Review Geel defeat Bombers by 44 points.

[cats_09]

 

[The rabbi]

 

[Heckler]

F.A.F.O.
This wan't a game but a bye.
Danger & Martin were managed
Win was assured as the odds.
Instead of killing game early
With 1 Q of champagne footy
Then enjoying the party time
Tanks to 3 quick Neale goals
Over confidence set in early
Cats entered holiday mode
Trying to gift goals to Jezza
Short passing from 25m out
Managing to screw up both
Poor attitude was apparent
Dumb decisions saw clangers
Lack of focus saw turnovers
Lack of urgency saw fumbling
Cats were missing gimmies
Due to lack of Cats pressure
Bummers went harder at ball
Were being rewarded by upm's.
Hanging around like a bad smell
Cats strung a few good passages
Keeping the lead comfortable
There was no tension. No release
No screaming. No satisfaction.
Despite 44 point win and full belly
Went home feeling empty.

Thankfully Giant's lost to Swans
3 weeks of dead game limbo ends.
Already looking forward to R-23
Victory v Swans secures top two.

 

[Pollywaffle]

Yeah I thought for an ageing whipping boy, Stanley has actually had a pretty good year....until the last month or so. Started on fire against Briggs, then got absolutely smashed.
Blitz has looked our best ruck, and we've all been here before.
Hopefully Stanley can pull his finger out come finals because there's a similar narrative brewing. After all these years, we still look the best version of ourselves when Stanley is firing (or at least not getting smashed).

I think he has looked better this year than the last couple. Seems to be enjoying his craft and hitting to advantage a bit more than usual, but you are right. We are much better when he is fit and firing. However Blicavs is Rucking better than ever and Neale is more than useful. Rucking division is in reasonable shape compared to previous seasons.

 

[Pollywaffle]

Can't keep carrying SDK and O'connor in the backline abd expect to win big finals.

O’Conner has been OK

 

[The rabbi]

Can't keep carrying SDK and O'connor in the backline abd expect to win big finals.

Who plays in the place of the above mentioned that will help us win big finals?

 

[goyoucatters]

Who plays in the place of the above mentioned that will help us win big finals?

A fit and firing Kolo is the only possible answer to this question.

 

[Seeds]

A fit and firing Kolo is the only possible answer to this question.

Dekonning near best on ground in 22 grand final win.

Kolo worst on ground in 2020 grand final loss.

I take dekonning in big finals.

 

[Vdubs]

Who plays in the place of the above mentioned that will help us win big finals?

Lacking a fit Kolo this year has been significant, but COS has come on well.
And we have Blicavs, a truly awesome player who can play in defence.
Our deficits against Lions and GWS were evident.
Swans best is very good and their strengths are imposing- that will be like a final.
Teams with 2 true KF's , like Dogs, Ade, Lions, GWS, GC, Freo will test us, and most teams.

 

[Vdubs]

Dekonning near best on ground in 22 grand final win.

Kolo worst on ground in 2020 grand final loss.

I take dekonning in big finals.

Kolo was superb in all 22 finals, as was DeK.

 

[Pollywaffle]

Dekonning near best on ground in 22 grand final win.

Kolo worst on ground in 2020 grand final loss.

I take dekonning in big finals.

Dubious take, although SDK did help with a number of crucial intercepts.
Mano a Mano he is a liability in his current iteration.

 

[goyoucatters]

Kolo was superb in all 22 finals, as was DeK.

Jake's PF that year was absolutely incredible. Totally dominant and imperious in his role.

 

[Cursed Cat]

We need to sort out his selfishness more than anything. He gets the ball inside 50 and don't bother being a teammate in a better position. He's shooting at goal.

But other players kick him the ball when he's in a better position.

I saw a bit of that last night no doubt, but on other occasions this year he has set up team mates with neat foot skills.

At his best he could kick them from nearly anywhere, set shot, whatever. Maybe those days are gone; hope not, they were spectacular.

