Autopsy Cats lose to Lions by 41 points.

[Vdubs]

So what you're saying is we play them when they can downhill ski but when we need to them to step up against good teams...like in finals, they will go missing but that's ok?

You are telling me what I’m saying?
I’m saying they have been great this season, and no good against the Lions this week- 1 game.
They had many allies on Friday night who all played their worst games- Miers, for instance- want to drop him as well?

 

[standupand]

Almost dead set fact, not probably true.
With Holmes playing we were 4+ goals up and playing all over them with Holmes BOG.
Once he went down they started to dominate us around the contest and on the spread, and we lacked the run and carry when it did go our way.
Even then we still should have won that late, but Holmes going down was the changing moment.

Not much difference between things that are "almost a fact" and those which "could've come true". At the end of the day I think we just beaten by a better side on the night.

 

[Heckler]

How much of though was a tactical problem and how much was down to execution? The stats didn't show any glaring discrepancies, other than maybe the uncontested disposals, which Brisbane are usually high in, but to the eye it was clear one side was more polished than the other at key moments. Not too dissimilar to the PF second half.

Is that something down to the quality of players of the two teams, or did we just have a very bad night?

Mostly tactical : Differences were:-
Lions anticipated Cats pressure, got ball quickly to waiting outsider
Lions played on quickly from marks and frees too quick for Cats zone
Lions defenders ran and carried transition, mid's created link targets.
Lions set up zone around contest, stopped Holmes and Smith running
Lions controlled the central corridor, forcing the Cats to play wide.
Lions held up Cats from playing on quickly when Cats won possession
Lions anticipated Cats switching play and intercepted numerous times.
Lions effectively stopped Cats from running to becoming Witches Hats
Cats defensive midfield taggers allowed lions to go hard out attacking
Cats disposal being uncharacteristically poor was due to Lions pressure.

 

[Heckler]

I don't agree. They clearly changed during last season when our midfield was getting smashed early in the season to become competitive in its own right by the finals. That required them to tweak the game plan on the run, which is what may happen after this loss. But you can't make wholesale changes to the game plan with nine rounds to go to the finals. Those things can only be done in the preseason.

Comment referred to Lions Surge should have been anticipated.
Especially as Lions came from behind to win last two meetings.
There was no evidence of a specif tactic by Cats to counter this.
e.g. Once gaining passion, maintain possession to stop momentum.
Cats players should have been moving providing targets everywhere

 

[And_ROOS]

Comment referred to Lions Surge should have been anticipated.
Especially as Lions came from behind to win last two meetings.
There was no evidence of a specif tactic by Cats to counter this.
e.g. Once gaining passion, maintain possession to stop momentum.
Cats players should have been moving providing targets everywhere

We need a game plan tweak asap because all the ladder predictors I have seen be it a month ago, a week ago or today suggest we and the Lions will finish 2nd and 3rd (most have us finishing 2nd) and we don't seem to have an answer to them be it a game played at the MCG, Gabba or Goomba.

 

[Mr Meow]

We need a game plan tweak asap because all the ladder predictors I have seen be it a month ago, a week ago or today suggest we and the Lions will finish 2nd and 3rd (most have us finishing 2nd) and we don't seem to have an answer to them be it a game played at the MCG, Gabba or Goomba.

While they're shaping up as a bogey team, playing the Lions at the MCG again wouldn't be a terrible result - the bigger ground suits us more than KP and of our last 8 quarters there against them, we dominated more than we lost.

If we did lose that QF, then winning a semi final would likely give us a prelim against Collingwood and we would head in toughened up a bit like Brisbane were in the 2024 prelim. But not having had to travel either.

 

[Play it Sam]

What is the Close story? He had several very ordinary games running until last week, when he fired again and all was forgiven. I'm inclined to think he's being given some sort of special role we have no comprehension of.
Yet that would not explain his woeful lack of skills against Brisbane. Perhaps he can't adjust to a team of different players around him.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

Outclassed and out coached.

