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

 

[bulletproof]

If Henry is suss (and we've heard nothing about him) then Stanley must play.

I'm also a little worried about Martins form recently.

I can see Bews and Stanley in for Stewart and Martin.
But I do think there will only be one change.

I agree Martin’s form is poor but doubt he will be dropped. He had a bit of thankless task on Friday, trying to take Sicily away from the ball.

I’d let him loose on Saturday, he has a surprisingly hard edge to him on occasions. I think he could be one to show up in a Grand Final.

 

[Tony Barber]

I agree Martin’s form is poor but doubt he will be dropped. He had a bit of thankless task on Friday, trying to take Sicily away from the ball.

I’d let him loose on Saturday, he has a surprisingly hard edge to him on occasions. I think he could be one to show up in a Grand Final.

6 weeks ago I thought he'd be the type to light up the finals at least once. Not so confident now.

 

[Del216647]

I know people are saying Brisbane could get up against us because this has happened in the past, but a few things that would make this very hard.

They are relying on us not turning up and having a stinker.

They have been beaten by us 3 weeks ago. What can they do differently? They showed us what they like to do, we showed them. Any changes from that game tactically will be minimal.

On tagging - McLuggage tried to win that game at max effort. He doesnt have extra gears he never used. And with that tag, its still man on man. He's not getting stronger. And its not Mullin's first tag. He's been doing it for a while. And he backed up against Watson, who is a deadset gun and firestarter.

Rayner is a jet and will try and take O'Connor to the goal square. He will try and isolate. That will be 50/50, if the ball goes there. To me, Rayner doesnt look fit. He's not been injected into the Centre Bounce. He may kick goals, but it wont matter if there is no supply.

Since then, they have played two games to our one. That's an extra 10-15kms into their legs per player. Extra bruises, extra soreness. THey would be feeling it by halftime.

They are actually coming up against a team on a streak who have kicked over 100 points in all their victories for a fair while now.

The team that Brisbane are playing have a strong core that dont wilt.

Geelong are super fit and love to run. They always back themselves to run away from teams in the second half. ANd we've had a decent rest.

We had our first quarter rustiness out of the way last week. And overcame a very good tactical coach. And we had to find a way to win when they were outplaying us, and we had two of our best defenders go down.

It will be a mountain for them.

Great post. Anything can happen on the day, but on the balance of probabilities right now, I think our version stands up and we win.

I think we will win this easily. I have a great respect for the Lions, but I just feel we're primed for this.

 

[year of the cat]

Martin won’t be dropped. He has the versatility be moved to a HBF if needed. Something you couldn’t with O.Henry.

I’ve changed my mind between Stanley and Bews I reckon 20 times this week to replace Stewart. Positionally both have differing assets they provide. I’ve finally settled on picking the guy who is less likely to breakdown. So I think that’s Bews. Assuming he’s fit and has trained well the past month I’m erring towards him.

 

[cats_09]

Looks like Blicavs is training in his forward role we saw from him to finish the h&a season

 

[Mr Meow]

We've come a long way in a few weeks.

Remember when Stanley went down injured it was a catastrophe and we only had ourselves to blame because we hadn't brought in a backup ruck?

Now Blicavs is the preferred ruck over Stanley.

He's also a decent shout for the Gary Ayres medal. He would be the first player to win it playing primarily as a ruckman.

 

[Tony Barber]

He's also a decent shout for the Gary Ayres medal. He would be the first player to win it playing primarily as a ruckman.

I dont think that anyone cares about that medal.

 

[patience]

I dont think that anyone cares about that medal.

What is it for?

 

[Tony Barber]

What is it for?

Player of the finals.

 

[darrenmorgan]

People forgetting how good Rhys’ season has been. He can drift forward and stretch the Bris defence also. Going in with just Blitz with Stew out (meaning we need DK full time in defence) is FAR too risky. Has to be Stanley.

 

[Jumping Jack]

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.

People forgetting how good Rhys’ season has been. He can drift forward and stretch the Bris defence also. Going in with just Blitz with Stew out (meaning we need DK full time in defence) is FAR too risky. Has to be Stanley.

It's Stanley every day of the week and Scott flagged that pretty much in his presser post prelim. If it was pouring rain I could perhaps see Bews playing but that's not the case. Stanley was well and truly entrenched in our best 22 when fit. Bews not so.

