Fair enough, in game though, and maybe it is a role issue, he had never stood out for his gut running, getting ahead of the play out back behind the ball.
My query on Perkins is how often he gets the ball. Only had 2x 20+ disposal games in his career. I know he has been stuck in the wasteland of the forwardline, but still, itās a concern.
Mind you, based on AFL form I have him ahead of Durham who I think has a similar weakness. Yet the word is that Durham is having a super pre-season, so who knows.
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Unlikely - I donāt think there has ever been a Victorian kid in a Victorian club who made a trade request to another Victorian club after just two years. Yes, thereās a possibility that we end up with a Lipinski situation with Hobbs cos we have one too many pure mids. Shiel is 30 this year, Hobbs can push him out in 2-3 years if Shiel doesnāt get struck with the Essendon curse where players fall over a cliff when they turn 30 and if Hobbs is happy to be patient.
Hobbs will get games, anyway.
Could also just be the same old deal that everyone weāve used in starvation corner has had - spend half the game just running to cover space and stop/slow the switch, and only really involved in every 3rd or 4th attacking phase.
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Its 2 months until we play the Hawks so Tippa has plenty of time to build more fitness over pre-season, match sim & practice matches. I think we will roll the dice and play him against the Hawks. Selection will be interesting and thereās definitely a few spots still undecided a little and up for grabs. Right now Iād go with;-
Ridley Zerk McGrath
Redman Lav Massimo
Heppell Parish Martin
Langford Weideman Shiel
Stringer 2MP Tippa
Draper Setterfield Merrett
Bench: Caldwell Perkins Geulfi Durham
SUB: Hind
Emergency: Kelly Snelling Cox Hobbs
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I think youāve gotten too used to us having super thin depth and having our draftees immediately best 22 as a result. In most competent clubs you have their draftees playing plenty VFL games working on their craft in their early years.
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With the current status quo
I actually think Perkins (Agree with [ivan Elite - why & where), Langford, Snelling & Tsatus, need to earn a spot due to either being new or their previous form. Perhaps Guelfi, to a lesser degree as a fringe player, but both and Weideman and Setterfield are different. Hobbās has proven himself and should be ready to step into the team first opportunity. (I love his tenacity and competitiveness which is vital changing our on-field culture moving forward)
If Setterfield shows enough heās in for structure and the same to a lesser degree with Weiderman, because he can help in the ruck. Yes, Iām pumped to see what Voss can do and all things equal (no injuries) Iād have Jones in there as my 2MPās second.
Special mention that Durham and Martin own the wings unless something happens to one of them, so donāt touch!
Iāll admit I never thought much of Zerk-Thatcher, but now Iām intrigued, but I have full confidence in Ried (although he hasnāt had the opportunity to justify it yet) and Iām also big on Cox. Perhaps he starts on bench 
(can see him in defence, rotating on wing and used as a Mr fixit)
The backline, similar to the midfield is difficult for best 22ā¦ I like Ambrosio and think McGrath will be a weapon this year, not sure on Hind, but think his speed is handy and he will improve under Brad. Rhett Montgomerie is āplug & playā and could be a handy intercept defender. It will be interesting how his form goes in the VFL and how soon before he gets a call up.
Heppell as a player & his captaincy is a bit of a conundrum. Iād rather leave him out and play our future even if we are light on experience, so the others are forced to all step up quicker. A leadership group of united Reddog, Merrett, McGrath and Drapes (& Parish?)ā¦ with Reddog and Merrett combined captains and McGrath as vice? Heppell might be better than we expect and even valuable in the team, but Iām all about the future.
Small forwards were one of our greatest weaknesses but soon to be morphed into one of our strengths. ā¦ Iām super excited on Munkara, have hopes for the Davies to a lesser degree son of the rubberman. Tippa is a lock and by hell we need him. Menzie I know little of except quite a few are bullish on him. Small forward pressure will transform our team just as a 2mp āRobinā.
Perfect scenario is we are super completive & exciting, turning us into a destination club again. We are a respected club by the end of the year with a decent war chest ready to poach a quality player (but only if needed ie a King or similar) Wins are irreverent if we are playing our youngsters and they are playing well and developing, and a decent draft pick wonāt hurt.
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It might actually help in their longevity in the game as well. A lot of the cats players who played VFL footy early in the career and still went on to play 300 games.
VFL GRAND FINAL
GEELONG V COBURG
SATURDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 14:15 PM (LIVE ON ABC TV)
MC LABOUR PARK (PRINCES PARK)
MATCH REPORT - CATS WIN VFL PREMIERSHIP
GEELONG 3.5 5.13 12.19 17.24 (126) DEFEATED
COBURG TIGERS 1.2 4.5 4.6 7.10 (52)
GOALS:
GEELONG: Lonergan 6, Hawkins 2, Davenport 2, Varcoe, Gamble, Gardiner, Djerrkura, Hogan, Grima, Cheep
COBURG TIGERS: Jackson 2, Krakouer, Oakley-Nicholls, Gazzo, Connors, Hill
BEST:
GEELONG: Lonergan, Playfair, Gardiner, Byrne, King, Thompson, Davenport
COBURG TIGERS: Jackson Ronaldson Horne Moore Neville Krakouer
The famous cats in 2002
NOT that they would want to, but if ever Port Melbourne players, coaches and fans look back on its 2002 Grand Final loss to Geelong they could feel aggrieved.
