Forget the missed goal, vs Carlton McNeil was Heart and Soul

[mjp]

Just reading through a few of the 'ins and outs' proposed for Geelong.

I kind of get McNeil being on the outs list. Kinda.

But that was a heart and soul performance. For me, I don't understand how you leave someone how after an effort like that - the bloke was in EVERYTHING and his pressure and effort up forward was the equal of West and Weightman...I mean, sure, he missed a set shot from 7m out (and has a reputation for doing exactly that), but, I mean...hasn't a corner been turned in his performances?

[Happy Days]

He does do a lot of little stuff well, and if anything has transferred over from that bizarroworld pre season effort against the Hawks it’s some pretty good body work when one out. He was pretty impactful without a heap of the ball on Saturday and he’s been like that a few times this year. I won’t get the same frustration seeing him named as I got when he was back in for the Port game anyway.

I think the angst to get Garcia in the team, which I don’t fully disagree with, has made him even more of a lightning rod.

[Grantysghost]

[Axe Man]

GG hacking Woof accounts left, right and centre.

[Grantysghost]

GG hacking Woof accounts left, right and centre.

I see it but I dooooooooont believe it.

[Sedat]

The 2 minutes up to and including his goal square miss was peak McNeil. Fantastic defensive pressure on multiple occasions, huge workrate to somehow win a 1-on-1 aerial contest and then completely fluffing his lines from point blank range. It is obviously a technical issue, because he hits his instep and goes left more often than not when missing shots at goal.

I keep thinking about the first 6 rounds of 2021 and we were 6-0 with genuine small pressure forwards in our structure for the first time in ages (McNeil and Scott at the time). He really works hard and has a crack, and we just look better when we have multiple small pressure forwards (shout out to West and Weightman as well - both are much more than just pressure forwards, but they absolutely apply the heat when needed).

[The Underdog]

I see it but I dooooooooont believe it.

Starting to get crowded on the McNeil bus. Less people throwing rocks at it too.

[MrMahatma]

If we have to forget the goal, do we forget the run down tackle too?

Surely a forward's ability to convert from the goal square, and importantly their ability to NOT convert, simply HAS to be a consideration for match committee. If you can't kick goals from there then hang them up.

[Mantis]

If we have to forget the goal, do we forget the run down tackle too?

Surely a forward's ability to convert from the goal square, and importantly their ability to NOT convert, simply HAS to be a consideration for match committee. If you can't kick goals from there then hang them up.

Nerves are a wonderful thing!

Go and check Anirban Lahiri's missed putt to win the LIV golf tournament o/n... without pressure he makes that putt 100 times out of 100, but in the moment his putting stroke failed, and he was left looking like a beginner.

[mjp]

If we have to forget the goal, do we forget the run down tackle too?

It doesn't work like that - BOTH are part of the package. But he played with an attitude that in many respects led the way for us...

Sometimes you just have to take the bad to get the good. And the only way to become confident kicking goals in an AFL game is to actually kick goals in an AFL game...given opportunity, he will overcome the yips (because his field kicking is fine).

[MrMahatma]

Nerves are a wonderful thing!

Go and check Anirban Lahiri's missed putt to win the LIV golf tournament o/n... without pressure he makes that putt 100 times out of 100, but in the moment his putting stroke failed, and he was left looking like a beginner.

I get it, and that's also kind of the point. Round 18 nerves got to him. What if it's a final?

Credit to him for putting in the effort and being resilient enough to keep fronting up though.

[ReLoad]

Heart and Soul alone doesn't win premierships.

We've lost a lot of close games, this was exactly the moment that would have ended the game, put a nail in it, shot the blues dead between the eyes, but he missed an unforgivable miss.

I'm sorry, but there's players of equal heart and soul that wont stuff that up, surely that is the answer?

[Go_Dogs]

He almost tried to kick through that set shot too hard, which seems like the opposite problem to what I’ve seen previously.

I agree with mjp - McNeil was great, he worked hard and won contests or influenced them meaningfully when he had no right to. He’d then get on his bike and create an option, draw an opposition player.

He’s getting there. He’s going to make some mistakes. Bont misses goals sometimes too.

[mighty_west]

Most of us were raving about him before round one for his performances in those Hawks praccy matches, he didn't seem to have any issues kicking for goals in those games for memory? He's similar i guess with VDM and Arty where they can do good things, run hard, do the pressure things well but let themselves down too often, as noted on the weekend McNeil seemed to work his ass off and put himself in really important positions to make a few vital plays, but then miss that sitter right in front.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

He works hard.

About all I can give.