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

 

[catpremier 07]

Simmo and Horse both tipped Bris

No wonder why they're both out of a job.

 

[Grimoz]

I cant remember what show it was on fox but they showed a graphic of how dominant we are when Blicavs is in the ruck compared to Stanley, it was really telling, Blicavs was averaging 10 clearances or something like compared to 2 for Stanley, all the stats were like that, Stanley was even negative i think for taps to advantage.

Id be tempted to leave Stanley out based on that.

 

[cats_09]

Simmo and Horse discussed this on 360 this evening and basically said Scott is ahead of the game and will change things up on Saturday.

They showed footage of Atkins on Newk in the prelim and said he could play the same role on McCluggage, with Mullin instead doing a hard tag on Ashcroft.

How many of us had confidently predicted Mullin to Newcombe as a lock for the qualifying final - instead, Scott sent Atkins to Newcombe just as we saw on Easter Monday, while Mullin went to Watson who finished the game in defence such was his lack of impact in the forward line

 

[LateSelectionCat]

I'm getting more nervous the closer it gets. Does anyone believe Brisbane can reverse the Qualifiying Final result, or are we just too good of a team to slip up?

It really seems like the GF is ours to lose. Also thinking them playing Lachie Neale will help us out.

I honestly think Geelong had the more challenging and testing prelim prelim, the hawks were/are are dangerous side, Collingwood burnt out too quick

 

[LateSelectionCat]

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

So Stanley in? And Blicavs a negating role on Andrew’s?

 

[Grimoz]

I honestly think Geelong had the more challenging and testing prelim prelim, the hawks were/are are dangerous side, Collingwood burnt out too quick

Pies had them on toast in the second quarter, 6 goals to 0, do that against us and they are cooked

 

[year of the cat]

Simmo and Horse discussed this on 360 this evening and basically said Scott is ahead of the game and will change things up on Saturday.

They showed footage of Atkins on Newk in the prelim and said he could play the same role on McCluggage, with Mullin instead doing a hard tag on Ashcroft.

I’m thinking that will happen. But Mcsuitcase better be prepared for a lot more attention than he received last weekend. Why McRae allowed him to run free is mind boggling after seeing how effective a tag was on him.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Has our success in the Qualifying Final tactically snookered us? We've shown all our cards now so the Lions will go in able to prepare for everything we did to them two and a half weeks ago. So from that perspective you'd almost think we're better served trying something different on Saturday....but then, if we did that, we'd be moving away from match-ups and tactics that we know work against Brisbane to match-ups and tactics that might be less optimal.

I have this horrible feeling that Mullin to McCluggage won't work this time.

Footy doesn't really work that way. We're talking about AFL coaches here. The best of the best.

They all know exactly how to breakdown any system and gameplan, it's just whether their players can actually execute it.

We knew how to beat Richmond in their era. We just couldn't keep it up for more than an hour.

McCluggage is either going to be a good enough footballer to break the tag, or he isn't.

Preparation won't help him, the shock value of being tagged would've worn off within 10 minutes last time. He can go forward or back, it doesn't really matter. It's a net win if we've taken him out of the game.

Brisbane are either going to be good enough to withstand our pressure and pick apart our high press, or they're not.

There are no surprises on GF day. Both coaches will know exactly how the other one wants the game to be played. At most, you might get a 10 minute break with a trick play and then they adjust to your new scheme.

It's just up to which club can handle having their strengths nullified more effectively.

 

[Del216647]

same with the whole on the couch panel apart from bucks but the bookies have us as favs and we beat them in the QF but each to their own

Quite incredible, really. We did a number on these guys two-weeks ago. I have been quite shocked at the large amount of ex players and coaches picking the Lions.

Maybe like everyone else they just hate us? We aren't guaranteed anything, but we have earned the right to be favourites (which we are with the bookies).

I don't like Buckley, but I do respect his analysis and opinion. He picked us, so that gives me confidence.

The fawning over Brisbane and Fagan is getting old. I really want to beat these guys and I think we will. Quite easily, too.

 

[Munich]

I’m thinking that will happen. But Mcsuitcase better be prepared for a lot more attention than he received last weekend. Why McRae allowed him to run free is mind boggling after seeing how effective a tag was on him.

Mcsuitcase

 

[joe444]

We've come a long way in a few weeks.
Now Blicavs is the preferred ruck over Stanley.

