The NAB Cup and other Numbers, or, Mooney is "still dangerous"

First, let’s get this out of the way; I didn’t see any of the Geelong v Brisbane game, or any of the Geelong v Port Adelaide game, so I won’t be commenting on any specific events of those two matches. And before you accuse me of not doing my homework, I do have legitimate excuses for missing both games however, having a previous engagement this weekend and being unable to find a pub within 10kms of my place that was showing the Port game, all of them, even those with 2 foxtel boxes, giving unwavering precedence to the Rugby super 14s. Apparently, I live in some forgotten outer suburb of Parramatta. Mrs. Watson did see both games, which would only be helpful however, if he still actually wrote for this blog. Still, I did see the Richmond game, and have caught a few other NAB cup games along the way, so here are five lingering thoughts about Geelong and the pre-season (and one ridiculous photo of Cameron “Maverick” Mooney from The Age. Can’t you just see Lips sitting him down and talking to him about his dead father? “Mooney… I played with his old man…”):

1. The new ‘hands-in-the-back’ rule

Of course you shouldn’t be able to place your hands directly into the back of your opponent, who has done the honest thing by taking front position, and then shove him out of the marking contest, but I thought this is exactly what the ‘push-in-the-back’ rule was supposed to prevent. Apparently the umpires needed to be reminded that players can actually be pushed in the back during marking contests, and not just when they get run down and tackled from behind. (This, by the way, is one of my pet hates of the ‘in-the-back’ rule. Surely we should be rewarding the player who chases, tackles and catches an opponent who has had plenty of time to dispose of the ball.)

Guys like James Clement and Leo Barry have been getting away with this shit for years, only the commentators call them things like ‘crafty’ and ‘experienced’. Did the umpires really believe that they were legally out-manoeuvring forwards who outweighed them by 20kgs or so? And while I’m calling players out, if the league doesn’t have a bias towards Sydney then Michael O’Louhglin should give away at least 5 of these free kicks a game. I’m serious, watch him next time. Oh, and Nathan Thompson will dive for these free kicks roughly 60 times throughout the season.

What they have said, however, is that anytime hands are placed in the back, or even touch the back, a free kick will be awarded, which sounds harsh, but I see what they’re trying to achieve. They’re implementing this rule to prevent the use of hands during marking duels and it’s basically about conditioning the players: The rules are adjudicated severely to begin with, then as the players realise this and adjust, the incidental stuff will be let go. The same thing happened with the ‘breaking-the-arms’ rule.

However, a lot of the rules of the game are open to interpretation and the umpire’s perception. The nature of the game, and the physicality of it, doesn’t always allow for clear and defined breaches of these rules and this is where common sense should over-ride pedantic law-making. Cam Mooney reckons defenders are now scared of the contest should they give away a free. Let the players play and intervene when there is an infringement, and it doesn’t need a specific point of the law type sub-classification, we all know when someone is interfering unfairly in the contest, so let the umpires make those decisions without the pressure of having a ridiculously over legislated rule book to back it up. It could simply be called ‘interference’, which could apply to holding, pushing, tripping, high contact or anything else that happens when a defender loses interest in the ball and seeks only to impede his opponent. However it pans out, if it helps ruin Sydney’s season, I’m all for it.

2. Geelong’s best 22

In the Herald-Sun on March 8, Mike Sheahan ran his preview for Geelong which included his version of their best team. And for the most part, Mike got it pretty right. Here’s his team:

Backs: Josh Hunt, Matthew Scarlett, Tom Harley
Half-backs: Darren Milburn, Matthew Egan, David Wojcinski
Midfield: Steven King, Joel Corey, Jimmy Bartel, Cameron Ling, Corey Enright, Max Rooke*
Half-forwards: Paul Chapman, Nathan Ablett, Cam Mooney
Forwards: Gary Ablett, Brad Ottens, Shannon Byrnes
Bench: James Kelly, Joel Selwood, David Johnson, Andrew Mackie

(*During the off-season Jarrad Rooke made the announcement that he would like to be officially reffered to by his middle name, Max, which is what he has alway gone by aparrently. Not as prententious as demanding to be called only Jimmy, but it does make him sound like a super villain.)

Without too much shuffling, this could very well be Geelong’s round one team this year, (If Matthew Stokes doesn’t take Shannon Byrnes spot when he’s available I’m officially starting rumours about his and Lips’ “relationship”) however, it does raise a few questions in regards to the players who would consider themselves unlucky to be there, (namely Steve ‘Dog’ Johnson, Chas Gardiner, Tim Callan, Brent Prismall, Kane Tenace, Tom ‘Hatchet’ Hawkins, Travis Varcoe and even Nathan Djerrkura), and those who will be feeling the pressure to hold their place. I would start with the four players Sheahan has named on the bench. It might be a bit much to expect Selwood to start round one, James Kelly needs a big year, David Johnson has not quite found his niche and Mackie, well, don’t get me started on him. I’d be interested to hear your ideas about Geelong’s best line-up so please feel free to name your best 22 in the comments section. As for me, I’ve never been a fan of Chas, I reckon Dog Johnson is worth the punt, Callan and Prismall have something to offer and I’d be very surprised if Varcoe doesn’t get a chance sooner rather than later. Which leads me to…

3. Geelong’s Aboriginal additions

After being the only club without any native Australians on their list, in the past 2 years the Cats have added Travis Varcoe, Matthew Stokes and Nathan Djerrkura. And I for one couldn’t be more excited, if only that it means we can finally put the Ronnie Burns Era behind us.

Stokes was the first to make an impact with his pressure and work rate as a small forward, and probably would started round one if not for his suspension, but it is Varcoe and Djerrkura who have the chance to give Geelong that explosive pace it has sorely lacked in the midfield. Last season in the VFL Varcoe gave glimpses of what he could do but was, by his own admission, never fully fit. This season he has been able to do all the work and looks close to a senior call up. Djerrkura has wraps on him as a ‘readymade’ AFL player and certainly looked the part in what I saw of him during one the Cats practise match. And both of these guys are only 18 years old.

4. Mooney finally permanently at Centre Half Forward

After spending much of last year in a variety of roles, this season Mooney went to the coaching staff and asked to be play Centre Half Forward permanently, which is exactly what I argued for in a blog last year. It seems the coaches couldn't figure this out so Mav had to do it himself. The Cats looked much better when he was down there and so far he's done the job in the game's hardest spot. Hopefully the Moon-dog can stay out of trouble and spare us all a second heping of Hank Playfair. And we still need to find an Ice-Man to Mooney's Maverick. Nathan Ablett anyone?

5. Did Geelong really want to win the NAB Cup?

I know I said I didn’t watch the game, but how badly would Geelong have wanted to win? Perhaps they didn’t want to win last week either but had no choice after Port pulled a supreme choke job. They rested Ottens again, and Harley, and pretty much their starting midfield began the game on the bench. If they had won, then you don’t want to lose a Grand Final, but bowing out in a semi, in which you didn’t particularly try your hardest, is acceptable in the pre-season. They get another practise match at KP, they can rest players without the pressure of a GF and, importantly, they take the stigma of being pre-season premiers off themselves. Has Lips learned something from last season?

Let’s hope so. I already love the addition of Neil Balme to the off-field team, and on-field they look fit, fast and hungry, not to mention some draftee by the name of Tom Hawkins made his debut in the VFL practise game last Sunday. Look’s like the Cats could have everyone available for round one, let’s just hope that Mrs. Watson is too.