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Review Cats into ANOTHER PRELIM (14 of 18) after beating Lions by 38 points

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Chris Scott is very smart. Avoided calling out the shocking umpiring. But hinted that the AFL need to look at the laws.

Why should an incident 150 m off the ball result in a free kick at the other end of the ground and certain goal? It wasn't a Free Kick After Disposal situation. Brisbane didn't have the ball. A free kick at the position of the ball would seem fair.

And why is a free kick after a goal paid at the position of the offence? Pay the free kick at the centre circle.
 
bit later than usual, but I am happily drunk so took me a bit longer to type up ;)

3. Bailey Smith - It's not the most prominent game he's played, but he was an important contributor as always. Really love what Smith has brought to the team. I reckon for the first quarter and a bit his disposal let him down, but after that he seemed to adjust to what Brisbane were tryna do and began to assert himself. Nice goal too!

5. Jeremy Cameron - Weird, weird game. Jezza got two goals in the first half and sprayed a lot of gettable ones. For much of the 2nd half he was parked in defense. Why? It left us without a marking forward at all, given Neale's inability to handle Harris Andrews. It might have encouraged our mids to lower the eyes and hit up better, if unconventional, options up forward. That said, Cameron's field kicking across half back and the midfield was more than handy.

7. Shaun Mannagh - He's had games where he's had more touches and kicked goals, but what impressed me today was how hard he hit the ball at full speed without fumbling at all. Mannagh's lack of height is probably what stopped him getting a chance at AFL level until we took a punt, but winning the hard ball and having the kind of level head that wins finals more than makes up for that inch of stature.

9. Max Holmes - I thought he struggled to get off the leash a bit in the first half, but in the second when the game was there to be won he was magnificent. It's a testament to Geelong's fitness and mental strength. Remember what happened to Max last two times we played Brisbane in a final? Holmes isn't dropping his head, that's for sure.

12. Jack Bowes - I think he's peaking at the right time of the year. At times he's struggled to get involved in games even when conditions suit, and he can often come across as very bland and vanilla. I may have even compared him to James Parsons once, which was probably a bit uncharitable. But tonight he unobtrusively put together a finals-winning performace, burning Ashcroft for pace (which I didn't realise he had) and being sharp around goal. Decision-making was top notch and so was his willingness to put his body on the line.

13. Jhye Clark - Coming on with 5 minutes to go when the game's already won isn't ideal. His one, very unselfish, touch would have earned him some Brownie points in the coaching staff's eyes though.

14. Connor O'Sullivan - COS seems to have a lot of footy smarts, an awareness of the players around him beyond just his direct opponent. While he didn't get a lot of the ball, neither did his opponent. Can go to ground a trifle easily at times, but a ruckman-sized defender has no business getting those little handballs and taps through packs like he does. I bet Holmes and Smith and Dempsey appreciate it too.

16. Sam De Koning - Best game I've seen SDK play for a while. Sometimes he's been accused of being timid, but you couldn't make that allegation tonight. Difficult job alternating between defence and 2nd ruck, but I don't reckon I saw him shirk a contest or make an error all night.

17. Lawson Humphries - For the last month or so his disposals have been down, whichn I think is a shame and an awful waste of a great kick of the footy. That said, his 1%ers were beautiful. He's developed the knack of competing in the air with taller players and still getting it to land to the advantage of Zuth or Stewey or Martin, and the one time he snuck forward he spoiled an easy D50 mark to Brisbane which ended as a goal to us. We're lucky to have this guy,

18. Tyson Stengle - A quiet game, but did enough to make Brisbane mind him very carefully all night. I wish he wouldn't be so casual with some of his shots on goal though, that last one should have been just a regualtion drop punt.

19. Jack Martin - One comical shank aside, you can't fault Martin's disposal or workrate. Since coming into the team he's really grown on me. I think it says a lot about Martin's temperament, and the talents of our physio staff, that we've been able to get him back to reliable fitness at the most important time of the season. Two months ago I expected he'd be the one squeezed out when we had a fit list to choose from. But he's gone ahead of Duncan and Bews and Knevitt and Clark in the pecking order, which I would not have expected. It's still not 100% clear to me exactly what his position is, but then neither does the oppo coach so that's fine as long as Scott does.

28. Oliver Dempsey - Probably our best player tonight. Three goals alternating between wing and forward pocket, including an amazing half volley in the goalsquare and a beautiful set shot in the first quarter. I reckon his willingness to run and run all day, back and forth from the wing to the forward pocket ever and over again is a huge headache for the opposition coach.

30. Tom Atkins - Every week he just gets double digit tackles and a bazillion contested ball gets. It gets to the point you don't even notice. But there's 17 other coaches who wish they had an Axe clone playing for them. I love when he gets the chance to sneak forward for a goal too!

32. Gryan Miers - A bit quieter tonight, though he still put in a solid effort. Miers I think is a good example of how Scott outcoached Fagan today. Last time we played Brisbane they were awake to Miers's cheeky kicks through the midfeild and picked them off. Today Scott seemed happy to let the Lions drop back to where Miers would normally go, have us hand the ball to someone else like Dempsey or Bowes or Mannagh, and just smash it over the top. That said, Miers through the midfield was always a decent option for us, and he didn't let us down through his disposal or effort.

