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

 

[Commando]

I just heard that L Neale is right to go...
And doesn't Johnny look exactly like Richard Osborne!

 

[cats_09]

Mitch Cleary is onto it and is leveraging his strong inside connections at Geelong.

Blicavs to Andrews is what I'm hearing for periods of the game. Should be an intriguing watch as I'm sure Andrew's will try and get to Neale. it's one thing for Brisbane to be across this possibility - another things for them to nullify it. Very hard when an opposition sends a player to match up on a key defender. Particularly someone like Blicavs who can also create problems of his own.

Andrews 200cm strong in the air and reads the ball in flight as well as anyone
Blicavs 198cm strong enough in the air to compete and a class above when the ball hits the ground (will also take inside 50 ruck contests)

It's what we did against St Kilda at KP

Wilkie has a pretty good record against Cameron, and that was one of the first games late in the season I really remember Blicavs starting forward for extended periods and he was matched up on Wilkie for a good portion of the first half

That allowed Jezza to get into the game, so even when the move of Wilkie to Jezza was made, he had already had the chance to get his eye in save and looked set

 

[Jumping Jack]

It's what we did against St Kilda at KP

Wilkie has a pretty good record against Cameron, and that was one of the first games late in the season I really remember Blicavs starting forward for extended periods and he was matched up on Wilkie for a good portion of the first half

That allowed Jezza to get into the game, so even when the move of Wilkie to Jezza was made, he had already had the chance to get his eye in save and looked set

Yeah you're right. I was trying to recall the game they did it in. I think they tested it a few times later in the season but that St Kilda game (and Wilkie) was where it occurred to me that it was a strategic shift they were trialing ahead of finals.

My mind also goes back to a similar thing Geelong did in 2022 with Stanley and Blicavs which became a real strength. Whoever was not rucking would go straight back and fill a hole in defence and take D50 ruck contests to give the other a rest. It meant Geelong were effectively playing an extra defender

 

[year of the cat]

Well seems I was wrong about Neale. That's quite a recovery

Same. But we'll see. Match conditions will be the ultimate test.

 

[joe444]

Mitch Cleary is onto it and is leveraging his strong inside connections at Geelong ...

Either that or he was there when CS said in the post match press conference that he in favour of selecting him

I'm pretty sure our plans are based on not doing what we did in Round 15, which was a nightmare.

That night(mare), Blicavs did the following:

- Full-back on Sam Day. As I've said before, were we purposely trying to lose this game? Also a sign of the chaos not playing SDK did to our team balance. And we persisted with it all night. Unbelievable. We put him on a nonentity/decoy and in a way that he couldn't influence contests, instead watching the ball sail over his head all night.
- Rucked a bit, obviously.

Unbelievable. Nothing made sense that night (see my previous post on this - no tags, Smith on McCluggage, Martin on the wing on Berry, Mullin in the backpocket, O Henry, M Duncan ... sheesh).

We are soooo different from that game.

 

[cats_09]

 

[Jumping Jack]

Either that or he was there when CS said in the post match press conference that he in favour of selecting him

I'm pretty sure our plans are based on not doing what we did in Round 15, which was a nightmare.

That night(mare), Blicavs did the following:

- Full-back on Sam Day. As I've said before, were we purposely trying to lose this game? Also a sign of the chaos not playing SDK did to our team balance. And we persisted with it all night. Unbelievable. We put him on a nonentity/decoy and in a way that he couldn't influence contests, instead watching the ball sail over his head all night.
- Rucked a bit, obviously.

Unbelievable. Nothing made sense that night (see my previous post on this - no tags, Smith on McCluggage, Martin on the wing on Berry, Mullin in the backpocket, O Henry, M Duncan ... sheesh).

We are soooo different from that game.

I was referring more so to the Blicavs to Andrews part rather the selection of Stanley. The latter being a no brainer I think.

 

[bulletproof]

That Dunkley ankle is potentially more interesting than the Neale calf.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

That Dunkley ankle is potentially more interesting than the Neale calf.

I reckon they'll just jab him up and he'll run it out

 

[bulletproof]

I reckon they'll just jab him up and he'll run it out

No doubt they will jab him and he will be right to go, but if he is restricted at all good luck going with Holmes and Dangerfield out of stoppage.

 

[D BRIDGE]

Hopefully we are just much hungrier, fitter, faster, more primed and better rested/prepared than the Lions.

Genuinely thought they were cooked after losing that first final.

Their form has been hot and cold for a while now.

If we handle them easily... it'll all make sense.
If we lose... they've done it the hard way and against the odds two years in a row.

Just win!!!

