Autopsy Cats lose to Saints by 7 points - should have been more

[Cataholic]

After such a poor first half, it was always unlikely the Cats would win this game. The Saints came out, switched on, and fired up, and our guys played like they had just woken up from a nap. They seemed a bit stunned. How often have we seen this with the Cats getting smashed early in the game and then coming back and only losing by under ten points? Disappointing game after what they dished up last week. Jack Henry, Holmes, Atkins, Zuthrie, & Lawson did their best for us, but the rest of the team was very underwhelming.

Listless, lazy footy doesn't deserve to win, and it's better for us in the longer term that it didn't last night.

A win would've see euphoria and a blind eye turned to the insipid first half we dished up, which had a correlation to the lazy trainwreck that was the third quarter last week.

We just can't afford lapses in concentration and our work ethic like that. Better it be brought out into the open than papered over by a lucky win.

 

[Lana]

What time is it on?

2pm

 

[IMCat]

What time is it on?

2:05pm

 

[iameviljez]

These days, it's hard not to be at least a little suspicious of these sorts of posters. Especially when they only pop up after a loss and are unrelentingly negative.

Yeah, exactly. I'm always a bit suspicious that some users just sit on alternative "bad week" aliases so they can vent after a bad game.

 

[iameviljez]

I think this loss is on the coaching staff as much as anyone

Why do you say that?

 

[iameviljez]

Jack Macrae is a good pickup for them.
I reckon he would have been the perfect replacement for Guthrie. He should play strong footy for at least two more seasons.
Killed us on the inside last night

Yes, and no - I think there are a couple of complicating factors here.

• If we had a fully fit and available list, does he actually make the team? With Smith, Bruhn and C Guthrie in, I'm not sure that he does.
• You can't go into a season just assuming that Guthrie will pick up another injury and burning a pick on a veteran on that assumption
• We would have had to give up our first draft pick for him.

Absolutely, he would have been a perfect fit last night - but whether that made him a perfect fit in November 2024, is another story.

 

[you pick one]

Why do you say that?

I think he has a point it took them 1/2 a game to try and do something about Jones he was setting them up right left and centre.Nothing much they could do about Marshall or Higgins.

 

[TheWoodenSlug]

Well it is CatGPT. You'll be lucky if it tells you to get the misspelled name of a former football player instead of telling to get LeBron James.

LeBron also cannot play next week

Have we even asked? I think that's the problem.

 

[And_ROOS]

Going to need Stanley in for this week against the bigger body in the ruck in the middle. Let SDK roam around the field but Big O is a similar ruck in the middle to Marshall and if we don't have Stanley in McInerney will have 6-10 clearances and that probably costs us the game (he had 7 last week against Grundy).

This team for 2.5 years now has had a reaaaaaaal big issue with stopping teams getting a run on and if they don't find a solution to this, we can't win a big final, let alone a flag.

Freo last week, Saints this week, and they aren't particularly good teams.

We have Brisbane, Melbourne, Crows, Hawks, Blues, Pies over the next 6 weeks. Lions, Crows, Hawks and Pies are all teams at the moment who swing momentum and score quick goals, and Lions and Hawks have been good at stopping other teams momentum after 2-3 goals.

Thats a massive concern.

 

[My Tilly]

Yes, and no - I think there are a couple of complicating factors here.

• If we had a fully fit and available list, does he actually make the team? With Smith, Bruhn and C Guthrie in, I'm not sure that he does.
• You can't go into a season just assuming that Guthrie will pick up another injury and burning a pick on a veteran on that assumption
• We would have had to give up our first draft pick for him.

Absolutely, he would have been a perfect fit last night - but whether that made him a perfect fit in November 2024, is another story.

Fair points.
Personally, I have felt that both Guthrie and Duncan were finished at least a year ago. I can see why the club honoured them and gave both another year.
The Western Bulldogs are stacked with midfielders and could afford to send Macrae to the reserves or played out of position.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Clohesy is a smart, tough, disciplined footballer with a good all round game. While forward of centre is not our main problem area, he might be a more solid citizen than some of our forwards who drift in and out of game.

I think a role across half forward looks his spot.

We don't really have any vacancies there though.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Going to need Stanley in for this week against the bigger body in the ruck in the middle. Let SDK roam around the field but Big O is a similar ruck in the middle to Marshall and if we don't have Stanley in McInerney will have 6-10 clearances and that probably costs us the game (he had 7 last week against Grundy).

