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

[AlwaysHawks15]

Because I made a comment about Newcombe and Atkin's games.
Not the performance of the Hawthorn football club.

You seemed to have gone into protective mode once i said Newcombe was poor last night and outplayed by his opponent.

It wouldn't have mattered had others did their bit. I've acknowledged he had a poor game geezus can you read?. Were a 1-2 man midfield without Day, why do you think we're going hard at Petracca, Butters and now recently Merrett?. No coincidence.

 

[Elixuh]

Not at all. I reached out as a friend when you were stressing a bit and am here to guide you through the big day if necessary. You've melted a bit about the Cats but now let's get you in a positive space.

See you sound so much more calm today. I’m very glad that you’ve got some respite for a few days before the panic kicks in again.

 

[VinnieB]

It wouldn't have mattered had others did their bit. I've acknowledged he had a poor game geezus can you read?. Were a 1-2 man midfield without Day, why do you think we're going hard at Petracca, Butters and now recently Merrett?. No coincidence.

Again, I made a comment about the game of 1 player and his opponent. You have a need to jump in bringing up the whole team/midfield. Yes, we know you probably have one of the weakest midfields and midfield depth on the top 8 teams.

 

[BuddysBiggestFan]

List management is the problem.

We waste our top 10 picks on midfielders that are flashy but have zero mongrel like Ward, Mackenzie, Husthwaite, etc…then we completely **** up a pick in Denver Grainger Barass. Always said he was shit and was proven right.

Day will never play a whole season because he is too injury prone unfortunately.

Have always said our midfield has been the biggest issue.

Not sure where they go from here as we threw all our draft picks away for a 70 year old defender.

 

[Osho]

We couldn’t match their midfield the other 2 have better options than us.

Yeah. Hawks need to supplement their list, which they are doing as we speak!

 

[Mr Meow]

See you sound so much more calm today. I’m very glad that you’ve got some respite for a few days before the panic kicks in again.

I'm a Lions supporter today. You keep talking about panicking which makes me think you're still stressed. Stay strong brother.

 

[GoPies1]

Why do people focus on 1 game in the guy's career? I think it's shit that he misses a GF due to concussion.

He repeatedly lines players up
Was very fortunate Anderson got up just weeks ago as one example
My comment was regarding the irony of it.

 

[PhatBoy]

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.

And still was only second for frees-for on the ground….

Tbh I thought 1, maybe 2 were a bit cheap but the others were pretty straightforward. And he had a pretty clear one missed in the first term when he simply bent over to collect a ball and was tackled head first so it tends to even out

 

[STPer18]

Weddle is going to be massive for the hawks
Has height and pace to go with Dempsey, who hates hearing footsteps.
Shutting down Dempsey transition or sneaking in the forward pocket behind the pack will hurt immensely.
Weddle also has the strength to rag doll him all night.
Huge win for the hawks on the wing

One of those blokes were hearing footsteps all night and it wasn't Dempsey.

 

[BuddysBiggestFan]

One of those blokes were hearing footsteps all night and it wasn't Dempsey.

Weddle should have played up front like last week where he kicked 1.3 and took a few pack marks.

**** knows where he was meant to be playing last bight

Shit coaching

 

[PhatBoy]

Why do people focus on 1 game in the guy's career? I think it's shit that he misses a GF due to concussion.

Just a loser mentality mate. Want to follow a contact sport, and pot someone who plays it hard. Stewart got - deservedly - his right whack for laying out Prestia. You’d swear blind he spent four months in a bunker planning that attack rather than just getting it wrong in the split second that it happened, if you listen to some of the….. challenged fans on this board. He got it wrong, it happens. Players are allowed to be physical. There are no rules stopping it. You just have to do it correctly and he got it wrong.

So he got suspended. That was his punishment. Not sure how people don’t understand that.

As any player should he continues to play the way he knows best which is hard and physical and in the time that’s gone since he belted Anderson absolutely fair and square and if anyone has a problem with it, they’re - and I make no apologies for saying it - a p*ssy. All he was guilty of in that instance was hitting a bloke so hard he nearly sent him back to his mother’s womb. He got him in the ribs, the ball was in the vicinity, play on. Sorry Noah. You can’t be suspended for something that breaks no rules.

There have only been two other incidents in his career that ever came under any scrutiny. One of them I actually wouldn’t have had a problem with him getting a week for - when he tried to smother the handball from Ollie Wines - however it was hardly thuggish, was it. He would have been suspended under a precedent rather than for any ‘dog act.’ He was clearly trying to smother the ball.

The final one was an incident against the Magpies where he collided with whoever it was while both were going for the ball on the ground and every commentator to a man said he had nothing to worry about.

 

[Elixuh]

I'm a Lions supporter today. You keep talking about panicking which makes me think you're still stressed. Stay strong brother.

