Traded Paul Chapman (2000-2013)

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CF

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May 11, 2006
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Paul Chapman


Fast Facts

Jumper No: 35
Height: 179 cm
Weight: 88 kg
DOB: 5 November 1981
Recruited From: Calder U18
 
Re: No. 35 Paul Chapman

AFL Round 11 v Adelaide
Played alright today, still looks sore but is getting better. Hope to see him back at full strength soon.
 

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Re: No. 35 Paul Chapman

17 disposals against the Swans in a good game. When the Swans were really trying to physically intimidate us he was one who stood up to it and gave a few back. Chappy is nearly back to his best.
 
No.. 35 Paul Chapman

From HS 4/3

  • AN injury-free Paul Chapman as a midfielder. It sounds too good to be true for Geelong fans.
But that's what could be on display in a couple of weeks when Chapman makes a rare appearance in pre-season competition.
After two years of chronic groin and hamstring injuries, the 27-year-old hasn't missed a beat over the summer and yesterday declared his intention to be a more regular member of the Cats' star midfield.
"It (injured) is not a nice way to play footy at all," he said.
"This is my 10th year and you don't really hear of players who go through their careers without having a couple of years sort of down with injuries and stuff like that so hopefully my years are done.
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"I am a lot fitter than what I have been over the last couple of years and it's good not to have niggling hamstring or groin injuries."
Chapman battled osteitis pubis through the Cats' run to the premiership in 2007 and then last year suffered a hamstring strain during the semi-final victory over St Kilda.
He didn't play in the preliminary final but was re-called for the Grand Final against Hawthorn and struggled to have an impact.
"It's not nice for everyone looking at you, all the media, in the week of the Grand Final," Chapman said.
"I played and I knew I was right to play but obviously I would have loved to have played a bit better in the Grand Final.
"I'm sure there was a lot of us who would have loved to have played a bit better too but no excuses, that was the way my body was, I was picked and I was ready to go."
Chapman began training before his teammates in November.
"I wanted to get everything ticking over so by the time they did get there I was probably a little bit more fitter," he said.
"They (medical staff) put me through it a little bit slower at the start but since then we've approached it pretty smartly and professionally and my body has just thrived from it."
Chapman, who kicked 33 goals from 19 games last year, wants to play more midfield than on the half-forward flank, where he is rated as one of the best in the competition.
"I definitely want to play as much as I can through the middle," he said. "I want to have the ball in my hands as much as possible.
"I think my body is ready now for anything, whether I play forward or midfield. I see myself more of a dangerous player in the midfield than in the forward line, but if you ask our forward coach he will probably disagree with that.

" I wouldn't say I would be a 100 per cent midfielder but hopefully play 60-70 per cent in the midfield and 30 up forward would be perfect for me. I've put my hand up, I'm fit and hopefully my body can handle it. I've done all I can do so it is up to the coaches."
 
Re: No. 35 Paul Chapman

Outlook

The Cats’ hard nut was not quite at his bubbly best for most of 2008 and a hamstring injury set him back late in the season. Missed rounds 18-20 and just as he was starting to look sharp again, he injured his hamstring in the qualifying final against St Kilda. The Cats declared him unfit for the preliminary final and brought him back for the Grand Final. Put pen to paper in a new deal and is an important player to Geelong’s forward and midfield structure.


SEASON BY SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

2008
# Played 19 games (18-1) and second straight grand final
# Had 20 + disposals in 14 of 19 games
# Kicked 33 goals
# Equaled career high with five goals vs. West Coast in rd 13
# Equaled career best with 12 marks vs. Freo in rd 15
# 150th game in rd 16 vs. Bulldogs at Skilled Stadium, a 61 point win
# 200th career goal came in rd 21 vs. Nth Melb
# Played for Victoria vs. dream team in AFL hall of fame game

2007
# Capped season by kicking four goals in premiership win over Power
# Finished 2nd in Norm Smith medal voting
# Took one of the all time great grand final marks on members flank
# Played 19 games and kicked 30 goals
# Had double figure possessions in every game
# Had career best nine tackles in rd 20 win over Nth Melb
# Set career high with five goals in qualifying final win over Nth Melb
# Had career best 24 kicks vs. Essendon in rd 14
# 100th career goal came in rd 13 vs. Lions at the Gabba

