Are you feeling positive or negative about the 2019 Finals?

[Turbocat]

I don't get the relief that we are playing Pies. Their mids are extraordinary, their ruck is potentially the finals MVP, their small forwards are second to none, they're at home after a week off to get their injured ones up to scratch. If they beat us this week, I think and hope they go all the way, should we not make it.

There are very few , if any , easy games in finals .. id rather play collingwood than a couple of other teams.. but its not like we have a choice

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

A certain GFC player that has some legend here did the same...

"You talkin' 'bout me? Are you talkin' about me?? I don't see anyone else here so you must be talkin' 'bout me."

 

[Sttew]

No surprises that I am feeling closer to pessimism that optimism.
As one who has felt that we do have a middle of the road list (6-10), I can only laud what CS has been able to do with this list so far.
Without the herculean efforts of Danger, I think we could struggle, and go out in 2. He is a rare talent, and we are lucky we have him, ditto Ablett. Those 2 seem to be on a mission, But it is the lesser lights that concern me when the heat and pressure is on. The frenetic pressure that teams like Pies, Dogs and Tigers can bring on has been our undoing.
We seemed to have answers for this up to round 12- so some hope. But deeper analysis of many of those wins suggests those wins were at times those teams were NQR- and that is legitimate.
Pies started their preseason well after us- we were primed.
WCE were hungover.
Dogs lost the game in the last Q, at Geelong, and seem to have found a much better avenue to goals.
Tigers were severely depleted.
Our second half season form has been consistently inconsistent, but great wins v NM and Carlton, at Geelong does offer another glimmer of hope.
The prefinals bye has to be faced by all finals teams- not my biggest concern yet.
If we are in the contest at 3Q time, we are in with a big chance this week.
Then a new set of issues.

That is a reasonably optimistic analysis for you, Vdubs

 

[Turbocat]

No surprises that I am feeling closer to pessimism that optimism.
As one who has felt that we do have a middle of the road list (6-10), I can only laud what CS has been able to do with this list so far.
Without the herculean efforts of Danger, I think we could struggle, and go out in 2. He is a rare talent, and we are lucky we have him, ditto Ablett. Those 2 seem to be on a mission, But it is the lesser lights that concern me when the heat and pressure is on. The frenetic pressure that teams like Pies, Dogs and Tigers can bring on has been our undoing.
We seemed to have answers for this up to round 12- so some hope. But deeper analysis of many of those wins suggests those wins were at times those teams were NQR- and that is legitimate.
Pies started their preseason well after us- we were primed.
WCE were hungover.
Dogs lost the game in the last Q, at Geelong, and seem to have found a much better avenue to goals.
Tigers were severely depleted.
Our second half season form has been consistently inconsistent, but great wins v NM and Carlton, at Geelong does offer another glimmer of hope.
The prefinals bye has to be faced by all finals teams- not my biggest concern yet.
If we are in the contest at 3Q time, we are in with a big chance this week.
Then a new set of issues.

I believe I can understand you to a degree... I feel you have a slightly slanted pess look on things as a degree of self protection.. and I can relate to that. I too went thru that 80's and 90's and saw what real sides are like .. so get it. I just dont think anyone has a that great side anymore.. its more about bringing you best in the finals. I feel our best wins. If we dont bring our best again..then CS is at huge fault.

We are in the week of the big reveal... its like finding out who killed Laura Palmer or who was Keyser Soze .. and I hope you are wrong but I dont exclude that you are right.

I feel the difference between the two of us all along has not so much been the estimation of the team ..although I do think they are capable of being a top4 team.. and once there its an on the day thing.... its more what you say as a fantastic effort by CS... You say he has done a great job with a list not up to it.. id say if he thought it was not up it then its neglagant taking it all the way to only know that you will always do an empty swimming pool dive in Sept. His brother wanted to rebuild at North , and they said no... if CS thought this list was not good enough ..I suspect he would too demand certian changes or else. ... so I cant but think he feels ..this is a premiership side in all but the winning.

