Preview AFL GF 2025: Geelong V Brisbane Sat 27th Sept MCG 2:30 pm

[cats_09]

Resource Post - I'll endeavour to update this post with info and links relevant to what's happening over the coming week

- Meet Up, Live Sites & Viewing Party discussion

Meet Up - 2025 Meet Up Thread - Grand Final Edition... including Live Sites info

https://gardenstatehotel.com.au/ 101 Flinders Lane. It opens at noon on Sunday.

www.bigfooty.com

- Grand Final Ticket discussion (please don't start separate threads for ticket sales)

Resource - 2025 Finals Ticket Discussion - Grand Final ticket discussion

Where can I find my Cats Membership Barcodes? OR When do we get Cats Membership Barcodes? Checked online : geelongcats.com.au website and Cats Mobile App

www.bigfooty.com

 

[God Mode]

Remind me who the Grand Final entertainment is please

We're shoe-ins now!

 

[Commando]

Daniel Hoyne raised an interesting stat on Sportsday. Geelong are ranked number 1 for points in red time (20 min mark) with 420+. Next best were the Bulldogs with something like 160. Lions are ranked 7th. He tipped Geelong.

Caught some of this yesterday
He was also saying he'd keep Blitz in the ruck due to clearance numbers

 

[Strange Cat]

For the norm should we play well

1.Danger
2.Holmes
3.Smith
4. Miers
5. managh

 

[No Quarter]

I think of course you'd want Danger to win Norm, butttt if we win, he will be premiership Captain, so that's also a huge accomplishment.

I'd love to see someone like Dempsey win norm, after playing out of his skin.

 

[Romeoh1]

Have the lions got more too give or do the cat's have one more upper cut to land ?
If we bring what we put out to the lions two weeks ago will that be enough to sustain the gap.
One senses the lions despite being banged up and one extra game won't die wondering.

They won’t die wondering and they are very good, but really the pies were done 8 weeks ago and ripe for the picking. Hawks on the other hand, had been very good and we still beat them comfortably. We are playing the best footy.

 

[D BRIDGE]

I think of course you'd want Danger to win Norm, butttt if we win, he will be premiership Captain, so that's also a huge accomplishment.

I'd love to see someone like Dempsey win norm, after playing out of his skin.

If you could hand-pick the Norm winner... You'd think Danger would get the most votes by Geelong fans.

If Danger wasn't an option, geez Bailey Smith snagging the NS would give me many hours of enjoyment scrolling the Doggies board.

In the end... just win the game.

 

[dudusmaximus]

Remind me who the Grand Final entertainment is please

STOP PRESS

Addition to the 2025 Toyota AFL Grand Final entertainment​

Cameron Rayner of the Brisbane Lions will be performing a range of dives (forward, backward, inward, reverse, twisting, and armstand dives) at various times to entertain the spectators.

 

[MisterMarcus]

I'd love for us to win and Smith with the NS.

Bigfooty would crash from the melts.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Selwood to present the cup shall we win.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

I'd love for us to win and Smith with the NS.

Bigfooty would crash from the melts.

He looks driven.
Listening to Daniel Hoyne last night, said smiths 3 games against the Lions are amongst his worst for the year.
I’m still backing him to play a blinder.

 

[God Mode]

Selwood to present the cup shall we win.

I was hoping for this. Now to win it!

 

[standupand]

Top choices i would love for Norm if i could choose

1 Danger(he was robbed in 22 although Smith was brilliant)
2 Miers
3 Neale
4 Smith (just for the melts)
5 Blics

That's Shannon Neale I presume? Gotta be careful what you wish for sometimes - the devil is a literalist.

 

[D BRIDGE]

He looks driven.
Listening to Daniel Hoyne last night, said smiths 3 games against the Lions are amongst his worst for the year.
I’m still backing him to play a blinder.

So there's RFI... Nice.

 

[fpm84]

Holy shit, if we win, there are going to be some serious happy tears over Joel presenting the cup.

