The coaches' review wraps up with the club's third year players.
Wylie Buzza
Buzza was impacted by the emergence of Esava Ratugolea early in 2018, with the third-year Cat dropping in the pecking order after a strong finish to 2017.
The second forward forced his way back into the AFL lineup for three matches with strong form for Geelong VFL, kicking 18 goals from 13 games to be one of the side's most potent goal scoring threats before injuring his foot late in the year.
Stats (AFL)
Games Played – 3
Goals – 1
Disposals (Avg) – 7.33
Marks (Avg) – 3.00
Standout Game (AFL)
Round 8 vs North Melbourne – seven disposals, one goal
Coaches Comments (James Rahilly):
“He was knocking down the door early in the year and got his opportunity. Wylie also played some strong football in the VFL late in the season before injuring his foot which was unfortunate.”
“Playing that forward role, he still gives us a really good contest and also played a fair bit in the ruck as well. Wylie is still going through a developmental phase and working on his game. He works pretty hard so hopefully he can get more opportunities next year."
Matthew Hayball
Hayball’s time on the AFL list came to an end this season after three years at the club.
The hard-working Cat continued to improve in his 18 VFL games this year, but was unable to crack the side for his AFL debut.
Stats (VFL)
Games Played – 18
Disposals (Avg) – 9.61
Marks (Avg) – 2.88
Standout Game (VFL)
Round 6 vs Collingwood – 12 disposals, three marks, named in best
Coaches Comments (Shane O'Bree):
“Matt has improved over each of the three years he’s had with us. His ability to play tall and small was probably his asset this year and he took some really good marks.”
“He was a real pleasure to coach as he was really diligent to work on the areas of the game he needed to work on, over our time with Matty he improved, he put size on and understood the way we wanted to play as a defensive unit.”
Ryan Gardner
Gardner was thrown forward in 2018 and the move yielded quick results with the spearhead bagging six majors in just his second game up forward.
The Cat finished the year strongly with 20 goals in the last 14 games, but was not offered a new contract for 2019.
Games Played – 20
Goals – 20
Marks (Avg) – 3.9
Standout Game (VFL)
Round 9 vs Northern Blues – 10 disposals, six goals, three marks
Coaches Comments (Shane O'Bree):
“We wanted to see how Gards went as a forward and he really impacted as a tall target. His ability to get after the ball and create a contest and lock the ball in our forward 50 was really good. He was a real leader down there for our younger guys.”
“He kicked six goals against the Blues and just looked really dominant whenever the ball was in his area. This was all down to Ryan and the hard work he did to become a better footballer. We were really pleased for him as it showed us what he could do as a forward.”
James Parsons
Parsons added another 11 games to the 20 he played in 2017, continuing to develop and show off his trademark burst when in the AFL side.
The athletic utility added the ability to play multiple positions to his arsenal, which could help him force his way back into the side in 2018.
Stats (AFL)
Games Played – 11
Goals – 9
Disposals (Avg) – 12.18
Tackles (Avg) – 2.18
Standout Game (AFL)
Round 6 vs Sydney – 14 disposals, two goals
Coaches Comments (James Rahilly):
“Parso was able to develop different roles on the ground although he didn’t have as consistent a year as he had last year. The key takeaway was that he played his typical half forward role but also played a lot of time of the wing as well before finishing the year in the VFL at half back.
“He got an opportunity to find out some different roles and I think he learned a lot this year. Our plan is for James to continue to develop his game and be a pretty versatile player for the footy club.”
