AFL 2025 Second Preliminary Final - Cats v Hawks Fri Sept 19th 7:40pm EST (MCG)

[MisterMarcus]

Well this thread certainly took off after I went to bed last night.

Some absolute S-tier quality melting, disappointed I missed it

 

[MisterMarcus]

First bit of sense you made all night

The old Bigfooty "I was melting and trolling for 10 pages, and everyone just laughed at me, so I'll pretend it was all jokes all along" trick.

I don't think it worked.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

Nobody tagged newcombe... So not sure what you are on about. Atkins played on him the entire night including that first 20 min blitz.

You kicked all your goals from back half run n gun turnovers and cut thru us by hand. We sat back and waited for the intercept and you continued to charge at us and refused to bomb it long.

Once we adjusted defensively and pushed up high to strangle your run and carry it was good night.

That is what changed. You couldnt handle the heat abs mitchel had no solution in game to the tactics.

Nothing changed with newcombe after the first 20. Atkins still played on him all the same

Let's be frank here we lost clearances by nearly 20 and centre clearances by 15. You also had Dangerfield go crazy and kill us. All the other stuff your referring to is irrelevant when those 3 things were heavily against us. Which part of the ground did Danger have he's way? Or was it the fact those tactics your referring to was the reason we lost. We actually scored ok from the low amount of inside 50s we had, imagine if we actually had midfield ascendancy what the game could have looked like.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

Will Day is just Temu Jordan Dawson

Yeah nah he was pantsing Adelaide by himself until he got hurt.

 

[Generalissimo]

O'Connor leaving the house pats his pockets and goes, "Wallet, yep. Phone, yep. Weddle, yep. Keys, yep."

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

All jokes aside, maybe it's the alcohol talking, but Geelong deserve to be there next week. Chris Scott and Danger did a number on Hawthorn tonight, and Bailey Smith was all class.
Hope it's a good Grand Final.
I'll roll a spliff at halftime when Snoop comes on regardless.

Danger does a number on us all the time. He loves us. Even his last game for Adelaide in the 2015 SF he was their best player by miles. We just don't have a bloke capable of defending him. Nash the only one that could have and even he couldn't. Only other guy I can think of who plays that way is Petracca, no surprises we are a chance to get him

O'Connor leaving the house pats his pockets and goes, "Wallet, yep. Phone, yep. Weddle, yep. Keys, yep."

Teams will do the same now knowing it can work but he also had quite a few opportunities to take marks and dropped them all. Had a shocker but he will pick himself up and be fine.

 

[joe444]

Not enough quality outside Newcombe, Our only hope for this year in a game like thst was sitting on the bench with the headset on. He would have made a significant difference but alas not to be. Get Petracca as a requirement after watching that tonight. Need a brute who can smash through stoppages outside Newcombe.

I think you're probably right. I actually thought the early game plan was pretty smart coaching, but we were always going to adjust eventually.

Not having Day was going to hurt eventually.

I don't think the Hawks could have done much more than they did last night, so kudos. Richmond trolls are funny, but they don't have answers beyond QAnon-level thinking.

If Geelong do win the flag this year, it will be off the back of being relatively more healthy than everyone else, and being the only team that tags and has the right players to do it. We ran three tags last night and they just neutered the Hawks.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

I think you're probably right. I actually thought the early game plan was pretty smart coaching, but we were always going to adjust eventually.

Not having Day was going to hurt eventually.

I don't think the Hawks could have done much more than they did last night, so kudos. Richmond trolls are funny, but they don't have answers beyond QAnon-level thinking.

We pulled the levers we could have pulled but you need depth in the midfield to keep your mob guessing. Watson went back so it's not like Mitchell wasn't moving magnets around.

 

[joe444]

We pulled the levers we could have pulled but you need depth in the midfield to keep your mob guessing. Watson went back so it's not like Mitchell wasn't moving magnets around.

And if Geelong do win the flag this year, it will be off the back of being relatively more healthy than everyone else, and being the only team that tags and has the right players to do it. We ran three tags last night and they just neutered the Hawks.

It's a trick that won't work next year, but nobody has come up with an answer to it yet (and Atkins to Newcombe was just brilliant).

Atkins: 25 / Newcombe: 20
O'Conor: 7 / Weddle: 12
Mullin: 8 / Watson: 5

 

[Generalissimo]

I wouldn't describe Axe on Newcombe as a traditional tag. He got plenty of his own ball.

Weddle didn't get near the footy until he got moved into the ruck, so that stat line is even better for MOC than it looks.

Mullin on Watson chef kiss

 

[Fadge]

I wouldn't describe Axe on Newcombe as a traditional tag. He got plenty of his own ball.

