Play Nice Will Geelong win the 2016 premiership?

[master bate]

I'm not predicting a premiership, but I am curious about where you see the 'holes'.

1. Reliance on Stanley, Smith, Clark and Vardy to fill the ruck and 2nd key forward post. It's unlikely but possible that all could be injured at once. More likely that you could be down to 2/4 and the wrong 2. If you could lock in 20 games each from Stanley and Vardy right now I'd be a lot more confident and Smith and Clark would be excellent depth.

2. Duncan and Motlop will have to take up a lot as the run and carry mids. Dangerfield and Selwood will stand out as the ball winning mids. There's still big question marks over the rest of the mids. Guthrie seems at his best as a tagger. Caddy floats in and out. Teams will put work in to Blicavs. Scott Selwood is a bit similar to Guthrie, needs to bounce back.

3. Menzel, Gregson, Lang, Cockatoo sounds good on paper but might not be in reality as a medium/small forward mixture, a lot of inexperience there and the best defender won't be going to Stevie J or other experience forward. These guys are going to have to kick goals, defend and do midfield rotations.

If Motlop is in the middle there's probably not a dynamite crumber in this group and Menzel is good but the other 3 aren't really overhead marking 1 v 1 types.

4. The backline will be 2 speed still. The old - Lonergan, Taylor, Enright, Mackie and the young - Thurlow, Kolodjashnij. Henderson helps if he settles in well, but then it might be too many talls. Guthrie helps if he is freed up to play back. Still not sure there is a gun lock down defender and Enright will still be the most important rebounding player.

 

[dcutter]

I'll give the cats one thing - at least they're having a crack.
I see spud teams like Freo sitting on their non goal kicking arses, observing the crickets chirp and tumbleweed go by.

Geelong are the great unknown for 16'.
- On top of Danger, Henderson, Selwood, Z Smith you can almost add Menzel, M Clarke and Stanley.
- Don't really rate Henderson nor Selwood
- Potentially very good forward line
- lacks speed around the ground
- looks good on paper, surely with a good injury run they play finals. Top 4 probably unlikely.

My guess..Stevie J to kick the winning goal in the Geel v GWS first elimination final at the cattery...

 

[DaVillaBlues]

For a club that got so much out of the draft, this is some serious change to list management practices.

To be fair, this year's draft is reportedly the worst in a decade, so the risk by Geelong is somewhat negated by that.

 

[Sttew]

I'll give the cats one thing - at least they're having a crack.
I see spud teams like Freo sitting on their non goal kicking arses, observing the crickets chirp and tumbleweed go by.

Geelong are the great unknown for 16'.
- On top of Danger, Henderson, Selwood, Z Smith you can almost add Menzel, M Clarke and Stanley.
- Don't really rate Henderson nor Selwood
- Potentially very good forward line
- lacks speed around the ground
- looks good on paper, surely with a good injury run they play finals. Top 4 probably unlikely.

My guess..Stevie J to kick the winning goal in the Geel v GWS first elimination final at the cattery...

I was about to 'Like' your post until the last comment. My prediction, SJ will have got himself suspended the week before & misses the EF.....against Gold Coast

 

[Sttew]

For a club that got so much out of the draft, this is some serious change to list management practices.

Hard to please everyone. For the past few years we've been accused of being too old and too slow (actually people said that in 2011!). The club did something and could have gone two paths - rebuild with youngsters in the draft or trade

 

[El_Scorcho]

I don't see their 2nd tier as being good enough to compete with the top teams. No doubt they'll be better in 2016 than they were in 2015, but you've still got a lot of guys that hide behind the hard work of aging champions who aren't getting any younger.

Are the guys they are bringing in good enough to get them from a team that was probably lucky to finish 10th all the way to a flag? I don't see it.

 

[Cynic]

Geelong has been brilliant this trade period.

I really rate Henderson (as a defender, useless forward) and Smith though.

Selwood, meh, but didn't cost much.

Dangerfield is an insane pickup for free.

 

[Crankyhawk]

That was the whole purpose of this ******ed topic.. Just disingenuous shit from smug Hawthorn supporters... We finished 10th this year, struggled against sub par sides and haven't strung together a solid string of wins for 4 years.. Until guys like Duncan, Guthrie, Motlop, Menzel & Vardy can actually collectively play well cohesively, we'll barely make the 8.

That's what was being said about west coast at the start of the year. Then they lost 2 key players to ACLs.