2006
# Won first club best & fairest after playing all 22 games
# Also won coach’s award
# 100th AFL game came in rd 5 vs. Swans at Olympic Stadium
# Polled 14 Brownlow votes to finish 9th
# Set career high with 35 possessions in rd 22 vs. Hawthorn
# Twice had career high 13 handballs (vs. Adelaide, vs. Hawthorn)
# Was 15th in AFL with 331 disposals
# Played in NAB Cup grand final win over the Crows

2005
# Played 19 games but missed finals through injury
# Kicked 29 goals, with at least one goal in all but one match
# Booted four goals in rd 14 win over Hawthorn
# Finished 6th in best & fairest

2004
# Played all 25 games including three finals
# Had double figure possessions in 24 matches
# Booted 38 goals. Had 12 games with multiple goals
# Finished 9th in best & fairest
# Played in Wizard Cup grand final vs. St Kilda

2003
# Played all 22 games
# Booted four goals vs. West Coast in rd 7
# Kicked last minute game winning goal vs. Richmond in rd 15 at Telstra Dome
# Named as best team and most constructive player
# Played 50th game in rd 21 vs. Lions at the Gabba
# Finished 8th in best & fairest

2002
# Played 16 games, including last 15 of the season
# Had 26 disposals in rd 9 vs. Bulldogs, his first 20 possession match. Also kicked three goals in that game
# Named as Cats most improved player
# Finished 8th in best & fairest
# Member of Cats VFL premiership team

2001
# Played nine games
# Kicked two goals vs. Richmond in rd 9

2000
# Made AFL debut in rd 12 vs. Collingwood at MCG, a four point win
# Played four games, including elimination final, when he kicked his first goal
# Finished 3rd in Cats reserves best & fairest

1999
# Finished runner up in Calder Cannons best & fairest
# Named in TAC Cup team of the year
# Played for Victoria metro at U18 national championship
# Played AFL reserves with Essendon and Melbourne as ‘top up’ player

1998
# Played with Calder Cannons in TAC Cup
 
Re: No. 35 Paul Chapman

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Re: No. 35 Paul Chapman

Chapman means to make amends



By Jennifer Witham 11:13 AM Sun 08 March, 2009

GEELONG forward Paul Chapman believes the Cats have an opportunity to take a step towards redeeming themselves for last year's grand final loss to Hawthorn as soon as next week when they face Collingwood in the NAB Cup decider.

Chapman said the players are pleased they've been given a chance so early in the year to atone for the September disappointment, for both the club and its supporters.

"It's good to be able to do something for fans and for ourselves," he told afl.com.au after the Cats' 17-point semi-final win over Carlton.

"You try and win every game that you can but especially the grand finals. You don't want to lose them and we did that last year.

"We've focussed on getting there again, which we have now, and then once we get there, not losing them.

"We'll be doing everything we possibility can to win it."

The 27-year-old conceded the Cats would have to lift to defeat a Collingwood team that have been impressive throughout the NAB Cup completion.

"We'll definitely need to play better than we did tonight ... it was very scrappy," he said.

"We mostly didn't do what we wanted to do, but it was good to come out with the win and head into a grand final."

Chapman himself is in fine shape after an uninterrupted pre-season that commenced earlier than scheduled.

He said he is looking forward to a strong season and hopes his fitness will lead to more time on the ground.

"We've had a pretty tough pre-season and I've got through," he said.

"After the last few years, having niggles with my groin and my hamstrings, it's been really good.

"I started a bit earlier than the boys and went for a few runs and kept the body ticking over rather than stopping and having too good a rest, and that seems to have worked for me.

"Now I'm looking forward to spending more time in the midfield. We've got a quality midfield side so it would nice to be a part of that."
Click to expand...

http://www.gfc.com.au/GeelongNews/NewsArticle/TabId/3933/default.aspx?newsId=72987
 
No.35 Paul Chapman

Ruthless Geelong Cats to show no mercy

GEELONG hard man Paul Chapman has warned the competition the Cats' best is yet to come, as the team strives to widen the gap between it and the pursuing pack this season.

After a 93-point belting of Brisbane last week, the AFL powerhouse confronts second-bottom Melbourne in the biggest mis-match of the season at the MCG today.

