Preview Geelong v Port Friday May 10 710 pm @ GMHBA

[Vdubs]

What about 21 it was shocking favouritism - picked basically every week till he finally dropped him for the elimination final

Parfitt has not been great - he has put 3-4 ok games together that is it against ordinary teams

He was hardly a favourite. We still had Selwood, no Bruhn, Parf was injured a lot, MOC was not a mid, Danger was playing, Duncan played mid, we needed some of his forward pressure.
He was dumped when it mattered.
Ordinary teams- we have not played Pies Swans GWS Port Freo - let's see who is ordinary after r 23.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

I suspect Bowes will be a late in. High chance

Who for?

 

[God Mode]

It's coming to the situation that reality will set in over the next 2 months, and we realise that our list is just not that great in MF and ruck any more, and where we were expected to finish preseason will only be incorrect because we started 7-0

I love your posts mate (despite erring on the side of caution mostly) but this level of pessimism is completely unsupported by anything our team has produced this year.

 

[Vdubs]

I love your posts mate (despite erring on the side of caution mostly) but this level of pessimism is completely unsupported by anything our team has produced this year.

Just an opinion.
we will fatigue as the season goes on, signs there last week, and most here are overrating us based on 7-0. We should still finish top 8, but no way do I see us as top 4; that is all I'm saying, and of course I hope and trust that is incorrect.

With no Danger, and if a team can stop Cameron, we are middle of the road, amongst about 12 teams.

 

[terry_bright]

Us pumping games into Mullin is going to make us look like clowns or geniuses

Mullin is getting a game because he’s been dominating in the VFL in his last few games.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

The names above would = just about the weakest midfield in the comp... and they are an upgrade on this week.

Still think we get the job done but my god our midfield is poo poo (on paper).

Sure....but you can't have everything.

We're getting by with what we have right now, and that's all you can do. Every team has a weak third of the ground, and ours happens to be in the middle.

There's no real point in bringing it up every week. We haven't done anything wrong, it's just where we're at right now, and it's what happens when you're trying to compete every single year.

For a decade it was the forward line, and now it's the midfield. We'll figure it out as we always do.

I posted this on the MB last week, sums up where we're at right now and what we're planning for the future.

We're in an in-between phase, it's only natural we're going to have a flaw somewhere.

Conway, Bruhn, Clark, & Holmes are the ones we're building it around...but they're 2-3 years away from being able to do it by themselves.

Stanley is Stanley, Atkins is an honest trier, while Bowes has looked really promising, but ideally the 3rd or 4th mid in a premiership side.

Guthrie is the big one, and if he can reach his best form again, it changes the complexion of that group completely...albeit one would think we're still a month away on that front.

Danger has been virtually a non-factor in H&A seasons since the syndesmosis in '21.

Even when he's been healthy, it's been about managing him for the business end.

All we can do is tinker and manage the group until September (hence the low TOG for all of them) and hope for the best, while likely bringing in another gun mid this off-season.

 

[terry_bright]

What about 21 it was shocking favouritism - picked basically every week till he finally dropped him for the elimination final

Parfitt has not been great - he has put 3-4 ok games together that is it against ordinary teams

If you think Parfitt is getting a game due to favouritism you obviously didn’t see what happened last season.
The guy has had to prove himself to the coaches, has done that, and is getting his chance and performing.
A stupid statement.

 

[catstragic]

do you guys think MOC tags butters? wondering for supercoach purposes

Probably IMO.

 

[Play it Sam]

Mullin will play a lot of AFL footy for Geelong. Elite athlete - athletic beast - aerobic animal.

Get 50 games into him and he’ll be a unit.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Marked everything that came his way last week and deserved inclusion. He needs a full game, and for that reason I'm tipping MOC as sub.

 

[God Mode]

Just an opinion.
we will fatigue as the season goes on, signs there last week, and most here are overrating us based on 7-0. We should still finish top 8, but no way do I see us as top 4; that is all I'm saying, and of course I hope and trust that is incorrect.

The same was said (including by me) that we'd fatigue in 2022...it didnt happen. Every side will fatigue as the year goes on.

I agree, there is a chance due to the nature of our age profile of old/young that we may tire more, however that isn't a forgone conclusion.

We also have contingencies in place to mitigate this. The fact we are now in a position to rest players bodes well for the remainder of the season, as it did in 2022 and our mids are only playing 60-70% gametime. This will work out in our favour as the season continues and pay dividends come finals.

 

[Max Rooke]

We must have absolutely zero regard for Port in Geelong.
No Danger or Bruhn and we rest Bowes so we can run with Atkins, Clark, Guthrie and... Brandon

I think the plan will be similar to Carlton. Let Butters and JHF get to the ball first but pressure the hell out of them (Parfitt, MOC, Atkins), then win the contest on the outside (Holmes, Duncan, Blics) and back in our defenders to intercept - their forwards are out of form.
Plus Soldo & Sweet both out so happy days for Stanley.

