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

[candiehappy]

Given how tight the top 4 is we need %%%%%% and bad

I understand what you are saying, but I'd rather finish fourth than third and play the first final in NSW. Of course, finishing second would be awesome .....

 

[Nickoo]

Any chance Kelly and Stokes might sign off this week?

I saw a bit of them in a game not so long ago and they looked over cooked.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[year of the cat]

Wouldn't mind seeing Mackie look at least half interested playing a bottom 6 side this time in.

 

[supahoops]

I saw a bit of them in a game not so long ago and they looked over cooked.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's why I thought they might get up for one last time, against us might be the way to go out.

 

[xtatik222k]

It's not often in a game you'd find anything less than a ten-goal margin unacceptable. But that's the challenge this week. This needs to be a belting, for obvious reasons. I would hope the team selection and preparation reflects this aim.

 

[cynical]

ins Henderson, S Selwood, Caddy
outs Kolo, Blicavs, Menzel (rest)

Caddy spends more time forward

 

[Partridge]

A lot of them are playing for their future... They won't roll over and die easily.

They won't, and for most of this season, they haven't. But it's not going to matter, they simply don't have the players to compete. In reality only half of them are decent senior footballers.

 

[Willo_]

I watched Cockatoo closely on Friday night and he was fighting a losing battle. He needs another pre-season or two before hell become consistently effective.

Depending on who we play I can still see a role this year for Cockatoo but I prefer the bigger bodied midfielders against Sydney, etc. they killed us in this area last time around.

I tend to agree with this, he shows these glimpses that make you very excited, but he doesn't have the fitness to put together a really good game let alone a big one, is almost kamikaze like with his attack on the ball though, that part could be very handy

christ he is going to be some sort of weapon in a couple of years

 

[CatsDoItBetter]

Hopefully Geelong start the game well and are able to challenge themselves to keep pushing into the form they need for the finals. Words fold says the bombers are cooked and will need to rotate the squad don't take the foot off the pedal Geelong. http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/ad...t/news-story/b968bbe8865971f52e8e66da0cdc2e85

 

[Willo_]

Last time we played them we let them hang around like a bad smell early, but the scoreboard still flattered them in the end... we completely dominated the 2nd half, and despite not playing all that well if we had actually kicked well we likely still would have won by 80 points.

Hopefully we see a repeat of the NAB game where they didn't even look like scoring properly for the game, the time is now, if the players are in the mindset that it will all just happen at this stage of the year they need an almighty kick up the arse.
And there are real reasons for them to be on their game both from a selfish point of view as well as a team one...
- % is going to be a huge factor, they know that it is crucial and we need a type of performance similar to when we smashed the Suns/Lions early in the year.
- competition for spots is hot, there are probably 4 players in the 2s last week who all would feel they are deserving/likely to play in September, so the pressure is there that if they don't front up they could lose their spot.

 

[Mr Blicavs]

with the closeness of the teams in the top 8, this is a game where Geelong should be looking to step firmly on Essendons throat, and go after percentage.
These are the games that are going to determine whether we finish top 4 and get a double chance, or whether we finish 5-8 and go sudden death.

I really hope this is drummed into the players this week

 

[Poetic Justice]

I'm amazed that quite a few are suggesting Caddy won't get the call up, absolute certainty.

 

[Wojcinski]

meat tray:

In:
Henderson, Caddy, SSelwood

Out:
Kolo, Cowan, Blicavs

 

[Willo_]

I'm amazed that quite a few are suggesting Caddy won't get the call up, absolute certainty.

I expect Caddy and Henderson to come in
and if Scott Selwood is to play any role this season he simply has to come in this week

f***ed if I know who comes out though, Menegola/Cowan/Bews is probably the most obvious group... last in first out and all that...But I wonder how that upsets our team balance.

 

[Mr Blicavs]

I expect Caddy and Henderson to come in
and if Scott Selwood is to play any role this season he simply has to come in this week

f***ed if I know who comes out though, Menegola/Cowan/Bews is probably the most obvious group... last in first out and all that...But I wonder how that upsets our team balance.

