VFL VFL 2023 - Geelong & the greater league

[bombersboy]

He was up against Dunstan in the second half and had no trouble going head to head with him.

But nobody's saying he has to play inside mid. Give him a crack rotating wing/half forward and use it as a chance to give Smith, Tuohy, Rohan and Ollie Henry a game off each.

Even if we wait a week until after Sydney away. But if we can't beat North and Essendon in Geelong with Dempsey playing instead of those guys then we're not good enough this year.

Agree on should beat North. Essendon I think is a 50/50 even at home. i expect they will be a lot better than when we played them earlier in the year.

 

[cats_09]

He was played in the midfield late last season and performed well, particularly in a game against Port Melbourne. I think they see his future as a forward who can also take on a midfield role occasionally.

He has only had two AFL games this year, both as a sub, and has only played a couple of quarters. He needs and deserves a few full games. Round 17 against North and Round 18 against Essendon would be suitable, perhaps replacing a resting Rohan or O. Henry. The coaches/match committee should consider this as a priority, in my opinion.

Dempsey has played 3 AFL matches this season and was in the starting 22 against Richmond

 

[numbwombat]

Dempsey has played 3 AFL matches this season and was in the starting 22 against Richmond

And had 9 touches in one quarter, including two kicks for goal and one goal assist, in that game, which we lost and wasn’t particularly high scoring.

Bowes has been fine but no better than fine - I think Dempsey and Knevitt are pretty close & next cabs off the rank, given current availability.

Also think Dempsey is a winger and Knevitt an inside mid, in the long term.

 

[Gee Class Loco]

We are not dropping ollie and if we did it certainly wouldnt be for dempsey. Ollie is vastly underrated.
Sav is interesting on form he should come back in but i dont think the 4 tall backs works. Will be interesting to see who falls out.

I actually think he's vastly over rated. Especially with some on here.
Yes. He is super talented... i see it. Yes. I see the exceptional... but there isn't a fight in that dog that screams anything but i'm a talent.
The latter marks him down a few cogs for me.
Until the dog learns how to fight.
We will have ourselves a super talent with potential who shows it occasionally.... and thats about it.
He's only a year into our system which gives him a pass, for now. So he has another year or two to reach that potential/talents.
4 tall backs?? I don't see it that way.
For me it's SDK & Sav as our 2 big defensive talls.
The rest revolve around those to Pillars.

 

[David the Cat]

I actually think he's vastly over rated. Especially with some on here.
Yes. He is super talented... i see it. Yes. I see the exceptional... but there isn't a fight in that dog that screams anything but i'm a talent.
The latter marks him down a few cogs for me.
Until the dog learns how to fight.
We will have ourselves a super talent with potential who shows it occasionally.... and thats about it.
He's only a year into our system which gives him a pass, for now. So he has another year or two to reach that potential/talents.
4 tall backs?? I don't see it that way.
For me it's SDK & Sav as our 2 big defensive talls.
The rest revolve around those to Pillars.

FWIW I have some sympathy for your point of view. Ollie has a way to go imo...he'll get there, ..yes he's talented..but a few plays involving Ollie had me yelling at the screen last game.

I see he has kicked a goal every week so far which is handy, no doubt. And he has upside.

But at this stage I don't see him as underrated on this board.


PS: getting 3 thumbs down is quite an achievement. Good job !!

 

[Gee Class Loco]

FWIW I have some sympathy for your point of view. Ollie has a way to go imo...he'll get there, ..yes he's talented..but a few plays involving Ollie had me yelling at the screen last game.

I see he has kicked a goal every week so far which is handy, no doubt. And he has upside.

But at this stage I don't see him as underrated on this board.


PS: getting 3 thumbs down is quite an achievement. Good job !!

Thanks. I try my best... hehe

 

[Turbocat]

We have no perfect kids on our list. They all need to work on stuff. Thats what we add kids for to develop. Sometimes in the VFL. Sometimes in the AFL.Sometimes in the gym. Sometimes just thru persistence as a body matures.