I think we should have run SDK through the ruck more this year. I mean he towelled up Luke Jackson this season. I also think it would have helped his defence play too. I don’t think he is enjoying his football at the moment.

The shoulder op wasn't all that long ago.

I honestly reckon he'll be ok come the pointy end.

It's interesting when you consider that one of the recent points of discussion around our run into September is about how on paper it looked a potentially easy draw, some thinking it was maybe too easy and we wouldn't receive a tough match on the run home to help prepare for finals

Well tonight we got a tougher match than it looked on paper like it may have been, and while we didn't play the perfect game, we did manage to get the job done and win by 44 points

The main focus going into tonight would have been to bank the 4 points - with how the game played out, I dare say that the coaches learnt more from these 4 quarters than they did from our previous 8

As fans we won't look to tonight to be on any highlights reel, but if the club can take some key learnings from tonight, then surely that's a positive as we head into September

I'm definitely one of those who worry that we're getting the proverbial armchair ride into the top 4.

We've finished top 4 eight times since 2011 for 1 Flag. It is what it is and I am genuinely grateful for that 2022 flag.

Someone pointed out that we had a reasonably soft run into the final in 2022 (and a long-ass winning streak) - well, an in-form Sydney might be a stumbling block next week, but we've struck some down-at-heel teams of late.

You know though, the more I talk the more I realise the downplaying of our chances is a self-protective thing.

 

[The rabbi]

I actually thought Clark was ferocious at the ball tonight. A few sensational efforts

Didn’t get enough of it but he looked really dialled in.

I agree. He didn't get a lot of it, but several times he went HARD. A whole lot harder than a couple of his teammates, that's for sure.

Courage is certainly not one of Clark's weaknesses.

 

[Gunf]

If Kolo was fit this season and 1 player had to go out of Defence
Henry
Kolo
O'Sullivan
DeKonning

Id say it would be SDK would get dropped

On current form i would probably agree but remember a big reason why COS has had the chance to show what he is made of is no Kolo all year and even Henry and SDK missed some games forcing us to play him.

If all were available would COS have gotten more than 10 games? Who knows

 

[Generalissimo]

O’Conner has been OK

He's had quite a good 2025. The last few weeks have been down a little possession wise but he's been OK keeping small forwards under control.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Well you tell us about the other options.

Both of those out and get some run.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Who plays in the place of the above mentioned that will help us win big finals?

Players with urgency who don't jog on the spot or run around in circles. We have a big list.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

O’Conner has been OK

Grab ball hold it in and get tackled. Rinse and repeat. Slows momentum every time he gets the ball. Watch him.

 

[Generalissimo]

Grab ball hold it in and get tackled. Rinse and repeat. Slows momentum every time he gets the ball. Watch him.

The ability to wear a tackle without getting done HTB when you're swarmed by three oppo small forwards and nobody ahead of you to kick to is a strength, not a weakness.

 

[dudusmaximus]

The things I enjoyed last night:

• COS with mark of the year contender
• Mitch Knevitt with mark of the year contender
• Bomber fans chanting "We won the quarter!" late in the 3rd.

In Essendon's Footy Utopia, you get awarded 1 point for the winner of each quarter, rather than 4 points for the winner of the entire game. But alas, we don't live there..

 

[PzBlinky]

The ability to wear a tackle without getting done HTB when you're swarmed by three oppo small forwards and nobody ahead of you to kick to is a strength, not a weakness.

Max Holmes hates this one weird trick!

 

[Generalissimo]

Max Holmes hates this one weird trick!

The one Max gave away inside D50 was a joke (no prior, and he was ridden like a bloody racehorse), but yeah pretty much.

 

[Pollywaffle]

On current form i would probably agree but remember a big reason why COS has had the chance to show what he is made of is no Kolo all year and even Henry and SDK missed some games forcing us to play him.

If all were available would COS have gotten more than 10 games? Who knows

Maybe not, but he very much reminds me of a young weedy guy who played early for Brisbane called Harris Andrews..

 

[you pick one]

Who plays in the place of the above mentioned that will help us win big finals?

No one