2020 trading, drafting and list management: players and personnel

[Thunder Shaker]

I wish him well in his finals this year, He should grasp the opportunity when it arises.

He may have only a few opportunities in future seasons to play finals at Geelong. He's 29, and the club has a looming list problem that they need to fix. Their best 22 players have an average age of 28, which is about two years older than any other club. Ablett is 36, Hawkins and Selwood are 32, Dangerfield is 30, and they have a core of players (including Rohan) in the 27 to 29 age group. Unless they fix that problem - and their three first-round picks in this year's draft will help - they are not going to play finals much longer and a bottom-four finish in the next five years is on the cards as all these players retire.

To support this, here's something interesting from the AFL website from tonight's Port-Cats final:
Five things we learned: Mixed bag of old Cats not as sharp as former teammate

1. Mixed results for underdone Cats

At an average age of 28 years and 134 days, Geelong fielded the oldest side in VFL/AFL history. But after an impressive opening half, the Cats lost their way and were swamped by the Power in the third term. Joel Selwood worked his way into the contest and ended up one of Geelong's best after a managed build-up into finals that included a four-week rest before round 18. His 16 disposals took him past Sam Mitchell to be the No.1 ranked player for disposals (750) in VFL/AFL finals history. Gary Ablett had little impact, was allowed no space and failed to trouble the scorers from 10 disposals in just his second game since July. On the flipside, Power veterans Tom Rockliff, Brad Ebert and Travis Boak were crucial in the win.

[SwanSand]

Leg speed and Manic pressure wins !
That’s been the mantra since Richmond win in 2017. 2018 was an aberration where the final game was played around marking the ball.
Port are playing like Richmond and with a young group it will make them competitive.

Where are we with regards to this? Do we have enough players who would be able to help with the turnover game style. We certainly are not tall to go down the west coast style.
And the corridor game that we are establishing is not a finals Game style as we saw yesterday - Geelong had no courage to play that style and when they tried it resulted in turnovers.

[SwanSand]

I thought Rohan tried his heart out. He jumped high to take marks, tried to tackle and set up a couple of attempts at goal. Unfortunately he is not a ball accumulator. He is the icing on the cake when the midfield plays well. And the Geelong midfield was hopeless. Players like Menegola, Guthrie, Parfitt who are normally good with disposals were hunted down and made many disposal errors.
Ablett - no space - poor game. His lack of tackling game style does not suit the current finals game style anymore - he should retire.

Rohan is no different then Ablett in that regard. If Rohan gets more space, and good delivery he is good. He is not going to get his own ball and his defensive efforts are very similar to Ablett and Ronke. Runs around with not many tackles sticking. Easy to Pushover.

[Captain]

A strange comment, considering we finished on top of the ladder that year, so we weren't really a "debacle". The Grand Final was different, however, see remarks below for 2014.

I was clearly only talking about the Grand Final. Remember the game where we were absolutely belted...

[O'Reilly Boy]

I thought Rohan tried his heart out. He jumped high to take marks, tried to tackle and set up a couple of attempts at goal. Unfortunately he is not a ball accumulator. He is the icing on the cake when the midfield plays well. And the Geelong midfield was hopeless. Players like Menegola, Guthrie, Parfitt who are normally good with disposals were hunted down and made many disposal errors.
Ablett - no space - poor game. His lack of tackling game style does not suit the current finals game style anymore - he should retire.

Rohan is no different then Ablett in that regard. If Rohan gets more space, and good delivery he is good. He is not going to get his own ball and his defensive efforts are very similar to Ablett and Ronke. Runs around with not many tackles sticking. Easy to Pushover.

I thought that Rohan's first half was terrific. He pushed up the ground, took marks, and delivered crisp kicks inboard as part of a couple of scoring chains. Had Hawkins cashed in . . .
In the second half he flung himself around with abandon, nearly pulling off a couple of speccies in a terribly congested zone. But by that time Port had turned the screws, and he was competing not only with the flood of Port defenders and mids, but with Hawkins and Dangerfield. Not his game.
Defensively, I think that sometimes he is a victim of his own closing speed which takes him past the contest, or makes him easy to bounce off. He does create a great deal of perceived pressure, but aside from the occasional run-down, doesn't stick the tackles he should.
I do miss him. That game he played off half back against Norf in the 2014 prelim was just fantastic.