 

[Deathly]

Top 8 at best, not a flag threat.

Would be the biggest doomsday story if they don't make Top 8.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

A lot will depend on the likes of Duncan/Motlop and Menzel

Geelong's top end is good - it is the support cast that is pretty ordinary

Bartel and Enright are serviceable now - but not elite.

With Danger joining and if Duncan can get fit - they will have a quality starting midfield with some outside run and a bull forward to kick to.

It is player 10-22 that the issue lies with

 

[Stratts4Norm]

They may just be a threat which is excing for hawks fans I'm sure, just wondering who who does Scott and paddy replace? Stevie j and stokes?

 

[Hawkas1988]

Cats should be aiming for top 4 with where they're at. Big changes could result in some impressive things for the cattaz

 

[grouse mate]

To be fair, this year's draft is reportedly the worst in a decade, so the risk by Geelong is somewhat negated by that.

11 players out and only 4 in suggests they will be using draft picks, and their first 1 is a third rounder or something. Nobody can question Wells' record but they are putting it all on the line.

 

[StillAtLarge]

Geelong imo still haven't addressed their tendency to leak goals to small forwards and don't look to have any dangerous crumbing/defensive forwards themselves.
You're also more likely to see the cats' ruckmen in triage than on an afl ground.
I do rate Henderson though and every club would love to have Dangerfield.

 

[Dusky]

Yes, yes they can.



Mods, close thread.

 

[manboob]

11 players out and only 4 in suggests they will be using draft picks, and their first 1 is a third rounder or something. Nobody can question Wells' record but they are putting it all on the line.

I think there is more to come. Something is up. Getting in a lot of shit picks next year - I guess to cash in for a F/S or something.

I think also is a clearing of the dead wood - most clubs have 10 players on their list that arent much chop but there is nothing better to replace them with, perhaps we are doing this and hoping we find a few along the way - rather than keep the Mitch Browns of this world on our list.

 

[JUBJUB]

They may just be a threat which is excing for hawks fans I'm sure, just wondering who who does Scott and paddy replace? Stevie j and stokes?

Johnson & Kelly

 

[Boxhead_31]

11 players out and only 4 in suggests they will be using draft picks, and their first 1 is a third rounder or something. Nobody can question Wells' record but they are putting it all on the line.

Couple of rookie upgrades and a few DFA signings to come

 

[manboob]

Geelong imo still haven't addressed their tendency to leak goals to small forwards and don't look to have any dangerous crumbing/defensive forwards themselves.
You're also more likely to see the cats' ruckmen in triage than on an afl ground.
I do rate Henderson though and every club would love to have Dangerfield.

I guess that's where Bews and Thurlow come in. I still wouldn't be surprised if Scooter doesn't play in our midfield.

 

[hawkman]

To be fair, this year's draft is reportedly the worst in a decade, so the risk by Geelong is somewhat negated by that.

They will need to pick up 4 or 5 players from the draft from pick 67 or later. That is a big chuck of their list that will most likely not be at AFL. They need to strike now as it looks like they have sacrificed a bit of their future

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

Geelong imo still haven't addressed their tendency to leak goals to small forwards and don't look to have any dangerous crumbing/defensive forwards themselves.
You're also more likely to see the cats' ruckmen in triage than on an afl ground.
I do rate Henderson though and every club would love to have Dangerfield.

Thats been a problem for us for years. Small forwards always kick bags against us, hell we let monfries bag 6 against us 2 years ago.

They tried bews in a shut down kind of role this year but not sure about him.

 

[DrEvil_]

Will be the biggest choke ever if they don't win it next year.

 

[PayFL]

Top 8 at best, not a flag threat.

Would be the biggest doomsday story if they don't make Top 8.

Nah.

The biggest doomsday story has already happened - it's Freo/Ross Lyon not winning a flag during their strongest period.

 

[living_in_syd]

i think its like Geelong are trying to emulate Miami in which they promised LeBron a competitive roster and went out and got it. Whether it works out for Geeling like Miami is a different story.

 

[Lunchlady Doris]

Geelong imo still haven't addressed their tendency to leak goals to small forwards and don't look to have any dangerous crumbing/defensive forwards themselves.
You're also more likely to see the cats' ruckmen in triage than on an afl ground.
I do rate Henderson though and every club would love to have Dangerfield.

Smith played every game last season, in the AFL or NEAFL. Simpson is gone.