They show potential in some areas and are deficient in other areas. Personally I dont see Demp as a OHenry replacement. Preseason he trained up to expand his running ability. In the VFL , the game is slower and less compact. he dances around players of less status. Watching the way menegola just tossed players showed the difference that level offers.

The thing to me is Demp and Ollie and Knevitt and the other kids we have will be inconsistent till they get to around 22/23 and 70 odd games. It varies. Sometimes less games and older. Sometimes more game and younger. We just need to assess if they players are progressing and worth our patience.

OHenry needed to polish up his setshots and statistically he has. Now id like to see him be more selective flying, keep his feet more. To do that he need to be a strong player. It will come. However the marks has has taken late it games at key times ..is a rare attribute.

Demp for a non footy background oozzes natural talent. I have not seen the second half of the VFL but I have mostly seen him play as a HFF type that is so talented he becomes a focus. I were to say he comes in to the side in this role... its Stengle and Miers and Close that he is competing with not OllieH.
The second half sounds interesting I will try to watch it if they put it up. Atm its only the mini match replay.

Knevitts form taking the ball out of the centre in the VFL was good. His dispossal to put the ball to the forwards advantage needs work.

When Clark comes in, im sure he will need to work on things as well.

Imo ,it will not be long. All will be in the senior side together. I dont see any of them playing a mutrally exclusive role

Sav at his age and experience is still need to work and become better. He should be an auto selection at his age and experience. That he is not probably say something about him or the alternatives we have. Sam Dek is a very talented kid.

 

[CHAWKTS]

We have no perfect kids on our list. They all need to work on stuff. Thats what we add kids for to develop. Sometimes in the VFL. Sometimes in the AFL.Sometimes in the gym. Sometimes just thru persistence as a body matures.

They show potential in some areas and are deficient in other areas. Personally I dont see Demp as a OHenry replacement. Preseason he trained up to expand his running ability. In the VFL , the game is slower and less compact. he dances around players of less status. Watching the way menegola just tossed players showed the difference that level offers.

The thing to me is Demp and Ollie and Knevitt and the other kids we have will be inconsistent till they get to around 22/23 and 70 odd games. It varies. Sometimes less games and older. Sometimes more game and younger. We just need to assess if they players are progressing and worth our patience.

OHenry needed to polish up his setshots and statistically he has. Now id like to see him be more selective flying, keep his feet more. To do that he need to be a strong player. It will come. However the marks has has taken late it games at key times ..is a rare attribute.

Demp for a non footy background oozzes natural talent. I have not seen the second half of the VFL but I have mostly seen him play as a HFF type that is so talented he becomes a focus. I were to say he comes in to the side in this role... its Stengle and Miers and Close that he is competing with not OllieH.
The second half sounds interesting I will try to watch it if they put it up. Atm its only the mini match replay.

Knevitts form taking the ball out of the centre in the VFL was good. His dispossal to put the ball to the forwards advantage needs work.

When Clark comes in, im sure he will need to work on things as well.

Imo ,it will not be long. All will be in the senior side together. I dont see any of them playing a mutrally exclusive role

Sav at his age and experience is still need to work and become better. He should be an auto selection at his age and experience. That he is not probably say something about him or the alternatives we have. Sam Dek is a very talented kid.

I love this post. I have a different perspective on some points (which is what makes forums more interesting!) but it is well thought through and balanced.

I think the “kids” under 22 are a promising group. We probably need a high % to work given our list but so far, with some development, I think it is possible we have a handful of A graders in 5 years time. The inconsistency you talk about happens in every club with young players - with a handful of exceptions.

I absolutely agree that Dempsey and Henry, whilst sharing the same first name, don’t have much in common - and are not like for like (almost in any way). I think both have a lot to learn but I reckon could be 10 year+ players at a high level. But not in the same role.

I have been calling Dempsey “Blond Miers” for the past few weeks in the VFL. Week before last he did 3-4 things that were almost perfect imitations of Miers short kick around corner to advantage. And he runs 13-15km every game as HHF. Is averaging over 20 possessions at a high efficiency. And this is why he is finding it hard to get an AFL game despite being best on ground in VFL last 3 full games - Miers is better right now. If Miers was injured I am certain they would put Dempsey in (Even though he will be more inconsistent). He is not close or stengle in terms of clever small forward. Nor is he Rohan or Henry in terms of hybrid (even though Dempsey is an excellent mark it is not the crash the pack type).