One punter has outlaid $500,000 on a Cats win at the skinny odds of $1.05 with Darwin Sportsbet, for a potential return of $25,000.

Chapman said the club was hell-bent on improving further and would show no mercy to younger sides, such as the Demons, in its bid for premiership redemption this season.

"I still don't think we are playing our best footy yet," he said.

"We were a lot better at the weekend, especially in the wet conditions. We played ruthless footy, and that is what makes us such a good side.

"You feel for the teams down the bottom, because we were there once before, and we know it's not a good place to be.

"But, in saying that, we know if we are only 10 per cent off and they are on their game, they will beat us, and we understand that."

Geelong has won an incredible 47 of its past 50 games and looks capable of setting an unprecedented run of dominance this home-and-away campaign.

Assistant coach Ken Hinkley said it would be hard to improve on the win tally of the the past 50 matches, but agreed the pleasing form of the Cats' young players augured well for the immediate future.

"We might not be able to improve in terms of the number of games won, because we've won a fair amount in the past two years, but we think a lot of our players can certainly improve," Hinkley said.

"A lot of the core players in our team are in their mid-20s and approaching what we hope is their best footy, so, as a group, we aim to improve and we hope that that is the case."

Geelong has been backed in with TAB Sportsbet from $17 to $9 to complete the home-and-away season undefeated.

The Cats already hold the record for most consecutive wins with 23-straight victories between Round 12, 1952, and Round 13, 1953.

Chapman, who has started the season in sensational form, said the Cats intended maintaining their focus throughout the season.

He insisted the team had learnt from mistakes it had made in previous years, slipping up against lesser, younger opponents.

"I think the culture of the Geelong of old was that sometimes when we played the lesser teams we fell off a little bit," he said.

"Then when we played the good teams, we brought our A-game, so it's about evenness in our approach and worrying about what we do, not what the other team is doing.

"If we do A, B, C, D and E right, or to the best of our ability, then we think it is hard for any team to beat us."
Click to expand...

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25419640-19766,00.html
 
Re: No.35 Paul Chapman

Don't worry, be Chappy

PAUL Chapman felt embarrassed, if not slightly annoyed.

]It was a closed training session in Grand Final week and three news crews hovered in helicopters above Skilled Stadium, all, basically, to film him.

To get vision of Chapman's final fitness test and find out, in the frenzied build-up to the season decider, if his troubled hamstring was OK, and whether the prized forward would take his place against Hawthorn.

For an admitted "old-school" footballer who prided himself on a team-first attitude, the media attention and distraction it caused rattled him.

"I did try to put it out of my mind, but I knew exactly why they were there," Chapman said of the helicopters and lines of camera crews peer ing over fences.

"It was frustrating and a bit of a distraction, because this (week) was all about the footy club but all the focus was on me and I didn't like that much at all.

"It was really bizarre. Out of my control but, that said, I think if it happened again I would handle things a lot better."

History shows the 27-year-old played in the big game, below his best, and that the team suffered only its second loss for the year.

The result, five rounds into a blistering start to a new season, doesn't so much haunt him as motivate him.

Chapman was brought back into the team at the expense of one of his mates and now, in a way, he wants to repay them.

"I like to think I was mentally tough enough to cope with it all and back it up, but on that day I didn't," he said.

"It wasn't a good day for a lot of us, but they are the days you need strong people to stand up, but I didn't, and that sort of ate at me."

The shock 26-point defeat capped a frustrating two years on a personal front for the nuggety No. 35, restricted by groin problems in 2007 and recurring hamstring issues in 2008.

In that time, the 2006 club best and fairest winner felt he was treading water in a team of youngsters improving at a rapid rate.

In October, the now veteran of 160 games and 212 goals questioned where his football was heading, approaching what was meant to be the prime years of his career.

"I don't think I was going backwards but I was plateauing," he said. "Up until I won the best and fairest in 2006 I was getting better each year. You think it will just continue like that, but with the injuries, it actually all fell apart for me.

"I didn't realise how much it got to me mentally until the end of last year, and obviously with the loss.

"I thought, 'this isn't a great way of playing footy, I just can't keep doing this'."

Essentially, Chapman was sick of playing catch-up every week, trying to do enough to get from one game to the next. Fed up with all the managing and the monitoring.

But the former Calder Cannon isn't one to sit and sulk.