 

[And_ROOS]

Have feeling Fagan is going to do something like start McCluggage forward to break the Mullin tag.

Suits us, McCluggage scores goals as a mid pushing forward, McCluggage as a dedicated forward hurts them, helps us, and Mullin can temporarily tag someone like Dunkley in the middle til Fagan comes to his senses and moves McCluggage back into the middle. I love the fact that the potential of a Mullin tag might completely **** their system.

Yeah I think though the clearances blitz was getting or setting up were clean. Fort may have got some numbers but they didn't appear that effective. I dunno, there's a lot that blitz was doing that fort just can't, and I didn't think the things that Fort was doing led anywhere.

Fort had to play a totally different role because he just couldn't go with Blicavs so he was behind the ball a bit, hence the extra marks etc.

Don't get me wrong, Fort was good for Fort, but if Blicavs had the same game as Fort we would be saying it was poor. Standards, and all that.

If you read a lot of the post match reports Fort is looked at favourably, especially when you consider how absolutely dire a lot of his teammates were. Especially since he was half decent in marking contests.

Maybe after we win the flag and I rewatch all the games in full I will come back and comment on the QF again and the Blicavs V Fort match up will get extra attention

 

[Finknottle]

I'm just going to trust 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

and our superior coaches to get the selections and matchups right and Scott to make tweaks during the game if needed. Brisbane are the show ponies with all of their first round draft picks but Geelong is a team of footballers. Geelong just need to bring the pressure like they did last time and it will be hard to beat. GO CATS!!!

 

[Kobe Gryant]

This is the completely obvious choice IMO. Let's not get too overhyped by Blitz being competitive in the hitouts against Meek and Fort; McInerney is a different kettle of fish.

I've always found the Bews-over-Cameron thing to be overrated a little - Cameron has gotten a hold of Jed before, but more to the point, Charlie isn't the player he once was, and we have others who can do the job.

Meek is miles ahead of OMac at this point in their careers. We're talking about a guy who has been overlooked for Darcy Fort almost all year, and will retire after this game.

He seems like a great guy, and was a pretty good footballer at his peak - but he's shot as a ruckman. As a marking tall, he might be able to at least bring a contest.

Famous last words I know, but on all available evidence, that's what he is.

 

[FootyLad0]

Have feeling Fagan is going to do something like start McCluggage forward to break the Mullin tag.

Mullin would just start in defence which is his original position? Lol
He plays there when he’s tagging small forward like he did to Watson and completely shut him down.

All that does it takes McSuitcase out of his preferred position into one he is not suited to, that only helps Geelong.
If Brisbane want to win, it’s going to have to be someone else who does it.

 

[you pick one]

Meek is miles ahead of OMac at this point in their careers. We're talking about a guy who has been overlooked for Darcy Fort almost all year, and will retire after this game.

He seems like a great guy, and was a pretty good footballer at his peak - but he's shot as a ruckman. As a marking tall, he might be able to at least bring a contest.

Famous last words I know, but on all available evidence, that's what he is.

Fagan would have to have rocks in his head to play McInbloodyerney.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Mullin would just start in defence which is his original position? Lol
He plays there when he’s tagging small forward like he did to Watson and completely shut him down.

All that does it takes McSuitcase out of his preferred position into one he is not suited to, that only helps Geelong.
If Brisbane want to win, it’s going to have to be someone else who does it.

I think Mullin is more prone to mistakes up back. We saw that early in the prelim. Much prefer him in the guts. Guy can run anywhere though of course.

 

[joe444]

Can I just stop you there? He's Chris Fagan. He literally has only played 6 players at centre bounces ALL YEAR (as in yes only six for every single centre bounce) and only Will Ashcroft is added that list because Neale was out.

He ain't doing sh!t.

 

[joe444]

2.30pm, lads and lassies.

 

[you pick one]

View attachment 2437228
2.30pm, lads and lassies.

Hand up I didn't think we would be here this season.

 

[rapidfire7]

Don't think I've ever seen such a driven and relentless Cats side. They feel the Lions pinched their flag last year and they won't let this one slip. Cats by 34.

 

[joe444]

Hand up I didn't think we would be here this season.

Didn't think we'd be there 10 weeks ago!

The turning point for me - when we suddenly started seeing Gryan Miers at centre bounces. I thought, "Oh, we're definitely trying something." We went from 5 players at all CBAs per game to 10 in the space of a fortnight and haven't looked back.

 

[Munich]

I can hear Snoop sound checking

 

[Netherlandal]

I reckon they'll just jab him up and he'll run it out

You can't sub them both out!

 

[IMCat]

I can hear Snoop sound checking

I nearly read that as 'smell', but assume he's unable to indulge while here