Preview Geelong V Hawthorn Mon April 18 3:20 pm @ MCG

[God Mode]

I think that goes for most star players. It's easy to overemphasize their importance to the team. Others mentioned Gaz and Buddy, how the teams that they left went on to win flags the following year. It goes to show how much this game is a team game. As great as those players are individually, the team actually didn't suffer from their absence.

The team didn't suffer in 2011, but they definitely did 2012/2013. Insert Ablett into the 2013 side and we have another flag.

 

[feelinfeline]

The team didn't suffer in 2011, but they definitely did 2012/2013. Insert Ablett into the 2013 side and we have another flag.

If Ablett had stayed we probably would have lost a couple of other very good players due to salary cap issues

 

[God Mode]

If Ablett had stayed we probably would have lost a couple of other very good players due to salary cap issues

Possibly, but that's not my point. Had they worked out a way for the team to stay the same, the slight dip in output in 2012/13 would have been bolstered by Ablett's continued greatness.

 

[Vdubs]

For whatever reason, they refuse to play any senior players in the VFL. It’s puzzling to me.

Edit: I mean apart from those returning from injuries

Because they need a rest.....

 

[feelinfeline]

Because they need a rest.....

After an 11-day break in this case and four games.

You clearly believe that. I don’t.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

After an 11-day break in this case and four games.

You clearly believe that. I don’t.

Preventing someone needing a rest at a point in the season where they can't get one is the same thing.

If he's not back next week then yes he was dropped, but until then the evidence isn't

 

[feelinfeline]

Preventing someone needing a rest at a point in the season where they can't get one is the same thing.

If he's not back next week then yes he was dropped, but until then the evidence isn't

Nup. Doesn’t prove anything.

I’m not saying he was dropped, I’m saying they’re using ‘managing’ players to avoid dropping them.

It’s just delaying the inevitable. Later in the year they’ll have to make the hard decisions.

 

[feelinfeline]

Possibly, but that's not my point. Had they worked out a way for the team to stay the same, the slight dip in output in 2012/13 would have been bolstered by Ablett's continued greatness.

Balme has stated this year that if Ablett had stayed we wouldn’t have even won the 2011 flag because other players would have had to leave.

Just his opinion but you’d think he would know a bit about it.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Possibly, but that's not my point. Had they worked out a way for the team to stay the same, the slight dip in output in 2012/13 would have been bolstered by Ablett's continued greatness.

i have had this discussion endlessly with some posters here to the point i was told losing ablett made geelong a better team because someone else performed better who came in.. literally they were not joking either. common sense often comes to die on big footy, and stupidity flies off the screen.

2011 we were a weaker squad than 2010, but just extremely well coached that fixed up the tactical deficiencies of 2010.

2012 the natural decline started, with some tactical covering of the cracks in 2013 which meant we almost pinched a flag back with how close we got to rolling hawthorn at the G that night. had no right to win it but almost did against a better side. i feel that one was the real GF and whoever got through would win.

not sure how the discussion ended up here, but thats my 2 cents

 

[God Mode]

Balme has stated this year that if Ablett had stayed we wouldn’t have even won the 2011 flag because other players would have had to leave.

Just his opinion but you’d think he would know a bit about it.

I get that. It's hard to know exactly what the fallout would have been and the semantics required for Ablett to have stayed. I'm arguing the team, in a performance sense, didn't suffer in 2011 as we had other players lift their game to fill in the void. 2012/13 there was a drop off in that form and that's where Ablett would have made a difference.

 

[Cataholic]

Apparently we're playing the Hawks tomorrow.......

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Happy with the very early teams.
Kolo managed makes sense with their smaller forwardline, might struggle to get back in though with some big ins yet to come.

They will have lewis kosi and gunston in they arent that short so im surprised we have gone in with one less kpd and sav as 2nd ruck.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Several days , Id think thats enough time after the game if they want to play him. Maybe they are start to show their thinking on Higgins.

I think its just a way of managing him post concussion. But he is one of 8-10 guys battling for the last 4 spots in our 22.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Nup. Doesn’t prove anything.

I’m not saying he was dropped, I’m saying they’re using ‘managing’ players to avoid dropping them.

It’s just delaying the inevitable. Later in the year they’ll have to make the hard decisions.

The older players cant play 24 games or they will be cooked in a GF. So when they are rested they dont play vfl.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

We don't have any defender depth at all. This might be the only chance to rest a defender in his category. He played well last week. I'm calling genuine rest.

Agree with all that although north are weaker than hawks imo so id have rested him next week not this one. But we lack kpd depth so we have to manage them before they get injured.

 

[Sire of Claude]

Kolo is 28 if he's a day old.

I wouldn't believe everything Baime says about what happened way back then; I take the view that Ablett would very likely have helped us to another flag. But he chose to place himself in a position of sporting irrelevance all those years - what a waste and very very sad.

 

[Strange Cat]

Kolo is 28 if he's a day old.

I wouldn't believe everything Baime says about what happened way back then; I take the view that Ablett would very likely have helped us to another flag. But he chose to place himself in a position of sporting irrelevance all those years - what a waste and very very sad.

Funny how money can do that a person …he would had been one of the very best one club player had he stayed

Damn shame

 

[feelinfeline]

The older players cant play 24 games or they will be cooked in a GF. So when they are rested they dont play vfl.

Kolo isn’t an older player.

And Higgins and Dahlhaus, as we all know, are borderline best 22. They could easily play VFL when they’re not being ‘managed’. I hope they do as it would help the development of our young players to have experienced players around them.

Just my opinion.

 

[Drunkcat]

The older players cant play 24 games or they will be cooked in a GF. So when they are rested they dont play vfl.

We did not rest players last 2 years, So this year a player will be rested ever round, to see if this works finals time

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Nup. Doesn’t prove anything.

I’m not saying he was dropped, I’m saying they’re using ‘managing’ players to avoid dropping them.

It’s just delaying the inevitable. Later in the year they’ll have to make the hard decisions.

All I'm saying is that it's impossible to know if he was really dropped until next week

 

[feelinfeline]

Kolo is 28 if he's a day old.

That would surprise him. He was born 9 August 1995.

 

[Down at K Park]

They will have lewis kosi and gunston in they arent that short so im surprised we have gone in with one less kpd and sav as 2nd ruck.

Sav’s not playing.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Kolo isn’t an older player.

And Higgins and Dahlhaus, as we all know, are borderline best 22. They could easily play VFL when they’re not being ‘managed’. I hope they do as it would help the development of our young players to have experienced players around them.

Just my opinion.

I wasnt referring to kolo i was talking about higgins selwood smith tuohy etc etc. Those guys playing vfl games is counter productive to needing to rest them.

Kolo i agree doesnt need an age rest but we have to manage him blitz and sdk as we have no kpds in the vfl behind them..thats why i think he is being rested tomorrow.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Sav’s not playing.

I know thats my point i thought we would play sav or the extra kpd not neither. Its bold but interesting.

 

[Vdubs]

All I'm saying is that it's impossible to know if he was really dropped until next week

What happens to dropped players
VFL?
So, no, Kolo was not dropped.
And if we are sloppy in defence and lose v Hawks, guarantee Kolo back in.
If we have a massive win, maybe not, but Tuohy and Smith will still need rests very soon on our current trajectory.