Preview Prelim Final 25 - Geelong V Hawthorn Fri 19th Sept 2025 740pm @ MCG

[Biggy_Boy]

As part of my ongoing mission to not be one of those people who writes, "should be a great game", here are some other reasons for confidence.

Ask yourself, do these players get into Geelong's best 23?

• Changkuoth Giath
• Sam Butler
• Mitch Lewis
• Mabior Chol
• Connor Macdonald
• Conor Nash

And as for:
View attachment 2428331
It's too early to work blue, so consider this (source: ABC):
View attachment 2428334

Hawthorn punch above their weight in terms of talent. That's apparent. You don't look at their list and see a bunch of gun players. They've got some talented young players who aren't fully realised, and their older players are largely B and C graders. That said, they're incredibly well coached and get the absolute best out of everyone. Swapping Clarkson out for Mitchell has been a master stroke for them.

 

[Munich]

Mitchell apparently playing the 13' prelim to Hawforn.

That's all dandy but these players don't have the personal rivalry like he does. Does he think he's still playing

Blitz and Bews are the only ones still around, plus Gunston.

 

[Cataholic]

We had a week's break before the Lions QF? The days of us struggling after the week off appear to be well and truly over. Even in last year's prelim loss, we started very well.

You'd have to go back a few years where we got jumped in a final?

All true, but those old days still linger in my mind a bit.

 

[catsfootyfan89]

Mitchell apparently playing the 13' prelim to Hawforn.

That's all dandy but these players don't have the personal rivalry like he does. Does he think he's still playing

Blitz and Bews are the only ones still around, plus Gunston.

God I hope we flog them.

Please, please flog them mercilessly...

 

[joe444]

Mitchell apparently playing the 13' prelim to Hawforn.

That's all dandy but ...

Yeah - everything they're saying and doing reminds me of a team in manufactured hope mode (that said, I hate Hawthorn in that mode).

We got 'the Wiz' vowing to win the game for Luke Breust.
We've got them saying injured players will "get up" because it's a final.
And the video of the Prelim? Maybe we should force our guys to watch the '91 semi or something and demand we get vengeance and WIN IT FOR THE TREVORS: SPENCER AND POOLE.

 

[4quarter_cat]

I have a novel approach, lets go out there and kill them not just because we want to win and they stand in the way, but because it's the right thing to do for everyone.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

I think a lot of people out there want us to lose, so a victory will be sweet.

 

[joe444]

I think a lot of people out there want us to lose, so a victory will be sweet.

Anything which continues our journey from being pitied/laughed-at to being envied/hated is a good thing.

 

[Jumping Jack]

Gunston and Ginnivan both 100% certain to play according to Hawks faithful and some media outlets.

 

[darrenmorgan]

Mitchell apparently playing the 13' prelim to Hawforn.

That's all dandy but these players don't have the personal rivalry like he does. Does he think he's still playing

Blitz and Bews are the only ones still around, plus Gunston.

where did you hear this?

 

[Pavlovs Cat]

“Selection shock for Geelong Friday night” according to the Tackle tonight . “Tune in to find out” … wonder if it’s just click bait with Stanley being a test

I'll catch your fish.....

 

[Pavlovs Cat]

Gunston and Ginnivan both 100% certain to play according to Hawks faithful and some media outlets.

This is good. Ginni in particular can't be 100%.

 

[FootyLad0]

Mitchell apparently playing the 13' prelim to Hawforn.

That's all dandy but these players don't have the personal rivalry like he does. Does he think he's still playing

Blitz and Bews are the only ones still around, plus Gunston.

Lol if anyone has a buggaboo it's Geelong.
The narrative "Geelong can't beat us when it matters" will be talked about over and over.

Cats will be raring to go, especially how they bowed out last Prelim.
There's a fire in the belly for sure, Hawks won't be taken lightly.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

Champion Data reckons Mullin should go to Watson and MOC should go to Newcombe.

Watson, Newcombe and Gunston are the big 3 for them. If Gunston kicks 3 goals or more, Hawks are 11-3.

Where CD reckons the game will be won or lost (outside of goal kicking accuracy):

Cats has the best ball movent in the comp (#1) and the 3rd best defending transition. However, our weakness is defending transition. If we keep our opponents from scoring more than 40 points from half back, we're 17-1. If they score more than that, we're 2-5.

Hawks on the other had are mid table at both ball movement and defending transition. So they're going to have to hope we're off our game in defending transition if they're going to win this or they will struggling moving the ball.

Now obviously they can still win/score from clearance and from stopping us moving the ball but it should go a long way to us well winning the whole thing if we defend transition.

And ffs kick strait.

 

[Johanpetro]

Champion Data reckons Mullin should go to Watson and MOC should go to Newcombe.

Watson, Newcombe and Gunston are the big 3 for them. If Gunston kicks 3 goals or more, Hawks are 11-3.

Where CD reckons the game will be won or lost (outside of goal kicking accuracy):

Cats has the best ball movent in the comp (#1) and the 3rd best defending transition. However, our weakness is defending transition. If we keep our opponents from scoring more than 40 points from half back, we're 17-1. If they score more than that, we're 2-5.