You should make the effort to watch the second half against Casey as it opened my eyes to some possibility with Dempsey development that I hadn’t seen. 23 possessions, 8 clearances and 4 tackles playing in MF for basically the first time (he has done the odd centre bounce before) is pretty impressive. More so when he was against Harms and Dunston, both 10kg heavier and have played 149 and 121 AFL games respectively. Dempsey didn’t crash or bash but he used his smarts (and was physical in a way i had not seen) to simply find the ball and get it forward. To develop as an AFL mid he will need to add the skill or powering out of contest but I reckon that will come with confidence and a few more KGs into the quads…. For now he will be mainly a HHF but we may have found a possible future very good mid if he keep developing - something I hadn’t thought (and maybe I am over reacting to one good half)

I see Henry this year possibly being sqeezed out of 22 finals time to be a great sub. In the end I am not sure they need both Rohan and Henry in best 22 forward line. If they have Jezz, Hawk and Rohan as the talls and Miers, Close and Stengle as smalls and then they always rotate Smith, 2E, Duncan and maybe Bowes through that extra HHF postion…that is enough (Especially as they can swing J Henry forward in game if needed)…so O Henry becomes sub and allows for extra utility in 22…. But in future O Henry will develop 4 qtr effort and be very good

I love Sav btw

 

[Live in hope]

And had 9 touches in one quarter, including two kicks for goal and one goal assist, in that game, which we lost and wasn’t particularly high scoring.

Bowes has been fine but no better than fine - I think Dempsey and Knevitt are pretty close & next cabs off the rank, given current availability.

Also think Dempsey is a winger and Knevitt an inside mid, in the long term.

Knevitt’s height means he’ll play a number of roles. Dempsey primarily wing with stints in midfield and forward.

 

[Finknottle]

Knevitt’s height means he’ll play a number of roles. Dempsey primarily wing with stints in midfield and forward.

Knevitt 193cm, Dempsey 187cm are both suited to the modern day midfield where you get anyone from 172cm all the way to 198cm. Mark Blicavs and Conor Nash (Hawthorn) are both 198cm. Marcus Bontempelli is 194cm and Patrick Cripps is 195cm.

 

[CHAWKTS]

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Saw most of the first half. Pretty frustrating watch, the team did OK in winning contests against a way older/experienced/better Melbourne side inside D50 and in the midfield but relentlessly turned it over, either trying to exit D50 or entering inside 50. Partly it's because of injuries but did emphasise our lack of young half backs and half forwards.

Thought Neale was good with limited opportunities, the goal he kicked was sensational. Parfitt's game was notably better than other times I've seen him this year, still turned it over by foot too much but was also willing to take more aggressive kicks that opened up the ground and avoided Tomlinson et al camped behind the ball. Hardie didn't get stacks of it but looks really comfortable at this level, one of those players who has time and makes consistently good decisions.

Probably the most notable thing was that Knevitt played predominantly on ball, against Harmes. Even though Harmes won the match up Knevitt looked way more comfortable, and had stacks more of the ball, than he has playing wing. I heard interviewed on KRock earlier in the season and he said he had never played wing before and was slowly learning - which helps explain how lost he looked in the VFL last year. I think he'd played pretty well at AFL level in that position so interesting that they've put him back in the middle in the twos.

It was always just a matter of building his body to a point where he could go back to the position that got him drafted. Wing has been a good learning opportunity

 

[numbwombat]

Knevitt’s height means he’ll play a number of roles. Dempsey primarily wing with stints in midfield and forward.

Where else do you see Knevitt playing? I haven’t seen him in the VFL but from his AFL games, I’ve only thought he looks an onballer.

I agree Dempsey could play a few roles but with Duncan, Tuohy and Smith all getting on I think wing /outside mid will be a pressing need soon, & suspect it’ll be where he spends the most time.