 

[joe444]

Wednesday stats and optimism

If Neale doesn't play, they'll hand the role over to Levi Ashcroft, who will do sweet FA with it. (and ask Will or Rayner to do more)

Because ALL YEAR NOBODY ELSE PLAYING ON SATURDAY LITERALLY HAS EVER ATTENDED A CENTRE BOUNCE FOR BRISBANE AS A MIDFIELDER. NOT EVEN ONCE. (and that would be J Berry - 2%)


L Ashcroft: NOTHING. He's spent a bit more time on ground than he's used to, but essentially he's been turned into by far the worst midfielder in this weekend's game.


Nothing I've seen suggests that Fagan will think outside the box. McCluggage spent only 50% at CBAs against us in an effort to break the tag, but 80% is his usual number. If the tag works again, Fagan will probably play into our hands by "having faith in his boys" and keep McCluggage in there to keep getting owned.

Comparison: we will continue to have (as of twelve weeks ago) the most dynamic and unpredictable midfield in the league. We'll tag (but you won't know who/where until game day) and run minimum 8 midfielders through CBAs.

 

[bulletproof]

Looking at this objectively, it would be an astonishing reversal if a banged up Brisbane could overturn what was a thumping in the first final after playing an extra game. They would really stamp themselves as something very special.

I don’t really relax even when we are playing North down at Geelong in mid season, so I am not taking the win for granted, but gee this is a tremendous opportunity.

(I would prefer we were playing North in Geelong this week for the Flag though)

 

[Strange Cat]

Holy shit, if we win, there are going to be some serious happy tears over Joel presenting the cup.

**** hin

Can we make him the sub?

 

[PzBlinky]

Holmes and Mannagh are the two I expect big games from. Thought both had very nervy starts to the prelim but now they have moved through that, reckon they will be very confident.

Mannagh such a key player, a bad Mannagh game (burning chances and teammates) will bring up 08 memories, but if he is sharp, he can cut loose and bury them.

Mannagh's first quarter and a half was horrific. Possibly amongst the worst I've seen - OOB kick under no pressure, dinky kick that get's smothered, fumbly. And then the second half was incredible. Nailing the boundary goal was just one example - the mistakes vanished and he was playing at his best. Would love to see him take that second half form into Saturday's game.

 

[Reg Hickey]

I just want the win. NS can take care of itself.

That said, if I could choose NS as well, I'd go (in order):
1/ Danger: robbed in '22, and NS + premiership captain are the only 2 things missing from his extraordinary resume
2/ Holmes: redemption story, and tends to get overlooked by media in the Baz hype so it would be a deserving accolade
3/ Mannagh: BOG in Ovens & Murray GF (2019) > BOG in VFL GF (2023) > BOG in AFL GF (2025) - what a story!
4/ Smith: for the melts, obv

I'd absolutely love to see a couple of the whipping boys get some NS votes as well. S Neale and Mullin in particular.

But again, I don't want to get too far ahead of myself. Just win first!

 

[PzBlinky]

Watching On The Couch and Matthews said he'd be astounded to see Danger play another game like that this week, mainly due to the rarefied level he was at in the PF and his age making it hard to find the energy to do that two weeks in a row.

As Bucks said, even 2/3rd of that level would be handy.

As much as I don't like it, I probably agree. But I'd like to think a few others will step up and take the slack rather than having our captain putting the team on his shoulders again.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Not sure about anyone else, but man I’m struggling so hard to get anything done at work. Just can’t focus
Lucky I work for myself.

 

[catters05]

I'd take a start, middle and end like 2022 if I'm honest.

2007?

 

[catters05]

Not sure about anyone else, but man I’m struggling so hard to get anything done at work. Just can’t focus
Lucky I work for myself.

Same and I’m on the other side of the world.

 

[Cattery]

They won’t die wondering and they are very good, but really the pies were done 8 weeks ago and ripe for the picking. Hawks on the other hand, had been very good and we still beat them comfortably. We are playing the best footy.

This, plain and simple. Despite the calls about our "soft'' draw, in our last four matches we've played three quality sides, and the results have been Cats 49/44 338, opposition 34/23 227, a 111 points combined winning margin and 36 more scoring shots.

Of course none of this guarantees success on Saturday, but reckon you'd rather be in our shoes then Brisbane's.

 

[cats_09]

Mullin norm smith would be great. I reckon the "I was wrong" thread might get a work out.

Zach Guthrie - while the vast majority seemed to have come around, can you imagine saying the AusKick Kid would be a future Norm Smith medalists