 

[autimcx]

What is the Close story? He had several very ordinary games running until last week, when he fired again and all was forgiven. I'm inclined to think he's being given some sort of special role we have no comprehension of.
Yet that would not explain his woeful lack of skills against Brisbane. Perhaps he can't adjust to a team of different players around him.

It's a very unrewarding role to play the pressuring role he does but you can definitely see what he's doing. I do agree that his ball skills have been dreadful for a number of weeks, notably since the Eagles game, probably even further back and that is some cause for concern.

He's pretty consistently applying more pressure than any of the other forwards, and working right up and down the ground, at least getting to the right positions. There's nobody in the VFL that even seems capable of playing the same role, and of the few players that might be capable already playing AFL, I don't think you'd want them to be doing that instead so I can't see him going anywhere

 

[autimcx]

Just a few observations within minutes of each other in the 3rd qtr, not intending to single any player out as at fault for the game, but just some things that really summed up the night and where they all seemed to be at.

Dangerfield attempts to spoil a mark but doesn't and is told to follow Starcevich as the closest man, but jogs behind instead while Starcevich sprints off to receive the ball in space and kicks to Morris for a shot at goal. In this same play Blicavs, or COS, one of them appears to get lost in traffic. Blicavs drops off Morris and points to him, however COS instead points to Lohman and mans him up, leaving Morris with no body contact to check his lead. After he marks it Blicavs immediately turns and looks at COS

Not long after this Cameron does something very similar. Points to a loose player coming out of a kick in, then jogs behind his opponent that doesn't receive the ball, however he's oblivious to what's happening around him and continues behind making no attempt to put any pressure on as the closest man, instead Miers comes from off screen to do so

Mannagh completely nullified at the stoppages by Zorko all game. This probably falls more towards the umpires as I didn't think you were allowed to do this, but more often than not Zorko had his back to the ball and just tried to block Mannagh around the stoppage, which took a huge aspect of Geelong's clean exit from clearances away.

 

[gogeelongcats]

Whilst there is a thought that Geelong had an off night, I am more concerned that we had a riddled plagues game because of the finals like pressure that was applied by a quality team

 

[catswhiskers]

100%

I always get to games early. The warm ups give away mindset.

When my kids joined me the first thing I said was that this does not look good.

The warm up was sloppy and goal kicking practice was awful. Either arrogant or just plain not switched on ....OR BOTH.

Anyway. Move on and learn from this effort....the build up during the week and match day prep.

Go Cats

 

[mcwilrob]

— I think most sides will have a banana peel game here or there. That was ours. Now we gather ourselves, learn from it and move on.

But we've had a few of these in 2025 haven't we? (St K, Carlton, GWS, and now Lions)... i.e. games we might have expected to perform considerably better if not win...

 

[mcwilrob]

Whilst there is a thought that Geelong had an off night, I am more concerned that we had a riddled plagues game because of the finals like pressure that was applied by a quality team

Good point - our poor performances have been typically when opposition pressure was high (which it will clearly be in finals...)

 

[standupand]

Good point - our poor performances have been typically when opposition pressure was high (which it will clearly be in finals...)

I wouldn't really say so. The games v crows, hawks and bulldogs were really high pressure from the opposition.

 

[Pollywaffle]

Disagree.
Lions have to travel the country all season to win their flags- Tigers get away finals at the G until they (Dusty) beat us at the GABBA
And we did beat them in that era- 2017 at Geeloing, 2019 by 11 goals at the G

Yes, they travel pretty well these days often a good sign for interstate teams. Far from the ‘winter easybeats’ of old.
Solid depth.Seem to be well coached, confidence high… will be hard to get past them and the wobblers in September.

