Preview Geelong. Grand Final. You know when. You know where.

[M Malice]

It's a good thing that we will be going into the GF as massive underdogs, will be easy for Daddy Fage's to think up a GF week narrative to go with.

 

[M Malice]

 

[FLVanLandingham]

Now all I can imagine is an exhausted Big O staggering around after the match just yelling out Adrian!

(in victory of course)

 

[thedigger]

David King gave a big rap to Ty Gallop before the game!

 

[Saintsone]

My concern with Neale isn’t necessarily the injury itself, it’s the fact by the time next Saturday comes around he will have played 1 game in the past 8 weeks, and went off injured in said game.

In saying that, I’ll back him in if we select him for a big one. You can never write off a champion and you only need to look at last years grand final to see what he can do under duress.

Massive ask, and not a lot of training in that time as he has had two different injuries. At least Berry has miles in the legs. Big call but I reckon Berry is less of a risk

 

[alan toovey fan club]

Way too good last night. Anyone interested in a GF package let me know- before the bounce package, function 9.30am-1pm, then level 2 seat at the game. Cost price

 

[lioninthesand]

Read the Cats preview and out of about 50 posts there was 1 or 2 that gave us a chance.

They all think it’s as good as done, ‘easy win’, ‘we will smash em’ is the flavour of the day.

Saw similar sentiment from Cats fans on my personal social media, about us being the team they wanted etc.

Love constantly going in disrespected and undervalued into these games, it’s exactly where this group thrive, people just don’t seem to learn.

That qualifying final was not us, I reckon they might see that on Saturday.

They are deserving faves and a scary preposition but I’m LOVING seeing the Cats fans and the media getting ahead of themselves and with a belly full of bath water, hopefully they get the white shirts out again

 

[McIvor]

Read the Cats preview and out of about 50 posts there was 1 or 2 that gave us a chance.

They all think it’s as good as done, ‘easy win’, ‘we will smash em’ is the flavour of the day.

Saw similar sentiment from Cats fans on my personal social media, about us being the team they wanted etc.

Love constantly going in disrespected and undervalued into these games, it’s exactly where this group thrive, people just don’t seem to learn.

That qualifying final was not us, I reckon they might see that on Saturday.

They are deserving faves and a scary preposition but I’m LOVING seeing the Cats fans and the media getting ahead of themselves and with a belly full of bath water, hopefully they get the white shirts out again

I posted before the Pies game that I liked our sequence and that we were due the W:

2002	GF	Collingwood	MCG	10.15.75	9.12.66	+9	W
2003	QF	Collingwood	MCG*	7.9.51	9.12.66	-15	L
2003	GF	Collingwood	MCG	20.14.134	12.12.84	+50	W
2023	GF	Collingwood	MCG	13.8.86	12.18.90	-4	L
2025	PF	Collingwood	MCG	15.10.100	11.5.71	+29	W

So on that basis, we should win this week :

2004	PF	Geelong		MCG*	12.12.84	10.15.75	+9	W
2022	PF	Geelong		MCG*	7.7.49	18.12.120	-58	L
2024	PF	Geelong		MCG	14.11.95	12.13.85	+10	W
2025	QF	Geelong		MCG*	11.8.74	16.16.112	-38	L
2025	GF	Geelong		MCG	SAT	SEPT	27	2:30pm

C'mon Lions!

 

[seanthelion]

Since the current finals system was introduced in 2000, and QF-GF double-ups have been possible, it has happened in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2015, 2018 and now 2025.

Of those, so far the only time where the team that won the QF and also won the GF 3 weeks later was West Coast in 2018 in THAT game. Even in that match, Collingwood kicked the first 5 goals and fell just short.

Perhaps 'showing your cards too early' in the QF rings true again this week?

 

[TS13]

Would love Lachie to get up, but is the risk of the achilles injury / missing next season worth it?

Playing on a compromised calf has led to achilles injuries to a number of NBA stars in recent seasons (Durant, Tatum and Haliburton all coming back early to play playoff games)

 

[Sproj]

Would love Lachie to get up, but is the risk of the achilles injury / missing next season worth it?

Playing on a compromised calf has led to achilles injuries to a number of NBA stars in recent seasons (Durant, Tatum and Haliburton all coming back early to play playoff games)

The risk v reward is the million dollar question really. Two things I suppose are though that 1. we can clearly still win now without Neale, so if he just rupture an Achilles hypothetically, we can cover him next year and 2. NBA is a best of seven game series so more load over more days, this is one and done.

 

[braddsey]

Would love Lachie to get up, but is the risk of the achilles injury / missing next season worth it?

Playing on a compromised calf has led to achilles injuries to a number of NBA stars in recent seasons (Durant, Tatum and Haliburton all coming back early to play playoff games)

Lachie is 32. Guarantee he would take a flag in a second if he knew he was out of the game next season.
The risk being taken is on if he can get through the game and contribute to a grand final win.

