Tiger AAs 2020

[MD Jazz]

I don't rate Ryan, or at least, I don't rate what he does. He plays the Jason Cloke role.

Great example, have been trying to work out who he reminds me of. In 2 years time be playing in the WAFL.

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

Bit harsh on Ryan imo. He's basically played as an undersized KPD who also wins his own ball with Pearce, Hamling and Logue missing the majority of the year.

Stranger selections (Butters) and non-selections (Goldstein) for mine.

Butters is extremely odd and I reckon Goldstein had the better of Naitanui last round.

Ryan doesn't actually play on anyone. Doesn't tackle. Just bangs it out of defensive 50 a lot. 79 marks for the year and 4 contested. If he gets the ball a bit it's because Freo play deep and invite the opposition in, then move the ball sideways and backwards at every opportunity. I had at least half a dozen tall backs ahead of him.

Has a good pair of hands for his size but it's a bit like Short, I downgrade him because he has an easy/easier role than others.

 

[UKTiger]

I reckon most Tigers supporters would have gone with these deserving three as AA nominations. However despite their consistency and outstanding play throughout the season many of those who select the final squad may be petty enough to unfairly down mark Nick and Dylan.
Then looking at the other nominees, I don't get NicNat as he has only played a few games and has not bee exactly outstanding in most. Dangerfield is a good player but a serial stager and a bit overrated so very lucky to be nominated. The one I can't take is Hawkins. Sure he has score goals but his many dirty tricks around the field should have disqualified him

 

[Scoop]

I love Butters, still don’t think he’s AA ready. Not this year. And Gunston getting in the squad amazes me. Looked washed up for most of the year. Tabener getting a gig astounds me. Workman like but one B Grade year shouldn’t get you in.
And Darcy two-dads getting in ahead of Short Round is criminal. All three Tiges to get a gig.

 

[Ridley]

Pretty much the expected nominations I think and I'd say two of the three will make the side with Dustin probably missing out. Bolton and Baker victims of the unwritten rule to produce more than one season.

Short could have made the list as well but when plenty of his own supporters kick him regularly, it's probably a reasonable omission.

I get the unwritten requirement to produce more than one season but with that in mind how do they justify Butters, Ryan (who is he?), Menegola and Byrne-Jones?

Farcical selections.

 

[Ridley]

Oh yeah; Jordan Ridley? How many good seasons? No way he’s had a better season than Balta.

Farce.

 

[Baloo]

Selectors were made to look like fools for not selecting Dusty last year. They won't make that mistake again.

 

[zippadeee]

Pretty much the expected nominations I think and I'd say two of the three will make the side with Dustin probably missing out. Bolton and Baker victims of the unwritten rule to produce more than one season.

Short could have made the list as well but when plenty of his own supporters kick him regularly, it's probably a reasonable omission.

They had the team selected before round 1 by the looks of it

 

[Ridley]

I'm guessing you don't watch Fremantle that much, I think Ryan will make the team, he's been as good a defender as any in the comp this year alongside Vlastuin.

Byrne-Jones has had a year just a shade better than Baker I think and every time I've seen Menegola play he has played pretty well. Off the top of my head I can't think of a wingman/utility midfielder that has been any better than him.

Butters is an interesting one, not sure what his stats look like but his impact on games is huge. I'd have him ahead of Dan Butler any day.

The fact is that they claim they want more than one good year before they select blokes but all 4 blokes I mentioned have basically done very little outside of this year. Yet they are all in the squad? But Bolton and Baker aren’t. Different rules obviously apply for different clubs.

The fact that Tom Stewart has twice as many AA guernseys as Grimes and Vlastuin put together says everything. I’m actually staggered that Stewart, Ablett, Selwood and Enright aren’t in the squad. But I guess that’s off set by Menegola and Guthrie.

 

[Streak]

For me the poorest decision is Dangerfield.

Sorry, but how he has 7 AA selections is beyond me. Fair enough he was a gun for a few years, but 7, going for 8 this season. Sorry, usually crap AA call.

Been pedestrian at best this year.

And I am not even going to comment on Menegola.

 

[Rancey18]

Butters is an interesting one, not sure what his stats look like but his impact on games is huge. I'd have him ahead of Dan Butler any day.

You mentioned that there is an unwritten rule that you need more than one good year to make the AA team/squad, but then mention Butters impact on games as the reasoning for him making it.

Should the same not hold true for Bolton then? According to the AFL Player Ratings he was number 1 this year for any player under the age of 22 (which includes Butters) and 41st overall, and would be just about leading the B&F of the team that finished 3rd on the ladder during the H&A season.

 

[Scoop]

This might be the worst AA squad in a long time.

 

[Ridley]

I don't think they make you wait a year if you are clearly in the mix for the final team like Ryan is. I don't really know enough about the others, Butters I think had a pretty good first year last year didn't he? Less idea about the other two, I thought Menegola had been a reasonable player in the past.

Stewart gets a lot of static on here but I think it is largely just Geelong dislike based. He's an absolute gun. If you asked every forward line player in the AFL they would tell you he completely deserves those AA jumpers without question. The amount of planning that goes into negating his game is as big as any other player in the competition. That's not to say Grimes or Vlastuin couldn't have had another one but that's an entirely different argument.

