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

[Del216647]

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

I'd certainly hope so. I can imagine Hawks remembering Smith's ball throwing thing.

Bring it on.

 

[Del216647]

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.

Yep. How lucky are we as Cats supporters.

 

[catsfootyfan89]

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.

Agree with all of this, although I probably don't put quite as much weight on the variables as you do.

Upsets happen and funny things happen in finals. But there are so many reasons why we win this game:

• We're top three in the league for midfield ball movement and stopping other teams' midfield ball movement. Hawthorn are middle of the table on that one.
• We're near the top of the league for all inside 50 metrics. Conversion to scoring chances, pressure, marks, everything.
• We cause more turnovers than Hawthorn, and capitalize more on them too.
• They've travelled twice in two weeks, in finals.
• Our list is just plainly better. Our bottom 6 is so much better than theirs.

On paper, we just win this one. Again, strange things can happen out there, but I'm backing the boys in. Especially after the failure of last season. They wont leave anything out there I don't think.

 

[bulletproof]

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.

Clearly when there are four teams left, the expectation it is not going to be easy to win it, particularly on neutral/away territory.

Unfortunately they don’t let us play North or the Eagles to win their way through to a Grand Final.

Occasionally there are blow outs in Prelims but foolish to go into the game thinking this will be easy.

We will have to go there and win it. The Hawks are not going to rollover.

 

[Johanpetro]

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

Either way I don’t think it negatively affects us. If anything it hinders Hawks imo

 

[joe444]

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!

Sigh.

1987 r22 - sitting in the Hickey stand. Dunstall's goals went straight over my head.

1988 Night GF - sitting on the outer flank.

1989 GF - sitting on the wing watching all three teams lose one after the other by a goal or less

1991 2SF - sitting behind the goals so I thought Trevor Poole's kick was going through

random 1990s games at KP - Hawthorn winning again and again even when they are shit. "Backs against the wall!"

2000 EF - somehow losing another close one, at least that Chapman kid kicked a nice goal, but he should accept he's going bald.

2008 GF - that sickening feeling knowing something was wrong all day

2011 QF - a win, but I've never forgiven the Hawk fans cheering when Menzel did his knee.

2013 PF - the curse meant nothing after all

2014 QF - apparently Josh Walker is not a centre half forward

2016 QF - just the prelude to choking a fortnight later, and 90% of the time Smith kicks that goal anyway. Didn't feel like a win.

2025 PF - thirty-eight years of this. Can one last nice thing happen in this Era, please?

 

[IMCat]

Thought I'd just stop by the Polly Farmer exhibit at Kardinia Park to take a moment and reflect. We really are lucky to support such a great Club.
(the lady behind the counter wearing a Hawks guernsey triggered me a little, the club really need to screen their employees )

Going to head in to Melbourne in an hour or so to chill and take it all in.
Massive night awaits. Go Cats!

 

[catsfootyfan89]

2011 QF - a win, but I've never forgiven the Hawk fans cheering when Menzel did his knee

Man there are some real garbage humans out there.

Can't imagine cheering any injured player, ever.

 

[MisterMarcus]

Sigh.

1987 r22 - sitting in the Hickey stand. Dunstall's goals went straight over my head.

1988 Night GF - sitting on the outer flank.

1989 GF - sitting on the wing watching all three teams lose one after the other by a goal or less

1991 2SF - sitting behind the goals so I thought Trevor Poole's kick was going through

random 1990s games at KP - Hawthorn winning again and again even when they are shit. "Backs against the wall!"

2000 EF - somehow losing another close one, at least that Chapman kid kicked a nice goal, but he should accept he's going bald.

2008 GF - that sickening feeling knowing something was wrong all day

2011 QF - a win, but I've never forgiven the Hawk fans cheering when Menzel did his knee.

2013 PF - the curse meant nothing after all

2014 QF - apparently Josh Walker is not a centre half forward

2016 QF - just the prelude to choking a fortnight later, and 90% of the time Smith kicks that goal anyway. Didn't feel like a win.

2025 PF - thirty-eight years of this. Can one last nice thing happen in this Era, please?

Honestly for all of this 'record'....how many of those games did we truly start favourites in? Yes 2008 GF was a shocker obviously, but how many others?

I'm not quite old enough to remember much before 1989 or even random H&A games in the 90s, but for all of the 1989 GF, 2013/14 QFs the Hawks were clear and obvious favourites. Them beating us was not some sort of crushing shock.

The other two games I can remember we started favourites (2011 and 2016 QF), we won.

 

[Del216647]

Sigh.

1987 r22 - sitting in the Hickey stand. Dunstall's goals went straight over my head.

1988 Night GF - sitting on the outer flank.

1989 GF - sitting on the wing watching all three teams lose one after the other by a goal or less

1991 2SF - sitting behind the goals so I thought Trevor Poole's kick was going through

random 1990s games at KP - Hawthorn winning again and again even when they are shit. "Backs against the wall!"

2000 EF - somehow losing another close one, at least that Chapman kid kicked a nice goal, but he should accept he's going bald.

