All set for the finals!

[gocatsgo]

We're back!!!!!

I got up at 4.00am this morning and headed down to the Cattery to buy my tickets.

About 20th in line, no worries what-so-ever. Seats on level 1.

How good is it to line up with all your own supporters and talk about the season, the ups, the downs and most importantly how we are gonna knock the bogey off this week.

GO CATS.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Got the warm-up you were hoping for last Saturday GcG ?

Good game - just wjat you needed headed into the finals

cheers and good luck ...

 

[gocatsgo]

Thanks BSA. What a great game it was.

Top quality and not a great deal of flooding which made it an enjoyable spectacle.

I just wished it was an easier victory given we no have a 6 day break for the second week running.

But we don't care. We wanted Hawthorn, we wanted Colonial Stadium and we got both, so we can't complain.

BSA, you have a lot to look forward to next season. Earlier on, I thought you were gone, but the swannies picked it up and in the end were very very unlucky to miss out.

You couldn have quite easilly have finished 5th apart from those close losses, which Geelong were fortunate enough to win 2 against you. In the end, that probably was the difference.

 

[Grendel]

You WANTED Hawthorn??? Every Cat fan I know (all one of him) has been cursing the gods since the finals draw has become known.

Must have a strong masochistic streak down your way GCG.

Actually I do reckon it will be close (again). But to be honest only Burns scares me at all. The Hawks like colonical (to play on, the stadium itself sucks) so im fairly confident too! Anyway lets wait and see how it all plays out. Im just mainly happy that we get to keep Holland as his 'out' clause is now null and void. SO NAFF OF YOU SOUTH AUSSIES! Neither the Croos or Pouters get him!
Bloody WA's keep away from Chicky too

 

[Drakey]

This sucks

Begining of August & the seasons over.

Not in the finals again.

Who do I barrack for?

Essendon - nuh big heads
Carlton - nuh big heads
Melbourne - nuh Don't own a range rover
North - nuh I don't want them to go back to back
Brisbane - nuh they whinge too much
Geelong - nuh If they win then there go all the handbag jokes
Bulldogs - nuh Can't stand em
Hawthorn - nuh We want Nick back so stuff em

Just NO one to support

I guess I'll just have to be impartial.

When does the ansett cup start?

 

[gocatsgo]

Yes Grendel, I wanted to play Hawthorn and I wanted to play them at Colonial Stadium.

Hawthorn are a team that even though Geelong rarely beat, they can be beaten. whereas Brisbane, Bulldogs, Carlton, North, Essendon and Melbourne are probably a bit too good for us at the moment. I think Richmond would have been too tough as well.

I wanted perfect conditions and after seeing the weather report tonight, I am glad that we are playing indoors. (13 and rain on Friday)

Hawthorn had a big win last week that would have taken a lot out of them, and based on recent form, Bulldogs, Sydney just as a couple of examples, the team that has a tough emptional win the week before usually struggles to come up the next week.

I know Geelong also had a tough game, but it was at home and in perfect conditions and not overlly physical. Hawthorn played a tough both physically and mentally draining match against the dogs on a tough surface and I think they may struggle this week against a side which is not expected to win and is going into the game with a nothing to lose mentality.

The curse has to be broken at some stage, this is as good a place as any to do it.

 

[sainter]

Not soon enough Drakey!

I was listening to everyones favourite South Australian journo, Michelangelo Rucci, the other day on the radio. He said all South Australian's are rediscovering their SANFL teams for the first time in years.

I like your desciptions of the teams too!

I always barrack for the underdog so I will happy for one of the lower placed to do well. As long as the finals series isn't too one-sided (and the VFL saints win the flag) I will be happy.

 

[Pessimistic]

It's very interssting hearing the croweaters salivating over Nick Holland and the Sandgropers doing the same over Chicky Babe. This especially so after they all said hawthorn was a poor side at the beginning of the year

(example: West coast fans saying -How good will Judgy be now he's got some decent players- etc)

Answer this: Why would they want to play there. To be in finals ? Remember Judgy got the Hawks into the finals in his fist year there.

 

[Pessimistic]

Gocats. You have no confidence in your team if you don't think you can beat the others, and Hawthorn is the easiest target (despite the famous 'curse')
I believe of the six teams from 3-8, any can beat any other and the ladder positions are of no importance, as they reflect how many times a team played Essendon, Carlton or St Kilda

Hawthorn can certainly beat all of them, and have proven it, only losing to Melbourne (second half), but beating North (admitted no carey, Archer,Harvey), Geelong (no Ronnie Burns), Brisbane (Twice) and Bulldogs (Twice)

As for a hard win, we have won five in a row at the end of the past two seasons. This Year we have three in a row- two to go.

Have confidence.

 

[Drakey]

Pessimistic

I'm not salivating to get Holland back (mmmmmm Holand). Well maybe a bit. It won't happen though. From what I hear he has NO intention of leaving Melbourne. I doubt we will get any established QUALITY tall forwards in trades.

Heres a idea for the recruiting staff at Adelaide. Identify a young quality player who will become a key position player & draft him (like you could have with Pavlich 2 years ago but went for a lumberer instead).

Developing a system for bringing the ball forward would be a good idea for the coaching staff as well.

 

[Drakey]

Oh yeh & sainter. My sanfl side is 2nd last so there ain't much joy there either.

 

[Pessimistic]

Drakey

If you had ignored Blight when he got rid of one of the best players going around you would have a key forward already

 

[Drakey]

Pessimistic

It's not that I should have ignored Blight. He didn't ask ME!

I don't think there is any doubt that the club regret getting rid of him now.

No use crying over spilt milk now though. If anyone knows of any 194 cm + 17 year olds who can take a contested mark, play in front, compete at ground level & kick 50mtrs both feet please pass their names onto James Fantasia c/o Adelaide Football Club

 

[gocatsgo]

Pess, I don't have a lot of confidence going into the finals. Why should I?

We've got a team of kids playing agianst teams of men like Essendon, Carlton, North.

I was confident that we could beat Melbourne a couple of weeks ago, and in the first half we succeeded. But once fatigue startd to set in, players like Leoncelli, Yze, Woewodin and Neitz just took over, and we couldn't hold onto any tackles - they were just too strong.

The above players aren't what you would call strong either, but they were stronger than the likes of Spriggs, Clarke, Wojcinski, Houlihan, Snell, Harley and co.

Realistically we are probably in a similar position to Melbourne in 1998. A team of kids, having a go.

But you would think that in the end sanity would prevail and the stronger, more skilled footballers of Essendon, Carlton, North, Brisbane and Melbourne will be too good against a team chock full of kids.

Hawthorn are probably in the same position as Geelong. A team with little finals experience having a go. The game will be played indoors in perfect conditions, so the team with the most skill is the one likely to come out on top.

I believe that Geelong is a slightly more skilled team than Hawthorn at the moment. But don't get me wrong, both teams have a pretty even chance of winning, whereas, I wouldn''t back Geelong against any of the other teams in the 8

 

[Pessimistic]

Melbourne is also a team of Kids so perhaps there in no excuse

PS Hay and Croad have Nietz and Scwartz measure but Farmer can be a pain. Thats why I'm wary as geelong will have a similar crummer this time round