Gary Ablett’s addition means Geelong will be clearance kings in 2018 as they strive for AFL premiership
IN the name of Gary, Patrick and Joel. Amen. The “Son of God” returns and the excitement is consuming all football fans, with the fairytale finish to an unbelievable career as “Junior” comes home.David King and Mark Robinson on the Cats’ bid for premiership glory.
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IN the name of Gary, Patrick and Joel. Amen.
The “Son of God” returns and the excitement is consuming all football fans, with the fairytale finish to an unbelievable career as “Junior” comes home.
The AFL hasn’t witnessed three genuine CVs of this magnitude stacked inside the one midfield in the history of the game.
FIXTURE: PROS AND CONS FOR CATS
Gary Ablett’s return changes the complete formation of his already successful Cats line-up — it will be like playing chess with three queens on the board for coach Chris Scott.
Watch Geelong win clearances at will. Ablett and Patrick Dangerfield were ranked No. 1 and No.2 in the AFL last season, averaging more than seven clearances a game, and Joel Selwood is no slouch, averaging six — also ranked inside the AFL’s top 15.
All three were entrenched in the top 10 for contested possession averages last season, and centre-bounce clearances is where Ablett and Selwood rank the best in the competition. It’s going to be awesome to watch this trio.
The game is now about maximising your assets. Do the Cats play boundary side, like the Mick Malthouse plan of 2010-11, with the knowledge that any stoppage situation will suit them?
It will be a significant shift from 2017, when the Cats were a below-average stoppage team (10th), losing more than they won. But they only need marginal improvement to be grand finalists and/or premiers.
The use of Dangerfield may have been influenced by the success of his stints at full-forward in 2017.
He is the league’s best player at goals per minute spent in the forward line, which meant he would have won the Coleman Medal if he was put there permanently.
Dangerfield kicked 45 goals last season and will spend more time forward in 2018, so expect him to be in the AFL’s top five goalkickers.
Scott knows that it’s “all in” over the next two seasons as the underlings have been short of the mark. This is compounded by the retirements of Geelong greats Andrew Mackie and Tom Lonergan, while Selwood and Tom Hawkins will hit 30 this season.
The Cats drafting in the past five to six years has been average at best, highlighted by the fact they don’t have a player under 25 in the positive for relative ratings (see the chart above). That’s alarming.
Their love for their home ground is understandable, as a 32-6 win-loss record in the past five years would suggest, and they should start campaigning now for a preliminary final at Kardinia Park.
They are absolute locks for a top-four finish and a minimum of 15 wins again this season.
MARK ROBINSON SAYS
WHAT I LIKE
Gary Ablett, Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood just might be the greatest trio of midfielders in the one team and, if you add Mitch Duncan, Mark Blicavs, Zac Smith, Nakia Cockatoo and Scott Selwood, the Cats won’t be found short in the middle. Suspect Dangerfield will once again play one-out forward. He kicked 45 goals in 2017, and could crack 60 goals with even more time there. The coach has had some wonderful days in the box (Sydney semi-final win) and gets his team to be a contender virtually every year. We were curious about Geelong’s talls two years ago, but reckon they might try more smalls with the likes of Lincoln McCarthy, Cory Gregson, James Parsons, Brandan Parfitt, Daniel Menzel (if he defends), Cam Guthrie, Sam Menegola and Cockatoo roaming the wing/forward.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE
They have failed in the penultimate games of the past two seasons and you wonder if they are in fact good enough to win it. Have lost Andrew Mackie and Tom Lonergan, on top of Corey Enright the year before, so Harry Taylor has to go back, which isn’t a negative. Replacing that defensive experience can’t be done in quickly. There are also questions forward. Tom Hawkins will play, but he’s not the player he was, and who plays beside him? Stewart Crameri? That’s why Dangerfield is needed. They will play finals, but not sure adding a superstar will get them to a Grand Final.
THE VERDICT
Pushing top four
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