We have had a charmed run. The teams with rucks who could cause issues have either:

• not made it (Gawn, Xerri, Grundy)
• been taken care of by other teams (Jackson/Darcy, Cameron, Witts)

Just part of the way this season has played out as if according to some divine plan. Other teams have slumped, faded or been hobbled, whereas our misfortunes have somehow become almost advantages.

Part of my confidence (if not now, then when?) is based on the realistic awareness that a fully fit / bolstered Brisbane next year is likely to go zooming straight past us and we may not be on the scene for a few years to come.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

I’m thinking that will happen. But Mcsuitcase better be prepared for a lot more attention than he received last weekend. Why McRae allowed him to run free is mind boggling after seeing how effective a tag was on him.

To be fair, he did try it. He just got the matchup wrong.

It's why Mullin is such a freak. There's rarely (if ever) been a tagger with his athletic profile.

They're regularly failed midfielders or defenders, who are slow, poor on the spread, or weak in the contest. The only thing they usually have is discipline and endurance.

If you're a kid who is as quick, strong, and powerful as Mullin, you're being played in the midfield from the time you're eight years old. You're being developed as an A-grade mid.

When you're combining his athletic attributes which match - or exceed -the superstars he's playing on, combined with the discipline of a tagger, you get what we've got.

I believe McRae is massively overrated tactically, but he didn't have many options.

Tin-arse and Long have the accountability, but lack the athleticism to go with McSuitcases. It's all well and good to be accountable, it doesn't mean you can match them.

His only option was probably McCreery, or throwing Shultz onto him, and they've never done it before.

 

[Reg Hickey]

I cant remember what show it was on fox but they showed a graphic of how dominant we are when Blicavs is in the ruck compared to Stanley, it was really telling, Blicavs was averaging 10 clearances or something like compared to 2 for Stanley, all the stats were like that, Stanley was even negative i think for taps to advantage.

Id be tempted to leave Stanley out based on that.

Yeah, after seeing that I’d be inclined to play Blicavs in the ruck at least to start.

Would we consider giving Stanley a negating role on Andrews?? He’s fresh and has the size and athleticism, my main query would be whether he has the defensive smarts to outpoint Andrews. Not really a role I’ve ever seen Rhys play.

Maybe we could just tell him to stay next to him all day and focus on bringing the ball to ground every time, enabling our smalls to go to work?

 

[Reg Hickey]

To be fair, he did try it. He just got the matchup wrong.

It's why Mullin is such a freak. There's rarely (if ever) been a tagger with his athletic profile.

They're regularly failed midfielders or defenders, who are slow, poor on the spread, or weak in the contest. The only thing they usually have is discipline and endurance.

If you're a kid who is as quick, strong, and powerful as Mullin, you're being played in the midfield from the time you're eight years old. You're being developed as an A-grade mid.

When you're combining his athletic attributes which match - or exceed -the superstars he's playing on, combined with the discipline of a tagger, you get what we've got.

I believe McRae is massively overrated tactically, but he didn't have many options.

Tin-arse and Long have the accountability, but lack the athleticism to go with McSuitcases. It's all well and good to be accountable, it doesn't mean you can match them.

His only option was probably McCreery, or throwing Shultz onto him, and they've never done it before.

This.

I think McRae’s problem was that he didn’t have a player who could go with McCluggage. Sidebottom was the pick, and he’s been a great player for a long time, but I’m sure when Hugh saw him running over at the first bounce he would’ve been licking his lips.

Mullin is a completely different problem, as you say.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Yeah, after seeing that I’d be inclined to play Blicavs in the ruck at least to start.

Would we consider giving Stanley a negating role on Andrews?? He’s fresh and has the size and athleticism, my main query would be whether he has the defensive smarts to outpoint Andrews. Not really a role I’ve ever seen Rhys play.

Maybe we could just tell him to stay next to him all day and focus on bringing the ball to ground every time, enabling our smalls to go to work?

Stanley peeled back and played defensive spare a bit this year where previous years he's pushed forward more when blitz it rucking. If he can do it he can probably think through how to negate it the other way a bit

 

[Strange Cat]

Yeah, after seeing that I’d be inclined to play Blicavs in the ruck at least to start.

Would we consider giving Stanley a negating role on Andrews?? He’s fresh and has the size and athleticism, my main query would be whether he has the defensive smarts to outpoint Andrews. Not really a role I’ve ever seen Rhys play.

Maybe we could just tell him to stay next to him all day and focus on bringing the ball to ground every time, enabling our smalls to go to work?

Wasn’t he a AA defender?

