Review Cats keep season alive with 12 point win

[CHAWKTS]

Ok. I am going to raise a (sorry but very bad) hypothetical in terms of j Henry and implications for Sav.

To me the silence out of Cats today is deafening. At the risk of being alarmist I would not be shocked if we find out he will not play again this year.

If that is the case it settles the SAV discussion for 2023 and the backline other than Will Bews force his way back in and for whom.

But if I take that hypothetical further it raises serious concerns on Henry and his feet. If he is out for the long term (again) then surely the club will be desperate to keep Sav. And lock him in for long term. And in the case where we have too many KPD (which happened for like 2 games this year!!!) then all have to prove who is best back 6. IF Henry looks out for a long term it may sway SAV to sway if cats prepared to step up in terms of length of contract?


To be clear I hate this hypothetical and I know it is alarmist (that is what BF if for?) but I don’t think it is completely out of the question. And so the club has to think this through very carefully.

Our fears on Jack look like they are real. Don’t think we will see him back this year and worry about impact on 2024

 

[Play it Sam]

Our fears on Jack look like they are real. Don’t think we will see him back this year and worry about impact on 2024

Yep, suffered a lisfranc ligament injury. Bummer.

 

[Partridge]

Most supporters recognise our mids are getting beaten in the centre convincingly.

yet we still keep raving about our mids doing a great job.


Our mids are getting beaten week after week. They are doing poorly. Atkins, bruhn, blicavs, oconner, holmes and danger. Are getting beaten week in week out.

It's a consistent theme. People are happy to criticise a group, but the excuses get wheeled out when it comes to individuals.

In the order you've listed them:

Atkins - No one tries harder. But doesn't damage the opposition much and isn't a top liner.
Bruhn - Clear pass mark for me. But expectations need to be sensible with where he is right now. He's still going to have quiet games.
Blicavs - Is now talked up like a star midfielder. Except he averages 16 touches a game. Like Atkins, tries hard but doesn't worry top teams.
O'Connor - I honestly don't get him at all. Don't see what he offers that others can't.
Holmes - Still young and will still improve.
Dangerfield - Has been exactly what you would think. Very good in patches, solid in others, and has struggled at times. Will be excused as he always has been.

 

[Vdubs]

If we progress to a prelim this year minus Blicavs, JHenry, and CGuthrie underdone, and Hawkins injured, it'd be the greatest achievement yet.

 

[Partridge]

Not that I disagree, but saying this after Sicily had 37 touches, 19 marks, 3 goal assists and went at 89% DE% is a big call.

I'd have Sicily and Taylor from GWS ahead without thinking twice.

 

[Partridge]

Strongly disagree. He's just coaching his team, his first allegiance isn't us, it isn't the AFL, it's Port Adelaide and Port Adelaide alone.

Funny enough I don't recall anyone saying "once a flog always a flog" when he was streaming off half-back in the hoops

Or when anyone from Geelong does exactly the same thing.

 

[Partridge]

I am fine with Danger being captain this year. Consider it acknowledgement for time served and the contribution he has made to the club. He was owed it and is recognition for a bloke who has been unfairly criticised throughout his time at Geelong.

But it should be a short term appointment, and it would not surprise at all if someone else took the job next year.

Blitz is the best leader we have got. Give him the job if we think he has 2 more years of quality footy. If not give it to Tom Atkins for the next 3 years before Clark or Holmes is ready for the job.

No he wasn't. Players aren't owed anything. Especially not ones who spent half their career elsewhere.

 

[Mr Meow]

If we progress to a prelim this year minus Blicavs, JHenry, and CGuthrie underdone, and Hawkins injured, it'd be the greatest achievement yet.

In the case of Blicavs I get that it's a high grade strain. But is that actually likely to keep him out for longer than 6 weeks to miss our first final?

Hawkins with a minor one should be fine for finals and can maybe let other knocks heal a bit too.

J.Henry had hit great form so is a loss, but hopefully Ratugolea can keep performing as he did on the weekend.

It seems like C.Guthrie is at least having a mini pre season. Players in similar situations have good games in round 1, so why can't Cam just before finals?

There's a few unknowns but there is surely a chance we have all but J.Henry for finals.

 

[Seeds]

I'd say indifferent rather than simply out of form, especially since the bye

Not sure the knee injury in round 1 helped, and at times I wonder if it's still having an impact as the knee is still strapped - so maybe post season surgery/clean up is already planned

Not sure he makes the AA team this year

So he is dominating our coaches award (with a lot of those votes coming after the bye) and most likely leading our best and fairest and you think his form is indifferent? You must really rate him.

 

[Seeds]

His QF was pretty good too, IMO - he was held back in quarters one, two and three, and he and (funny enough) Atkins made a huge difference in the last 20 minutes.

His Grand Final was astonishing. Isaac Smith was good, but Dangerfield was BOG by so far it wasn't funny IMO. It's a shame he didn't win it, because I think that would have legitimised him in the eyes of a lot of supporters.

I rate dangerfields grand final as better then any of our norm smith winners. It was an oversight not giving him the norm that would of been more obvious if the voters were watching the game on tv rather then being at the ground. Danger just kept extracting all these balls from positions he had no right to win and not only won it but set up numerous scoring shots to boot.

 

[iameviljez]

No he wasn't. Players aren't owed anything. Especially not ones who spent half their career elsewhere.

I find this attitude (the second half of what you said) to be a bit much.

Dangerfield didn't choose to go to Adelaide, he was drafted there. He did the right thing by the AFL system, and gave it a great crack - rather than pulling a Gunston (or even an Ollie Henry or a Tanner Bruhn), and requesting to go home at the first opportunity.