Weddle didn't get near the footy until he got moved into the ruck, so that stat line is even better for MOC than it looks.

Mullin on Watson chef kiss

That mix of defensive players is going to be might hard for any team to overcome.

 

[joe444]

I wouldn't describe Axe on Newcombe as a traditional tag. He got plenty of his own ball.

Weddle didn't get near the footy until he got moved into the ruck, so that stat line is even better for MOC than it looks.

Mullin on Watson chef kiss

Oh I wasn't saying that Atkins was tagging him in the traditional sense, you're right to clarify.

It's one of those moves that didn't occur to me ; I knew we were never going to run Mullin with him, but as soon as I saw Axe next to him I thought, "Oh, Newcombe's never had to deal with something like this before. Perfect."

 

[voorhees]

Dangerfield did play some game last night, pure bull like.
The determination was very apparent.
Felt like he got some cheapie frees from the umps.
But credit when it's due...fantastic game.

 

[Seeds]

It's a good point though . How do you pay all your players plus Jack Bowes under your salary cap?

Well given you have thought all season we are an ordinary side shouldnt you ask that same question of all the teams you think are better then geelong? Not just now but in the history of the game? If not why not?

Why is our ordinary side so talented that it seems unimaginable that we can fit in the salary cap yet all these teams you think are more talented then ours have no problems fitting into the salary cap?

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

And if Geelong do win the flag this year, it will be off the back of being relatively more healthy than everyone else, and being the only team that tags and has the right players to do it. We ran three tags last night and they just neutered the Hawks.

It's a trick that won't work next year, but nobody has come up with an answer to it yet (and Atkins to Newcombe was just brilliant).

Atkins: 25 / Newcombe: 20
O'Conor: 7 / Weddle: 12
Mullin: 8 / Watson: 5

Weddle had chances to have more of an impact but had butter fingers all night, couldn't take a mark to save himself which is generally a strength of his. you can run 3 tags because you have depth and versatility through the team that can pick up the offensive slack you lose by playing taggers. I reckon we go back to McGuiness as a pure tagger next year if we get both Merrett and Petracca. It will change the dynamic completely for us. Add a healthy Day as well.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

Yeah, I've been far more disappointed after a finals loss in the past. Pretty much confirmed what most sensible Hawthorn supporters suspected. We're two midfielders short (one of them is Day) so the move to get Merrett or Petracca or Butters appears to be prudent. I reckon we missed a couple of our unheralded role player types in Harry Morrison

1

Harry Morrison

Age

27

Ht

184cm

Wt

79kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.1

4star

K

8.5

3star

HB

5.6

4star

M

4.3

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

0.9

3star

D

13.4

3star

K

9.8

4star

HB

3.6

2star

M

4.2

4star

T

1.6

3star

CL

0.8

3star

D

18.4

5star

K

11.4

4star

HB

7.0

5star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.2

4star

CL

2.0

4star

and Finn Maginness. No world beaters and I'm not saying we would have won with them in but at least gives a player who is clean with the ball (which we weren't and Geelong were) and a tagger. We looked cooked by the second half showing how important it is to get in the top four in the first place. It was about 18 months ago that people had us pegged for a spoon so hard to complain. The young boys learn another lesson and we move on (hopefully upwards).

As for the Cats, ultra professional as usual. Didn't get rattled by our hot start. I guess we can claim it took Danger to play a game for the ages to get the job done but there were plenty of excellent contributors.

 

[VinnieB]

I wouldn't describe Axe on Newcombe as a traditional tag. He got plenty of his own ball.

Weddle didn't get near the footy until he got moved into the ruck, so that stat line is even better for MOC than it looks.

Mullin on Watson chef kiss

He also had 4 centre bounce clearances to 1.

Newcombe was very poor last night. Fumbled, missed tackles etc. He wasn’t blanketed. Just one of those games and gave them nothing.

Atkins seemed to play his game with an eye on Newcombe around the centre bounce.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

Yeah, I've been far more disappointed after a finals loss in the past. Pretty much confirmed what most sensible Hawthorn supporters suspected. We're two midfielders short (one of them is Day) so the move to get Merrett or Petracca or Butters appears to be prudent. I reckon we missed a couple of our unheralded role player types in Harry Morrison and Finn Maginness. No world beaters and I'm not saying we would have won with them in but at least gives a player who is clean with the ball (which we weren't and Geelong were) and a tagger. We looked cooked by the second half showing how important it is to get in the top four in the first place. It was about 18 months ago that people had us pegged for a spoon so hard to complain. The young boys learn another lesson and we move on (hopefully upwards).