This first final will be the tale of the tape... I wonder if Jeff Horn was all positive etc before he went out and had the brutal truth revealed. If we lose against Collingwood ..we could easily be out in two... playing WC the next week ..and they were close enough to the top all year to not think they are a normal 5th ranked team.

 

[Vdubs]

Cheer up mate. We don't play every team in the eight.

No, but a loss this week, and we could , if we're lucky, face all those 4 teams, as an example.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

I don't get the relief that we are playing Pies. Their mids are extraordinary, their ruck is potentially the finals MVP, their small forwards are second to none, they're at home after a week off to get their injured ones up to scratch. If they beat us this week, I think and hope they go all the way, should we not make it.

Little off topic. Were you optimistic or pessimistic through 07-11?

 

[Strange Cat]

Cam will do it for Strange Cat and bring home the bacon

Strange response but I’ll take it if it means we win

 

[Max Milburn]

No, but a loss this week, and we could , if we're lucky, face all those 4 teams, as an example.

See! That's not hard, you've just predicted we'll make the GF.

 

[Vdubs]

See! That's not hard, you've just predicted we'll make the GF.

Fyi, check out the preseason tips. I had us losing the GF.The only poster who did. Some did pick us to win it though.

 

[Vdubs]

Little off topic. Were you optimistic or pessimistic through 07-11?

Half way through 07--> finals O.
08 O until we got smashed by Pies. P in finals. The doubts started a little after we lost Nathan Ablett.
09 P thought Saints had our measure
10 P the game when we failed to score V Saints after 1Q time convinced me.
11 0 after we smashed D's and Pies

Mainly, not confident.

 

[cats_09]

This seems as good a place to post/share this as any thread - maybe a reason to be feeling positive ahead of the finals:

The team from Fox Footy’s On the Couch has revealed that Geelong is the only finals side that fully matches the ‘premiership profile’, which is made up of five key statistics.

The last 10 premiers have ranked in the top five of at least three of the five categories during their respective runs to the flag.

The stats are points differential from turnovers; points scored from the forward half; opposition scores per inside 50; forward 50 groundballs; and post stoppage contested possessions.

But while the Cats look like the flag favourites based on their performances in those stats, there are real warning signs for West Coast, who along with Essendon do not rank in the top five of any of the categories.

Geelong, Collingwood, Brisbane and Richmond all tick at least three boxes, meaning they match the premiership profile.

Read more here: https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/af...s/news-story/7725ae7b6e52236bc0aa00aef5138698

 

[GoGeta]

What do these player sponsor things under peoples profiles mean?

 

[GoGeta]

I believe I can understand you to a degree... I feel you have a slightly slanted pess look on things as a degree of self protection.. and I can relate to that. I too went thru that 80's and 90's and saw what real sides are like .. so get it. I just dont think anyone has a that great side anymore.. its more about bringing you best in the finals. I feel our best wins. If we dont bring our best again..then CS is at huge fault.

We are in the week of the big reveal... its like finding out who killed Laura Palmer or who was Keyser Soze .. and I hope you are wrong but I dont exclude that you are right.

I feel the difference between the two of us all along has not so much been the estimation of the team ..although I do think they are capable of being a top4 team.. and once there its an on the day thing.... its more what you say as a fantastic effort by CS... You say he has done a great job with a list not up to it.. id say if he thought it was not up it then its neglagant taking it all the way to only know that you will always do an empty swimming pool dive in Sept. His brother wanted to rebuild at North , and they said no... if CS thought this list was not good enough ..I suspect he would too demand certian changes or else. ... so I cant but think he feels ..this is a premiership side in all but the winning.

This first final will be the tale of the tape... I wonder if Jeff Horn was all positive etc before he went out and had the brutal truth revealed. If we lose against Collingwood ..we could easily be out in two... playing WC the next week ..and they were close enough to the top all year to not think they are a normal 5th ranked team.

He was this guy



AKA Stranger danger

 

[goyoucatters]

I think that is a really valid point. I try to tell myself that it’s just me and my perspective shifting but I can’t help but feel that footy has lost a lot of its uniqueness and charm over the last decade or so. The game has changed rapidly and is almost unrecognisable in parts to how it was played during the Cats’ golden era.