33. Shannon Neale - Andrews murdered him up until the last ten minutes. You can't even say he was playing decoy for Cameron, because Jezza was derping around in the back pocket for some unknown reason. I was encouraged by the last ten minutes though, it seemed like Scratcher worked Andrews out a bit and won a few contests. Coming in over the top from behind isn't the way to go, though it's usually a winner for Neale. Pace and change of direction is the way.

34. Oisin Mullin - I said it before but Mullin gave away the chance of being the Nick Daicos of Gaelic footy in favour of being an irritating wet blanket in the AFL. He made McCluggage look stupid, and I was so happy for him to finally get that first career goal. I'm feeling more confident seeing him in contested situations; his decision making is sound and his disposal- though not champagne- is good enough. One of these days Scott will play him as an inside mid and he'll probably surprise us with 30 touches.

35. Patrick Dangerfield - Another typically important captain's game tonight. Although he couldn't get on the scoreboard himself he was so creative around the HFF. He still hits the ball hard, makes correct decisions with split seconds of thinking time, and tackles like he's holding a grudge.

38. Jack Henry - He seemed like he was doing a lot more than 13 touches. He was imperious. No tall defender should be allowed to attack the ground ball with that kind of speed. It's an outrage, how very dare you.

39. Zach Guthrie - Yet another good game in defense. Giving away that goal to Floppy McFlopface Rayner was disappointing, but aside from that he was magnificent. He routinely outpointed taller forwards and continually gave us a useful option out of defense. Unofficial, but undisputed, D50 general.

42. Mark O'Connor - Umpire douchebaggery aside, he demolished Rayner all night. I bet Fagan would have loved to play Rayner through the midfield, but then MOC beat him 9 touches to 1 in the first half, and as an oppo coach you don't want MOC kicking inside 50 if you can help it. Neither player really featured in the game after that, parked in Brisbane's forward pocket, which is a win for us.

44. Tom Stewart - Great game once again. The intercept marking is back to its maximum level, and his disposal has been good too. Having him down there marshalling the defensive troops- especially with SDK absent on ruck duties for long periods- is so important for us. And how great was it to see him trundle forward and jag a goal himself?

45. Brad Close - Closey is a finals performer, this was the best he's played in ages. All year he's been used as a decoy without a lot of reward. He pushes up almost into the midfield, then abruptly drops forward to drag a bunch of defenders with him to get one of our guys free. Watch the leadup to Ollie Dempsey's first goal in the 1st quarter, you'll see what I mean. Still, finals have a way of getting everyone involved. Close was smart, dedicated, and justly rewarded with a late goal.

46. Mark Blicavs - Best game I've seen Blitz play for a long time. IMO he competed well in the ruck against Fort, conceding most of the hitouts but not letting Fort get all those taps to any kind of advantage, and utterly annihilated him around the ground. For all his set shot woes throughout the year, I always thought Blitz would pull difficult goals out of his hat when it mattered in a final and so it proved tonight. It'll be a sad day when he retires, we won't see his like again.
 
PhatBoy said:
This might sound a bit odd given how colossal his opponent’s performance was - Andrews was close to, if not clearly, Brisbane’s best tonight, but I actually thought Neale could take a lot out of the game. He just kept presenting. That’s all you can ask of a big man in a game where his opponent is clearly on top. He didn’t let him get to the point where he just stopped trying. He was still trying to run to the drop of the ball to those kicks to the goal square, he was trying to be the man in those packs, and eventually it DID earn him a goal. That is absolutely all you can ask of a key forward who gets beaten.

So many guys who get their colours lowered by a key defender just drift out of the game altogether and it’s true he had basically no influence in the outcome of the game but he at least made Andrews play the game that he played. He will learn a lot from the game tonight
Click to expand...
Good post. It was pleasing to see Neale not drop his head at any stage.

Andrews is a class act. His positioning in one-on-one contests was very clever.

Re. the match generally, the evenness of the Geelong performance was impressive. Chris Scott also had a very good night with his tactics and match-ups.
 

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Frank Bunn said:
Chris Scott is very smart. Avoided calling out the shocking umpiring. But hinted that the AFL need to look at the laws.

Why should an incident 150 m off the ball result in a free kick at the other end of the ground and certain goal? It wasn't a Free Kick After Disposal situation. Brisbane didn't have the ball. A free kick at the position of the ball would seem fair.

And why is a free kick after a goal paid at the position of the offence? Pay the free kick at the centre circle.
Click to expand...
It was 'deer in the headlights' stuff from that umpire. Similar to the Adelaide playing group in their first final. Couldn't rise to the occasion and remain calm.
 
****ing destroyed them, 38 points and the score flattered Brisbane.

That was a meek effort from Brisbane.

I was pretty confident we would face them again in the Grand Final but now I seriously doubt it.

Get the week off rest and reset and back to the G for another Prelim.
 
Cataholic said:
You're still missing the point.

Blitz acknowledged him, Scott acknowledged him.....his teammates and coach rate him highly, as do I.