I won’t mention the word [redacted] if it sets you off. My apologies, I’ll let you enjoy the weekend.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Went into the game thinking that we needed to keep three players in particular under control: Newcombe, Gunston and Meek (with all due respect to their other stars). And we largely succeeded there.

Gunston was clearly one of the best players on the ground, but I'll take his three goals, over the five or six it looked like he was threatening to kick. It's really been an incredible story with him this season, given how cooked he looked a couple of years ago at Brisbane.

No secret that we don't like Hawthorn and they don't like us. If they have a bit more luck with availability and make one or two of the pick ups that have been rumoured they'll be a scary prospect for the next few years. The window is really now for them, I reckon there's quite a few key players for them who are a couple of years older than people may think and several who've hit 30.

I think Dangerfield would have to at least share the AFL 360/Garry Lyon/Ford Mustang award (whatever it's called): two votes behind Rowell currently and hard to see him not getting at least two from the PF round, albeit with Collingwood v Brisbane still to play. No-one else who's still playing is really within striking distance. Kind of surprising/funny that Dangerfield is likely to take out a major 2025 media 'player of the year' award, but it speaks to his ability to absolutely tear a game apart... still as good as anyone in that area.

Loved the jobs of Atkins, Blicavs, Mullin and O'Connor. Thought our defence (particularly our tall defenders) deserved a lot of credit : beaten overall with Gunston, Lewis and Chol probably all being among the Hawks best, but didn't let things get crazy, with Stewart off and Henry clearly hampered. Henry is huge and hope his recovery/availability doesn't become a bigger story as the week goes by.

Very disappointing for Stewart and he's obviously an important part of our defence. My initial thought on his replacement is it probably should be Bews if Brisbane wins, probably Stanley if Collingwood wins to set up with a smaller/taller forward line respectively.

I liked Jhye Clark's performance and surely he stays in from here. Bemusing to me to hear the criticism of Shannon Neale on the replay, following the commentary that he'd been towelled up by Andrews in the QF. Andrews and Barrass did what experienced, premiership/AA key defenders are supposed to do. He keeps presenting, keeps contesting, doesn't drop his lip, helps out in the ruck, provides outstanding chase and pressure for a 6'8 key forward... I love him and he makes life so much easier for Cameron and Dangerfield.

Look forward to a tight, fierce contest today and lots of sore bodies for the grand final.

 

[jdstorm]

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

Why wouldn’t it work next year?

It seems the natural progression of the game. As players become more skilled and better decision makers playing Zone becomes more exploitable and it’s about winning 1v1 matchups and having good players who effect the game in both directions

 

[SSSSSS]

It probably sounds like a silly take but I think Stewart going down helped Geelong more than it did us.

We clearly gameplanned going around Stewart at every cost and it was working beautifully - he had zero impact. Usually most coaches are pretty stubborn come deep September and will stick to their guns and I doubt 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

as astute as he is would change from a zone defense to a man on man system off the back of one quarter (especially when you're only three goals down).

Stewart coming off forced his hand and the Cats went man on man in the 2nd quarter and denied space to our half forwards. We didn't adapt on field quick enough and were still trying to hand ball through a heavy man on man press to try and get around a problem that was no longer there. We kept shooting ourselves in the foot and got killed on the rebound.

Port showed the footy world how to stop Hokball last year and that's a high pressure man on man system. We killed the Crows last week who played a zone defense.

 

[Coasters7]

Turn it up, through the middle part of the match we got reamed. Blind Freddy could have noticed it.

Not sure what game you were watching but the only reason it wasn’t blown out to 50 late in the third was because the umpires made some iffy calls in your favour.

Thought it was surprisingly pretty balanced for most of the night outside of that. The Dangerfield out of bounds looks a lot worse than it is from that angle as well.

 

[StackedHunch]

Not sure what game you were watching but the only reason it wasn’t blown out to 50 late in the third was because the umpires made some iffy calls in your favour.

Thought it was surprisingly pretty balanced for most of the night outside of that. The Dangerfield out of bounds looks a lot worse than it is from that angle as well.

The Dangerfield on the full was clear as day for those of us at the ground. The Gunston overturned mark was straight up theft of a goal. The number of clear HTBs not paid against them was criminal, but of course they paid us a few late in the game to appear to be umpiring for both teams.
To say nothing of the illegal tactics used by their taggers all night.

Geelong played better, but they also had a wind at their back, being four very incapable umpires.

 

[VinnieB]

The Dangerfield on the full was clear as day for those of us at the ground. The Gunston overturned mark was straight up theft of a goal. The number of clear HTBs not paid against them was criminal, but of course they paid us a few late in the game to appear to be umpiring for both teams.
To say nothing of the illegal tactics used by their taggers all night.

Geelong played better, but they also had a wind at their back, being four very incapable umpires.

Off the top of my head I can think of 2 HTB decisions that were clear as day Geelong didn’t get. Siciliy and Worpel were tackled and both dropped the ball. Clear free kicks not paid.