 

[CHAWKTS]

So people have mentioned Ollie’s last 3 full VFL games as being the best Cats player in each…I went to look at stats

In those three games he has

Kicked 5 goals and Averaged per game..

28 possessions (very high % as contested - like over 70%)
5 Marks
3.3 tackles
5 clearances

Mostly as HHF other than the last half last week

He certainly is good old fashioned “knocking the door down” - unfortuantely for him I still can’t see him getting back into the side any time soon. Here is hoping he has the right attitude to just focus on learning via being the man in the VFL until something opens up

 

[CHAWKTS]

Where else do you see Knevitt playing? I haven’t seen him in the VFL but from his AFL games, I’ve only thought he looks an onballer.

I agree Dempsey could play a few roles but with Duncan, Tuohy and Smith all getting on I think wing /outside mid will be a pressing need soon, & suspect it’ll be where he spends the most time.

I couldn’t see him on the wing early but he has started to learn how to play it. And his run and marking does suit it if he learns how to play it. But I am with you that long term he looks like another inside mid…

 

[CHAWKTS]

rebel Coaches MVP Award – Smithy’s VFL Round 14

Two rucks score perfect votes; top two poll again; young Magpies enjoys breakout performance

www.afl.com.au

Getting 8 votes for Dempsey in a team that lost by 40 points is pretty impressive

3 games in a row with 10 votes, 9 and then 8

 

[Gunf]

Surely if Dempsey keeps this up he will get a call up even if it is due to resting an older player e.g. Smith

 

[cats_09]

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

That's the best I've seen him look since Falcons days.

 

[cats_09]

That's the best I've seen him look since Falcons days.

I reckon he took a lot of confidence from that run of senior games across the first half of the season - no doubt there would have been disappointment at being omitted back to the VFL he doesn’t seem to have dropped his head and instead he’s putting his head down & getting on with it, and showing a great attitude to things

 

[Shadow89]

That's the best I've seen him look since Falcons days.

Gee it's almost starting to make me uncomfortable how all these blonde haired/blue eyed kids are turning out to be such guns, haha.

Bruhn
Zuth
Knevitt
Dempsey

Seriously so excited about these 4. Zuth hasn't even reached his ceiling yet, and the sky is the limit for the other 3.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Gee it's almost starting to make me uncomfortable how all these blonde haired/blue eyed kids are turning out to be such guns, haha.

Bruhn
Zuth
Knevitt
Dempsey

Seriously so excited about these 4. Zuth hasn't even reached his ceiling yet, and the sky is the limit for the other 3.

Then there's Clark.

 

[Shadow89]

Then there's Clark.

Doesn't even need blonde hair and blue eyes, and will probably be better than all of them - if that's even possible given how well Zuth is going and how Bruhn is projecting already.

It seriously bothers me how much people underestimate him. Like, have you seen him play in games he dominated in underage? He's like Lachie Neale, but he can mark and kick on both sides of his body - and is far, far tougher. 'Oh but he's short'...yeah so was Selwood comparatively, and look how that turned out

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Doesn't even need blonde hair and blue eyes, and will probably be better than all of them - if that's even possible given how well Zuth is going and how Bruhn is projecting already.

It seriously bothers me how much people underestimate him. Like, have you seen him play in games he dominated in underage? He's like Lachie Neale, but he can mark and kick on both sides of his body - and is far, far tougher. 'Oh but he's short'...yeah so was Selwood comparatively, and look how that turned out

He's got some real class and skill in close too.

 

[Live in hope]

Where else do you see Knevitt playing? I haven’t seen him in the VFL but from his AFL games, I’ve only thought he looks an onballer.

I agree Dempsey could play a few roles but with Duncan, Tuohy and Smith all getting on I think wing /outside mid will be a pressing need soon, & suspect it’ll be where he spends the most time.

In addition to being a follower, Knevitt could also play wing, third tall forward and possibly defence. Not enough size to be a Blitz ruck/KP type but very good hands qualifies for other roles.

While Dempsey is a very good contested mark, he lacks the size to be a third tall in defence and forward. So wing for me, with cameos in in midfield and floating forward.