There is no tomorrow…

 

[3KZ is Football]

It's a good thing that we will be going into the GF as massive underdogs, will be easy for Daddy Fage's to think up a GF week narrative to go with.
View attachment 2433108

Fitzroy Football Club Cheer Squad.
Round 9, 1981. Fitzroy v Geelong.

 

[M Malice]

Will the Cats go with 3 hard tags?

Mark O'Connor

42

Mark O'connor

Age

29

Ht

189cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.2

3star

K

8.1

3star

HB

5.1

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.3

4star

MG

174.8

3star

D

12.4

3star

K

8.9

4star

HB

3.5

2star

M

4.5

4star

T

1.6

3star

MG

199.8

3star

D

10.4

3star

K

4.8

2star

HB

5.6

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.0

4star

MG

67.4

1star

, Oisin Mullin and Tom Atkins

30

Tom Atkins

Age

30

Ht

180cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.5

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

6.5

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

4.3

5star

CL

1.3

3star

D

6.5

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.5

2star

M

0.8

1star

T

1.5

2star

CL

0.5

3star

D

11.6

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

6.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

4.8

5star

CL

1.2

4star

are all elite at it, is there a way we could exploit it if they do go 2-3 hard tags?

 

[Squizz89]

Cats huge favourites with the bookies and experts and deservedly so. I reckon if you played this game 10 times at the moment, with the respective players out for both teams, they'd win 7/10. Can we pinch one of those 'other 3' this weekend, who knows?

There are a few things working in our favour imo.

1) The Cats showed their hand by deploying their taggers in the qualifying final. Hugh now knows who's going to him. Cam likewise. Plan around that and come up with different alternatives to get them into the game.

2) Stewart out for them is a huge loss in terms of their set up behind the ball. Need to make the most of his absence. Henry likewise if he plays, Oscar might just wanna check how much weight that ankle can carry before the first bounce. You know they'll do likewise if Berry plays.

3) A few players were clearly off in that first final. I'm backing Lester to go back to Cameron and to make amends. He can't be anywhere near as bad as he was in that first quarter that night.

4) Dizz, Oscar, all the new boys who didn't get the taste of it last year. There's a bit of sentiment here with the two guys who missed out in particular.

We're banged up, missing a lot of our best 22 players, whilst the Cats are fresh as daisies after beating up on also rans for the best part of 3 months. They're deserved favourites and it will take a monumental effort to win, but there's a few cards for Fages to play during the week to try and at least give ourselves a chance.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Will the Cats go with 3 hard tags?

Mark O'Connor, Oisin Mullin and Tom Atkins are all elite at it, is there a way we could exploit it if they do go 2-3 hard tags?

Atkins doesn't tag much anymore. He is one of the few guys who can get a clearanece for the Cats. If we lose the Clearences against this mob we deserve to lose.

 

[M Malice]

Atkins doesn't tag much anymore. He is one of the few guys who can get a clearanece for the Cats. If we lose the Clearences against this mob we deserve to lose.

Thanks BB, I don't watch much of the Cats, I think he did tag Jai Newcombe in the Prelim though or were my eyes playing up again?

Despite the QF result I still think if we bring our best against their best we win.

It also seems to be forgotten that we beat them convincingly at the Cattery not all that long ago.

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

It would be very difficult to tell the likes of Neale, Pendlebury and the great Ablett that they are going to have to sit out what is the pinnacle of their sport. If ever a player was going to get back it would be Neale but it is a roll of the dice and the consequences of the club getting it wrong wouldn't be truly understood until it happened. Going to need the intervention of the Footy Gods this week I reckon.

Let's ask the high priest of Lesterism what should be done.

@3KZ give us your wisdom.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Thanks BB, I don't watch much of the Cats, I think he did tag Jai Newcombe in the Prelim though or were my eyes playing up again?

Despite the QF result I still think if we bring our best against their best we win.

It also seems to be forgotten that we beat them convincingly at the Cattery not all that long ago.

I think hes more of a Dunkley style defensive mid while Mullin is more if a run with stopper

 

[Bucking Beads]

Thanks BB, I don't watch much of the Cats, I think he did tag Jai Newcombe in the Prelim though or were my eyes playing up again?

Despite the QF result I still think if we bring our best against their best we win.

It also seems to be forgotten that we beat them convincingly at the Cattery not all that long ago.

He may have manned Newcombe up at stoppages but he seems to have been morphed into more of a clearance guy as opposed to a tagger. He can do jobs where required though.

 

[Elixuh]

The tone of Geelong’s equivalent thread on their board is so different to our thread. A good day to be a Lions supporter.

 

[Big Sauce 21]

If they match O'Connor up on Rayner and we win the midfield battle this time, Cam will kick 5+ on him

 

[Nunez]

If they match O'Connor up on Rayner and we win the midfield battle this time, Cam will kick 5+ on him

Rayner will finally be healthy again this week and will be primed to go.

 

[Elixuh]

Rayner will finally be healthy again this week and will be primed to go.

 

[Nuggo]

Cam and Hughie will be tagged again you would think. I think Hughie will be ok but Cam will need some help - Gallop to crash a pack and take out a tagger or two.