What are the odds that any club could boast such an array of precocious, young talent, many destined for the AFL Hall Of Fame, as Geelong did the year.
Consider that the following all represented Geelong in that historic premiership team ā Messrs Ablett, Bartel, Chapman, Hunt, Johnson and Kelly.
History tells us that all six have been at the forefront of Geelongās dominance in the AFL the past five years.
Now here is a small sample of what has been achieved by the afore-mentioned players
- 2 Brownlow Medallists ā Ablett and Bartel
- 3 Norm Smith Medallists ā Bartel, Chapman, Johnson
- 5 All-Australians (not including Mitchell White previously) ā Ablett, Bartel, Chapman, Johnson, Kelly
- 6 x AFL Premiership players (not including Mitchell White previously) - Ablett, Bartel, Chapman, Hunt, Johnson, Kelly
- 4 x 3 time AFL Premiership Players ā Bartel, Chapman, Kelly, Johnson
- 3 Geelong Best & Fairests (Gary Ablett also won one with the Gold Coast Suns) ā Ablett (2), Chapman
Just set our VFL team up to win the flag in 2023
b: Lord McBRide Hayes
hb: Hind REID Montgomerie
c: Davey Tsatas Menzie
hf: VOSS Stewart Munkara
f: Wanganeen Baldwin Davey
R: Bryan Hobbs Caldwell
int: Conforti, Phillips, Phillips, Snelling
Might even be able to senak McDonald Tipungwuti into the side round 1 to play with his ābrothersā
If Hobbs and Caldwell and Tsatas all get 30 possessions every week will be hard to keep them in reserves.
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Not the good ones, they donāt.
Tom Stewart debuted rd 1 in his first year. Tom Hawkins debuted round 2 in his first year. Selwood round 1. Blicavs round 1. Jack Henry Rd 2, Cam Guthrie rd 1, Mitch Duncan round 1. Etc etc etc
So Iād suggest the contention that other clubs donāt give good kids chances is pretty hard to support.
Good clubs have better depth and better players to push past. We donāt.
But thatās actually why holding Hobbs back would be so utterly stupid - because heās not being beaten to a spot by Jimmy Bartel or Dangerfield, itās a guy who just had a career best year with 13 touches a game.
Reid does look like he doesnāt need games getting pumped into him, and all he needs is time to fill out and build his strength although like you said, that remains to be proven. BZT does seem to be on track to be a good defender this year, which makes waiting for Reid to fill out easier.
I donāt think it is a strength because the quality is just not there yet but Snelling and/or Guelfi are more than good enough to be carried in the best 22, at least until one of the younger ones come good or we draft a decent one (Nick Watson is the dream).
Iāve been thinking about our midfield, in particular the centre bounce combos and i think we have gone backwards. Our two best mids are now Merrett and Shiel. Draper is still hit and miss as a ruckman. The rest of the mids are underdone or are unproven. Parish, not even in full training and based of last season is not going to have an impact early. Setterfield and Caldwell have not shown much. Then there is the kids Hobbs, Perkins and Tsatas. Langford and Stringer will probably not attend many centre bounces.
So, if we lose one of Merrett or Shiel, we are stuffed.
Setterfieldās averaged 21.6 disposals in the last 5 games of the 2022 season. I would have thought that is showing quite a lot. 26 possessions against Melbourne and 24 possessions against Collingwood. He is ready to go and is a lock for the starting midfield position in round 1.
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BEST 23
FB: Jordan Ridley, Jayden Laverde, Nick Hind
HB: Mason Redman, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, Andrew McGrath
C: Nic Martin, Zach Merrett, Sam Durham
HF: Harrison Jones, Peter Wright, Kyle Langford
FF: Jake Stringer, Sam Weideman, Matt Guelfi
FOL: Sam Draper, Darcy Parish, Dylan Shiel
INT: Massimo DāAmbrosio, Jye Caldwell, Archie Perkins, Jake Kelly
Sub: Ben Hobbs
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Good team and interesting they have Heppell in the Vfl.
Thatās probably the slowest team in the league.
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Yep, that forward line loses the game. Every time.
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Your legend needs work
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Think this is pretty much bang on.
I think the main question is whether our forward structure completely goes when Draper is on the bench and we only have Wright forward. If Jones has a big 6 weeks he would be a big chance.
Not sure I would say Perkins is a lock based on exposed form (on potential, yes). Langford is ahead of him in the high half forward spot. Perkins would be the one to go to make way for Jones, if they wanted the three tall set up
Langford Weideman Stringer
Tippa Wright Guelfi (+ Jones)