Bartel says side needs to balance

GEELONG great Jimmy Bartel has called on the Cats to give key roles to younger players if they are serious about their list being in transition.

Describing the Cats’ season — which ended in a emphatic elimination final loss to Melbourne — as “baffling”, Bartel admits he is confused by what Geelong produced on-field in 2018.

“They haven’t got the balance right at the moment,” Bartel said. “Their best play is attack, but they are trying to play defensive football.

“Immediately you are taking away from what the best players want to do, but they are trying to protect the younger, inexperienced back six.

“They are baffling. They are confusing.

“Tom Stewart is an All-Australian, Mark Blicavs is in the All-Australian squad, Tim Kelly was voted by his peers as the best first-year (player), Tom Hawkins has had the year of his career.

“If they are going to use that line that they are in transition … well, I think that’s a bit of a throwaway line because they only had three players under 23 and you’re in the market for another potential free agent in (Luke) Dahlhaus.”

Bartel said Geelong had to give its young stars extended minutes in key roles while the likes of ageing veterans Joel Selwood, Patrick Dangerfield and Gary Ablett were listed.

“The thing for me is, if they’re going to say they are in transition, then you may as well transition the side while you have got the stars in the side,” Bartel said on RSN.

“What I’m trying to say is while you’ve got (Brandan) Parfitt and these sort of guys, these younger players … you’ve got to trust them with some key roles within the side so when it happens again in the first quarter and you’re blown out of the water, at least you can throw in a different mix that have had experience playing (those roles).”