Preview Rd 1 Geelong v Essendon Sat March 19 2:10 pm MCG

[CatToTheFuture]

Depressed to hear Stephens won't play. I fear Scott just doesn't get it: we're all sick of seeing the same mediocrities and failures in the team. Scott is a very decent chap and no fool, but very very conservative. One had hoped that Kelly and the other newbies might have injected some dare and imagination in to team selection.

Stephens was never playing round 1. Look at his TOG in preseason. He's being eased in. Hasn't played a full length game since 2018 I think

 

[standupand]

SDK and Henry in? Menegola out?

Blitz to wing/ruck. That is my opinion and I'm happy to be wrong

I'd be happy for you to be right. Don't really want to see Blitz playing back if we can avoid it.

 

[Footy Smarts]

All those outs are going to make it tough. It sounds like the guaranteed 18 are:

Henry---SDK---Zuthrie
Stewart---Blicavs---Tuohy
Smith---Guthrie---Selwood
Close---Cameron---Holmes
Stengle---Hawkins---Sav
Stanley---Danger---Parfitt

Then the bench is out of Higgins, Dahlhaus, Kolo, Atkins, Narkle and Evans. I think I'd pick the last 4 with Higgins as sub.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

I didn't watch any Essendon preseason games, can anyone who did tell us how they looked?

 

[Biggy_Boy]

You know how it is on this board:
Season 1. Player shows a bit, does a couple of nice things, maybe picks up a rising star nomination, but never actually a game changer. - Labelled as a superstar in waiting
Season 2. Does not do the superstar things wished for - gets labelled a spud and everyone denies having ever thought he is any good.

Just waiting for the subbies at the addy to roll out the "Holmes under the hammer" headline.

Usually they don't get games in season 2, and then they're traded elsewhere two seasons later.

 

[Down at K Park]

How does Sav keep getting games? He doesn’t do anything.

I know he is playing as a second ruck due to ceglars injury, but he sucks at that too. May as well just put anyone tall near the ball up in as ruck when stanley rests, cause they won’t offer any less than sav does.

 

[cats_09]

With the no Stephens news, this may make people a bit happier if there's truth to the following suggestions

 

[cats_09]

Depressed to hear Stephens won't play. I fear Scott just doesn't get it: we're all sick of seeing the same mediocrities and failures in the team. Scott is a very decent chap and no fool, but very very conservative. One had hoped that Kelly and the other newbies might have injected some dare and imagination in to team selection.

Or they're easing Stephens into things - ramping up his game time during the VFL practice matches & unleashing him in the seniors at the right time

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Or they're easing Stephens into things - ramping up his game time during the VFL practice matches & unleashing him in the seniors at the right time

Whilst I'm disappointed he won't be playing, one must understand he hasn't had a great deal of match fitness in 3 years. He's a future captain of this club so we need to be patient.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I'd be happy for you to be right. Don't really want to see Blitz playing back if we can avoid it.

I just don't want Sav playing if Hawkins/Cameron is playing. If he's a fwd/ruck and we already have Cameron/Hawkins then he has no role for 85% of TOG and a role he is bad at for 15%.

Blitz/Rhys is the last ruck combo I truly thought worked.

 

[Isaac Norm Smith]

Still enough quality, and in particular firepower to get the job done here. Essendon very likely to win the ruck / midfield battle, but their forward line isn't great. I reckon we could concede 20-25 less F50 entries and still win by 3-4 goals. As long as we kick straight and take our chances, I think our forward line fire power will be too much for them. They might get on top in contested ball and clearances, but we will be very likely to score heavily from limited entries, and with Henry and Stewart back in the team, our defence will do enough to keep them at bay.

Cameron and Hawkins with 9 goals between them.

Stengle 2 goals in his Cats debut.

Selwood 35 touches and a goal.

Looking forward to taking my 4yo son to his first game at the 'G.

Cats by 17 after we pull away late in the last.

 

[catempire]

I worry when you don’t give the kid the chance that’s there. With Duncan and Menegola out there won’t be a better time to play Stephens.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

I worry when you don’t give the kid the chance that’s there. With Duncan and Menegola out there won’t be a better time to play Stephens.

Those two are wingers, Cooper is more an in the guts type player. Dangerfield, Narkle, Parfitt, Guthrie and Selwood for his role.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Those two are wingers, Cooper is more an in the guts type player. Dangerfield, Narkle, Parfitt, Guthrie and Selwood for his role.

So the same problem as with Constable, except Constable could accrue 30 touches at AFL level. Doesn't look too hopeful for him then. Just have to wait for Selwood and Danger to step aside, because they couldn't possibly play any other role at this point in their careers.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

So the same problem as with Constable, except Constable could accrue 30 touches at AFL level. Doesn't look too hopeful for him then. Just have to wait for Selwood and Danger to step aside, because they couldn't possibly play any other role at this point in their careers.

