Autopsy Geelong loses to Dons by 34 points at MCG.

[Pollywaffle]

This is the Geelong roller coaster.
Those of us who have followed the club for a long time know about this ride. 2007-2011 was an aberration and now normal service has resumed.
Welcome aboard.

 

[cats_09]

s**t result - that's obvious

But this is predominately the same team that has comfortable wins over GWS & Collingwood over the last couple of weeks - so clearly we aren't a s**t team, as even the best teams have off days.

We need the MC to have a look at the structures that have worked over the past 5/6 weeks and ask if the changes this week were not in our favour.

- a second tall forward is needed, and that is who also needs to provide ruck relief. If Ratugolea is going to be rested then we probably do need to bring in Stanley or Buzza, as our back up ruck situation wasn't well managed today.

- do we have the right setup in defence when the introduction of Taylor was at the expense of Zuthrie? What is the impact of another tall having on the roles that Blicavs & Stewart in particular were playing? Do we need to review our defensive unit and revert to what was working with playing one less tall defender?

 

[Landgraft]

I think we have seen enough to know that Gregson, Thurlow, Parsons, GHS and Murdoch won't ever be premiership players.

Maybe a bit harsh on Gregsons but mark my words the others are very ordinary AFL players.

Ordinary players can be premiership players... it's a question of having them in a team that works well and supports them to do their part and nothing more.

 

[Sticksman]

I think we have seen enough to know that Gregson, Thurlow, Parsons, GHS and Murdoch won't ever be premiership players.

Maybe a bit harsh on Gregsons but mark my words the others are very ordinary AFL players.

I share your disappointment but I think you'll find that 8 out 10 premiership sides have a few very ordinary players. The trick is to get them playing their best footy at the right time.

 

[BigCat1]

Smith did nothing but Bellchambers who has been really good was also non existent. Smith actually beat him on the day.

If only about another 10 cats could say even remotely that.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

We need players who kick goals when we need them.
He can take as many marks as he wants up the ground it means nothing if we need goals.
If the passes are not the best he does not have the flexibility to reposition himself.
He can run straight at the ball for a good pass.
This limits his efforts.

So the team takes no marks until the 4th quarter in the forward 50 and he is our main forward and that is OK?
Sure the team has some responsibility but....
I am not saying he is not a good player but am saying he is not a great forward.

Shaun (from Essendon) was just given the most votes for kicking the goals when they were needed and that is my point

Not one word of this is correct.
He is the symptom of the real issues in this team.

Hawkins was the not the problem today.

 

[Munich]

Thank god I decided against heading to the G!

Didn't see much of the game but Parsons looked like absolute rubbish.

We can't persist with him any longer.

 

[AlcoaCat]

I like how you erased the 80 point thrashing by Collingwood a while back. That was worse than this.

The Sydney humiliation in 2015 was worse.

But, by God, this too was horrible.

 

[r32godzilla]

What hurts the most is we basically never fired a shot all game. It was an embarrassing and insipid effort. I'd prefer to lose by 100 pts trying our guts out all game rather than put in a half assed game with no heart and lose by 30 or so.

It's a disgrace to the jumper to put in such a piss poor effort. It's a privilege to play for this club so give 100% and never back down or gtfo!
We'll never win another flag if we continue to serve up tripe like this and disrespect teams because we think we have a win in the bag.

Scotty better get them to train the house down this week and think about how much the club and fans mean to them. Fire up, play with no fear and take the game on next week because anything less is unacceptable.

 

[Hamingja]

No this one I will say let it go.

I have said enough comments over the years to know that as much as we are all burning right now .. that in the end its 4 points against a side that we will probably not play in the finals.

Player are human ..and as much as the mind spin mkultra brain doctors will say that you take every game as just a game etc ... a side can have a slightly off game ..meanwhile after Ess week..it was a bit too predictable that they come our like Bombers loaded with fatboys.

A bad loss is a bad loss and I could walk away from that but to do it in the same manner as always it gives very little hope we are going to match Richmond when what the bombers did to us is their exact blueprint.

 

[AlcoaCat]

Thank god I decided against heading to the G!

Didn't see much of the game but Parsons looked like absolute rubbish.

We can't persist with him any longer.

Did my head in. Marked, had a paddock in front of him, and STOPPED! Every time!