As for the Cats, ultra professional as usual. Didn't get rattled by our hot start. I guess we can claim it took Danger to play a game for the ages to get the job done but there were plenty of excellent contributors.

Morrison plays we don't play CJ and that's harsh on him but he's not a best 22 player. He was a bigger loss than people realise because he plugs away all day on his wing and he's disciplined and defensively sound. An upgrade on CJ. Dempsey was right to try and expose him the way he did with footy smarts because that's a significant weakness for him. It is what it is.

 

[PhatBoy]

It was a great game but Geelong's advantages were on full display. Jack Bowes was given to you for nothing , as well as pick 7.
Bailey Smith given to you for a pathetic pick 16.
Cameron and Dangerfield given to you cheaply because they had issues and had to move to a quaint country town with a surf coast.
Why don't you build a team without rorting like everyone else?

It was a great game but Geelong’s players were better at critical stages and it upset me and I don’t have the emotional maturity to accept it.

That’s all you have to say.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

He also had 4 centre bounce clearances to 1.

Newcombe was very poor last night. Fumbled, missed tackles etc. He wasn’t blanketed. Just one of those games and gave them nothing.

Atkins seemed to play his game with an eye on Newcombe around the centre bounce.

We had a guy who got 8 disposals playing midfield. What do you expect Newcombe to do when others can't help him the way they need to. Worpel poor also. Nash was our best midfielder and he plays a similar role to Atkins. Defensive brute.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

I wouldn't describe Axe on Newcombe as a traditional tag. He got plenty of his own ball.

Weddle didn't get near the footy until he got moved into the ruck, so that stat line is even better for MOC than it looks.

Mullin on Watson chef kiss

That's the thing though with Weddle, you can tag him if he plays in 1 role all game. Got involved because he's versatile but had a shocker with he's marking. Direct matchup big tick but I reckon he still could have impacted more for us if he held his marks

 

[Dangerfield86]

Dangerfield did play some game last night, pure bull like.
The determination was very apparent.
Felt like he got some cheapie frees from the umps.
But credit when it's due...fantastic game.

Dangerfield can still impact games and win them for the Cats he is a freak!

 

[Wish Wellingtons]

Yeah nah he was pantsing Adelaide by himself until he got hurt.

Hawk fans need to realise that Will Day is not going to turn a C grade midfield into an A grade midfield. He is just not that guy.

 

[Seeds]

I think you're probably right. I actually thought the early game plan was pretty smart coaching, but we were always going to adjust eventually.

Not having Day was going to hurt eventually.

I don't think the Hawks could have done much more than they did last night, so kudos. Richmond trolls are funny, but they don't have answers beyond QAnon-level thinking.

If Geelong do win the flag this year, it will be off the back of being relatively more healthy than everyone else, and being the only team that tags and has the right players to do it. We ran three tags last night and they just neutered the Hawks.

Geelong aint as healthy as we think. We have had multiple players miss the entire season who would all be starting players. Kolo, guthrie, bruhn. Our young promising ruck also missed the entire year forcing us to play stanley who has now missed the entire finals series with injury. Now one of our top 3 players is out for the gf in stewart and henrys clearly playing injured too and may not get up for next week.

 

[Mr Meow]

Let's be frank here we lost clearances by nearly 20 and centre clearances by 15. You also had Dangerfield go crazy and kill us. All the other stuff your referring to is irrelevant when those 3 things were heavily against us. Which part of the ground did Danger have he's way? Or was it the fact those tactics your referring to was the reason we lost. We actually scored ok from the low amount of inside 50s we had, imagine if we actually had midfield ascendancy what the game could have looked like.

You actually face a similar issue that Geelong did in 2024 with the midfield.

Last season we ran with a midfield of Danger (bursts), Atkins, Bowes and Bruhn for most of the year. Come finals time we released an X factor player from half back through there in Holmes and it patched things over until he did a hammy. It was all or nothing with him a bit like Newcombe lately, although Dangerfield was still very good too.

Moving Danger forward this year has allowed him to reach that monster level through the guts for finals, whereas he probably ran out of gas a bit in last year's prelim.

Holmes permanent move to midfield for 2025 would be like you guys getting Day healthy again for a full season. Then getting Merrett or Petracca might be the equivalent of Geelong bringing in Smith. That could be enough if others can improve a bit more.

We have had Atkins go to a much higher level as well, which could be Nash if he played like last night.

Mannagh and Miers effectively act as extra midfielders too, full of smarts and creativity. You have that with Moore but can Watson or another add to that? The wizard isn't yet prolific enough. Can Mackenzie develop into a high half forward/attacking midfielder?