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

[Play it Sam]

I want to know what Smith had planned for his celebration before Mannagh interrupted him.

Seen the hugs? So lunch at the Scott residence, then a yoga session with his dogs.
Speaking of dogs, their fans must be jelly green watching Bailey.

 

[Gunf]

It was an incredibly even performance across the ground

Cameron on fire early
Holmes worked into it nicely and he and Smith ran riot in the 3rd
Mannagh a little sloppy early but went bang
Danger doing beastly cameos all over the ground
Stewart being back to his best
Blics doing what he does and being a weapon everywhere
Atkins just sets the tone with pressure like no one else can
Mullin made Suitcase his bitch and what a great first goal
Dempsey my god is he good sometimes

Only real downs were Neale got owned by Andrews but he is one of the best key defenders going and of course them umps

This was a game that show high possession numbers don't tell you who played well and who didn't as we had a few players in the 20s and the rest in the teens or lower.

 

[Gunf]

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

Agreed even though Neale got absolutely pantsed he never put his head down and kept trying.

He was eventually rewarded and didn't he love it.

Hawkins had a chat with him earlier in the year and gave him some advice about how you just need to keep competing and eventually you will get your moment and when you do make sure you take it.(probably some of the same advice Moons gave Hawkins in the 2011 GF before Tommy went nuts.

 

[catsfootyfan89]

Agreed even though Neale got absolutely pantsed he never put his head down and kept trying.

There would've been some very stern words with the young man and the coaches after that game when he lost his head in frustration and gave about seven frees away. Quick to learn and adapt. It's a good sign.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Thats how its done.

Another PRELIM FINAL in the face of the AFL's best attempts to hamstring us. Suck it!

Mullin
MOC

Affectionately known as the 'kneecappers' in parts of my family for their tagging ability.

I'll let anyone in here with Irish heritage (or a curiosity of history) figure that one out for themselves. Full disclosure though, don't google it if you're faint hearted.

What. A. Win.

I know we have a few tortured souls on here, but if you're under 40, there's been no better club to support. We've been truly blessed.

Hopefully we can add another one this year to fully make up for the pain some of our braver soldiers had to endure back in the day, but regardless, I think it's fair to say we've all been pretty fortunate now.

This club just continues to amaze.

 

[Stokey]

I reckon Jack Henry

38

Jack Henry

Age

27

Ht

192cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.3

3star

K

7.3

3star

HB

2.9

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.2

4star

MG

142.6

2star

D

8.6

2star

K

6.7

3star

HB

1.9

1star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.1

3star

MG

142.6

3star

D

9.6

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

2.6

3star

M

3.6

4star

T

2.0

4star

would have to be one of the most underrated players in the AFL.

 

[Mr Meow]

I reckon Jack Henry would have to be one of the most underrated players in the AFL.

Him and Stewy working together at their imposing, intercepting best is so great to watch. 20 times they ripped it off the opposition last night.

 

[Gunf]

Him and Stewy working together at their imposing, intercepting best is so great to watch. 20 times they ripped it off the opposition last night.

You can add Zuthrie to that list who i thought had a quiet night yet still had 6 himself

 

[catsfootyfan89]

Man it's really nice to not be huffing copium this morning about how 'We're still in it and we just have to go the long way around". Prelim locked in just feels great.

 

[juzcat]

Thinking about Stanley and his undocumented hamstring issue, when he was subbed out against Collingwood earlier in the year with a hamstring complaint he only missed the two weeks

- subbed out in round 8, sidelined for rounds 9 & 10, then back for round 11

Depending on the severity of the issue, it could almost be a similar timeline to our prelim - two weekends of no football & maybe crossing fingers he's good to go

Guess it all depends on the severity of the injury though

how much duct tape is left?

 

[TomsBulgingDisc]

Mullin was so good last night. That goal was a ripper, but to take McSuitcase out of the game like that went a big way to allowing us to win.

 

[Lethal09]

I Love this club so much

We are so lucky.