Hawks on the other had are mid table at both ball movement and defending transition. So they're going to have to hope we're off our game in defending transition if they're going to win this or they will struggling moving the ball.

Now obviously they can still win/score from clearance and from stopping us moving the ball but it should go a long way to us well winning the whole thing if we defend transition.

And ffs kick strait.

Champion Data is a load of crap and I can’t believe people take it serious. Their end of season top 10 players had 4 bulldogs in top 6 and Nick Blakey 7th highest rated player of the year. Oh and Jack Sinclair number 10

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Champion Data reckons Mullin should go to Watson and MOC should go to Newcombe.

Watson, Newcombe and Gunston are the big 3 for them. If Gunston kicks 3 goals or more, Hawks are 11-3.

Where CD reckons the game will be won or lost (outside of goal kicking accuracy):

Cats has the best ball movent in the comp (#1) and the 3rd best defending transition. However, our weakness is defending transition. If we keep our opponents from scoring more than 40 points from half back, we're 17-1. If they score more than that, we're 2-5.

Hawks on the other had are mid table at both ball movement and defending transition. So they're going to have to hope we're off our game in defending transition if they're going to win this or they will struggling moving the ball.

Now obviously they can still win/score from clearance and from stopping us moving the ball but it should go a long way to us well winning the whole thing if we defend transition.

And ffs kick strait.

We defended pretty bloody well against Brisbane’s transition in the QF.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

We defended pretty bloody well against Brisbane’s transition in the QF.

Yup we did.

Do that 2 x more and we win the whole thing imo.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Champion Data is a load of crap and I can’t believe people take it serious.

It really isn't. The SEN show with Hoyne is highly accurate.

 

[Johanpetro]

It really isn't. The SEN show with Hoyne is highly accurate.

Sure. If you agree with the data that Bailey Dale is the 6th best player in the league and Nick Blakey 7th then good on ya

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Sure. If you agree with the data that Bailey Dale is the 6th best player in the league and Nick Blakey 7th then good on ya

You're conflating how CD rank players with their analysis.
Their analysis and metrics for success are time and again proven accurate.

 

[iameviljez]

Hawthorn punch above their weight in terms of talent. That's apparent. You don't look at their list and see a bunch of gun players. They've got some talented young players who aren't fully realised, and their older players are largely B and C graders. That said, they're incredibly well coached and get the absolute best out of everyone. Swapping Clarkson out for Mitchell has been a master stroke for them.

I agree, but I'm always wary of the fact that the very same thing was said about us in 2004 and 2005.

 

[you pick one]

Gunston and Ginnivan both 100% certain to play according to Hawks faithful and some media outlets.

Hawks can't win without them they are forced to roll the dice.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Sure. If you agree with the data that Bailey Dale is the 6th best player in the league and Nick Blakey 7th then good on ya

It's like all data science. All data sets have flaws, that's why you need the engineer who put the data together to talk through the conclusions.

 

[Gazzathegoat]

Make no mistake, the Hawks will come in with nothing to lose and everything to bruise. Expect Mitchell (the grub) to fire them up to play the old “unsociable” brand. We only need to look back to Easter Monday when Nash lined up Miers off the ball to know what’s coming.

Stanley is no chance, which isn’t a shock to anyone, but gotta love the usual Chris Scott

Chris Scott

Age

49

Ht

182cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.2

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.4

3star

bluffing routine.

We’ll need to be even tougher and more switched on than we were against Brisbane Lions two weeks ago. That game had moments where Neale could’ve buried someone side-on and held back; there can be none of that on Friday. These are the games where our big boys need to bump, tackle, and hit bodies with intent from the first bounce.

Hawthorn will be coming to hurt - we need to come to win (and hurt!).

Go Cats

 

[Jumping Jack]

Make no mistake, the Hawks will come in with nothing to lose and everything to bruise. Expect Mitchell (the grub) to fire them up to play the old “unsociable” brand. We only need to look back to Easter Monday when Nash lined up Miers off the ball to know what’s coming.

Stanley is no chance, which isn’t a shock to anyone, but gotta love the usual Chris Scott bluffing routine.

We’ll need to be even tougher and more switched on than we were against Brisbane Lions two weeks ago. That game had moments where Neale could’ve buried someone side-on and held back; there can be none of that on Friday. These are the games where our big boys need to bump, tackle, and hit bodies with intent from the first bounce.

Hawthorn will be coming to hurt - we need to come to win (and hurt!).

Go Cats

We'll soon see if the club are bluffing on Stanley. I reckon we might see him named to give him the extra day or so, but 50/50 on him playing. Judging from Dangerfield's comments last night, if he was able to do 10km's of running and join in the main training group this week then you'd think he's thereabouts.

And re the Nash hit on Miers. I don't think that was a targeted hit - very poor effort on Nash's part and deserved the weeks off but it was just very poor execution on his part I think. And I recall not too much remonstrating on the part of the Cats players.