 

[HulkHawkins]

Just not as good as the rest

So if MH isn't as good as the rest why recruit him?

 

[Vdubs]

The same was said (including by me) that we'd fatigue in 2022...it didnt happen. Every side will fatigue as the year goes on.

I agree, there is a chance due to the nature of our age profile of old/young that we may tire more, however that isn't a forgone conclusion.

We also have contingencies in place to mitigate this. The fact we are now in a position to rest players bodes well for the remainder of the season, as it did in 2022 and our mids are only playing 60-70% gametime. This will work out in our favour as the season continues and pay dividends come finals.

Very early days, and even if we have a poor May, winning no games, we could recover and do well in September as you said.
But this next 4 week period, including last week, to me looks like it will be very lean for wins. Again, based on nothing except how I perceive our list.

 

[BORIS332]

Marked everything that came his way last week and deserved inclusion. He needs a full game, and for that reason I'm tipping MOC as sub.

Mullin’s kicking also looked to have improved last week.

 

[Vdubs]

So if MH isn't as good as the rest why recruit him?

Depth, need at the time, and the fact he's had no games at all maybe affirms that.

 

[God Mode]

Very early days, and even if we have a poor May, winning no games, we could recover and do well in September as you said.
But this next 4 week period, including last week, to me looks like it will be very lean for wins. Again, based on nothing except how I perceive our list.

Its a tough stretch that's for sure, but I think we can win them all if we are switched on.

 

[Vdubs]

If you think Parfitt is getting a game due to favouritism you obviously didn’t see what happened last season.
The guy has had to prove himself to the coaches, has done that, and is getting his chance and performing.
A stupid statement.

I think the favouritism he referred to was Dahlhaus.

Its a tough stretch that's for sure, but I think we can win them all if we are switched on.

Best thing is we will know tomorrow. I have rated Port, but Rozee out is almost > Danger out.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Danger game with those selections.

 

[Mr Meow]

It's coming to the situation that reality will set in over the next 2 months, and we realise that our list is just not that great in MF and ruck any more, and where we were expected to finish preseason will only be incorrect because we started 7-0

Yes, we will finish higher than expected because we won more games than expected. You are correct.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

What about 21 it was shocking favouritism - picked basically every week till he finally dropped him for the elimination final

Parfitt has not been great - he has put 3-4 ok games together that is it against ordinary teams

Yep.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Makes sense. Although again whoever they manage from afl this week will expect to play against Gold Coast. Without injuries it becomes a rotation of the 26 (23 plus emergencies). Maybe a chance for an extra surprise but very hard. Those surprises are often for debut against a poor team

I agree about the rotation this week and next. Obviously bowes has been managed now so he can play vs his old team next week. Same with bruhn playing next week.

mullin will obviously be the sub off a 5 day break. I am surprised we didnt rest dempsey this week-does it mean he wont go to darwin?

Given no vfl game this week i assume bowes bruhn mannagh and maybe hardie will all go to darwin and dempsey duncan and a couple of others will stay home.

The real questions are
-we will surely rest hawk next week (so he breaks the record at home) so if neale is injured do we find another tall (involving jeka maybe) or do we just put mannagh in and go smaller?

-and can rhys play tomorrow and then travel and backup in 6 days vs witts? Although if conway and neale both arent fit for darwin we have no choice.

Have you heard any word on conway will he be right for next week?

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Do we think it's safe to suggest that Mullin will be the sub?

Yes.

 

[GeelongFTW]

I agree about the rotation this week and next. Obviously bowes has been managed now so he can play vs his old team next week. Same with bruhn playing next week.

mullin will obviously be the sub off a 5 day break. I am surprised we didnt rest dempsey this week-does it mean he wont go to darwin?

Given no vfl game this week i assume bowes bruhn mannagh and maybe hardie will all go to darwin and dempsey duncan and a couple of others will stay home.

The real questions are
-we will surely rest hawk next week (so he breaks the record at home) so if neale is injured do we find another tall (involving jeka maybe) or do we just put mannagh in and go smaller?

-and can rhys play tomorrow and then travel and backup in 6 days vs witts? Although if conway and neale both arent fit for darwin we have no choice.

Have you heard any word on conway will he be right for next week?

Seems like Conway should be OK to travel to Darwin based on Scottys interview

 

[Pure_Ownage]

I mean I expect to win, but when you look at the respective midfields you couldn’t say this is going to be an easy night at the office.

They are very depleted too. Any side with visentini as a 1st ruck and evans and mcentee on a bench isnt that strong.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Touhy & Bowes missing is the clearest indicator we could get that Duncan won't make the trip to Darwin.

It is but i doubt duncan was ever going to go to darwin.
Mainly bc he and hawk will both want to rest next week so duncan can be there when his great mate breaks the record at home.