Mark Blicavs defends coach Chris Scott’s calls to use him as a ruckman and wingman during finals
Mark Blicavs was one of the most-talked about players during last year’s finals as Geelong chose to use the key defender as a ruckman and wingman. But the swingman says there was “real merit” behind the surprise moves.
Geelong
Don't miss out on the headlines from Geelong. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Few Victorian footballers can truly escape the circus of Melbourne in Grand Final week, but Mark Blicavs gave it a decent crack.
He was downright grumpy at the circumstances that led to another premature start to his post-season holiday — a fourth preliminary final loss in seven years — and escaped to Falls Creek.
“It’s tough to watch (the Grand Final),” he told the Herald Sun this week.
“You can’t help but watch bits of it and it’s all over social media, but being in four losing prelims, it’s tough.
“I try to stay away from that week as much as I can.
“It’s the end of September so there is snow around and I have a few mates working up at Falls Creek who can give us some accommodation and we can get a ski or snowboard in, so that’s nice.
“I understand the Grand Final is something you can learn from and look at the big moments and I have watched bits of pieces of crucial contests from the game, but you are pretty flat and want to get away from it.”
Geelong led Richmond by 21 points at halftime in last year’s preliminary final at the MCG after Patrick Dangerfield’s late second-quarter goal and an upset was on the cards.
Yet by the game’s end, with Blicavs’ unexpected role as a wingman again fiercely scrutinised, the Cats had fallen short in their own version of AFL Groundhog Day.
Four times in his seven completed AFL seasons Blicavs has played off in a preliminary final and every time he has come up short.
For all his accolades — dual best-and-fairests at Geelong, selection in the All-Australian squad — he plays footy to win premierships.
“I am very hungry. Very hungry, still,” he said.
“My goal is to win the premiership and I have never experienced that and a lot of teammates haven’t.
“It’s why we play footy, it’s what motivates me to improve.”
Watch every match of the Marsh Community Series AFL pre-season comp LIVE & On-Demand on KAYO. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
Blicavs said Geelong had entered the clash determined to take the game up to the Tigers, and early on it did.
But the Cats would live to rue crucial missed opportunities.
“I missed a goal at a crucial moment in the second quarter and it cost us a bit,” Blicavs said.
“Then Richmond’s attitude in the third quarter, they took it up to us and we didn’t respond enough. It’s why they are the premiers.”
Blicavs was unwittingly thrust into the role of secret weapon through September as pundits spent hours analysing Geelong coach Chris Scott’s bold decision to throw his fullback into the ruck.
In a low-scoring qualifying final against Collingwood, Brodie Grundy dominated against Blicavs with 48 hit-outs and 21 possessions.
Scott would later joke about his weather forecasting skills after dropping regular ruckman Rhys Stanley for rain that never came.
Yet as Blicavs says, it was a carefully orchestrated plan that just didn’t come off.
The 198cm defender had shown enough in limited time in the ruck late in the home-and-away season to believe he was the Cats’ best chance against the Pies.
“We knew leading into it, there were plans put in place two weeks beforehand. So we trained it and we trained it pretty well,” he said.
“They obviously played better than us but it wasn’t to be. It was something we thought we had to do to win games.”
Then, as the critics sharpened their knives, Scott instead threw Blicavs onto a wing in the semi and preliminary finals as Geelong battled to cover the loss of Mitch Duncan.
But Blicavs, 28, says rather than the tactic being a middle finger to the football world, it came from solid foundations.
“Knowing the backline so well, we just thought I could roll in behind and potentially helps us with an extra defender and then get forward to try to be damaging in the air and get a mismatch up forward,” he said.
“It didn’t work as well as we were hoping, but there was some real merit to it and the training sessions we had, we had liked what we had seen.
“So it wasn’t meant to be, but I have said it before, wherever Scotty wants me to play I will play and I will do it to the best of my ability.”
Blicavs’ 15m set shot in the second quarter was one of a handful of missed chances to put the foot to Richmond’s throat.
Nick Riewoldt was one of many to wonder why Blicavs was not instead used in his familiar defensive role to stifle five-goal Tigers hero Tom Lynch, saying he couldn’t understand Scott’s “rationale”.
“If Blicavs was a great wingman, then I think it would be a bit easier for me to wrap my head around, but he’s not a great wingman,” Riewoldt said.
Geelong will reserve the right to use that tactic in the future, but for now Blicavs says he will start the year in his traditional position.
“I enjoy playing in defence and I have done a lot of training through that area this pre-season so I will definitely start the season there for sure,” he said.
For all the navel gazing over Geelong’s finals failures, that first half against Richmond proves its best is good enough.
Blicavs says there has been no off-season overhaul of the game plan.
The Cats are instead keen to refine key areas and retain strong forward pressure.
Tim Kelly is gone, but Adelaide’s Josh Jenkins and St Kilda’s Jack Stevens arrive.
Blicavs says Jenkins has been faultless, quickly recapturing the on-field chemistry with close mate Dangerfield during their summer sessions.
He said Jenkins had been maligned over his perceived lack of forward pressure and had quickly bought in on the Cats’ method on that front.
“He’s been great at training. He has worked hard on his craft so its good for Hawk (Tom Hawkins) to have support, it’s good for Esava (Ratugolea) to have competition for spots and so far he’s been fantastic,” Blicavs said.
“JJ hit Paddy up on the lead today and then Paddy stepped me. Their chemistry is good and it’s great that those two mates can play footy again. They really enjoy each other’s company.
“When Paddy got to the club he really brought in straight away and JJ has done the same.”
Four-time best-and-fairest winner Steven’s move to Geelong is already helping bring him closer to family.
“We are rapt to have him and we want big things from him this year because he’s a superstar, but as long as he enjoys his footy I think it’s going to be a great year,” Blicavs said.
“His work rate is underrated. Seeing him he’s got some real speed on him but he has such a work rate to get from a stoppage and be the release mark.
“I think he’s really enjoying being back down the coast. He is a Lorne boy and is enjoying his family and friends being down here, too.”
Blicavs, 28, signed a five-year contract with the Cats in 2018 and along with his partner is putting down roots in Torquay with a renovation of their house.
“Paddy says Torquay is still south Grovedale, the boys sledge me on that, but it’s easy to go for a little body surf or walk on the beach and get away from it all.
“I am not exactly sure what I want to get into post-footy.
“I am into landscape gardening and love the outdoors and a big passion is wine. If I could become a winemaker I could but I would need to win Tattslotto.”
MORE AFL NEWS:
Richmond’s Jack Higgins feared he would never walk again after brain surgery
Hawthorn hopes Tom Mitchell will play in Round 1 in return from broken leg
SuperCoach: The leading POD contenders for season 2020
Local footy 2020: Where you can watch ex-AFL players in action
Favourite wineries include Yarra Valley’s Mount Mary winery, the Barossa Valley’s Rockford Winery and Bannockburn’s Wine by Farr.
Six months on from the prelim the anger has faded, with Blicavs spending the pre-season dominating in running trials as usual and aware he needs to turn his mind to the new opportunities ahead.
“We are motivated and so far this pre-season everything is going well. We are training well and we don’t think we are that far off. We are on the right path, but the whole competition is unbelievable in that every team can challenge,” he said.
“We were shattered but all you can do is pick yourself up and try again.”