2008 GF - that sickening feeling knowing something was wrong all day

2011 QF - a win, but I've never forgiven the Hawk fans cheering when Menzel did his knee.

2013 PF - the curse meant nothing after all

2014 QF - apparently Josh Walker is not a centre half forward

2016 QF - just the prelude to choking a fortnight later, and 90% of the time Smith kicks that goal anyway. Didn't feel like a win.

2025 PF - thirty-eight years of this. Can one last nice thing happen in this Era, please?

The one positive about 2016 was our win triggered a straight sets exit for the Hawks .

But I agree, not a great way to win the game. Prelim was over at QT. 44-5 in favour of the Swans.

2014 - I have no idea how we made top 4. We just weren't up to it that year.

2013 - the one that got away IMO. Sandilands destroyed us in that Geelong QF from memory. Hawk could barely move with his back issues and if I recall, Chappy got suspended in the SF against Port and Enright was injured, too.

We were 20 up at 3QT in the prelim against the Hawks, but they ran all over us in the last and the margin flattered us in the end. 32 shots on goal to 22 after they kicked 4.8 to 1.1 in the last quarter.

 

[cats_09]

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

I'll get one started shortly if we haven't here from Daz

 

[patience]

Lighten up folks. 07, 09, 11, 22, 25?

 

[standupand]

Honestly for all of this 'record'....how many of those games did we truly start favourites in? Yes 2008 GF was a shocker obviously, but how many others?

I'm not quite old enough to remember much before 1989 or even random H&A games in the 90s, but for all of the 1989 GF, 2013/14 QFs the Hawks were clear and obvious favourites. Them beating us was not some sort of crushing shock.

The other two games I can remember we started favourites (2011 and 2016 QF), we won.

So you have 2008 amnesia too? It's a real condition.

 

[Jumping Jack]

Either way I don’t think it negatively affects us. If anything it hinders Hawks imo

The more detailed radar analysis shows that when it does rain it will only be at the Hawthorn end of the ground thus allowing Geelong to continue on with free flowing and high scoring football.

 

[joe444]

Honestly for all of this 'record'....how many of those games did we truly start favourites in? Yes 2008 GF was a shocker obviously, but how many others?

It's the hope ... and the way they happen. Plenty of surrendered leads there. Or comebacks falling agonisingly short.
God I even forgot standing in the outer in 1989 round six and watching us surrender a nine goal lead.
The sense that Hawthorn always get in the way and they always win the ones that matter the most.

And yes, even this - that they get to pull off the upsets / shatter the hopes and we don't.

If you haven't lived it, and stood in the outer for all those games, I understand why the vibe doesn't quite make sense.

And for all this I seem to be the most bullish one on here I'm in full "this shit ends now" mode.

Otherwise, trust me, you'll understand.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

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.

...And we had them cooked until our best player did a hamstring, in a midfield that was already as thin as tissue paper.

Hopefully that doesn't happen again, but there are reasons for optimism too.

If we start well and nothing else goes wrong (looking at you Max) we'll run over them IMO.

They've been to Brisbane, Sydney, and Adelaide over the course of four weeks, and covered the most km in history in their game against the Giants. We should have the legs to run over them anyway with our pace, but particularly with the rest and their travel too.

If we let them get a fast start though, they'll believe big time and it might not matter. Mitchell's been damn good at that.

 

[D BRIDGE]

We've beaten them 6 out of the last 7.
They have travelled interstate in their last 3 games (last 2 weeks).
We finished 2nd, they finished 8th.
Possibly their best player in Day is out.
We are rested, they are not.

If we don't get the chocolates... we just ain't good enough.

 

[Ratcat]

We've beaten them 6 out of the last 7.
They have travelled interstate in their last 3 games (last 2 weeks).
We finished 2nd, they finished 8th.
Possibly their best player in Day is out.
We are rested, they are not.

If we don't get the chocolates... we just ain't good enough.

True what you say,...but we are good enough and better than that, if all come to play, and play hard footy!

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

Finally it's game day, the last month is so slow waiting through 2 byes.

 

[catters_28]

I'm stressed. And having seats in the AFL members means there's a good chance we're surrounded by filth

 

[canny30]

I've had it confirmed that Stanley won't play 100%.

In separate news apparently Curnow and Butters both have chosen Geelong as their #1 destination. Butters next year obviously.

 

[Munich]

I've had it confirmed that Stanley won't play 100%.

In separate news apparently Curnow and Butters both have chosen Geelong as their #1 destination. Butters next year obviously.

I don't want Curnow

 

[cats_09]

I don't want Curnow

Especially not at the price he'd cost

 

[dazbroncos]

Its PF game day peoples...

Lets killthemfarkin

GO Catters

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

This is the big one Goose Pat your Selwood Bobblehead, Rub Tommy Hawkins Tummy on his, replay Chappy's Rd 5 2007 speech, put on THAT Cats hat, scarf or jumper. Turn that song on extra loud for the drive in - do whatever the **** it is you do to get ready for a Cats game - because its here...

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