In what would form the platform for his best start to a season, Chapman parted with his usual pre-season plan and began "ticking the legs over" before any of his teammates, three weeks into his seven-week break.

The idea was to increase the strength in his problematic legs and improve his fitness before the inevitable pre-season onslaught began.

For a long time he had hoped to push from the forward line into the midfield and he was determined to make this his year.

Come February, not surprisingly, Chapman was flying.

"I knew I had to do something different because I was just sick of watching the boys or having to do recovery in the pool or something and people wondering, like in the Grand Final week, whether I was going to come up," he said.

"But I came back fit and within a couple of weeks I was doing the hard stuff, the really hard stuff with the boys, thinking 'I'm f----- here', but so was everyone else.

"It was just great, instead of doing some swimming exercise, to feel that and do that with all the boys.

"Injuries may have shut me down for a bit, but hopefully now I'm back." Back, in a big, big way.

The hard-nosed goalkicker has been superb in the Cats' first five wins, getting to more contests and burrowing out more hard balls than at any time previously.

An ignition point for the rest of the team, Chapman has averaged a whopping 28 possessions and a goal-and-a-half a game pushing harder and further up the field.

He was almost unstoppable against Collingwood in Round 3, amassing a career-high 35 possessions and four goals.

He was a trapdoor in the forward 50, applying tremendous defensive pressure and finishing on goal with unequivocal class.

Crucially, he turned the contest when the game was on the line, gathering 12 touches and booting two majors in the definitive second term.

Perhaps most pleasing, though, is that Chapman has brought the same high intensity and unrelenting attitude to each contest, each match.

Indeed, all the evidence this season suggests Chapman, one of the very good players of previous years, has arrived as one of the game's "elite".

If he can remain injury-free, Chapman's first All-Australian guernsey beckons.

Assistant coach Ken Hinkley, who has overseen the restructure of Geelong's forward line over the past five years, has no doubt Chapman belongs in the top bracket.

"I think Chappy's best football is as good as anyone's in the competition," Hinkley said.

"He's been unlucky in previous years because his pre-seasons have been interrupted, but the big thing for him this year was that he was able to complete the pre-season.

"He's taken on board that he needs to make the most out of the pre-season and what we're seeing is him getting the reward for the hard work he has put in."

Indeed, if Geelong's best and fairest was counted now, Chapman would probably sit second, behind only an onball maestro in the midst of a perfect season, Gary Ablett.

Not that Chapman has stopped to consider his glittering form, amid the club focus on premiership redemption.

"I just want to get the best out of myself and do my best for the team," he said. "If I have a good week I want to have another good week, and another good week, and another.

"That's when I rated my own game the most, in 2006, when my form was consistent."

The key to that is the hard work Hinkley spoke of, something Chapman been doing plenty of now confidence in his body has been restored.

It's ironic, really, that a player not blessed with many athletic traits has built his game on maximum effort, given a lack of it almost cost him his AFL career much earlier on.

The 31st pick in the 1999 National Draft was accused of cruising in his early years in the AFL, before being told in no uncertain terms to lift or he was out.

"I never used to like training that much," he said.

"I used to like just going out there and having a kick. "I was probably a bit old-school, just wanting to play and have some fun.

"Then I realised everyone who plays this game is a good footballer, it's the ones who work harder who actually get more out of it.

"That finally hit home when I got a bit of a kick up the bum."

Chapman is now the eighth most experienced player on the club's list, and a leader, although not by official title, by his actions more so than his words.

He signed a four-year deal with the Cats last season, knocking back interest from West Coast and Sydney to move his career interstate.

As financially tempting as the offers may have been, the opportunity to create something special at Geelong was something he could not pass up.

"I've always known we were a quality team, going back to '04 when we made a preliminary final, Sydney pipped us in '05 and '06 was a bad one," he said. "I don't think we were playing close to our best during those years but knowing what lay ahead is what kept me here.

"Now we are a great side, but we don't forget we've been through a lot of hard times together, getting pumped by Brisbane and smashed by West Coast.

"We were all small little kids then, and they were punching us up, and we went through all that together.

"Now it's our turn and we've got to take that chance."

