To Noldo, or not to Noldo, that is the question......

[123cups]

Happened quite a lot in the 2021 Grand Final from memory when Melbourne was on fire...

You're just guessing though, yes? You remember the Melbourne mids firing, and you're filling in the blanks in your memory by attributing what happened to the ruck hitouts.

But let's say this is something you focused on when it happened, it was without pressure due to the Dogs being in shell-shock, which allowed the Melbourne mids to have space and time.

On that topic, I love the moment when you see a team crack under the realisation they've lost a Grand Final... it usually happens after a good Dusty play

 

[shad]

Best stat use ever Spooker.

Yep. To me that one stat cuts through anything else that can be said to defend Scott and the cats. They are a total failure.

 

[TigerForce]

Geelong also added 'fresh' veterans Cameron, Smith and Higgins to the oldest list ever assembled. They are masters of home and away footy, but as Gyps rightly pointed out, their aim is to finish top 4 and hopefully Bradbury it from there.

For all their success in phase 1 of the plan, fact is in the last decade they are 1-6 in qualifying finals, 1-5 in prelims, 0-2 in elimination finals and 0-1 in grand finals. That's 2 wins, 14 losses in finals against teams that finished in the same half of the 8 as them. You'd almost call them frauds. They are good at beating also-rans in semis, I'll give them that. They might have made the finals last year but they got flogged by Poort, beat an average GWS and were obliterated by Melbourne.

 

[Carter]

probably helped by our elite game day coach who is able to make the necessary in game changes to swing things when needed.

These are the cats last halves of the season for the last 3 years, they were in each game at half time, but lost the 2nd halves by a combined total of 176 points. is it a lack of fitness or a lack of heart?

2021: 1.5-10.5
2020: 2.3-9.7
2019: 2.4-8.8

I reckon there are few teams - if any - who can control chaos for four quarters. Difficult to say if Geelong are unfit, I just think it's impossible to put a lid on chaos finals football for 120 minutes (or even 80 minutes).

Port Adelaide gave us a run for our money by playing a similar game, but star power won out in the 2020 PF.

Melbourne and Footscray are no strangers to chaos footy, albeit with different tactical drivers.

If Chris Scott thinks he can change his stolid game plan with a bunch of geriatrics 2022 will be more delicious than usual.

 

[The Big Richo]

Discussion from training thread on whether to play Nankervis and Soldo together or if alone, which one?

 

[kyuss]

Both for me. I reckon they’d walk taller together.
Also Nank is great at both pushing back and helping the defenders and also pushing forward and dropping in a hole or contesting in a forward line pack.

 

[mrposhman]

Discussion from training thread on whether to play Nankervis and Soldo together or if alone, which one?

IMO it will all come down to where we play Balta.

Play him back, and we probably play a 2 ruck, 2 forward combo which would mean Nando's is back on the menu.
Play Balta forward and I reckon only 1 plays, which would most likely be Nank.

 

[Streak]

get ready for Solson.

But only if you have dandruff.

 

[TigerMasochist]

View attachment 14593

Just showing everyone which finger he's gunna use to pick that little booger hiding away in there

 

[bpchia]

You're just guessing though, yes? You remember the Melbourne mids firing, and you're filling in the blanks in your memory by attributing what happened to the ruck hitouts.

But let's say this is something you focused on when it happened, it was without pressure due to the Dogs being in shell-shock, which allowed the Melbourne mids to have space and time.

On that topic, I love the moment when you see a team crack under the realisation they've lost a Grand Final... it usually happens after a good Dusty play

Yep I was just guessing from memory...I'll have to look at the tape, but yeah Dogs were shell-shocked...they should never have let Fritsch kick that goal that set it off, it was from a lack of pressure up the ground and that was it...I can't believe an average player like Fritsch kicked 6 in a GF

 

[St Kevin]

Well I guess we know which one of these boys is definitely playing now, time will tell on the other one.

I think they both play in the same 22.

 

[mrposhman]

I think they both play in the same 22.

Where do you think we play Balta?

 

[mrposhman]

And where does the spare ruckman play when they aren't rucking?

I could see Nank potentially sliding back into defence as an option as he's super strong in that area. Its going to be really interesting to see how we balance our tall structure in both offence and defence this year.

 

[UKTiger]

One thing for sure is we need a fit Ivan either playing alongside of Toby or at least ready to give Toby a spell so that we don't run him into the ground then play him when he is not 100% like last season

 

[St Kevin]

Where do you think we play Balta?

I hope defence.

 

[St Kevin]

And where does the spare ruckman play when they aren't rucking?

The bench or forward.

The one ruck with a spare part player (Astbury/Pickett/Balta) backing up novelty has well and truly worn off.

 

[TT33]

I think Balta may prove to be more than a spare part ruckman, St Kev. Have a feeling he could end up our first choice in a year or two.

Gee I hope not, he's only 194cm tall, far too small to be pitted against guys 200cm or more, he's more valuable as a "utility" player for us.

 

[St Kevin]

I think Balta may prove to be more than a spare part ruckman, St Kev. Have a feeling he could end up our first choice in a year or two.

That would make the re-signing of Soldo until 2024 and / or making Nankervis co-captain a bit awkward and would be a fair bit of capital invested into the least important position in a team.

I like Balta, but I'm not sure he has the IQ to be a Luke Jackson-type. Happy to be proven wrong.

 

[ceehook2]

.....................

No matter how I try and slice it up, I just can't see any way we can play Soldo if Balta plays forward with Riewoldt and Lynch. Or none that wouldn't be a mistake anyway.

you cou;ld see it , the AFL are going bounce off the womens ashes and each round will consist of a conventional game of AFL , one of T20 and one of 5 a side no subs basketball
and our basketball side will be Nank , Soldo, Balta , Lynch and Bolton , one of the talls will have to make way for Mate thou

 

[tommystigers]

We need L2R2R to really dig into that to explore the scores from clearance, turnovers to get a really good picture of what happens when both play, but on face value there's nothing to say we are any better in the clearance space with both.

In games where both played since 2017, the team has a losing clearance record of 10-3-1.

I think there's pros and cons with some of the other points you make but the biggest issue for me remains that neither of them is a capable forward. Nankervis is almost but they both lack danger in this space which you need if you are to play two rucks.

How do we go at winning when both are played? Miss R2D2's expertise.