He has grit, and the respect of his teammates.

He isn't the best, but he has as much heart as anyone you care to name.

That's not to be sneezed at.
Click to expand...
Atkins has been huge this season.

It's time for people to acknowledge that our midfield + midfield support group (clearances in brackets) of Holmes (5), Smith (4), Atkins (3), Dangerfield (4), Dempsey (3), Blicavs (6), Mannagh (3) and Miers (2) is damn strong. Between them they have all the attributes you need to match it with the best midfields. And it's genius of Scott to get our most dynamic forwards working as extra midfielders to give us the necessary firepower.
 
allrighty said:
I only saw the last 20 minutes so my heart is good. But I also saw Fagan's interview - he knows we have them covered.
Click to expand...
Think it was such good coaching that after our home loss where the Lions kept chopping off our 45deg passes that we didn't change our game style we just did the same back back to them but better.
 
Last edited:
Mr Meow said:
It's time for people to acknowledge that our midfield + midfield support group of Holmes, Smith, Atkins, Dempsey, Blicavs, Mannagh, Miers and Dangerfield is damn strong.
Click to expand...

Yes, and not in a way statistics would suggest. Brisbane ad the five biggest possession winners on the ground. They had 74% disposal efficiency compared to our 71%. Yet our midfield defeated theirs. How? Higher pressure, better positioning, the same quick handball chains that gave them uninterrupted runs from kickins to their attacking goal square the last three times we played them were all gone. We made them handball side to side uselessly instead of chopping us to ribbons through the middle.
 
Generalissimo said:
Yes, and not in a way statistics would suggest. Brisbane ad the five biggest possession winners on the ground. They had 74% disposal efficiency compared to our 71%. Yet our midfield defeated theirs. How? Higher pressure, better positioning, the same quick handball chains that gave them uninterrupted runs from kickins to their attacking goal square the last three times we played them were all gone. We made them handball side to side uselessly instead of chopping us to ribbons through the middle.
Click to expand...
Spot on. Quality plays > mass quantity of ineffective ball winning/scrapping. Our pressure really stifled them all night and they ended up far more fumbly/indecisive than usual in congestion. We made a lot more smart decisions and percentage plays, won the necessary contests and found space where they couldn't. The players I listed have the skills and attributes to really capitalise when we get our hands on the ball. Our mid-forward connection in particular is at a really high level and you had Dempsey/Bowes absolutely torching the Lions on the wings.
 

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cats_09 said:
In case we haven't heard this enough tonight

We are Geelong, the greatest team of all
We are Geelong; we’re always on the ball
We play the game as it should be played
At home or far away
Our banners fly high, from dawn to dark
Down at Kardinia Park

So! Stand up and fight, remember our tradition
Stand up and fight, it’s always our ambition
Throughout the game to fight with all our might
Because we’re the mighty blue and white
And when the ball is bounced, to the final bell
Stand up and fight like hell!
Click to expand...
The second verse needs to go
 
TEDDY24INC said:
The second verse needs to go
Click to expand...

Why?

The second verse has always been part of the song - I love it and love hearing the crowd singing it loud after a win

I thought it was a good decision by the club earlier this year to start using both verses and not sure we'll see them drop the second verse any time soon
 
Fox has a graphic showing we have 15 PF appearances since 2004 and the Pies 12 since 2002.

Let's see how big the disparity is. 2002 onwards.

ADE: 4
BL: 8
CARL: 1
COLL: 12
ESS: 0
FRE: 3
GEE: 15
GCS: 0
GWS: 3
HAW: 6
MEL: 2
NM: 3
PA: 8
RIC: 4
STK: 5
SYD: 9
WCE: 5
WB: 5
 

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cats_09 said:
Why?

The second verse has always been part of the song - I love it and love hearing the crowd singing it loud after a win

I thought it was a good decision by the club earlier this year to start using both verses and not sure we'll see them drop the second verse any time soon
Click to expand...
Nah it’s an add on that doesn’t feel right.. no one sings it, atmosphere drops when it rolls in
 
CatToTheFuture said:
You know sometimes I think we're just too good at football, and it's unfair, we should really take a gap year or something. Let someone else have a go
Click to expand...

This same comment was heard in the umpires room at half time. Then the Ump coach said WTF you can't pay your mortgage off without getting audited, look what happened with the Brownlow.
So cut it out, let the Cats off a few against! And they did.
 
TEDDY24INC said:
Nah it’s an add on that doesn’t feel right.. no one sings it, atmosphere drops when it rolls in
Click to expand...

I disagree. People aren't accustomed to singing it because it was dropped when "hell" used to be considered a curse word. Another couple of years and it'll be integral.
 
The_Todd07 said:
I think Mannagh has been to the Jeremy Cameron School of Celebrating Your Teammates Success.

Anytime someone kicked a goal, Shaun was the first one over going absolutely apeshit
Click to expand...


Grinch here- I'm going to have a word to Shaun. He needs to cool it, twice he poked someone in the eye.
Passion welcome, not friendly fire!
 

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Review Cats into ANOTHER PRELIM (14 of 18) after beating Lions by 38 points

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