 

[Mr Meow]

Without google:

2023 Walsh
2022 Dangerfield
2021 Macrae
2020 Martin
2019 Martin
2018 Sidebottom
2017 Martin
2016 Kennedy

 

[Munich]

The 07' GF full replay is up on YT

 

[Jumping Jack]

Looks like Blicavs is training in his forward role we saw from him to finish the h&a season

The word I got was that prior to Stanley's injury, Geelong had been planning to play Blicavs down forward on Harris Andrews. If you think back to games late in the season, Geelong had done a bit of that with Blicavs and he'd pushed forward more than usual.

If Stanley plays (as I think he will) then it gives Geelong a chance to either deploy Blicavs in that role, or go down back to help out on a resting Fort / McInerney. If Henry is good to go (as it seems he is) then I think he'll hold his own. If O'Sullivan and SDK hold up I think Geelong will really want to nullify Andrews. Lot's of good players out there for the Lions but if Andrews dominates I think it goes a long way to them winning.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

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

Backfire - Blicavs....LOL... Geelong.

I feel really sorry for the cats. This is like 2012 all over. They have a list of talented young rucks but unfortunately all very injury prone. Last year in what was a move of utter desperation the cats brought in Oren Stephenson. As comedy goes this was utter genius due to his inept...

www.bigfooty.com

+1 for Blicavs.

 

[canny30]

Well, they couldn't have put much less effort into the WEG poster this year

 

[The_Todd07]

The 07' GF full replay is up on YT

I watched it last night on Kayo, football has never been played better.

My grand final week tradition that is now in its 3rd iteration, is to watch a winning grand final each night leading into Saturday.
Thanks to 2022, I now have to start on Tuesday. Next time I'll have to start on Monday

 

[cats_09]

Warning for all (sorry to those doing right thing) but "CUT THE CRAP"

We're less than 72 hours out from the Grand Final and I'm sure that no one wants to be on an extended holiday at this time of year - so use the ignore function if you can't help biting

We're never all going to be friends, but can we please try to enjoy this week

 

[cats_09]

 

[BotsMaster]

Well, they couldn't have put much less effort into the WEG poster this year

 

[Hinkley29]

Is anyone else expecting that s neale will spend a lot more time in the ruck this weekend?

I can see us leave Stanley out, and use Neale in the ruck to break the hold that Andrews has on him.

 

[Strange Cat]

**** they have gone up heaps this year

Whelp

 

[Biggy_Boy]

People forgetting how good Rhys’ season has been. He can drift forward and stretch the Bris defence also. Going in with just Blitz with Stew out (meaning we need DK full time in defence) is FAR too risky. Has to be Stanley.

I agree. Another factor to bear in mind that in the QF Blicavs was rucking the far less capable Darcy Fort. Blicavs played a good game, but even had he not, there wasn't a lot of damage likely to be inflicted through losing that ruck matchup. McInerney is a more capable opponent, and one I feel we need Stanley in order to combat with support from SDK and Blicavs.

 

[cats_09]

As per Theo Doropoulos - Jack Henry

38

Jack Henry

Age

27

Ht

192cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.3

3star

K

7.3

3star

HB

2.9

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.2

4star

MG

142.6

2star

D

8.6

2star

K

6.7

3star

HB

1.9

1star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.1

3star

MG

142.6

3star

D

9.6

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

2.6

3star

M

3.6

4star

T

2.0

4star

, Jack Martin

19

Jack Martin

Age

30

Ht

186cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.2

4star

K

10.0

4star

HB

6.3

4star

M

4.9

5star

T

3.7

5star

G

0.9

4star

D

14.9

4star

K

7.9

3star

HB

7.0

4star

M

4.3

4star

T

3.6

4star

G

1.1

5star

D

8.2

2star

K

4.6

2star

HB

3.6

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.0

4star

G

0.6

3star

& Rhys Stanley

1

Rhys Stanley

Age

35

Ht

200cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.6

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

6.4

4star

CL

3.4

5star

HO

27.6

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

7.5

3star

HB

4.5

3star

CL

5.0

5star

HO

21.5

5star

D

11.8

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

6.4

4star

CL

3.0

5star

HO

33.0

5star

have ticked the required boxes to be available for Saturday

 

[you pick one]

As per Theo Doropoulos - Jack Henry, Jack Martin & Rhys Stanley have ticked the required boxes to be available for Saturday

Who's Theo?