This team for 2.5 years now has had a reaaaaaaal big issue with stopping teams getting a run on and if they don't find a solution to this, we can't win a big final, let alone a flag.

Freo last week, Saints this week, and they aren't particularly good teams.

We have Brisbane, Melbourne, Crows, Hawks, Blues, Pies over the next 6 weeks. Lions, Crows, Hawks and Pies are all teams at the moment who swing momentum and score quick goals, and Lions and Hawks have been good at stopping other teams momentum after 2-3 goals.

Thats a massive concern.

It'll be a very strong indicator of Stanley's body condition of he's not named

 

[Pure_Ownage]

It'll be a very strong indicator of Stanley's body condition of he's not named

He won't be.

 

[My Tilly]

Could Dempsey work as a defender?
He's got speed and high footy IQ.
I think Mullin is going to take some time.

With Mannagh to come back, we are spoilt for small-mid sized forwards

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Could Dempsey work as a defender?
He's got speed and high footy IQ.
I think Mullin is going to take some time.

With Mannagh to come back, we are spoilt for small-mid sized forwards

I can't recall him ever doing much defending. He's not the strongest body either.

 

[iameviljez]

Fair points.
Personally, I have felt that both Guthrie and Duncan were finished at least a year ago. I can see why the club honoured them and gave both another year.
The Western Bulldogs are stacked with midfielders and could afford to send Macrae to the reserves or played out of position.

Look, if Macrae were free, and happy to consider a team where he might finish the year in the VFL, absolutely I get it.

 

[My Tilly]

I can't recall him ever doing much defending. He's not the strongest body either.

Yeh, that is the biggest concern isn't it. He gets pushed off the ball too easily. It's why he won't work as a full-time midfielder for a while yet

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

I've seen enough of Jack Bowes to say that that recruitment is a bust. The man is 27 now and is still producing games you would expect from a nervous 18-year-old. When he's good he's a solid footballer, but these types of games are always around the corner with him.

Yes - he had a great preseason game as a mid , I was expecting him to step up with Baz out. Very disappointing.

We looked to be defending corridor but the Saints used the boundary all game and went inboard after 2 to 3 possession chains. We need to be better than that and adapt. One for the coaches to look at.

 

[Kitcat]

At centre bounces, we often got first hands on the ball, or near to it, but then it shoots out to one of their players who is clear by a few metres.

 

[Catman]

That was a movie we've seen all too often. Inept first half followed by a second half comeback that ultimately falls short.

The more things change the more they stay the same...

I said before the game that we might be getting them at the right time for a change. Well I got that wrong. In hindsight, us coming off a huge win in the heat while they were coming off a huge loss on the road, should have had the alarm bells ringing. The bounce back game for them while we were feeling great about ourselves played out as it so often does - one side ready from the start and one side not at the races.

Was there a subconscious focus on the big PF rematch next week believing that we'd be right this week? Whatever the cause, a game we probably would have been pencilling in as a win has now made our next month or so even more important.

 

[Catman]

He was briilliant.

Except that rush of blood to the head shot from 50 out when there were many, many, better options - but that comes with experience

This has probably been addressed, but I thought the same, but looking back at the vision, there were no free men and any clear option. His best option in hindsight was maybe Holmes running past for the handball. Max would have time to run inside 50 and have a shot.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Yeh, that is the biggest concern isn't it. He gets pushed off the ball too easily. It's why he won't work as a full-time midfielder for a while yet

I would sooner recite him some fire and brimstone bible verses, slap him until he's angry, and chuck into centre bounces. He won't win the ball but if someone can get in space around him he can turn some water into wine

Not sure how many CBAs Bowes had but I'm sure he can play small defender better than Mullin right now. So I would make space by moving Bowes back and Mullin out.

The wing that Dempsey would be rotating out of i would bring Mannagh into if available and ideally he takes more of the midfield work then Dempsey does. But I don't think he's ready so everything I've just posted ain't gonna work

 

[frggr]

Charlie did mark it out of bounds but he kicked a point from memory in the prelim.

Oh that's right. The footy gods intervened!

 

[STPer18]

O'Sullivan . . . . is anyone else as impressed as I am?
I thought he was so good. Began to dominate the air and even had a go at goal in the dying stages. Looks the complete footballer.

I mean he looks every bit as good as what De Koning was in 2022 and that's just three games into a career.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

At centre bounces, we often got first hands on the ball, or near to it, but then it shoots out to one of their players who is clear by a few metres.

We needed to outnumber at the ball too win it, they trusted their man to be stronger at the contest and could run off with impunity