Training Pre-Season 2026 chat

[cats_09]

Thanks Kingy

 

[fpm84]

Is this the right thread for 2026 captaincy discussion?

I have no evidence, but I expect Danger to step down as captain ahead of what might be his last season (and if not, will almost certainly be his second last).

Stewart and Atkins seem like the obvious captaincy options for a 2-3 year stint until, hopefully, Holmes is ready to take on the role.

 

[cats_09]

Is this the right thread for 2026 captaincy discussion?

I have no evidence, but I expect Danger to step down as captain ahead of what might be his last season (and if not, will almost certainly be his second last).

Stewart and Atkins seem like the obvious captaincy options for a 2-3 year stint until, hopefully, Holmes is ready to take on the role.

Sounds good

And if we get any news regarding Dangerfield stepping down, it being up for discussion etc, then we can start a dedicated thread at that stage

 

[cats_09]

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Is this the right thread for 2026 captaincy discussion?

I have no evidence, but I expect Danger to step down as captain ahead of what might be his last season (and if not, will almost certainly be his second last).

Stewart and Atkins seem like the obvious captaincy options for a 2-3 year stint until, hopefully, Holmes is ready to take on the role.

I would give it to Holmes now.

 

[Play it Sam]

My thought on the GF is I do think the Cats probably went into that game a bit arrogant. We beat the Lions in the QF convincingly, and played well against a desperate Hawthorn in the Prelim. I think they thought they now had the game and the form to beat the Lions in the grand final.

However, one thing I often see with Fagan's Lions is that if they lose to an opponent, they review the game to the nth degree, then come up with tactics they can use the next time they play that team to beat them. Usually, it works for them. I wonder whether the Cats coaches considered what Fagan would do after that QF loss, or whether they just thought they were ready for anything. Because Fagan and his coaches certainly went to work on the Cats game and pulled it apart on the day, while we had no answers.

Or maybe they just had an off day in the QF, and we played above ourselves with an astounding 60 entries inside F50. .
With Dangerfield, the consequent tag should have been expected, and Sarcevich went with him.
Ashfield became their Dangerfield, after a good QF showing.
All spilt milk, expensive lessons.

 

[Play it Sam]

I would give it to Holmes now.

We don't know Danger's mindset, he might find it wholly motivating to carry it into his last hurrah.
If there was to be a change, what is the usual timing on an announcement?
(excluding stupid whanker social media groups, which I am not part of)

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

Or maybe they just had an off day in the QF,

Geelong definitely came in with a plan for the QF by zoning a bit forward so they could cut off the Lions' short kick game. It worked a treat, too, and it caused the Lions to have the "off Day" you're talking about. Scotty out-coached Fagan in that game. The Lions were always going to change that if they met us again in the GF, and I don't think the Cats really coped with that. Fagan out-coached Scotty in the GF. That's just my opinion.

 

[Catman]

I keep hearing how we got slaughtered in the coaches box but then when asked for detail, they give these insignificant selections or events that wouldn’t have changed the results.

Some people just have a hard time accepting when a better side beats them

There is no doubt things they'd change with hindsight, as there probably is with every game - generally not everything works even if you win.

We laid 50 tackles for the game. We laid 80 in the QF and 77 in the PF. Not sure how you can blame the coaches for that large discrepancy.

 

[dazbroncos]

Why anyone would be in a Geelong cats FB group baffles me.
The algorithm somehow keeps trying to pull me in. But I'm just not going there.

I dont have FB or Insta.... **** them algorithms lol... but I get your point....

GO Catters

 

[dudusmaximus]

I dont have FB or Insta.... **** them algorithms lol... but I get your point....

GO Catters

Does that handicap you (esp. Insta) as you are in the Entertainment industry? Or has TikTok conquered all before it?

BTW, has anyone been to Piloto Osvaldo Marques Dias Airport in Alta Floresta, Brazil (Airport Code AFL*)?

*A desperate attempt to make my post footy-related.

 

[small 4wards]

Thanks Kingy

View attachment 2494053

I'm a little confused, is Rongdit training with the club despite not being drafted? I really liked his quote about if not this year than next and how he would fight for a spot no matter the outcome of the draft.

 

[Vdubs]

Biggest Takeaway was Gryan admitting
Cats have never reviewed a finals loss.
Also how GF loss is still in their heads

Thought to review losses was critical
To learn what went wrong to improve
To build mental strength and motivation
Wonder if Scott's is protecting players
Or unwilling to confront his bad coaching
Consequences are repeating same mistakes
Creating a team that is mentally fragile

Hope Buckley does something about this

That's one way of interpreting what he said.
He also said he's allowed freedom to play in multiple positions, and that his role from week to week changes let alone season to season.
The MC knows exactly why and how we lost, and what the trends are, and will be ahead of the pack yet again once we startup.
CS has said he always learns more from losses than wins- if you seriously don't believe they have learned from that game, you need to rethink.
Repeating same mistakes?- imagine having a sub who comes on at half time who is a dual Brownlow medalist with something to prove. We simply did not have the luxury of a talent-laden squad for that game, having lost Stewart, then having Danger overcooked and suffering, then losing the effectiveness of Cameron.
Playing Clark- was that a mistake? CS rewarded him for helping us win the Prelim.
Playing Stanley- if you re-read the GF preview on our board, it was easily unanimous that Stanley would be in, Stewart out.
It didn't work, but Blic was way below his prelim best form.
With all that negative overlay, we were still level at half time.

 

[The rabbi]

Why anyone would be in a Geelong cats FB group baffles me.
The algorithm somehow keeps trying to pull me in. But I'm just not going there.

