9 minutes ago, monoccular said:

I wonder if the Carlton doctors will allow that poor victim Rowe to play this week? 

That the guy who hit his head on the turf practicing his acting lessons?

11 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

That's great that Goodwin's plan suits Etihad, but we might want to fix our MCG form considering we play there 8 more times than Etihad.

What "form"? We've played one freaking game against a side who knew they couldn't beat us unless they dragged the game into a defensive turnover fest.

Similarly, we have no Etihad "form" despite one win there. Two wins in 10 years does not equal "form".

See the concussed Cripps and Rowe are named this week

Should be an inquiry,Bloody [censored]. 

18 minutes ago, DemonAndrew said:

The vfl season set up is ridiculous 

Should have seen that one coming ?

1 hour ago, DemonAndrew said:

The vfl season set up is ridiculous 

Because its run by ewoks with klingon brains!!

12 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Because its run by ewoks with klingon brains!!

You've just outed yourself as a star/s/wars/trekker, Pickett.

So many Geelong players I know nothing about or have never heard of

Can someone tell me if any of the following players are any good - 

Sam Menegola, Jackson THurlow, Tom Stewart, Brandan parfitt, Lincoln McCarthy, Jordan Murdoch, Tom Ruggles

menegola is a mature age ball magnet; think barlow when he emerged at the dockers but probably not as noticeably impactful.

ruggles is a classic lock-down defender; i actually really like him as a player.

murdoch has played nearly 70 games now, has developed into a handy third tall.

mccarthy doesn't get much of it but he can play lock down defender or small forward, potentially pushing up the ground. think bugg.

stewart is a mature ager, midsized but good in the air.

thurlow was an under 18 representative in his draft year about 5 years ago but has had a rotten run of injury - has talent tho.

parfitt is a zippy youngster, really talented looking kid. i rate him highly; was part of the national academy squad last year.

 

 

4 minutes ago, DemonAndrew said:

menegola is a mature age ball magnet; think barlow when he emerged at the dockers but probably not as noticeably impactful.

ruggles is a classic lock-down defender; i actually really like him as a player.

murdoch has played nearly 70 games now, has developed into a handy third tall.

mccarthy doesn't get much of it but he can play lock down defender or small forward, potentially pushing up the ground. think bugg.

stewart is a mature ager, midsized but good in the air.

thurlow was an under 18 representative in his draft year about 5 years ago but has had a rotten run of injury - has talent tho.

parfitt is a zippy youngster, really talented looking kid. i rate him highly; was part of the national academy squad last year.

 

 

 

Thanks for the reply.  We are going to win this game.

6 minutes ago, Petraccattack said:

 

Thanks for the reply.  We are going to win this game.

The Cats are gettable and they don't play Etihad well. Lost to Saints & Blues there last year and only just got over the line last week. Danger and Selwood are the worry so the midfield battle will be crucial. Guys like those mentioned above (Menegola, Thurlow, McCarthy etc) aren't terrible but not world beaters either. My wife is a Cats fan so I watch a bit of them. When they're on they're good but they've been pretty flaky since 2014 (2nd after H&A last year flattered them)

Viney's been a bit flat lately. A stopping role on Selwood wouldn't cost us a great deal of output and could go a long way toward our chances of a win.

(I think Bernie going to Danger again is a fantasy). 

10 hours ago, DemonAndrew said:

The vfl season set up is ridiculous 

And Casey are only about 6th flag favorites......doesn't make sense to me

I like Kent in....not sure if I would've gone for Brayshaw another week and then decide though. Tim Smith and Bernie Vince playing was always coming and I'm happy with he selections made in the end

8 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

The Cats are gettable and they don't play Etihad well. Lost to Saints & Blues there last year and only just got over the line last week. 

They are average at Etihad but they did beat the Dogs by 50 odd points there last year.

Still rather play Geelong at Etihad than Kardina Park.

Some people are being harsh on Brayshaw. 

After his run of head knocks last year he said it took a while before he stopped being anxious going for the ball.  If I recall correctly he worked with the club psychologist to get ok with it again.

Fast forward to last weekend.  He gets a hit of some sort to the head and a cut on his forehead.  While he may not have been concussed it may have been enough to trigger worry about concussion.  I think after the knock last week he was distracted which was the more likely cause of him not playing well in the second half.

To me that distraction is totally natural for a young guy who has just turned 21 and with his recent history.

Folks, give him a break! 

I like the way our footy dept always has a plan B e.g using Hogans absence to blood the Bull. It will be interesting to see the tactics to curb Danger and Selwood. Also Menzel worries me - he is capable of anything. Other than those 3 we have got them covered IMO.

13 hours ago, rpfc said:

What a great problem to have when Brayshaw is pushed out of the side. I know he will be effing filthy but he is playing a role that he isn't suited to, because of the strength of our midfield. 

And Kent is a much better player in the role that Brayshaw has been playing so he makes way.

