Preview Prelim Final 25 - Geelong V Hawthorn Fri 19th Sept 2025 740pm @ MCG

[fpm84]

Grand final nerves have nothing on prelim nerves.

 

[stac]

cats by 18 points

 

[Cattas_21]

I've been pretty confident all week but woken up this morning as nervous as anything. The fear of heartbreak is consuming me. I hate prelim finals, the nerves are much worse for me than Grand Finals which are full of excitement. Gonna be a long day..

 

[catsfootyfan89]

In the wake of all the Kimmel controversy, Daz deserves a solid half-dozen Neale haul tonight.

My nerves are starting to peak

 

[JPod_31]

I’m scared (but excited too)

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

No nerves here yet. Just excitement.

 

[Stocks_go_Up]

We should put this Hawks team away, as long as we don't drop our pants suddenly our experience across the field should be more than enough. No chance they play Stanley either - smokes and mirrors.

 

[Reg Hickey]

Your game day reasons for optimism (bear with me, I was right about Brisbane) aka Hawthorn's Brown and fools' Gold

Adelaide & GWS are high turnover, low pressure teams.
(Ade #1 for turnovers, #7 for pressure)
(GWS #6 for turnovers, #14 for pressure)

Geelong are THE ULTIMATE low turnover (#18), high pressure (#1) team

Hawthorn are a high turnover team (#3)
We lead the league in scoring from turnover.

No excuses; now is the time; they have what it takes.

This illustrates it really well IMO.

If we can bring the pressure and get the better of the turnover game (like we did against Brisbane) we'll win.

I'm confident in our ability to create turnovers and score from them, but I think our vulnerability is the extent to which we let them score from turnover. If we can shut down their rebound that will take away their best chance to put us on the back foot and go a long way to us winning the game.

I'm still nervous. Way too many Hawk-inflicted scars to not be, dating all the way back to the final H&A round in '87!

 

[Jumping Jack]

We should put this Hawks team away, as long as we don't drop our pants suddenly our experience across the field should be more than enough. No chance they play Stanley either - smokes and mirrors.

Agree that Stanley won't play but if that's the case the club has given up a strategic option naming him as an emergency if it was decided he wasn't fit enough to be selected in the 22.

He's either fit or he's not.

 

[you pick one]

A couple of things dropped our way yesterday Nathan Williamson no 22 the momentum busting umpire when it comes to the Cats he will be watching the game like us, can umpire but tends to influence games with touchy frees to keep it a contest not his job,and Stevic the driving force in my opinion behind free kick Hawthorn has the Saturday game otherwise a top grader happy for him to do the GF minus Hawks.

 

[Cattery]

Why would we play clark instead of duncan?

Exactly what I thought when the team was named. Would also have Bews and Henry ahead of him personally, equal fourth cab off the rank along with Knevitt IMO.

 

[Seeds]

Ive woken up with mass depression. Think the distractions during the week, loss of momentum from another week off, stanley missing in the ruck agaisnt meek and the wet weather coming to make this less about pace and skill is all going to work against us. Not saying we cant win, but its going to need a big effort.

 

[you pick one]

Ive woken up with mass depression. Think the distractions during the week, loss of momentum from another week off, stanley missing in the ruck agaisnt meek and the wet weather coming to make this less about pace and skill is all going to work against us. Not saying we cant win, but its going to need a big effort.

Hawks played there GF last week relax Seeds.

 

[Seeds]

Massive game for the history of our club.

If we win tonight the last thing hawks fans had over us (knockout finals record) is gone. They truly become our inferiors. Lose tonight and its only further reinforced.

Likewise Scott has a very ordinary finals record that has been on the improve since 2020. Make the gf again and win and he settles all debate about his standing in the game. Loses tonight and the poor finals record is further reinforced again. Not to mention the finals chokers argument will come back again given its another prelim where we are the clear favourites.


Just massive massive game for our club.

 

[Seeds]

Hawks played there GF last week relax Seeds.

Thats what i was told about the lions mass comeback last year in the elimination final. Hawks had a very comfy win against adelaide. It wasnt a thriller they busted a gut for.

 

[aCunningPlan]

Will the crowd remember Nash's dirty coathangar last time we played them?

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Will the crowd remember Nash's dirty coathangar last time we played them?

Yes

 

[Johanpetro]

Ive woken up with mass depression. Think the distractions during the week, loss of momentum from another week off, stanley missing in the ruck agaisnt meek and the wet weather coming to make this less about pace and skill is all going to work against us. Not saying we cant win, but its going to need a big effort.

We came out firing after a week off vs Brisbane (arguably 2 weeks off if you include Richmond game)

We beat hawks by 51 points late last year with no Stanley vs Meek

Rain isn’t even forecast till late tonight

Relax

 

[fpm84]

Ive woken up with mass depression. Think the distractions during the week, loss of momentum from another week off, stanley missing in the ruck agaisnt meek and the wet weather coming to make this less about pace and skill is all going to work against us. Not saying we cant win, but its going to need a big effort.

Would suggest that Hawthorn's best chance of winning is also pace and skill - if the weather impacts Dempsey, Miers, Stengle and co it equally impacts Watson, Moore, Macdonald etc. Plus negates Amon and Impey who look pretty dangerous to me.

 

[AndyMac05]

Can I put it out there that it is so reassuring to know I’m not the only one with the uncontrollable nerves about tonight’s game. My logic says cats should win and win comfortably. Not a flogging but just a comfortable 5 goals or so. HOWEVER, it’s the hawks and my distain for them is because these are the games that they win against us. Are we really as good as I want to allow myself to believe or is this going to be another opportunity that slips through our fingers… Please just start well and play the game on our terms. Wipe the smugness off their coach’s face! Just do it cats!

 

[bulletproof]

It is a very big game, but we won a Flag just 3 years ago, so let’s keep that in mind.

I really want it for Holmes, but I think the team will be calm. They have been here before.

 

[patience]

Hooray game day. I’m fairly confident. Nerves kick in anyway.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

We came out firing after a week off vs Brisbane (arguably 2 weeks off if you include Richmond game)

We beat hawks by 51 points late last year with no Stanley vs Meek

Rain isn’t even forecast till late tonight

Relax

I think it’s going to rain at around 830pm-9pm

 

[CatTricks]

LFG.... KILL THEM FARKEN!!!!!

 

[you pick one]

Thats what i was told about the lions mass comeback last year in the elimination final. Hawks had a very comfy win against adelaide. It wasnt a thriller they busted a gut for.

Mate the rest of us here are so laid back we don't even think it's worth a game day thread