 

[Burtyl78]

In the immediate aftermath, a lack of an official review wouldn't stop the players evaluating their own performances.
They can't just say they were run over by a machine.
Dangerfield (tagged), Smith, Atkins, Holmes, Miers, Guthrie did not carry through their form from the Hawthorn game, and Cameron was injured. There would be chat among themselves. The coach''s mea culpa could be a tool to prompt player introspection, it's hubris to think he'd have made a 47 point difference, if any at all. It was on their backs.

Dangerfield wasn’t tagged, he is un taggable, he struggles to recover from big games and gets run down, it’s a combination of age and the way he plays

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Blicavs was cooked coming into the GF. Needed help.

In what way?

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

More stupid shallow posts. Please share your wisdom of all these blunders for the GF?? Without carrying on about not subbing Cameron and the selection of Stanley. Truth is, the coaches are making a shit ton of changes a game in the coaches box, that the likes of you don’t notice or tell.

You are free to always go support a club like saints, Essendon, norf, melb or doggies if you want a coach who is more to your standard so you can whinge a little less

I'm not a fanboi sorry. Countless finals the selected sides haven't made sense and it goes back many a year under Scott dating back to the Freo final in 2013.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

I agree that bringing Stanley in was a bad choice but we also should be aware that Blicavs attended 61% of centrebounces (Stanley was 39%) and was disastrously poor around stoppages - unlike his previous 2 stellar finals.

Fair call in that respect but Stanley was never fit enough to play.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

And when we started getting dominated in the middle Danger stayed forward.

 

[Mr Meow]

Fair call in that respect but Stanley was never fit enough to play.

No matter which way we do it, we need to move past Stanley next year. Fair enough if we have an injury crisis, fair enough if he comes in to rest others for 5-7 games. But it can't be our main go-to and it should have been ditched as soon as he was injured last year.

 

[Play it Sam]

Dangerfield wasn’t tagged, he is un taggable, he struggles to recover from big games and gets run down, it’s a combination of age and the way he plays

Yeah no, he was tagged, mostly by Starcevich, and had 10 possessions.
It's a nice theory you have, but against Bris he dominated the centre in our QF win, particularly defensively, and was BOG against Hawthorn in the prelim.
So two out of three ain't bad.

 

[allrighty]

Is this the right thread for 2026 captaincy discussion?

I have no evidence, but I expect Danger to step down as captain ahead of what might be his last season (and if not, will almost certainly be his second last).

Stewart and Atkins seem like the obvious captaincy options for a 2-3 year stint until, hopefully, Holmes is ready to take on the role.

Atkins would be the heart and soul leader.
And I am not sure that Stewart can do this as well as Axe.
But is he the best choice?
He is 30 and he would be a placeholder in some ways.
Albeit a very good one.
I suspect Danger will go again.
And there will be another 2IC.
And that will be the direction the Club will go next year.

Shout out to Heckler for the formatting template. It's very staccato but fun.

 

[Vdubs]

And when we started getting dominated in the middle Danger stayed forward.

Yes, he was cooked- forward or on the bench was as much as he could offer.

 

[Heckler]

I keep hearing how we got slaughtered in the coaches box but then when asked for detail, they give these insignificant selections or events that wouldn’t have changed the results.

Some people just have a hard time accepting when a better side beats them

Scott's GF coaching was bad both selection and during the game.
main issues were.
1: Martin should have started not Clark, Experience was need at the start.
2: Clark was played as small defended a role he lacked specific experience.
3: Bews was the perfect match-up for Charlie Cameron who ran wild.
4: Blitz played great Ruckman game but was moved for Stanley who was poor.
5: Team went in favorites, Scott need to stress Lions were reigning premiers.
6 : Scott showed secret Lions tactics to early. believed same trick would work again.
7: Lions hunted Cats from start. Cats shocked into slow control mode. Not anticipated.
8: Scott failed to get Cats playing attacking mode and start taking risks.
9: After Jezza's injury Scott waited too long to make decision and bring in sub.
10: Forward line badly needed a mobile forward, Martin remained on bench
11: Neale kept running back towards goal by instruction.... leaving Andrews free.
13: Neale needed instruction to play defensive role of Andrews.
14: Danger remained in F50 when Cats were getting crushed by lions in the Center
Suspect Danger was concussed so remained F50 but this Can't be Admitted

Agree...There were good reasons for Stott to apologise to the players

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Scott's GF coaching was bad both selection and during the game.
main issues were.
1: Martin should have started not Clark, Experience was need at the start.
2: Clark was played as small defended a role he lacked specific experience.
3: Bews was the perfect match-up for Charlie Cameron who ran wild.
4: Blitz played great Ruckman game but was moved for Stanley who was poor.
5: Team went in favorites, Scott need to stress Lions were reigning premiers.
6 : Scott showed secret Lions tactics to early. believed same trick would work again.
7: Lions hunted Cats from start. Cats shocked into slow control mode. Not anticipated.
8: Scott failed to get Cats playing attacking mode and start taking risks.
9: After Jezza's injury Scott waited too long to make decision and bring in sub.
10: Forward line badly needed a mobile forward, Martin remained on bench
11: Neale kept running back towards goal by instruction.... leaving Andrews free.
13: Neale needed instruction to play defensive role of Andrews.
14: Danger remained in F50 when Cats were getting crushed by lions in the Center
Suspect Danger was concussed so remained F50 but this Can't be Admitted

Agree...There were good reasons for Stott to apologise to the players

You have just rattled off probably a lot of minor if not non existent player selection or positioning calls. Almost like looking for things or stretching dough too thin.

None of the player positioning shuffles would make a difference, and the Cameron call was not Scott’s it’s the physio and doctor.

Can you actually name a legitimate thing tactically?