A HAPPY CHAPPY

Rd 1 v Hawthorn 30 possessions, 1 goal
Rd 2 v Richmond 16 possessions, 2 goals
Rd 3 v Collingwood 35 possessions, 4 goals
Rd 4 v Adelaide 26 possessions, 1 goal
Rd 5 v Brisbane 34 possessions, 0 goals
2009 Avg 28.2 possessions, 1.6 goals
Career Avg. 17.5 possessions, 1.3 goals

CHAMPION DATA CLUB RANKINGS FOR GEELONG IN 2009
PAUL CHAPMAN
Goals Eq 3rd
Possessions 2nd
Kicks 1st
Clearances 5th
Inside 50s 3rd

Herald Sun
Click to expand...

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25421494-19766,00.html
 
Re: No.35 Paul Chapman

200039.jpg
Paul Chapman

Jumper Number35
Height179
Weight88
DOB05/11/1981
Recruited FromNorth Coburg Saints/Calder U18
Career Matches161
Career Goals213
about

Chapman's soft tissue injuries saw him miss games late in the year for the second consecutive season. When fit he remains one of the most important players in the Geelong team with his ability to play both midfield and forward. He has averaged 20 or more disposals and kicked 30 or more goals in each of the past three years. The hard-nut is heading into his 10th season and has played 155 games scoring 204 goals.

season stats

Kicks109
Tackles14
Handballs73
Goals9 Behinds4
Disposal182
Disposal Efficiency77%
Score Assists15
Contested Possessions33
Time on ground83% (6 Matches)
Uncontested Possessions147
Super coach693 pts (6th)
game by game
KHDDE%CPUPTGBASTOTAL1097318278%33147149415Averages18123078%62522131 v Hawthorn (W)13173087%42531012 v Richmond (W)1061688%21432013 v Collingwood (W)24113577%72834044 v Adelaide (W)15112677%32211015 v Brisbane (W)23113465%72620336 v Melbourne (W)24174178%10322115

Herald Sun
 

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Re: No. 35 Paul Chapman

Courageous Chapman a perfect soldier

By Glenn Archer 2:48 PM Fri 08 May, 2009

I RECENTLY spent a week in Vietnam with my father who is a Vietnam veteran. We travelled there with a group that consisted of about 20 other Vietnam Vets and their families. It was an amazing trip retracing the steps of the Australian soldiers and visiting various battle fields and some infamous areas where many of our soldiers lost their lives.

On Anzac Day we attended a dawn service in the rubber plantations of Long Tan where on August 18, 1966 about 120 Australian soldiers fought off 2500 Viet Cong in an amazing victory for the Australians.

When you listen to the story of that day it’s hard to imagine what it would have been like to be there.

But if I were put into a time machine and dropped into the middle of that battle and I could chose one player in the AFL to be with me, who would it be? The one that stands out like a beacon to me is Paul Chapman.

Chappy has all the personal qualities you need when you go into battle. Talent, courage, mental toughness, desire, selflessness and a work ethic that is second to none. We have many great players in the competition but Chapman is the only one I can think of that is an A-grader in all these areas.

He really has gone to another level this year after an injury-plagued 2008 and a grand final nightmare. He looks to me like he hasn’t forgotten that last Saturday in September and wants to redeem himself and inspire his team to do the same.

When he is around the footy something always seems to happen. Whether he is winning the hard ball and dishing it out or he is putting on a block, so the likes of Gary Ablett and Jimmy Bartel can get a clear possession or passage to the ball.

When he isn’t performing the one percenters, he is getting his own ball and using it superbly. He is one of the great kicks in the competition and has the rare ability to always look inside and find a teammate in the centre of the ground. As we know, these days if you can enter your forward 50 through the centre of the ground you are almost certain to get a scoring opportunity. The forward can lead left, right or up the middle and with the rules not allowing defenders to hit arms all you need is the ball to be placed in front of the forward and there is nothing the defender can do.

His courage is undeniable, placing his head over the ball or backing back into the pack never taking his eye off the ball and for someone who is 179cm, he has to be pound for pound one of the best marks going around.

When you watch Geelong play it’s hard not to focus on Gazza, but with him being out for the next two weeks, do yourself a favour and watch Chappy go about his duties and I’m sure you’ll agree that he would make a fine recruit for any battalion!
Click to expand...

