Preview Round 20 - Geelong v Essendon, Etihad, Sunday 3:20pm

[Vdubs]

Kolo has been solid but unfortunately if we're serious we are going to have to make the call, no point delaying it we need to get ready for finals.
Out: Kolo, Cowan, Menz (rest)
In: Hendo, Scoot, Caddy
Lang in if McCarthy is injured.

Kolo will play finals.

He is our future, but also our now.

Just has to keep improving.

 

[Meow]

In: Henderson, Selwood, Caddy
Out: Taylor (rested), Blicavs, Bews

If we're going to rest players, we should limit it to 1-2 of the tall defenders and avoid going nuts. Taylor and/or Lonergan appear most suitable for this. Kolo doesn't get a whole lot of the ball, but has been quite reasonable keeping opposition forwards under wraps and could be important from a structural POV. Not totally against bringing in Kersten for McCarthy/Cockatoo, although he needs to contribute goals (need that %) and there's a possibility it upsets our forward balance.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

I'd be more inclined to rest Lonergan than Taylor.

Taylor's a better match-up for Daniher.

 

[Matthew Jelley]

I'd be more inclined to rest Lonergan than Taylor.

Taylor's a better match-up for Daniher.

Didnt longergan towel up daniher last time around?

 

[catempire]

Taylor has played every game to date so is in line for a break.

 

[Vdubs]

I'd be more inclined to rest Lonergan than Taylor.

Taylor's a better match-up for Daniher.

Who will play finals?
Lonergan?
Taylor?
Hendo?
Kolo?
Mackie?
Boris?
Bews/Ruggles?
This week we have a 9d rest. We should play every defender that the MC thinks will play finals; of course, it does depend on what sort of forward line the opposition has. But the point of resting Taylor, or Lonergan etc is almost futile this week if they are recovered, which really they should be.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Didnt longergan towel up daniher last time around?

My memory is too short at this stage of my life... he may have.

 

[Vdubs]

Taylor has played every game to date so is in line for a break.

Do you think 9d is not enough?
Then a bye after 4weeks.
I think we need to be tested and see how we stack up week after week now. Our run into September is relatively softish.

 

[catempire]

Do you think 9d is not enough?
Then a bye after 4weeks.
I think we need to be tested and see how we stack up week after week now. Our run into September is relatively softish.

Not necessarily this week but perhaps the Brisbane trip.

I want to see us go hard this week against Essendon. If we can back a 80-100 point win that would hold us in good stead.

 

[Vdubs]

Not necessarily this week but perhaps the Brisbane trip.

I want to see us go hard this week against Essendon. If we can back a 80-100 point win that would hold us in good stead.

If we finished 4th, would you give us a chance v Hawks week 1, after a bye?
Or if 3rd, GWS in NSW?
Or ...Swans in NSW?
As long as we stay top 4; Crows are a breath away from us.

 

[catempire]

If we finished 4th, would you give us a chance v Hawks week 1, after a bye?
Or if 3rd, GWS in NSW?
Or ...Swans in NSW?
As long as we stay top 4; Crows are a breath away from us.

Yep, we are a chance against anyone.

Adelaide play the Friday night of the final round so we will know the exact target for the Dees game.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Kolo will play finals.

He is our future, but also our now.

Just has to keep improving.

Idont think we can play 4 kpds and win the flag.

He is the future but we have to be ruthless now.

 

[Vdubs]

Idont think we can play 4 kpds and win the flag.

He is the future but we have to be ruthless now.

Yes but how many times has our coach said that they see Kolo as very capable of playing equally well on a small or a tall? He is not a true KPD.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

How will resting players avoid blowouts???

 

[fpm84]

How will resting players avoid blowouts???
View attachment 271778

Thanks John, we'll take Daniher, Merrett, Goddard and Zaharakis out next week

You can keep Dempsey in, though.

 

[Cursed Cat]

We could really use a nice percentage booster against the Bombers; they are demonstrably a weak side and it's so ridiculously tight at the top that percentage is going to play a huge part in deciding who gets the fixturing advantages come finals time.