 

[winty]

One good thing about Shannon Neale's game is that while he didn't have as much of an impact as he'd like, he did his best to nullify Harris Andrews

31

Harris Andrews

Age

28

Ht

200cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.8

3star

K

7.4

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.6

5star

T

1.6

4star

MG

151.7

2star

D

17.0

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

8.0

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.0

3star

D

9.8

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

4.8

4star

M

3.4

4star

T

1.6

4star

MG

94.0

2star

somewhat. Last night Andrews took 5 marks (2 contested) and had 7 one percenters. When the Lions touched us up in Round 15, Andrews had 10 marks (4 contested) and 11 one percenters.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Blicavs is amazing
Just keeps delivering and playing whatever role his coach asks of him

I can't think of an equivalent player in the league

 

[catsfootyfan89]

If you want to understand how much pressure the Cats applied on Brisbane last night, Brisbane didn't have enough space to bounce the ball even once for the whole game. Not one single bounce of the ball for an entire game.

 

[Gunf]

Blicavs is amazing
Just keeps delivering and playing whatever role his coach asks of him

I can't think of an equivalent player in the league

Blics is a player we have never seen before and may never see again truly one of a kind

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Blicavs is amazing
Just keeps delivering and playing whatever role his coach asks of him

I can't think of an equivalent player in the league

Because he's a unicorn. Jackson the closest thing anyone else has and he's about half as flexible positionally

We have to land another one while we have blitz

 

[Stokey]

Blics is a player we have never seen before and may never see again truly one of a kind

Not bad for a bloke that was going to be snapped in half in his first game.

 

[Stokey]

Because he's a unicorn. Jackson the closest thing anyone else has and he's about half as flexible positionally

We have to land another one while we have blitz

I reckon we already have a few in Neale, O'Sullivan and SDK. We have just had the luxury of not needing them to play that role.

Harris Andrews was a gun forward before becoming the gun he is. I'm sure if needed, he could play anywhere.

 

[itchyscratch]

I’m a long-suffering North supporter, but I watch every Geelong game on tv with my lovely, usually placid 88 year old Cats fan father.

Last night I witnessed a whole new side of him. Clapping. Yelling. Air Punching! I believe a word I’ve never heard him ever use before was yelled at the umpires. He was more vocal and animated than I’ve ever seen him and it was brilliant.

I love how fired up the Cats fans were. Good luck. I think you can do it and we’ll be watching.

 

[MisterMarcus]

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

I think it was Cameron Mooney back in the day who said that Bomber once told him "You won't always have a GOOD day, just don't have a BAD day". Meaning you're going to sometimes get beaten by your opponent on the day, but at least keep trying and presenting and doing the team stuff all the way to the end, and it might turn for you.

That was Neale last night.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I reckon we already have a few in Neale, O'Sullivan and SDK. We have just had the luxury of not needing them to play that role.

Harris Andrews was a gun forward before becoming the gun he is. I'm sure if needed, he could play anywhere.

I'm not sure they're quite as good though. They're not Olympic team runners not good enough on ball to just be a mid in their own right etc.

 

[Seeds]

Blicavs is amazing
Just keeps delivering and playing whatever role his coach asks of him

I can't think of an equivalent player in the league

We lost the hit outs 39 to 52 against our dumped vfl part time forward ruck who had zero back up support which is unheard of in the modern game. Some perspective please.

Around the ground he was good. But only marginally better than Fort.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I reckon we already have a few in Neale, O'Sullivan and SDK. We have just had the luxury of not needing them to play that role.

Harris Andrews was a gun forward before becoming the gun he is. I'm sure if needed, he could play anywhere.

On the topic, been skipped mostly but

A kind word for Connor O'Sullivan. The kind of game where appropriate kid could drop his bundle but he was steady enough for some intercept marking and good ground level involvements.

Impressed

 

[CatToTheFuture]

We lost the hit outs 39 to 52 against our dumped vfl part time forward ruck who had zero back up support which is unheard of in the modern game. Some perspective please.

Around the ground he was good. But only marginally better than Fort.