 

[Grimoz]

Yeah, after seeing that I’d be inclined to play Blicavs in the ruck at least to start.

Would we consider giving Stanley a negating role on Andrews?? He’s fresh and has the size and athleticism, my main query would be whether he has the defensive smarts to outpoint Andrews. Not really a role I’ve ever seen Rhys play.

Maybe we could just tell him to stay next to him all day and focus on bringing the ball to ground every time, enabling our smalls to go to work?

Could we start him as the sub and if Blicavs is needed down back sub him on

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

The way we got Brisbane in the QF was we cut off the middle and forced the turnover, i was at the game and from memory they had a lot of the ball, i think the stats showed they had the top 5 ball getters, Zorko had 35, Neale 32, Dunkley 30, Ashcroft 30 & Bailey 27, so their guns had plenty of it, and Andrews was incredible down back. They had about 60 more disposals than us and went at 73% efficiency to our 70%. Clearances were just about even at 38 to 37 our way, and we had 60 inside 50's to their 47. They easily had the highest rated players in that game, but being there watching it we always looked in control and in the end it was a comprehensive win, but going by the stats, you'd think how?

Going to be an enthralling contest, how much did they learn from it? Was it a case of a night where our plan just got executed to perfection?

 

[And_ROOS]

I cant remember what show it was on fox but they showed a graphic of how dominant we are when Blicavs is in the ruck compared to Stanley, it was really telling, Blicavs was averaging 10 clearances or something like compared to 2 for Stanley, all the stats were like that, Stanley was even negative i think for taps to advantage.

Id be tempted to leave Stanley out based on that.

I had considered that too, but the concern for me is Brisbane is going into the game with both McInerney and Fort and that will be too much for Blicavs on his own because SDK isn't great there.
What I hope we do is a replay of the 2022 GF and finals.

You let Stanley take the centre bounce and drop behind the ball, and let Blicavs ruck around the ground. You have a Clark or a Bews as the sub, and evaluate at HT.

If Stanley isn't having a good game you sub him out, if he is having a good game or at least negating McInerney that leaves Blicavs to either play on ball or go into the d-50 if our intercepts and defense struggles without Stewart.

Blicavs smashed Meek but he wasn't as clear in dominating Fort in the QF.

Against the Pies Fort was the #1 ruck and McInerney was forward and both were quite poor but Cameron is a good ruck who was average and still easily shaded both of them.
I would back in Stanley and Blicavs for a half, and reassess at HT.

Better to have them both in and sub Stanley out for tactical reasons, then to not have Stanley in and get caught out if McInerney remembers he isn't shit.

 

[joe444]

To be fair, he did try it. He just got the matchup wrong.

It's why Mullin is such a freak ...

And let's not get carried away with this nervous nellie "McCluggage will have learned" stuff. Fact is, the guy never gets tagged. It's always Neale and sometimes Dunkley. He's not particularly fast, not a huge physical intimidator.

We're the ones who are learning. Let's go back to Round 15, shall we:

Centre square matchups:
Atkins <> Neale
Smith <> McCluggage (see you at the end of the game, mate)
Holmes <> Dunkley (sometimes Rayner)
On the wings:
Jack Martin(!) <> Jarrod Berry
Ollie Dempsey <> Zac Bailey

And Mullin? The sadly out of form Charlie Cameron, and in the one position I don't ever want to see Mullin - back pocket.

When things went pear-shaped we sent O'Connor to McCluggage ... we weren't playing de Koning and Morris got a hold of us ... it was a mess.

And we were still trying to make the O Henry thing work. In the coup de gras, we brought on as sub ... Mitch Duncan.

I mean - were we trying to lose?

We have come so far that, if we were to see those matchups proposed now, we'd be horrified. Is it any wonder they jumped us, that we looked all at sea?

That's how much we've changed. Brisbane haven't because, they can't and won't. All they're offering is a promise of more physicality, which again is a complete misunderstanding of how we win games and how they lose them.

To paraphrase Captain Marko Ramius: "McCluggage is not the worry, neither is the whole Brisbane team - I know their tactics. I have the advantage."

 

[Tuggacat]

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

I thought it looked very familiar. I trust our effort for the grannie will be a whole better better than his.

 

[And_ROOS]

Yeah, after seeing that I’d be inclined to play Blicavs in the ruck at least to start.

Would we consider giving Stanley a negating role on Andrews?? He’s fresh and has the size and athleticism, my main query would be whether he has the defensive smarts to outpoint Andrews. Not really a role I’ve ever seen Rhys play.

