Preview Rd2 Geelong V Hawthorn Fri 12 June 2020 7:50pm @ GMHBA Stadium

[dazbroncos]

The say that necessity is the mother of all invention.

And it usually applies. In this case, its definitely a stretch to suggest that a Pandemic was needed to provide causality for this to occur - but its hard to dispute it as well.

Without crowds, the AFL no longer has the mantra of a "fan access restriction" clause to use for not playing Geelong V Hawks at KP....

well... as the much utilised GIF says....


ITS HAPPENING!!!!!

The Hawks are headed down the highway for the first time since 2006 for the 4 points. Last time. they left with them. This time... lets hope not.
Its been a once in a 100 year event that created the environment for it to happen - lets make the most of it.

It not quite Easter Monday... but ill take a Friday in June to get the Cats V Hawks at GMHBA.

The team has had plenty of time to look at Rd 1 - what worked and what didnt - and to make adjustements and tweaks.
Players on the 80% list of fitness are no longer - the break has done the dings good. Will getting back to footy creat more however? Who know... but probably.

Im just glad that after Rd 1 when the plug was pulled, the thought of not seeing the #29... whoops.. the #4 running around in the hoops again was a real possibility. Now it seems we will get at least one more chance at seeing GAJ do his hoops proud.

WE dont know what the footy will be like, what the skills and endavour will be...and certianly not the outcome. One thing is for sure, we will all be watching... hoping... barracking and enjoying the Cats doing what they do best... being Geelong Strong as the 2020 version of the Greatest team of All.


Its still a bit away... but if ever there was a good time for a long preview thread.. its now.

Have at it.

GO CAtters

 

[Catsmaninamerica]

My predicted side

B: O’Connor, Blicavs, taylor
HB: Stewart, kolo, Clark
W: Parfitt, Selwood, Duncan
HF: Ablett, Ratugolea, Tuohy
FF: Rohan, Hawkins, Miers
R: Fort, Dangerfield, Narkle
IB: C.Guthrie, Henry, Steven, Dahlhaus

 

[BotsMaster]

Last time:

AFL Tables - Geelong v Hawthorn - Sat, 15-Apr-2006 2:10 PM - Match Stats

afltables.com

 

[Down at K Park]

Geez we have had what, a 10 week bye? We suck after 1 week's bye, how bad will we be after 10?

 

[dazbroncos]

Geez we have had what, a 10 week bye? We suck after 1 week's bye, how bad will we be after 10?

10 times worse lol

Go Catters

 

[BigCat1]

I just hope we take the best 22 bc surely we don’t need to reward “solid trainers”

Stanley, Parfitt, Kolo are a must.

Stevens is no chance. Still just walking laps again today. That still puts him ahead of Cocky who is not even on the track after a 4 month “slight hamstring”.

If we lose to Haw as ridiculous as it sounds it’s going to be a long way back from 0-2. You’ll need to win 9 games of the last 15 just to sneak in

 

[Turbocat]

Im not convinced that playing Haw and perhaps Collingwood at Geelong is ideal in a season. that is already having its credentials questioned... it only adds to the vibe of an Asterix season... its quite likely we may find that playing Haw and Colling will see us lose our perception in invulnerability at KP..

Home games at KP and WA and SA without crowds... just how much does the crowd contribute to home ground advantage.

 

[Turbocat]

Last time:

AFL Tables - Geelong v Hawthorn - Sat, 15-Apr-2006 2:10 PM - Match Stats

afltables.com

View attachment 881545

If when they were rubbish , and we were a year away from a flag we struggled to beat them..

 

[bulletproof]

its quite likely we may find that playing Haw and Colling will see us lose our perception in invulnerability at KP..

I don't get this argument. It is not a perception, it is a reality, teams (bar the two Sydney teams) have just not won there. The perception will change when we start losing games there because we are not very good anymore. I am sure many teams have gone down to Geelong in recent years and fully expected to win. Maybe some inexperienced sides have put up the white flag, but there has been some great games down there too.

We have played a lot better teams than Hawthorn down there in recent years, Richmond in a Premiership year, Eagles, Giants, strong Crows teams, Western Bulldogs as reigning premiers. Plenty of strong sides have played in Geelong.

Weird to put Hawthorn on a pedestal. They may well win, but if they do, it spells serious trouble for our season because it would show we are not very good at all.

