CATS BACK ON TRACK
FIRST SESSION OF 2018:
GEELONG has engineered a plan to ensure Mark Blicavs does not become the forgotten man of the Cats’ midfield following the improvement of a host of onballers last year.
Blicavs had an indifferent 2017 season, showing glimpses of his best form but failing to perform at the consistent heights he reached in his first four years at AFL level.
The emergence of Mitch Duncan as an elite midfielder, combined with the increased output from Sam Menegola and Scott Selwood, took significant pressure off established stars Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood last year, and with two-time Brownlow medallist Gary Ablett joining Geelong during the off-season, the Cats’ midfield depth would be the envy of most clubs in the competition.
But assistant coach Nigel Lappin says Blicavs, who finished 16th in Geelong’s bestand-fairest last season, will still form a part of that group, albeit in a slightly altered role.
“The positions that we’ll use Mark in are ones that utilise his strengths. He is an amazing transition runner for us and he is able to do that when he plays as an outside mid,” Lappin said.
“He understands the wing role really well and gets back to support the defence, which you need, and he can get forward at the right time to take a mark as a third-up jumper.
“So he will play those outside midfield roles for us at times and I know he has been doing a little bit of training this pre-season as a
LACHIE YOUNG
It saw Blicavs’ average hitout count (six) fall to its lowest since he debuted in 2013, but Lappin said the 26-yearold could still end up playing in the ruck this year.
“We feel like Mark is a really good second ruckman and there is potential for Mark to be our No.1 ruckman some games as well, depending on match-ups, but it is hard for him sometimes against the really big monsters,” he said.
But Blicavs had the advantage of being a “really good” player below his knees.