That being said, there’s still something about this current team that doesn’t quite feel ‘complete’, irrespective of the style the game is played in nowadays.

As I’ve said, the midfield rotations are shallow for example. I’m really loathe to use the term ‘soft’ or heaven forbid the “h” word but I’m getting close. Our book ends are really solid - our top 5-6 are A graders and the bottom 5-6 play their role. It’s the mid-tier that I feel is comprised of very limited (often recycled and mature-aged) middle of the road players, some that were not drafted at 18 years old for a reason (e.g. Menegola) and others that we gave way too much away for (e.g.Stanley) all in the aim of staying “up there” for what I see are corporate objectives rather than footy department objectives.
We have done really well to generally maintain relevance and competitiveness in an era of free agency and the like. But I question to what end it is all for when I can’t see the summit. This is why I can’t get too enthused I’m afraid to say.

Surely this is true of all the teams in this finals series, though. It's why all the others seem 'gettable' to me. We are just one of a number of 'fairly good' teams left in it.

And one of them has to win it all...

 

[dazbroncos]

What do these player sponsor things under peoples profiles mean?

Geelong Big Footy has in previous years had a share in the Sponsorship of a Player from the Club. WAs Varcoe, Nakia, Simpson and most recently Miers.

It was not supported enough this season for numerous thus no 2019 player.

It could return in 2020.

GO Catters

 

[maxy87]

Surely this is true of all the teams in this finals series, though. It's why all the others seem 'gettable' to me. We are just one of a number of 'fairly good' teams left in it.

And one of them has to win it all...

View attachment 739134

Maybe. Though I think the other contenders’ weaknesses are in less critical areas.
FWIW I thought the same about the Crows in 2017. One-paced and one-dimensional midfield and a downhill skiing forwardline. Probably 1-2 elite mids off being a genuine premiership-quality group IMO.

 

[goyoucatters]

Maybe. Though I think the other contenders’ weaknesses are in less critical areas.
FWIW I thought the same about the Crows in 2017. One-paced and one-dimensional midfield and a downhill skiing forwardline.

Don't entirely disagree about the mids. But I think the general level of competitiveness and 'want' in the forward line has improved significantly this year, with the addition of Dahl, Atkins, Chucky, Gryan and Gaz. And the continued development of Rata.

Probably 1-2 elite mids off being a genuine premiership-quality group IMO.

If we're 1-2 elite mids away, what does that make the Tigers?

 

[maxy87]

If we're 1-2 elite mids away, what does that make the Tigers?

Sorry I meant the Crows in 2017 were 1-2 elite mids away.

Agree with you on our forwardline. Much improved from the last few years, though inconsistent in the back half of the year.

 

[CatRiot]

No chance now for 2019.
Without Duncan and Clark - zero outside run on the bigger grounds. Zip. Cannot generate fast ball movement that way.
Start thinking about draft picks and who is traded/delisted/retired...

 

[fallout11]

Chris Scott...

Not confident.

Simple..

 

[Seeds]

Ask me 15 minutes into our QF...

Your answer?

 

[Whit3y]

I guess, I guess you can look back at that North Melbourne game a few weeks ago and think that is the very definition of a paper over the cracks win.

And haven't we had a few of those late in the season just before finals over the years

 

[Gogeelong]

unless scott goes we have no chance

 

[goyoucatters]

Your answer?

Unsurprisingly, I now feel extremely negative about our chances.

To the point where using any form of the word 'chance' seems totally inappropriate to capture how far off the best teams we seem right now, when it really matters.

 

[TheWoodenSlug]

It's just all too predictable. The big surprise (to some) selection call to show us all just how clever an operator Scott is, that predictably bit us in the arse; the oppostions fast start; our slow start; the boring, risk-averse game plan being exposed in finals; our players similarly exposed under finals intensity; the come back only to fall just short... Watching it all unfold on Friday night was like being trapped in a recurring nightmare.

We'll roll West Coast next week, then be humiliated against Richmond the following week in similar circumstances to those described above.