Who is the most expendable?

[catempire]

There seems to be a general consensus that one of Chambers or Loats will make way on the list for Ottens. My tip is Loats.

Of the others, who do you think would be least missed by the team if they were delisted?

 

[holdencaulfield]

I agree that Loats should be delisted and stay delisted for the sake of devaloping Blake, Playfair and Lonergan.
I think that Slade is the most expendable ,but will be drafted back with our final pick.

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Rahilly.

The others are at least young, whereas Rahilly is pushing 26 and hasn't improved.

 

[catluke]

Rahilly is a gun he plays good in the vfl but doesn't get picked to play in the seniors because of our backline.

And Matt McCartney isn't that good he can't kick straight and his slow.

 

[Unwritten_Law]

Hinging on Graham's decision, maybe McCarthy.

I'd like to see the big blokes in the VFL play in set positions rather than chucked around wherever. Lonergan at FF, Playfair at CHF, Spencer at CHB, lock it in dammit.

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Tom Lonergan's greatest assets are his ability to find space, and his football brain.

Playing a set position like FF doesn't suit him.

 

[Ricketts]

Rahilly.

The others are at least young, whereas Rahilly is pushing 26 and hasn't improved.

100% correct.

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Rahilly is a gun

A gun that has managed 31 senior games in the past three seasons.

He's 26, and hasn't been in our best team since 2001. Why would you bother going with him again?

 

[JUBJUB]

Rahilly is a gun he plays good in the vfl but doesn't get picked to play in the seniors because of our backline.

Perhaps he doesn't get picked for the seniors because he struggles in the seniors.

 

[WestCat]

Tom Lonergan's greatest assets are his ability to find space, and his football brain.

Playing a set position like FF doesn't suit him.

Lonners to CHF?

 

[flagfor05]

I'd say Rahilly. He's had his chance and isn't in the best 22. His disposal lets him down sometimes.

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Lonners to CHF?

He should be playing CHF in the VFL, but if he makes it in the AFL, he's likely to be a third tall (much like Playfair).

He doesn't have the strength to hold down a KP at the top level, is more a finesse player, despite his height.

 

[bulletproof]

Tom Lonergan's greatest assets are his ability to find space, and his football brain.

Playing a set position like FF doesn't suit him.

There is little to like about Lonergan but worth another year as he is one of the few developing forwards on the list. I would like to keep Rahilly but the numbers just dont fit.

 

[catempire]

By the sounds of this, Rahilly is one earmarked for the chop, but will get a reprieve if Graham goes...

Cats wait on Ben's NFL bid
23 October 2004 Herald Sun

GEELONG won't know until early next week whether Ben Graham is abandoning his AFL career to take up a lucrative punting contract in the NFL. Graham returned home from the US last night and told the club he needed the weekend to discuss his options with his family.

There is serious interest in the big-kicking Geelong centre half-forward after he trialled impressively with four NFL clubs during the past couple of weeks.

Graham, 30, has been offered a one-year contract with the Cats. But he has the potential to earn up to $1 million a year if he makes the grade in the NFL.

Geelong football manager Garry Davidson said he had spoken with Graham's manager Ricky Nixon last night, but a final decision wasn't expected for several days.

"His attitude was that Ben needs to talk over things with his family over the weekend before we all sit down and talk through everything," Davidson said.

"It is then that we will decide what direction to take and whether we can work everything out."

The NFL season has already started.

Should Graham decide to go, he would have to be in the US by February to start learning the game of gridiron in preparation for the September season kick-off.

Graham went through his paces with the New York Giants, New York Jets and New England Patriots before spending time with the Minnesota Vikings, the NFL club of former AFL player Darren Bennett.

The Cats are hoping that this season's resurgence to the top four, coupled with the recruitment of Richmond star Brad Ottens, is enough to sway Graham into having one last shot at premiership glory.

A decision on Graham has to be made by Friday, which is the deadline for final club list lodgments.

The Cats still need to delist two more players, with the future of utility James Rahilly believed to hinge on Graham's decision.

Meanwhile, Geelong has continued its theme of drawing former players back to the club by appointing Leigh Tudor as VFL coach.

Tudor, who played in the Cats' last two Grand Final appearances of 1994-95, won the job after forging an impressive coaching career in the TAC Cup competition.

Tudor, 35, who played 60 games for Geelong in four seasons, was an assistant at the Calder Cannons in their 2001-03 premiership years.

This year he took over the head coaching role with the Western Jets.

Tudor replaces Ron Watt, who has moved into player development, while former Melbourne and West Coast rover Andy Lovell replaces Daryn Cresswell as an assistant coach.

 

[iameviljez]

Rahilly, surely. I have the feeling that McCarthy saved his own bacon with his performance against the Dockers in the wet. Slade hasn't had a chance. Thurley hasn't either really, he needs to bulk up still. Rahilly, on the other hand, won't develop into an AFL level player. He is in reality a stopper, and, as far as stoppers go, we have Ling, the best offensive stopper in the comp, followed up by Wojcinski and D.Johnson... we don't need another one. It's as simple as this - the others still have time. He does not. I remember that he only really played one really good game - against Collingwood, in 2002. That was the day when Mooney kicked four from CHF and we thought all our prayers had been answered! It's taken a while but I think we're getting there... c'mon Playfair! Grow!

 

[BulldogMike]

I will tip Slade to get the chop.

 

[Catman]

I have the feeling that McCarthy saved his own bacon with his performance against the Dockers in the wet.

I hope this isn't the case as that game only suited him because the conditions dragged everyone else down to his level where his lack of skills weren't exposed. Compare that with the following week against the Crows on a dry track where he was totally out of his depth.