Maybe we could just tell him to stay next to him all day and focus on bringing the ball to ground every time, enabling our smalls to go to work?

I am not sure thats a role he can play, but one of our tall forwards has to constantly body Andrews at EVERY contest.
Andrews had 13 marks against the Pies but only 2 of them were contested. When the Lions got on top a big part of it was Andrews dropping off his man and marking under little to no pressure.
Against us, Andrews only had 8 marks with 2 of those contested. He beat Neale, but Neale at least still put on forward pressure and kicked a goal (and likely has a contested mark and another goal if the FK wasn't paid to Danger instead).
But at least if Stanley is in and Neale is struggling, you can leave Blicavs in the ruck and see if Stanley can body him.

This.

I think McRae’s problem was that he didn’t have a player who could go with McCluggage. Sidebottom was the pick, and he’s been a great player for a long time, but I’m sure when Hugh saw him running over at the first bounce he would’ve been licking his lips.

Mullin is a completely different problem, as you say.

I have seen this talked about a lot but only one pundit pointed out that the Suns the week before had the same issue and the Hawks the last week of the season.
Sidebottom they were saying has done similar to Atkins, albeit at a much worse level, where he can get his own ball but mind his player to an extent. But you can't really do that with McCluggage, he needs a proper lock down player on him.
And the Suns don't really have a tagger, they backed in their midfield and when Brisbane got on top they had no answers for it and as a result couldn't stop McCluggage, Ashcroft and Berry getting a lot of the ball and denying Rowell and Anderson.
And the Hawks were really lucky that Brisbane were wildly inaccurate or that would have been a blowout. And the culprits again were Dunkley, McCluggage and Ashcroft. High possession and got the ball forward, its just Dunkley and McCluggage both kicked behinds and their forwards were wayward too.

We have Mullin who is a lockdown mid, O'Connor who is a lockdown defender who can go into the middle, Blicavs who can, but hopefully isn't required to, put on a hard tag, and Atkins is great at partially nullifying players while he lays a million tackles.

The media keep saying how smart Scott is for preparing for these scenarios, I wonder if the last few losses to Brisbane changed his thinking.
If we lock down McCluggage and Aktins goes with Dunkley and they are nullified Brisbane are in trouble, but Brisbane don't really have anyone for Smith, Holmes and/or Danger. They have to go head to head in midfield and hope they outgun us.

 

[year of the cat]

To be fair, he did try it. He just got the matchup wrong.

It's why Mullin is such a freak. There's rarely (if ever) been a tagger with his athletic profile.

They're regularly failed midfielders or defenders, who are slow, poor on the spread, or weak in the contest. The only thing they usually have is discipline and endurance.

If you're a kid who is as quick, strong, and powerful as Mullin, you're being played in the midfield from the time you're eight years old. You're being developed as an A-grade mid.

When you're combining his athletic attributes which match - or exceed -the superstars he's playing on, combined with the discipline of a tagger, you get what we've got.

I believe McRae is massively overrated tactically, but he didn't have many options.

Tin-arse and Long have the accountability, but lack the athleticism to go with McSuitcases. It's all well and good to be accountable, it doesn't mean you can match them.

His only option was probably McCreery, or throwing Shultz onto him, and they've never done it before.

I would have thought that Crisp would have been tried but instead he started Sidebottom on him. Bizarre choice.

 

[CatAttack84]

From 2009 when he took over, I've never liked Mark Knight's "WEG" posters.

What this crap giving the Cat (who should be BLACK for ****'s sake) a tattoo? Sure some of our players have them like many in society, but he started that crap woth Collingwood and Richmond posters based off Swan and Martin.

I really miss the orignal WEG's work in our pop-culture, not just for VFL/AFL finals posters.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news%2Fvictoria%2Fmark-knights-2025-premiership-posters-revealed%2Fnews-story%2Fb66d9d245dde4c092a920c321a67cd79

 

[canny30]

Has our success in the Qualifying Final tactically snookered us? We've shown all our cards now so the Lions will go in able to prepare for everything we did to them two and a half weeks ago. So from that perspective you'd almost think we're better served trying something different on Saturday....but then, if we did that, we'd be moving away from match-ups and tactics that we know work against Brisbane to match-ups and tactics that might be less optimal.

I have this horrible feeling that Mullin to McCluggage won't work this time.

I'm expecting the Lions players to absolutely bash Mullin and O'Connor, especially seeing as getting suspended doesn't matter now