Will be interesting to see how Chook goes at the Suns then. One side of the argument can definitively win and we can move on with our lives.

I would say that if the players in the way of midfield time here are Joel and danger then next year the equation has one of those retired and the other a mostly permanent forward spraying set shots

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I worry when you don’t give the kid the chance that’s there. With Duncan and Menegola out there won’t be a better time to play Stephens.

I don't worry round 1, I will worry of we get to round 10 and are still having the conversation. Let him play at least a few full length vfl games first considering his last remotely full TOG game would have been u18s level before the leg break.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

With the no Stephens news, this may make people a bit happier if there's truth to the following suggestions

I want to believe

 

[you pick one]

I just don't want Sav playing if Hawkins/Cameron is playing. If he's a fwd/ruck and we already have Cameron/Hawkins then he has no role for 85% of TOG and a role he is bad at for 15%.

Blitz/Rhys is the last ruck combo I truly thought worked.

Blitz will go to 2mtr Peter we have nobody else with the reach in the back half and even then it's a big ask for Mark and we can't expect him to do the ruck work as well.But agree that Sav is a worry and I fear when he does clean some one up in a pack it will be Tom or Jerry.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Blitz will go to 2mtr Peter we have nobody else with the reach in the back half and even then it's a big ask for Mark and we can't expect him to do the ruck work as well.But agree that Sav is a worry and I fear when he does clean some one up in a pack it will be Tom or Jerry.

SdK is technically tall enough.

I would give up the height difference if it meant not having to carry a guy with no real role. Can convert that position into an additional midfield rotation

 

[D BRIDGE]

Year and years on and we are asking the same questions regarding the ruck.... Will Blitz play 2nd ruck and not settle in a defensive post because Sav (and Stanley) are terrible. Just seems to be happening forever.

And yes I was always one of the people that thought Ceglar will be #1 ruck when fit (can't believe people think we are bringing him in to sit behind Stanley), but we will still ask the same question about the 2nd ruck even when Ceglar plays... because Sav will still be offering zero, and having Stanley play 2nd ruck/forward just will be funky with Hawkin/Cameron duo.

Honestly, I'd deadset almost cop Dangerfield doing a Dunkley and chopping out a little ruck just so we can play an extra ground-level player.

What I'm saying is crazy but that's how bad our rucks are.

3 things...

1 - Get fit soon Ceglar
2 - I wish we could press a button and age Conway a few years (could be our future Gawn).
3 - We needed to make Goldy an offer he couldn't refuse a few years back (it may have cost us a flag).

I'm just over this ruck spot costing us week in, week out for years.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Year and years on and we are asking the same questions regarding the ruck.... Will Blitz play 2nd ruck and not settle in a defensive post because Sav (and Stanley) are terrible. Just seems to be happening forever.

And yes I was always one of the people that thought Ceglar will be #1 ruck when fit (can't believe people think we are bringing him in to sit behind Stanley), but we will still ask the same question about the 2nd ruck even when Ceglar plays... because Sav will still be offering zero, and having Stanley play 2nd ruck/forward just will be funky with Hawkin/Cameron duo.

Honestly, I'd deadset almost cop Dangerfield doing a Dunkley and chopping out a little ruck just so we can play an extra ground-level player.

What I'm saying is crazy but that's how bad our rucks are.

3 things...

1 - Get fit soon Ceglar
2 - I wish we could press a button and age Conway a few years (could be our future Gawn).
3 - We needed to make Goldy an offer he couldn't refuse a few years back (it may have cost us a flag).

I'm just over this ruck spot costing us week in, week out for years.

Ceglar is injured I think.

I'd still think he was behind Stanley regardless

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Whilst I'm disappointed he won't be playing, one must understand he hasn't had a great deal of match fitness in 3 years. He's a future captain of this club so we need to be patient.

He does seem to have 'it' I reckon. Maybe not the most naturally gifted out there but he's got all the intangibles.

I'm not sure how you'd describe it, but he just has the vibe of a bloke who's going to get the best out of himself no matter what. Looks a natural leader which we haven't really had come in the door since Joel to be honest.

 

[D BRIDGE]

Ceglar is injured I think.

I'd still think he was behind Stanley regardless

No way a fit Ceglar is behind an average Stanley.

Ceglar is younger, taller, stronger, and far less likely to be mauled like Stanley is on a regular basis.

Stanley has been a disappointment/tease for a very long time and looks to be getting even worse.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Ceglar is younger, taller,

By 2 months...

 

[Down at K Park]

Blitz will go to 2mtr Peter we have nobody else with the reach in the back half and even then it's a big ask for Mark and we can't expect him to do the ruck work as well.But agree that Sav is a worry and I fear when he does clean some one up in a pack it will be Tom or Jerry.

SDK is actually taller than 2MP.