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/76476/default.aspx
 
Re: Like a phoenix from the ashes - Geelong Board player review is back! (Nine senior players remain

# 2 Billie Smedts

Height - 189cm Weight - 79kgs
Drafted 2010 - pick 15, 2011 Games - 0

The knock about young kid from Warrnambool who's father Alby played VFL for the Saints and Bulldogs entered season 2011 hoping to break into the senior side as a utility player capable of playing as either a medium sized forward or back, with the feeling that the club may have ear marked him for a position in the back half and for awhile pre-season for 2011 started looking promising for our #15 pick in the 2010 draft until early 2011 when during pre-season training he started to notice some pain in his back. Scans lead to the discovery in early May that Billie had a issue with bone spurs on his hip joints that would require surgery to correct.

The surgery was completed successfully and was at the time expected to see a 12 week recovery time but the club thinking of Billie's long term health decided to have him sit out for the year and allow him to fully recover in time to be right to take part in all the pre-season training for season 2012.

Billie has joined the players as part of the training camp at Falls Creek and has been taking part in all of the drills and sessions in a bid to impress the selection committee in hopes of being able to get a game in 2012 something that all Cat fans look forward to seeing.

"I feel like I'm starting my career with Geelong now," Smedts said.

"The first thing is just to get through the pre-season and get my body in the best shape I can, so that when the NAB Cup comes around I can hopefully put my hand up and get a few games.

"I hope I can show some things to 'Scotty' [Cats coach Chris Scott] that he likes, so he'll put me in the team for round one, which would be a nice little reward."
Click to expand...

Smedlts in a recent interview with GFC.com.au on his pre-season so far
 
Re: Like a phoenix from the ashes - Geelong Board player review is back! (Nine senior players remain


Shannon Byrnes – 104 games, 99goals, 2 premiership medallions

Put your hand up which group are you in?

Group A sees real value here. A pocket rocket in the must play category – links up – provides defensive pressure – goal a game player.

Group B sees the number 17 as cause for despair . Head disappears into hands as he lines up for goal or is forced towards the boundary on his right side.

There can be no fence sitting with Shannon Byrnes you either love him or he drives you nuts.

Byrnes got the call to join the hoops in 2002. The country lad (Shepparton) accepted the offer of a place on the GFC’s rookie list and the journey began. At 175cm and “a bit” one sided, it was a bold choice by Geelong’s recruiting staff.

Byrnes spent the necessary year in the VFL in 2003 – (third in VFL B&F) before making his senior debut in 2004 vs Sydney .

2005 and 2006 saw Byrnes star.
Well in Bigfooty forums anyway, as posters vented their frustration or praise for this lightning quick fumbler. No one was able to resist taking a side. On the one hand Byrnes was just what the modern game required- grass blistering speed and the endurance to be involved all over the ground – and often. He had very quick hands and the ability to move the ball on to advantage with deft touches. In fact if you didn’t whatch closely you missed a lot of the good stuff.

The bad stuff stood out clearly for all to see. How many times did your head disappear into your hands as Byrnes got trapped on his right and refused to use it? Sometimes he turned back into traffic only to be nailed … hard. Turnover.
Then there was goal kicking. You could see Shannon concentrating so hard on set shots that he would tense and miss ….almost every time. Shots on the run got sprayed. Fingernails were being destroyed all over the state watching Shannon in action.

2007 was a watershed. For the GFC and all its longsuffering supporters. Shannon was just Shannon for another season and won his way back into the senior side and played in all three finals. He had a premiership medallion but people who like to talk footy and decide on a player’s value were still arguing his worth.

2008-2009 saw Shannon begin to blossom. OK 2008 was not a lot different but hauls of multiple goals became more frequent and he was able to find a way to get the ball between the biggies. He was emergency for the granny (some say we lacked leg speed that day!). 2009 and Byrnes finds his feet and establishes himself as a better than handy small forward. Third in the B&F, 35 goals and a last quarter of the grand final that is hard to forget. His endurance and speed repeatedly allowed him to break away and pump the ball forward. Medallion number two sat easily on his chest.

2010 Byrnes had another very good year. 35 goals, high tackle count, high possession season. His polish began to show especially as he became a reliable shot at goal. He was getting value for effort.

