Geelong to go undefeated in 2024??

[MisterMarcus]

why are they not getting opportunity ?

I think there's been a large amount of trust and faith for the old guys to turn around their form lapses/decline.

But a lot of Cats fans feel that trust/faith is running out...

 

[Cleansweep17]

I think there's been a large amount of trust and faith for the old guys to turn around their form lapses/decline.

But a lot of Cats fans feel that trust/faith is running out...

Geelong wants to roll the dice for 1 more flag. Which is fair enough. Everybody does.

 

[Mr Meow]

why are they not getting opportunity ?

I put a pretty substantial reply into your original query, that even covered your exact Knevitt question.

Miers, Holmes, Bruhn, Dempsey, Clark, Mullin and Knevitt is looking like our young midfield core as Guthrie, Dangerfield, Blicavs, Atkins and co fade out of the picture. Bowes might end up the more senior journeyman midfielder 2025-2028. We will be looking for a quality FA and/or young midfield draftee to join them.

 

[Mr Meow]

Geelong wants to roll the dice for 1 more flag. Which is fair enough. Everybody does.

The issue is that Hawkins, Stanley, Tuohy, Rohan, Cam Guthrie and Blicavs are not playing supreme football right now. We might actually end up a better team even for 2024 if only one or two of these players are locked into the best 23.

Mannagh, Conway, Neale, Knevitt and Humphries may offer more. Some are getting games, some hopefully get a crack soon.

 

[Yoda_]

I put a pretty substantial reply into your original query, that even covered your exact Knevitt question.

Miers, Holmes, Bruhn, Dempsey, Clark, Mullin and Knevitt is looking like our young midfield core as Guthrie, Dangerfield, Blicavs, Atkins and co fade out of the picture. Bowes might end up the more senior journeyman midfielder 2025-2028. We will be looking for a quality FA and/or young midfield draftee to join them.

Holmes for example is plying but only through desperation is he being afforded midfield time. Seems to have been plugged in at half back until injuries mounted and experiences AFL bodies were needed in the middle.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Holmes for example is plying but only through desperation is he being afforded midfield time. Seems to have been plugged in at half back until injuries mounted and experiences AFL bodies were needed in the middle.

When he was in many rolling AA teams over the first 7 weeks this wasn't a problem though.

I agree that he needs to be moved in there closer to full time, and he most likely will...but you can hardly blame the club for trying a positional switch and then having it work.

Every club is looking for that Blakey/ Sheezel/Daicos player right now to get some speed and quality ball out of defence, while breaking the game open in transition.

It's the way the game is headed. We tried it, it worked...but it appears he's needed more in the midfield.

 

[Mr Meow]

Holmes for example is plying but only through desperation is he being afforded midfield time. Seems to have been plugged in at half back until injuries mounted and experiences AFL bodies were needed in the middle.

Actually we have played Holmes at half back out of desperation for drive from back there, and once the big bodied mids retire etc it's probably easier to find other half back options than potential jet midfielders. For his current role it's a very loose description of half back anyway, I'd still consider him an outside midfielder - until the Suns game where we had to move him inside.

How likely it is I don't know, but we are enquiring about Bailey Smith. If that went through then Smith, Holmes, Bruhn (improving year on year) and Bowes would probably be our midfield core. Miers, Mullin and Clark (pre seasons, sizing up and finding the level) the rotations. Dempsey and Knevitt on the wings. Conway rucking to them. I am more excited by a group like that 2025-2029 than I am with set ups we have gone with at times this season: Stanley rucking to Cam Guthrie, Blicavs, Atkins, Bruhn (less mature, just starting to improve), Clark (not yet ready) and Parfitt.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Actually we have played Holmes at half back out of desperation for drive from back there, and once the big bodied mids retire etc it's probably easier to find other half back options than potential jet midfielders. For his current role it's a very loose description of half back anyway, I'd still consider him an outside midfielder - until the Suns game where we had to move him inside.

How likely it is I don't know, but we are enquiring about Bailey Smith. If that went through then Smith, Holmes, Bruhn (improving year on year) and Bowes would probably be our midfield core. Miers, Mullin and Clark (pre seasons, sizing up and finding the level) the rotations. Dempsey and Knevitt on the wings. Conway rucking to them. I am more excited by a group like that 2025-2029 than I am with set ups we have gone with at times this season: Stanley rucking to Cam Guthrie, Blicavs, Atkins, Bruhn (less mature, just starting to improve), Clark (not yet ready) and Parfitt.

Reckon we'll see Dempsey move inside eventually and join that 'sizing up' group you mention.

He doesn't have the size to do it against experienced guns yet, but he was dominant in there last year in the VFL.

VFL TOTY while playing maybe two thirds of the season there is no small feat.

Unless he's got the Andrew Mackie gene, I'd expect within a year or two that will be where he ends up.

 

[Mr Meow]

Reckon we'll see Dempsey move inside eventually and join that 'sizing up' group you mention.

He doesn't have the size to do it against experienced guns yet, but he was dominant in there last year in the VFL.

VFL TOTY while playing maybe two thirds of the season there is no small feat.

Unless he's got the Andrew Mackie gene, I'd expect within a year or two that will be where he ends up.

Agreed. And Mullin probably does have the body (23 years old, powerful) but needs 50 games pumped into him. It might take a while but he is already showing some very impressive traits and improving his kicking.

Knevitt on the wing won't be bad, my only query is whether he actually joins the midfield rotations or stays on the outside.

Young midfields can take a while to click. I'm not sure many people seriously thought around 2002-2005 that Ling, Bartel, Ablett, Corey and Kelly (with some other kid set to arrive in 2007) would end up forming some super midfield. Even as late as 2005 most were considered solid enough prospects who would never be stars.

 

[Wojcinski]

Agreed. And Mullin probably does have the body (23 years old, powerful) but needs 50 games pumped into him. It might take a while but he is already showing some very impressive traits and improving his kicking.

Knevitt on the wing won't be bad, my only query is whether he actually joins the midfield rotations or stays on the outside.

Young midfields can take a while to click. I'm not sure many people seriously thought around 2002-2005 that Ling, Bartel, Ablett, Corey and Kelly (with some other kid set to arrive in 2007) would end up forming some super midfield. Even as late as 2005 most were considered solid enough prospects who would never be stars.

I always used to get the shits with Ling and Bartel especially. I had Ling pegged as one of those types only getting games because we were s**t and Bartel as lazy lol. Luckily I'm not a list manager

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Agreed. And Mullin probably does have the body (23 years old, powerful) but needs 50 games pumped into him. It might take a while but he is already showing some very impressive traits and improving his kicking.

Knevitt on the wing won't be bad, my only query is whether he actually joins the midfield rotations or stays on the outside.

Young midfields can take a while to click. I'm not sure many people seriously thought around 2002-2005 that Ling, Bartel, Ablett, Corey and Kelly (with some other kid set to arrive in 2007) would end up forming some super midfield. Even as late as 2005 most were considered solid enough prospects who would never be stars.

It'll take time, but much like what we're doing now, getting these guys experience while still being a competitive side is all you can ask for.

It's been Bruhn, Holmes, SDK, Henry, & Dempsey over the last 24 months.

The next step that's quickly approaching (if not already there) is Conway, Mullin, COS, Clark, Neale, & Knevitt joining them as non-negotiable best 22.

Now, I'm not trying to throw shade here...but if another club was doing that, they could very easily hide behind the veil of a 'rebuild', and the coverage would be 'just give them time'

Instead, we're doing it with moronic threads like these being made...followed by a sea of ill-informed posts.

Thems the breaks I suppose.