[KSAS]

With our supposed cooling on Daniher & Jeremy Cameron having not yet re-signed, has created speculation of our interest in him particularly that he doesn't want to leave NSW. I do prefer Cameron as rfa over Daniher being more durable for the longer term & create a better dynamic with Buddy being different forward types, unlike Daniher who is bit similar.

Draft KPF with our pick 3, so we have key forward replacements when Buddy/Reid retire in 2 years & can grow with current young team. Campbell & Gulden will hopefully add much needed midfield depth. Don't let points deficit into next year dictate this year's draft strategy with such a good hand.

[mattybloods]

Ladhams would be a nice pick up. Wouldn’t be for peanuts though


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Would love to see him in red and white. Peanuts may be all we have to give; heavily back ended peanuts

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[RogueSwan]

Leg speed and Manic pressure wins ! ...

That, and being allowed to throw instead of handball. That 2016 Bulldogs team has not just left a bitter taste in our mouths, but has left a legacy of taking the handball out of the game.

[Blood Fever]

Does it? I was commenting purely on grand finals.

Gary would have been on $200k and Buddy $1m. Would have expected Buddy contributed more.

It’s easy to knock Gary but if you do that then you should also knock Buddy, especially given the amount of salary cap going towards him.

Without going off track too far, neither won a Bob Skilton medal, a premiership medal or a best finals player award.

Of course Buddy is going to be recognised as an all time great, and rightfully so. I just think it’s unfair to crucify Gary for going missing in finals and not Buddy.

$200K? Fantasy land. Would have been on at least two and a half times that much.

[barry]

For his physical attributes, Gary Rohan should be a speedy midfielder or half back flanker.

I just wonder if his broken ankle basically stuffed his ability to execute sharp turns, weaves, dodges.

He also seems to have the football brain of a netballer (ie none), and runs away from the ball as much as too it, and his positioning is all wrong. This could also be compensating for his stuffed ankle as he doesnt have the agility to be in are under a pack.

All in all, the game is not kind to players who are just fast. He actually could have made a great rugby/rugby-league player where speed is king. A reverse Izzy Folau.

[Jimitron5000]

For his physical attributes, Gary Rohan should be a speedy midfielder or half back flanker.

I just wonder if his broken ankle basically stuffed his ability to execute sharp turns, weaves, dodges.

He also seems to have the football brain of a netballer (ie none), and runs away from the ball as much as too it, and his positioning is all wrong. This could also be compensating for his stuffed ankle as he doesnt have the agility to be in are under a pack.

All in all, the game is not kind to players who are just fast. He actually could have made a great rugby/rugby-league player where speed is king. A reverse Izzy Folau.

You would have to look very hard to find a better half-back flankers game than the one he played in the 2014 preliminary final against North. It shows what he could be.
Mind you, I always thought he would make a very good full-forward, provided the delivery was good. He's a good mark, good kick for goal and no defender would be able to go with him on the lead.

[Cosmic Wizard]

I hope we are not going to recruit Cameron, biggest Tool ever!

If fact would much like Sideshow Bob than him.

At least he won't break the bank and can mark overhead!

[Melbourne_Blood]

I hope we are not going to recruit Cameron, biggest Tool ever!

If fact would much like Sideshow Bob than him.

At least he won't break the bank and can mark overhead!

Few on here would’ve said that about Buddy before we got him. I was one.


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[Auntie.Gerald]

feels a little strange to watch tomorrow, the same team we dismantled in the last round of 2019 footy............now playing in the finals against the bloody Dogs

who would have thought in Sept last year, prior to trading that would be possible?

[111431]

feels a little strange to watch tomorrow, the same team we dismantled in the last round of 2019 footy............now playing in the finals against the bloody Dogs

who would have thought in Sept last year, prior to trading that would be possible?

it demonstrates how quickly things can change