2011 Injury plagued what could have been a great year for the little bloke.

2012 at 27 Shannon has much to offer. He will need to keep improving however as Cowan, Motlop, Shredder and others begin to press for places and Varcoe and Stokes mature. Byrnes though, has that rare turn of speed and the ability to get to the ball in open space and move it on efficiently that cannot be taught. In fact should he ever realize how much talent he has ( and he learns to kick 20m on his right) he could surprise even this admirer.

The fact such an accomplished player could not make it into the 2011 premiership team says volumes for depth at the GFC.
 
Re: 2011 Geelong Board player review - Six senior players remain!

Paul Chapman 2011 review.

This is an interesting review to write, given that as Geelong supporters we all have a lot of time for "Chap" in light of both his on-field abilities & achievements and his propensity to make the most scathing inflammatory/controversial statements in the media. This year began positively for Chapman, he made the stock standard "new coach has got us training out of our skin" preseason puff-piece - and then promptly found himself injured. Was it a groin strain? A hamstring? A calf? Several variations of the injury were reported, and Chapman had yet another interrupted preparation to a premiership tilt.

Although not without its highlights (a 23 possession, 10 tackle, 3 goal performance in a rare comfortable victory over Hawthorn in round 5 a major play) Chapman's season was statistically unremarkable in comparison to previous years. Under the new lower-possession game plan Chapman sacrificed over 100 disposals on his 2010 numbers, while kicking around the same number of goals - which trended downward noticeably from 2009. He was still good for his 20-25 touches a game, and would bob up for 1-2 goals most weeks, but something was slightly amiss with Chapman's form this season in comparison to other years. Was it the result of the Chris Scott style? The loss of Ablett in the midfield reducing the frequent short pass possessions with which Chapman was so frequently involved? Was he still fighting injury? As it turns out, you could attribute all of the above for creating the impression that Chapman had a mediocre year by his own standards - and from the frustration that he vented at various times during the year, no-one was more aware of it than he. Most (in)famously he was dragged and mildly chastised on the bench by a smirking Chris Scott (himself a notoriously aggressive player) after a boil over attack on Lynden Dunn during the coach-killing demolition of Melbourne in rd. 19. This was an important point in the season for Chapman who had been reminded by Scott of his importance to the team despite his indifferent form to date, and he began to lift his work rate in the remaining games of the season (The exception being his 15 possession game in "The Great Escape" vs. Adelaide in Adelaide) - most notably a 3-goal cameo in the 96 point drubbing of Collingwood in the so called "dead rubber" of rd. 24. It also became painfully obvious that he was carrying an injury in the groin/hamstring, and that it was hampering his mobility.

Chapman's finals campaign got off to an inauspicious start against Hawthorn when he was again subdued, with output more akin to a first year finals player than the seasoned campaigner from which we had come to expect nothing but greatness – there were even murmurings that he should be… dropped… among the pundits (he was particularly costly in conceding a 50 metre penalty at a critical point in the game) but Scott stayed the course, and Chapman remained in the side and played a more balanced game a fortnight later against the West Coast Eagles albeit not dominant.
This year’s Grand Final would prove to be a summary of Chapman’s year: he was there, he did his bit, but ultimately the accolades would go to others: Bartel, Selwood, Hawkins, Varcoe and even Christensen enhanced their reputations on the big day, while Chapman’s 24 touches and 4 tackles was by no means poor – but amounted to the game of a foot-soldier rather than a champion. Given the size of the contribution Chapman has made in previous years, it was as if the rest of the club said “You’ve pulled us through so many times before, this one is on us mate.” In light of the famous Geelong victories in which Chapman has been the anchor over the past 5 years, nobody would hold it against him for letting a few others get the job done.

So, where to in 2012 for Chap? In light of the rise in stature of Mitch Duncan and Allen Christensen, and a critical year for Simon Hogan to either force his way in or walk away, Chapman’s days as a midfielder may be shortened. His best position is as a floating half-forward who can rotate into the midfield if needed rather than the other way around, as he is more threatening when kicking goals AND racking up disposals. He has had yet more offseason surgery for groin and hamstring injuries that have plagued him as far back in his career as 2005, and he will be one of the oldest players on the list. Given the success of Scott’s “cotton wool” program aka “General Soreness”, it would be likely that Chapman plays in the vicinity of 16-19 H&A games next year, and will not be expected to do the extensive running that he has done in his last two seasons. Although Chapman being the determined grit-your-teeth type that he is may just prove me wrong.
 
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