It's this week or never for Selwood...
Our list depth is peaking at exactly the right time of the year.
It takes a certain amount of luck to win a Premiership, let's hope this is an omen

 

[Poetic Justice]

My concern with Menegola is that he has an okay run for a few weeks beating up on lower teams and then gets exposed in the heat of finals. Would anyone else agree with that sentiment?

 

[fpm84]

My concern with Menegola is that he has an okay run for a few weeks beating up on lower teams and then gets exposed in the heat of finals. Would anyone else agree with that sentiment?

Yes. Impressive start to his season but can anyone honestly find a spot for him in the finals? Caddy is a lock and S. Selwood will be given every opportunity to secure a position.

Menegola will be one of a handful of unlucky players to miss out on finals.

 

[Cattery]

Didnt longergan towel up daniher last time around?

Six disposals, one mark and one behind was Danihers contribution that day with Lonergan as his opponent, reckon that constitutes a toweling.

 

[Willo_]

My concern with Menegola is that he has an okay run for a few weeks beating up on lower teams and then gets exposed in the heat of finals. Would anyone else agree with that sentiment?

I am less concerned about that, purely as his first 2 games have been against top 8 teams... and he has handled himself well.
If he was to have made his debut this week there would be more questions IMO

 

[LawnMosey]

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.

I agree, but I think the two most likely to become (note: not there by any stretch) a grade mids of this type are Darcy Lang, who already looks to have that extra time that guys like this have (Pendles being maybe the best example) and Guthrie, who, when he's on, has very quick hands in tight. Unfortunately, Lang is at least another year from spending considerable time in the guts, and Guthrie needs, well, form for starters, but something else to help him impact games in this way. Not sure what...

 

[Willo_]

I agree, but I think the two most likely to become (note: not there by any stretch) a grade mids of this type are Darcy Lang, who already looks to have that extra time that guys like this have (Pendles being maybe the best example) and Guthrie, who, when he's on, has very quick hands in tight. Unfortunately, Lang is at least another year from spending considerable time in the guts, and Guthrie needs, well, form for starters, but something else to help him impact games in this way. Not sure what...

Would help if Guthrie didn't get pinged holding the ball every time he was tackled the moment he took possession

That said he needs to have learnt by now to at least wiggle around like a fish on the jetty and they won't ping him....even if he actually has zero prior and zero chance of getting rid of it

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

I saw a bit of them in a game not so long ago and they looked over cooked.

Stokes needs two games to get to 200. With Worsfold flagging the need for the Dons to mix it up in the final month, I'd say that there's a fair chance that they let him get his two games to get him to the milestone.

 

[Sttew]

Last time we played them we let them hang around like a bad smell early, but the scoreboard still flattered them in the end... we completely dominated the 2nd half, and despite not playing all that well if we had actually kicked well we likely still would have won by 80 points.

Hopefully we see a repeat of the NAB game where they didn't even look like scoring properly for the game, the time is now, if the players are in the mindset that it will all just happen at this stage of the year they need an almighty kick up the arse.
And there are real reasons for them to be on their game both from a selfish point of view as well as a team one...
- % is going to be a huge factor, they know that it is crucial and we need a type of performance similar to when we smashed the Suns/Lions early in the year.
- competition for spots is hot, there are probably 4 players in the 2s last week who all would feel they are deserving/likely to play in September, so the pressure is there that if they don't front up they could lose their spot.

Essendon is cooked. And we are playing for top 4. This bloody well has to be a 60+ point win.

 

[JUBJUB]

Any chance Kelly and Stokes might sign off this week?

Kelly will play out the season [he was rested yesterday] and then he's said he'll retire.
Stokes out injured [again],but was listed to be tested for the weekend just gone.

 

[Bobby_]

Six disposals, one mark and one behind was Danihers contribution that day with Lonergan as his opponent, reckon that constitutes a toweling.

Lonergan was beaten pretty comprehensively by Tom Boyd on Friday night. Daniher is also in much better form (not form but more matured) than what he was at the start of the year.

I really expect Daniher to be too much this time around. If he doesn't take at least 5 marks and kick 3 goals, Lonergan has won the duel.