Butters got dropped at least twice as a first year player. Not unusual for a first year player and I think you’d still judge it a good year for him. But certainly doesn’t provide the body of work supposedly required for AA selection after an undoubtedly good year this. No one can possibly use that argument to eliminate Baker if that’s the case. Different positions but regardless Baker has held his position in the backline in the best team in the comp over the past 2 years; and he has excelled. He deserves to be in the squad.

Geelong had an amazing side from 2007 - 2011. IMHO one of the best ever. They couldn’t win back to back but other than that the record was incredible. The had a lot of worthy AA players in that era. It seems to me the AFL selectors still live in that era and Geelong players get greater consideration over others for AA teams. Stewart is a prime example of that though he is certainly a very good player. But he is not a better player than Grimes or Vlastuin. No way.

As for Miers making the U/22 team ahead of Bolton? Words fail me................

 

[Rancey18]

Matt Taberner? Wtf.

29 goals and averaged 10 touches. Jack was 28 goals and 9 touches as a comparison (and we would argue he was nowhere near making the AA squad).

Boggles the mind.

 

[Rancey18]

I'm not disagreeing that Bolton could have made it, just speculating as to perhaps why he didn't.

Fair enough. Do you think Bolton had a better season than Butters then?

 

[DavidSSS]

I've never taken much notice of this.

But I do remember when I was a kid there were always a couple of players you had never heard of, mainly because they were from the WANFL or the SANFL.

Just a mediocre best of AFL these days, hardly "All" Australian.

DS

 

[Rancey18]

2019 (Richmond Premiers): Richmond 2xAA (Geelong 4xAA)
2018 (WC Premiers): WC 3xAA (Geelong 2xAA)
2017 (Richmond Premiers): Richmond 2xAA (Geelong 2xAA)
2016 (WB Premiers): WB 2xAA (Geelong 3xAA)
2015 (Haw Premiers): Haw 2xAA (Geelong 0xAA !!)
2014 (Haw Premiers): Haw 3xAA (Geelong 1xAA)
2013 (Haw Premiers): Haw 2xAA (Geelong 4xAA)
2012 (Syd Premiers): Syd 2xAA (Geelong 1xAA)
2011 (Geel Premiers): Geel 3xAA
2010 (Coll Premiers): Coll 4xAA (Geelong 6xAA)
2009 (Geel Premiers): Geel 5xAA
2008 (Haw Premiers): Haw 2xAA (Geelong 7xAA)
2007 (Geel Premiers): Geel 9xAA

Fair to say Geelong have fared quite well compared to the other premiership teams over the past 13 years when it comes to AA representation.

I did find it interesting that in our two premiership years we are somewhat comparable to the other premiers (apart from Geelong) during this period.

 

[Rancey18]

I wouldn't really compare the two as Bolton was a pure mid and Butters is really a high forward.

I think they both had very good years, Bolton had a real purple patch in the middle but was quieter at the start and end, don't forget he was also dropped at one point.

Butters is much less prolific statistically but has big impact on games and is pretty consistent, each week and across games.

If I was picking one of them for this year I'd take Butters, I think he has had more good games and been good across four quarters more often and is playing in a harder position.

If I was picking one of them for the next ten years I'd take Bolton because his best is better more often and once he finds consistency he will be a midfield star.

No worries - thanks for the reply.

I personally think Bolton was our best forward in the first 4 games of the season (7 goals) and was sent down to the 2nds as a 'retooling' exercise for his return to the midfield (so I don't think he was necessarily 'dropped' for form reasons). I would also argue that Bolton has had a greater impact on games (I recall seeing a stat that he was leading the score involvements competition-wide for a decent portion of the season). Basically carrying our midfield in the absence of the majority of our senior brigade I would also argue is a tougher job than Butters playing HFF in the H&A season's number one side (he would enjoy the rewards of his team's midfield dominance as opposed to Shai being our midfield leader basically and helping us finish 3rd). I still think Shai would be leading our B&F right now.

Anyway - agree to disagree on their respective seasons I guess. Cheers.

 

[jb03]

Pretty much the expected nominations I think and I'd say two of the three will make the side with Dustin probably missing out. Bolton and Baker victims of the unwritten rule to produce mo

Ryan?

 

[Rancey18]

I think the finals clouds our judgement on the AA team a bit because often teams that have strong seasons fizzle in the finals and other sides and players grow. My feeling is Geelong has done that a bit in the last few years, a bit like us in 2018 when we had 4 inclusions (most in the AFL) in the side because we were clearly the dominant home and away side.

Yeah, I did find it very interesting that we were comparable to other premiers in terms of AA representation during this period.

On face value I thought we had been a bit hard done by - so perhaps it was just my memory of Geelong dominating the team during the years they had won it.

My only gripe with the AA teams is that Dusty has only made it 3 times. I find that incredible given his consistency over a number of years, as well as averaging at (or more) than a goal a game most seasons as a midfielder. His career deserves to finish with hopefully 6-7 AAs by the time he is done to consolidate how significant his career has been. I think he is sometimes rated a bit harshly when compared to his own lofty standards.