 

[Turbocat]

I don't think this is the way the club imagined it being reported …





bit of a hit job imo. Overall I thought (for geelong crowd) the participation was good. Thought they could have done it ina more polished way but at times the effect worked well. I could see a White out scarf thing being just as good. The down side was the way Geelong played ..and its put a bit of smell on everything about that game

 

[Mr Meow]

But we've had a few of these in 2025 haven't we? (St K, Carlton, GWS, and now Lions)... i.e. games we might have expected to perform considerably better if not win...

You can't win 'em all.

Lots of people expected us to lose to Collingwood, Hawthorn, Adelaide and Port on the road, as well as the Dogs at home.

Every side this year has lost some games as favourite.

 

[Baudolino]

I don't think this is the way the club imagined it being reported …


View attachment 2348633

What an idiotic article. Penn State's record during "White Out" games is 13-8 according to the relevant Wikipedia article. Was the entire concept of the "White Out" invalidated after each of those eight losses? Are their results in those games considered a referendum on attempts at crowd participation?

 

[standupand]

I don't think this is the way the club imagined it being reported …


View attachment 2348633


bit of a hit job imo. Overall I thought (for geelong crowd) the participation was good. Thought they could have done it ina more polished way but at times the effect worked well. I could see a White out scarf thing being just as good. The down side was the way Geelong played ..and its put a bit of smell on everything about that game

Yeah. If the club wanted this to take off they needed to debut it in an "easy kill", not one where we get smashed by a team which has never had a better chance to knock us off since 2003. Lol

 

[cats_09]

MRO results

 

[Play it Sam]

I don't think this is the way the club imagined it being reported …


View attachment 2348633


bit of a hit job imo. Overall I thought (for geelong crowd) the participation was good. Thought they could have done it ina more polished way but at times the effect worked well. I could see a White out scarf thing being just as good. The down side was the way Geelong played ..and its put a bit of smell on everything about that game

Sheer jealousy. Was worth it for the enormous fun and atmospheric pre game, a celebration.
There was always a choice for fans not to get involved, but they loved it and took it up.
The waving just fizzled a bit with emotions as the game went on, and fair enough.

 

[Play it Sam]

Just a few observations within minutes of each other in the 3rd qtr, not intending to single any player out as at fault for the game, but just some things that really summed up the night and where they all seemed to be at.

Dangerfield attempts to spoil a mark but doesn't and is told to follow Starcevich as the closest man, but jogs behind instead while Starcevich sprints off to receive the ball in space and kicks to Morris for a shot at goal. In this same play Blicavs, or COS, one of them appears to get lost in traffic. Blicavs drops off Morris and points to him, however COS instead points to Lohman and mans him up, leaving Morris with no body contact to check his lead. After he marks it Blicavs immediately turns and looks at COS

Not long after this Cameron does something very similar. Points to a loose player coming out of a kick in, then jogs behind his opponent that doesn't receive the ball, however he's oblivious to what's happening around him and continues behind making no attempt to put any pressure on as the closest man, instead Miers comes from off screen to do so

Mannagh completely nullified at the stoppages by Zorko all game. This probably falls more towards the umpires as I didn't think you were allowed to do this, but more often than not Zorko had his back to the ball and just tried to block Mannagh around the stoppage, which took a huge aspect of Geelong's clean exit from clearances away.

Zorko is a filthy bitch. Shaun will learn from that.

 

[cats_09]

Sheer jealousy. Was worth it for the enormous fun and atmospheric pre game, a celebration.
There was always a choice for fans not to get involved, but they loved it and took it up.
The waving just fizzled a bit with emotions as the game went on, and fair enough.

Guessing we should return to the grandma's knitting in the stands instead

 

[Pollywaffle]

I don't think this is the way the club imagined it being reported …


View attachment 2348633


bit of a hit job imo. Overall I thought (for geelong crowd) the participation was good. Thought they could have done it ina more polished way but at times the effect worked well. I could see a White out scarf thing being just as good. The down side was the way Geelong played ..and its put a bit of smell on everything about that game

Made sense with one of the club sponsors being Cotton on.
Might have been better though if everyone got a Ford ranger