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

[MisterMarcus]

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.

It’s insane from Richmond fans.

Plenty of guys have belted our blokes over the journey, we’re not openly wishing death and injury on them years and years later.

These people need help.

 

[Xtreme]

Geelong haven't been tested since Easter Monday - and even then they only got through thanks to dubious umpire free kicks in front of goal.

10 goal from frees = my point proven

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

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

Well no he just had a poor night aerially, nothing to with footsteps, enjoy the win mate without having to rub it in too much.

 

[Cool Kangas]

Merrett and Day prob reverse this result

Oh well. Too bad.

 

[StackedHunch]

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

The team's deficiencies were exposed. We all expect the club to address them. But apparently the team having flaws means bad and biased umpiring doesn't exist. This misguided stoicism is a part of why umpires aren't properly scrutinised and managed.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

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….

Isn't the rule you have to make an attempt?, therefore it's not a free kick according to how they interpret it. Fairly sure Geelong were dropping the ball in tackles not making an attempt which is what the poster is referring to.

 

[VinnieB]

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.

I think it can happen.
I think the 2011 GF changed when Podsiadly went down injured (Pies were well on top) and then Bartel goes to CHF and the game just changed.

 

[VinnieB]

Isn't the rule you have to make an attempt?, therefore it's not a free kick according to how they interpret it. Fairly sure Geelong were dropping the ball in tackles not making an attempt which is what the poster is referring to.

Both players dropped the ball and didn’t get a boot on it. Free kicks every single time.

 

[Byron_Clanger]

The game was lost when the 'new age Ron Barassi' didn't throw Tom Barrass

37

Tom Barrass

Age

30

Ht

197cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.2

3star

K

8.8

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

6.1

5star

T

0.9

3star

MG

158.5

3star

D

10.1

3star

K

8.0

3star

HB

2.1

2star

M

5.6

5star

T

0.3

1star

MG

139.6

2star

D

11.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

4.2

4star

M

5.2

5star

T

0.4

3star

MG

160.0

3star

forward.

I thought that was a new string they wanted to add to their bow for crucial moments?

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

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.

I'm biased, but I didn't see the umpires being a huge factor. People just get sucked in when there's a big crowd booing at the MCG. There'd probably be a few Geelong supporters looking about a few calls if the result had gone the other way, that's how it goes.

Yes the touched out of bounds by Dangerfield looked on the full, but it wasn't a particularly impactful spot to get a free kick and it shouldn't have been a particularly dangerous spot for a throw in. Yes the Gunston free against looked pretty rough: sometimes they get paid, sometimes not.

I guess we'll see what they thought of the umpires when we see who's umpiring in the grand final.

 

[Coasters7]

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.

Your mini comeback literally came on the back of 3-4 “high” free kicks to Dylan Moore.

Plenty of HTB missed against you too. Can think of at least 2 against Chol. Plus the Sicily and Worpel ones.

 

[Coasters7]

The team's deficiencies were exposed. We all expect the club to address them. But apparently the team having flaws means bad and biased umpiring doesn't exist. This misguided stoicism is a part of why umpires aren't properly scrutinised and managed.

Funny how this is the narrative when a large reason you made finals in the first place was umpiring. They were absolutely worth at least one win to you over the course of the year

 

[StackedHunch]

Your mini comeback literally came on the back of 3-4 “high” free kicks to Dylan Moore.

Plenty of HTB missed against you too. Can think of at least 2 against Chol. Plus the Sicily and Worpel ones.

Free kicks when the game was over don't count. It's well known that umpires even things up toward the end, especially when the result is pretty much done. That HTB half way through the last to us was disgracefully obvious as being a change in tackling after a night of being unrewarded.

 

[StackedHunch]

Funny how this is the narrative when a large reason you made finals in the first place was umpiring. They were absolutely worth at least one win to you over the course of the year

Pray tell which match they so clealry favoured us to get us over the line?

 

[ryzza11]

The absolute umpire melts here.
Hawthorn were absolutely smashing the cats in the first quarter. Cats were doing everything they could to get back in it. Sicily gets tackled and simply just lets go of the ball and let it drop to the ground. No call.
Hawks were getting some bs calls early to get their lead and the cats overcame it.

 

[Coasters7]

Pray tell which match they so clealry favoured us to get us over the line?

Youre top 2 in the free kick ladder for starters. That on its own is worth at least one extra win.

If you want a specific match? Adelaide in Tassie, 3 point win, umps dick riding you all match.

 

[StackedHunch]

I think it can happen.
I think the 2011 GF changed when Podsiadly went down injured (Pies were well on top) and then Bartel goes to CHF and the game just changed.

True. And Hawthorn being out of rotations in 2008 (Young and Croad being down) was what forced Dew to be moved forward.

 

[Coasters7]

Free kicks when the game was over don't count. It's well known that umpires even things up toward the end, especially when the result is pretty much done. That HTB half way through the last to us was disgracefully obvious as being a change in tackling after a night of being unrewarded.

When the game was over? The margin was 3 goals at that point and was a major reason you kicked 3 in a row to get back in it

 

[StackedHunch]

Youre top 2 in the free kick ladder for starters. That on its own is worth at least one extra win.

If you want a specific match? Adelaide in Tassie, 3 point win, umps dick riding you all match.

Maybe you should have watched the entire match, not just the last quarter, when the umps started to reverse after a night of Crow favouritism.
Given we generally lost all our other close matches, your argument is absurd (and ignores the umpiring that could have cost us tight games in Darwin and Brisbane).

 

[FreoRicci]

The game was lost when the 'new age Ron Barassi' didn't throw Tom Barrass forward.

I thought that was a new string they wanted to add to their bow for crucial moments?

Found it weird that amongst Sicily, Battle and Barass there was Weddle down back with them.
Easily the man to go forward and create havoc, particularly once Stewart went out.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

Both players dropped the ball and didn’t get a boot on it. Free kicks every single time.

Made an attempt with the boot, shit interpretation but that's what they are going with

 

[VinnieB]

Made an attempt with the boot, shit interpretation but that's what they are going with

What just last night? Every other week it’s incorrect disposal. Blatant free kicks missed.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

What just last night? Every other week it’s incorrect disposal. Blatant free kicks missed.

It hasn't been if you paid attention

 

[Munich]

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

How do you continually post such embarrassing content page after page?

 

[Distant Cat]

I have read many melts on here but nothing like this. I’m astounded