great, just competitive and capable of doing well with few stellar contenders.

It been on the back of many players under 26 stepping up, as opposed to that NM 2016 situation.

 

[PhilX]

It been on the back of many players under 26 stepping up, as opposed to that NM 2016 situation.

I was pretty happy with last year -- we missed finals, but injuries had something to do with that, and I saw a lot of young players on the cusp of becoming great. I was absolutely certain we would be a better team this year than last.

This year, we're into a Prelim and every chance of a Premiership. But the best part is that I am again certain we are going to be a better team next year than we are this year. 2024 is just the Cats starting to get back into the swing of things, and next year we will start the season with a lot of great young players who have gained a wealth of experience this season.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I was pretty happy with last year -- we missed finals, but injuries had something to do with that, and I saw a lot of young players on the cusp of becoming great. I was absolutely certain we would be a better team this year than last.

This year, we're into a Prelim and every chance of a Premiership. But the best part is that I am again certain we are going to be a better team next year than we are this year. 2024 is just the Cats starting to get back into the swing of things, and next year we will start the season with a lot of great young players who have gained a wealth of experience this season.

That's optimistic. We lose a lot of games experience next year and the depth will be tested

 

[PhilX]

That's optimistic. We lose a lot of games experience next year and the depth will be tested

I must admit, I tend to be relentlessly optimistic about the Cats. Fortunately, for quite some time now, they've tended to prove me right more often than not.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I must admit, I tend to be relentlessly optimistic about the Cats. Fortunately, for quite some time now, they've tended to prove me right more often than not.

It has given my tipping a bump for sure

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Zach Guthrie

39

Zach Guthrie

Age

26

Ht

188cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.0

3star

K

5.8

2star

HB

5.2

4star

M

3.3

3star

T

1.8

4star

MG

90.0

1star

D

7.0

1star

K

4.0

1star

HB

3.0

2star

M

1.0

1star

T

1.0

2star

MG

90.0

2star

D

10.4

3star

K

3.8

2star

HB

6.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.6

4star

- the 7th best finals performer over the last 5 seasons. #MilkyBarKid

 

[Gazza Greatness]

Zach Guthrie - the 7th best finals performer over the last 5 seasons. #MilkyBarKid

Hmm, Bailey Smith in the 8 top-rated finals players in past 5 years along with Danger and Zach Guthrie... GO CATS !!!

Criteria - must have played at least 5 finals in last 5 years - PS...... go to Guess Who? at 22:15

 

[STPer18]

Zac GOAThrie, finals GOAT.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Zach Guthrie - the 7th best finals performer over the last 5 seasons. #MilkyBarKid

Zach 'Mr September' Guthrie

 

[Ambrosia]

Guthrie becoming a gun seems so rogue. Looked miles off it whenever I saw him his first 4 years

 

[PhatBoy]

Guthrie becoming a gun seems so rogue. Looked miles off it whenever I saw him his first 4 years

I think we all thought it in some capacity.

I remember when Jarryd Roughead took a pack mark and kicked a point on him to win a game that was tied up until the last 30 seconds (we just had to ensure no mark was taken, basically) in what was his 11th game and just went through the roof and thought ‘who the f**k would think this little kid is up to it?’

But I guess that’s where most players who aren’t from the top 2 per cent start out. I’m reading Tom Hawkins’ book at the moment and it’s actually a lot deeper than I thought it would be as far as talking about how the key position players develop - not that Guthrie is necessary a CHB or FB as such - but he talks about how much stronger experienced players feel when you first come up against them and how immovable they feel when you’re standing next to them and gives a pretty good insight into how tough it must be for a weedy little forward or defender when they first start out.

Guthrie fit that mould to a tee for his initial 3 seasons and even now there’s still not a huge amount of size about him but his craft is excellent and he reads the game beautifully. He’s learned a lot from playing with Stewart no doubt

 

[Delisted]

I think we all thought it in some capacity.

I remember when Jarryd Roughead took a pack mark and kicked a point on him to win a game that was tied up until the last 30 seconds (we just had to ensure no mark was taken, basically) in what was his 11th game and just went through the roof and thought ‘who the f**k would think this little kid is up to it?’

But I guess that’s where most players who aren’t from the top 2 per cent start out. I’m reading Tom Hawkins’ book at the moment and it’s actually a lot deeper than I thought it would be as far as talking about how the key position players develop - not that Guthrie is necessary a CHB or FB as such - but he talks about how much stronger experienced players feel when you first come up against them and how immovable they feel when you’re standing next to them and gives a pretty good insight into how tough it must be for a weedy little forward or defender when they first start out.

Guthrie fit that mould to a tee for his initial 3 seasons and even now there’s still not a huge amount of size about him but his craft is excellent and he reads the game beautifully. He’s learned a lot from playing with Stewart no doubt

Too right PB. I was there when Roughie took that mark, all I could remember thinking was "this Guthrie bloke is going to be a star".

 

[Mr Meow]

Guthrie becoming a gun seems so rogue. Looked miles off it whenever I saw him his first 4 years

Scott said Zuth is the player that has put the most work in/made the biggest improvement - during his whole coaching career. From physical conditioning, defending, skills work, to reading the game.

I think a lot was addressed from finally putting on sufficient size but nobody expected him to be bordering on elite.

 

[PhatBoy]

Too right PB. I was there when Roughie took that mark, all I could remember thinking was "this Guthrie bloke is going to be a star".

Really??

Mate I thought he was dross honestly.

I am always in the optimism camp but gee I thought we were pushing shit uphill for probably 25-30 games with him. Jack Henry I thought looked really good early on but I thought Guthrie looked well out of his depth. By my own admission though I think my own understanding of how long it takes forwards and defenders to develop game sense has grown since then, though, I have to say

 

[Delisted]

Really??

Mate I thought he was dross honestly.

I am always in the optimism camp but gee I thought we were pushing shit uphill for probably 25-30 games with him. Jack Henry I thought looked really good early on but I thought Guthrie looked well out of his depth. By my own admission though I think my own understanding of how long it takes forwards and defenders to develop game sense has grown since then, though, I have to say

I'm am a tremendous judge of talent PB.

 

[PhilX]

Really??

Mate I thought he was dross honestly.

I am always in the optimism camp but gee I thought we were pushing shit uphill for probably 25-30 games with him. Jack Henry I thought looked really good early on but I thought Guthrie looked well out of his depth. By my own admission though I think my own understanding of how long it takes forwards and defenders to develop game sense has grown since then, though, I have to say

He looked like he was 12. I generally just put my faith in the coaching staff, but Zuthrie getting games, even irregularly, was hard to fathom.

In the end, it just proved that trusting our staff is, in fact, the right thing to do.