I understand it - and the pressure is on ANB and Hannan to perform.

What a great problem to have.

My thoughts exactly! I am a huge fan of Brayshaw but half forward seems to kill his natural game. He is a midfielder. Go back 2 or 3 seasons and how many of us were constantly commenting on our midfield woes. Now we have talent and depth enough to mean a player like Brayshaw can't find his place there. A good problem to have. 

In his first year Brayshaw seemed a good (not great) kick on the run on both sides of his body, but he seems to have really gone backwards with his kicking. But the biggest concern is the constant head knocks. I hope head injuries/concussion do not cut his career short or cause long term difficulty. 

I expect Gawn to be rested up forward more this week to give us a target. Will be good for our small forwards to play at his feet.

 

Edit: Brayshaw is an inexperienced kid who pretty much missed all of last year with injuries. I'm not at all worried about him. 

1 hour ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

They are average at Etihad but they did beat the Dogs by 50 odd points there last year.

Still rather play Geelong at Etihad than Kardina Park.

The cats just seem to match up well on the dogs. Dogs supporters didn't want to face cats in September

I suspect (and hope) that Brayshaw's journey mirrors that of another highly rated top 10 draft pick from 2001, Jimmy Bartel.

Bartel showed much promise in his debut year in 2002 earning a RS nomination.  He was in and out of the team, but was highly rated within AFL circles, as well as the broader supporter communities.  Bartel played 24 games in his first two years compared to Brayshaw's 31.  Like Bartel, Brayshaw earned a RS nomination in his inaugural year.

I well remember Bartel being dropped in round 3 of his third year (2004), as I was surprised at the time due to the raps on him.  Coincidentally, Brayshaw has been dropped for the same round and also in his third year.  Bartel played 7 consecutive weeks in the VFL working on what the coaches required.  When he made it back in he never looked back.

I see the same parallels in Brayshaw.  I really like him as a player and see no harm with him playing in the VFL until he bangs the door down and once again reclaims his spot in the senior team. 

1 hour ago, Jaded said:

I expect Gawn to be rested up forward more this week to give us a target. Will be good for our small forwards to play at his feet.

 

Edit: Brayshaw is an inexperienced kid who pretty much missed all of last year with injuries. I'm not at all worried about him. 

I wouldn't expect this...

One of Geelong's weaknesses is in the ruck.

I expect Gawn to exploit this and give us first use in the middle and around the ground.

42 minutes ago, ProDee said:

I suspect (and hope) that Brayshaw's journey mirrors that of another highly rated top 10 draft pick from 2001, Jimmy Bartel.

Bartel showed much promise in his debut year in 2002 earning a RS nomination.  He was in and out of the team, but was highly rated within AFL circles, as well as the broader supporter communities.  Bartel played 24 games in his first two years compared to Brayshaw's 31.  Like Bartel, Brayshaw earned a RS nomination in his inaugural year.

I well remember Bartel being dropped in round 3 of his third year (2004), as I was surprised at the time due to the raps on him.  Coincidentally, Brayshaw has been dropped for the same round and also in his third year.  Bartel played 7 consecutive weeks in the VFL working on what the coaches required.  When he made it back in he never looked back.

I see the same parallels in Brayshaw.  I really like him as a player and see no harm with him playing in the VFL until he bangs the door down and once again reclaims his spot in the senior team. 

Good post.

The good thing about this version of the club, is that it can afford to wait and allow these things to be developed at the right pace - we have enough talent playing well that if someone needs extra time, it can be given, without the need to overplay the player because there's nobody else.

I think Brayshaw is clearly going to be a good player, and is a good player when he's on, but I'm happy to wait patiently until he's ready to deliver it on a consistent basis.

3 hours ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Some people are being harsh on Brayshaw. 

After his run of head knocks last year he said it took a while before he stopped being anxious going for the ball.  If I recall correctly he worked with the club psychologist to get ok with it again.

Fast forward to last weekend.  He gets a hit of some sort to the head and a cut on his forehead.  While he may not have been concussed it may have been enough to trigger worry about concussion.  I think after the knock last week he was distracted which was the more likely cause of him not playing well in the second half.

To me that distraction is totally natural for a young guy who has just turned 21 and with his recent history.

Folks, give him a break! 

While I don't disagree with you, didn't his cut to the head come half way through the last quarter?

45 minutes ago, rjay said:

I wouldn't expect this...

One of Geelong's weaknesses is in the ruck.

I expect Gawn to exploit this and give us first use in the middle and around the ground.

Gawn can't ruck 100% game time, but rather then resting on the bench, I hope he spend most of his "rest time" in the goal square.

Btw, Geelong's weakness might be the ruck, but their midfielders are good enough to rove from opposition rucks, which is why winning taps to advantage will be key tomorrow. 

Just had a chat with Dr Turf. Reckons we're a huge chance to get up even without Lewis and Hogan. Very optimistic. Go Dees.