Swings and roundabouts….

 

[Mr Meow]

It probably sounds like a silly take but I think Stewart going down helped Geelong more than it did us.

We clearly gameplanned going around Stewart at every cost and it was working beautifully - he had zero impact. Usually most coaches are pretty stubborn come deep September and will stick to their guns and I doubt Chris Scott as astute as he is would change from a zone defense to a man on man system off the back of one quarter (especially when you're only three goals down).

Stewart coming off forced his hand and the Cats went man on man in the 2nd quarter and denied space to our half forwards. We didn't adapt on field quick enough and were still trying to hand ball through a heavy man on man press to try and get around a problem that was no longer there. We kept shooting ourselves in the foot and got killed on the rebound.

Port showed the footy world how to stop Hokball last year and that's a high pressure man on man system. We killed the Crows last week who played a zone defense.

Possibly.

I think it was as simple as our pressure game starting off way worse than against Brisbane. Then the same regarding our attacking plays on transition. We were really scrappy and couldn't finish anything off.

From late in the 1st quarter things got going - Close and Miers missed simple shots but the signs were there. We probably should've won the next 3 quarters by more but to Hawthorn's credit they wouldn't say die.

 

[StackedHunch]

Off the top of my head I can think of 2 HTB decisions that were clear as day Geelong didn’t get. Siciliy and Worpel were tackled and both dropped the ball. Clear free kicks not paid.

Swings and roundabouts….

The goals Geelong kicked or were spared by indefensible umpiring are indisputable.
Picking out a couple that went our way and had little consequence to dismiss the significance of the bad umpiring is just folksy rubbish. "You make your own luck" I'm sure you'll day next.

 

[Mr Meow]

The Dangerfield on the full was clear as day for those of us at the ground. The Gunston overturned mark was straight up theft of a goal. The number of clear HTBs not paid against them was criminal, but of course they paid us a few late in the game to appear to be umpiring for both teams.
To say nothing of the illegal tactics used by their taggers all night.

Geelong played better, but they also had a wind at their back, being four very incapable umpires.

We can play that game all day long. Neale copped two pushes in the 1st quarter and there were many Geelong tackles unrewarded when they should have. A lot of the holding the man frees to us were from Hawthorn simply panicking when they were getting smashed in contests relentlessly.

There were some dodgy calls like against Gunston but the exagerration and overreaction by Hawthorn supporters has been incredible for a squad who mocked "free kick Hawthorn" all year. You have just become the people you despised. It is also really sore loser stuff and is not a great look.

 

[Coasters7]

The Dangerfield on the full was clear as day for those of us at the ground. The Gunston overturned mark was straight up theft of a goal. The number of clear HTBs not paid against them was criminal, but of course they paid us a few late in the game to appear to be umpiring for both teams.
To say nothing of the illegal tactics used by their taggers all night.

Geelong played better, but they also had a wind at their back, being four very incapable umpires.

Nah I hate Geelong as much as the next bloke but there were shit calls both ways, and that was on top of your guys actively looking for free kicks. Dylan Moore is a blight on this sport.

 

[dmark]

The goals Geelong kicked or were spared by indefensible umpiring are indisputable.
Picking out a couple that went our way and had little consequence to dismiss the significance of the bad umpiring is just folksy rubbish. "You make your own luck" I'm sure you'll day next.

The result had nothing to do with the umps, when the whips were cracking we just didn’t change gears and get going

 

[PhatBoy]

Not sure what game you were watching but the only reason it wasn’t blown out to 50 late in the third was because the umpires made some iffy calls in your favour.

Thought it was surprisingly pretty balanced for most of the night outside of that. The Dangerfield out of bounds looks a lot worse than it is from that angle as well.

Listened to an SEN post game show last night - Mark Fine who is a neutral ( Saints fan).

A hawks supporter - who wasn’t laying umpire blame for the result for what it’s worth - was quizzing the Gunston non mark free kick which was fair enough, it was a horrible decision.

Fine acknowledged it and was also puzzled by the not 15 call soon after and the two cats kicks that WERE blown as marks immediately that followed. But pointed out that twice in the first term the Hawks (might have been Battle) got away with two blatant shoves on Neale when he got front spot to take marks on the lead. I thought at the time maybe it was was just my Cats glasses but he was as pretty adamant about it and then finally we got one that was a touch ironic as Neale clunked one only for Dangerfield to get the free kick

 

[StackedHunch]

Nah I hate Geelong as much as the next bloke but there were shit calls both ways, and that was on top of your guys actively looking for free kicks. Dylan Moore is a blight on this sport.

You hate us, too, so let's focus on the actual frees. When did Geelong have fair marks in the goal square overturned? When did Hawthorn get gifted goals by absurd frees? Which Geelong Players were handled all night without relief from the umpires? Umpires were not the reason we lost, but they sure as hell didn't help.