But we struggled to put them away in round 4 with a margin of only 30 points and they were right in the contest with us for most of the day. They actually held us to our 2nd lowest score of the year.
They're coming off the back of their 2nd worst loss of the year against the Crows and will be keen to put in a stronger showing back at Etihad.

Hopefully the MC opt to dispense with any kind of serious press and open it up a bit more for the forwards in hopes of generating a healthy score.

Selection is a tricky one at the moment, might pop over to the 'Best 22' thread to unpack that; a lot of permutations ..

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Not necessarily this week but perhaps the Brisbane trip.

I want to see us go hard this week against Essendon. If we can back a 80-100 point win that would hold us in good stead.

Rest him from his 200th game and play it in Victoria instead? Maybe.

 

[Live in hope]

We are missing a certain type of A grader mid - the super quick minded, super nimble, super quick handed extractor.

Selwood the closest to this, but even he isn't super nimble . Danger is a great mid but more the type feeding off a tap or a handball. We don't have any of these on our list.

Some teams have 2 or 3 of these and Cats are very vulnerable to the swarming approach by these sides. In just 10 minutes of the second quarter of Friday night's game our mid field was virtually destroyed mainly by just one of these types - Liberatore - we were very lucky that he ( and later mcCrae) went down.


Caddy in for Duncan (who is barely B grade ATM). Might help bring more physical intensity. But where is our Liber' equivalent? IMHO - we need at least two of these types to be a side that can win a GF.

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

^^

Which is why the swans beat us by 38pts at home and why I can't see us beating them in a final, they're mids are just to good for ours. They get the ball and quickly flick it out and get going. The dogs did the same thing Friday night, but we have a mental edge over them.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

We need to start playing close to the team likely to feature in the finals and it needs to be a no holds barred approach with a big win of near enough to 100 points... no messing around.

In: Caddy, Selwood, Henderson

Out: Cowan, Blicavs, Cockatoo (all omit)

I'd be dropping both Bews & Menegola before I dropped any of those three.

 

[Cursed Cat]

I'd be dropping both Bews & Menegola before I dropped any of those three.

Bews/Cowan is pretty marginal I reckon, but there is no way I would be dropping either of Blicavs or Cockatoo at this stage of the season.
Nor would I be bringing S. Selwood in.

 

[cats_09]

As Stanley looked pretty comfortable up forward against the Dogs, could we use Blicavs more as the second ruck, especially around the ground, while Stanley partners Hawkins up forward? At least trial this option for the next week or two, and see if the Hawkins/Stanley forward partnership can work as we head into finals or see if it was just a case of catching out the opposition.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Given how poor the VFL side was, I think any more than two changes (unless enforced) is really pushing it. It's a nine day break against the bottom side.

 

[Rockford]

Have a feeling an 80+ point win isn't in the works. Fingers crossed though. We're capable of beating up on them on our day. I think our best hope for a top 4 finish is winning our remaining games and then at least one of these things happening:

• Port winning in the showdown.
• Eagles getting up over the Crows.
• North finding a way past GWS.
• North winning against the Swans.

I think the potential for North to do a number on GWS at Etihad or the Swans in Tassie is reasonable.

Edit: if all of these things happen, even better. A top 2 finish would be pretty sweet.

 

[Cursed Cat]

As Stanley looked pretty comfortable up forward against the Dogs, could we use Blicavs more as the second ruck, especially around the ground, while Stanley partners Hawkins up forward? At least trial this option for the next week or two, and see if the Hawkins/Stanley forward partnership can work as we head into finals or see if it was just a case of catching out the opposition.

Definitely workable in-game I'd have thought, and worth a look I agree - only thing is that if Blicavs is taking the centre bounces (and you did specify that you wanted to see Blicavs rucking 'especially around the ground') then one of Smith or Stanley has to be on the bench - more likely Smith in your scenario. Which is fine, but the Smith/Stanley combo allows us to keep all three on the ground at once; Smith lacks Blicavs' versatility is the only small downside to Blicavs rucking more.
Blicavs won some good taps against the Crows too ..