 

[Cataholic]

My predicted side

B: O’Connor, Blicavs, taylor
HB: Stewart, kolo, Clark
W: Parfitt, Selwood, Duncan
HF: Ablett, Ratugolea, Tuohy
FF: Rohan, Hawkins, Miers
R: Fort, Dangerfield, Narkle
IB: C.Guthrie, Henry, Steven, Dahlhaus

You think Fort has more to offer going forward than Stanley?

No room for Constable?

 

[Cataholic]

I don't get this argument. It is not a perception, it is a reality, teams (bar the two Sydney teams) have just not won there. The perception will change when we start losing games there because we are not very good anymore. I am sure many teams have gone down to Geelong in recent years and fully expected to win. Maybe some inexperienced sides have put up the white flag, but there has been some great games down there too.

We have played a lot better teams than Hawthorn down there in recent years, Richmond in a Premiership year, Eagles, Giants, strong Crows teams, Western Bulldogs as reigning premiers. Plenty of strong sides have played in Geelong.

Weird to put Hawthorn on a pedestal. They may well win, but if they do, it spells serious trouble for our season because it would show we are not very good at all.

Hawthorn have a good defensive structure, and will likely move the ball quicker than us, so are a good chance to roll us here I reckon.

And I'm not sure we ARE that good. Not whilst we persevere with the slow, stilted gameplan we employ anyhow.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

its quite likely we may find that playing Haw and Colling will see us lose our perception in invulnerability at KP..

Who even thinks that? And why does it matter? Being invincible at a ground you never play finals on doesn't help much.

 

[BotsMaster]

If when they were rubbish , and we were a year away from a flag we struggled to beat them..

This was the game I believe dashed any hope of a good season in 2006. Started so well against Brisbane and North in the opening rounds, only for the Hawks to give us a dose of reality.

The Round 8 match vs the Pies pretty much sealed our fate.

 

[Noel Gallagher]

Looks like Omeara will be out with a head fracture. Massive blow to us

 

[Stratton_Gun]

Looks like Omeara will be out with a head fracture. Massive blow to us

Talk about going early. Medicos said he probably won't miss training. Knowing our cover ups he could well be out but saying he will be out is just way too soon

 

[GeelongFTW]

10 times worse lol

Go Catters

not a 10-week bye- a short offseason! We have no problems winning round 1 usually.

 

[David the Cat]

Looks like Omeara will be out with a head fracture. Massive blow to us

He'll be fine...

 

[Cataholic]

not a 10-week bye- a short offseason! We have no problems winning round 1 usually.

Except we've already lost it..... convincingly

 

[David the Cat]

Except we've already lost it..... convincingly

Yes...hard to beat a quality side that kicks 17 goals 3......

I havent re-watched it but my recollection is we didn't play too badly...

 

[Cataholic]

Yes...hard to beat a quality side that kicks 17 goals 3......

I havent re-watched it but my recollection is we didn't play too badly...

My recollection is that we never looked likely, but could be wrong

 

[Stocks_go_Up]

We better not lose this game - we are on the downhill but no excuse not to knock over the Dawks on our home turf. I'm more interested to see which of our players have taken the break seriously and maintained themselves. Lets see who is blowing after the first quarter.

 

[cats_09]

My recollection is that we never looked likely, but could be wrong

Not sure it was so much that we never looked likely but more that GWS never looked like losing - guessing first genuine (not pre-season) match after their absolutely s**t effort in the GF, they'd want to put on a better showing which is what happened

We weren't horrible like we have been in past matches we've lost, and instead just outplayed by a better team who was super accurate in front of goal

Reminded me a bit of some of our games from early last year where we didn't seem to miss in front of goal and that accuracy was a key reason we won

 

[STPer18]

Isn't this the kind of game we usually lose?

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

Isn't this the kind of game we usually lose?

Too right it is!

 

[dazbroncos]

We better not lose this game - we are on the downhill but no excuse not to knock over the Dawks on our home turf. I'm more interested to see which of our players have taken the break seriously and maintained themselves. Lets see who is blowing after the first quarter.

to be fair they are all gonna blow after the first 1/4 - no player runs across the grass clean first time back.

That said, there are different levels of preparedness and yes you'd want them to be back as best as possible - and that will show who took it seriously.

GO Catters