 

[BigCat1]

Ordinary players can be premiership players... it's a question of having them in a team that works well and supports them to do their part and nothing more.

No ordinary players was being kind

Let me rephrase. We won't get near a premiership with them in the side. They are not AFL standard

 

[Seeds]

The Sydney humiliation in 2015 was worse.

But, by God, this too was horrible.

no it wasnt. they were a grand final team. not the bottom of the ladder.

 

[Cronin]

Thank god I decided against heading to the G!

Didn't see much of the game but Parsons looked like absolute rubbish.

We can't persist with him any longer.

i'm sure we will though

 

[TheWoodenSlug]

Yep

Stanley at least works hard up and down the ground. Smith is lazy. And slow. And cumbersome. He wins taps but to no one in particular. He’s as soft as butter and should NEVER play afl again for us.

Don't really agree with that last line. The flip side of my post is that Stanley isn't really any better than smith either. But a) he's been the better of the two this year - clearly; b) the Stanley bashing has been way over the top; and c) the mids are at least as culpable as the rucks for our s**t house clearance numbers.

All imo, of course.

 

[foxdog50]

I thought he was not so good. OK. But he provided no pressure for the defenders to note him. They still all collapsed on Hawkins. Menzel and Sav take pressure off Hawkins. Crameri does not

He was at least better then 18 other players easily

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Positives:

Kolodjashnij - our best player I thought. Keeps improving each week and looks really composed now under pressure.

Kept fighting to the end and made the scoreboard more respectable.

Negatives:

I'm pretty sick and tired of players being in scoring positions 30 out from goal and either turning around to look for somebody to handball to or trying the impossible pass. Blicavs was an example of this late. It happens every single week of every year.

Lack of effort. Players don't run, chase, harras.

Our zone. Doesn't work in high pressure games.

Overuse of the handball and handballing backwards to stationary targets. It keeps happening.

Lack of discipline from our leaders. Hawkins keeps playing from behind and we keep giving away unnecessary free kicks. Blicavs throwing the ball into the back of an opponents head another example.

Our forward pressure - It's our weakness and exposes our lack of pace and our zone defense further up the ground.

Horlin-Smith/Murdoch/Gregson - Aren't up to league standard.

Ablett - the worst game I've ever seen him play. Avoided physical contact, refused to tackle, jogged after his man and appeared to not give a flying heck.

Our lack of mongrel. We don't have it. Players keep getting pushed around and there's no willingness to fight. We're not desperate enough and lack that killer instinct.

We also manage to let shittrucks like McKernan, Heppell, Zaharakis and Tipungwuti types dominate us.

 

[Catsmaninamerica]

Not one word of this is correct.
He is the symptom of the real issues in this team.

Hawkins was the not the problem today.

Don’t bother. You’re throwing pearl to swine here mate.

 

[nohairandfair]

Anyone willing to admit yet that Smith is no better than Stanley, and that Stanley has clearly been the better performed of the two this year?

Frankly I'm surprised he retained his spot. Was putrid against Grundy last week.

 

[foxdog50]

Anyone willing to admit yet that Smith is no better than Stanley, and that Stanley has clearly been the better performed of the two this year?

Please tell me why.. Smith did the centre bounce then Blitz did the ruck around the ground?

 

[Seeds]

• t

  Is Scott the sole blame for all the slow players in our team right now.?

partly. and he is definately to blame for our lack of run, handball and carry. we take no risks on offence,

 

[Cronin]

Don't really agree with that last line. The flip side of my post is that Stanley isn't really any better than smith either. But a) he's been the better of the two this year - clearly; b) the Stanley bashing has been way over the top; and c) the mids are at least as culpable as the rucks for our s**t house clearance numbers.

All imo, of course.

Maybe we should try both Smith and Stanley in the same team?

 

[foxdog50]

Anyone willing to admit yet that Smith is no better than Stanley, and that Stanley has clearly been the better performed of the two this year?

Let's give Abbott a go. .

 

[Gogeelong]

KRock is saying they missed Sav big time because he gives the team something to kick to.

Having said that where was Hawkins???

 

[Reppie]

Happens like clockwork every year.
Win some tougher games set up the season with easier games to come then BANG.
All turns to s**t with efforts like this.
Then try and climb back up the ladder again.
Rinse and repeat.