He then turned his back on what would have been the Adelaide captaincy, a team that was much closer to a flag than we were at the time, and a pretty hefty payday, in order to sign with Geelong for significantly less than he was worth.

Don't hold it against him that he played the first half of his career for someone else, that's ridiculous.

 

[iameviljez]

It was an oversight not giving him the norm that would of been more obvious if the voters were watching the game on tv rather then being at the ground

I think it was one of those ones where people did it by the stats sheet rather than the eye.

 

[Partridge]

Oh * off. Butters has 6 more disposals yet Miers has more marks, more goals, more goal assists, less clangers, less turnovers, more score involvements, was cleaner with the ball and had a higher disposal efficiency by quite a bit.

I thought Butters was BOG by a long way without looking at any stats.

 

[Partridge]

I find this attitude (the second half of what you said) to be a bit much.

Dangerfield didn't choose to go to Adelaide, he was drafted there. He did the right thing by the AFL system, and gave it a great crack - rather than pulling a Gunston (or even an Ollie Henry or a Tanner Bruhn), and requesting to go home at the first opportunity.

He then turned his back on what would have been the Adelaide captaincy, a team that was much closer to a flag than we were at the time, and a pretty hefty payday, in order to sign with Geelong for significantly less than he was worth.

Don't hold it against him that he played the first half of his career for someone else, that's ridiculous.

I don't hold it against him. But don't pretend he cried into his pillow for 8 years because he wasn't at Geelong. That's ridiculous.

I'll simply reiterate. No player at any club is owed anything. The players play for the club. Not the other way around.

 

[cats_09]

So he is dominating our coaches award (with a lot of those votes coming after the bye) and most likely leading our best and fairest and you think his form is indifferent? You must really rate him.

I'd be very surprised if he was leading our B&F - would think that Miers is comfortably leading that at this stage and very likely to win this year's Carji

 

[iameviljez]

I don't hold it against him. But don't pretend he cried into his pillow for 8 years because he wasn't at Geelong. That's ridiculous.

I'll simply reiterate. No player at any club is owed anything. The players play for the club. Not the other way around.

I'm not pretending that he did. But, to my mind, Dangerfield's identity as a Geelong player is just as strong as that of someone like Selwood or Bartel.

I completely agree with the second statement, though - players aren't owed the captaincy, they aren't owed the right to go out at a time solely of their own choosing, etc etc.

 

[iameviljez]

It's a consistent theme. People are happy to criticise a group, but the excuses get wheeled out when it comes to individuals.

In the order you've listed them:

Atkins - No one tries harder. But doesn't damage the opposition much and isn't a top liner.
Bruhn - Clear pass mark for me. But expectations need to be sensible with where he is right now. He's still going to have quiet games.
Blicavs - Is now talked up like a star midfielder. Except he averages 16 touches a game. Like Atkins, tries hard but doesn't worry top teams.
O'Connor - I honestly don't get him at all. Don't see what he offers that others can't.
Holmes - Still young and will still improve.
Dangerfield - Has been exactly what you would think. Very good in patches, solid in others, and has struggled at times. Will be excused as he always has been.

I see six role players there and no A-graders. (Obviously Bruhn and Holmes may become that, and Dangerfield once was the best in the league).

 

[iameviljez]

It's a consistent theme. People are happy to criticise a group, but the excuses get wheeled out when it comes to individuals.

In the order you've listed them:

Atkins - No one tries harder. But doesn't damage the opposition much and isn't a top liner.
Bruhn - Clear pass mark for me. But expectations need to be sensible with where he is right now. He's still going to have quiet games.
Blicavs - Is now talked up like a star midfielder. Except he averages 16 touches a game. Like Atkins, tries hard but doesn't worry top teams.
O'Connor - I honestly don't get him at all. Don't see what he offers that others can't.
Holmes - Still young and will still improve.
Dangerfield - Has been exactly what you would think. Very good in patches, solid in others, and has struggled at times. Will be excused as he always has been.

Tell you what else this shows for me: that EVERYTHING went right last year, for us to win a flag.

The system was great, and players were used in a way that absolutely maximised their relative strengths.
We had a ridiculously charmed run with injury.
We were just on the right side of a classic Qualifying Final when the bell rang, and then Brisbane and Sydney did us huge favours by knocking out Richmond, Melbourne and Collingwood.
Dangerfield pulled out one of the great finals series, and Cameron had one of his best games in the hoops against Collingwood.

Although I'd argue we should have won 2019 anyway, the team arguably overachieved something shocking last year relative to the playing list.

 

[Partridge]

Tell you what else this shows for me: that EVERYTHING went right last year, for us to win a flag.

The system was great, and players were used in a way that absolutely maximised their relative strengths.
We had a ridiculously charmed run with injury.
We were just on the right side of a classic Qualifying Final when the bell rang, and then Brisbane and Sydney did us huge favours by knocking out Richmond, Melbourne and Collingwood.
Dangerfield pulled out one of the great finals series, and Cameron had one of his best games in the hoops against Collingwood.

Although I'd argue we should have won 2019 anyway, the team arguably overachieved something shocking last year relative to the playing list.

Absolutely. Especially the bolded.

You need a slice of luck here and there. You also dream about 7-8 young players all having great years and clicking at the same time.

 

[Cataholic]

Except thats not true. People are raving about how great atkins and blicavs are as individuals. Bruhn as well to a lesser degree. They are all getting beaten week in week out.

Except I haven't seen anything near 'raving' on here.

As individuals, Atkins, Blicavs and Bruhn are all doing their best, with varying degrees of experience and skill. I don't think anyone has said much more than that.

Blicav's is an exceptionally unique player, but he can't do everything alone.

Atkins is a terrier, but he has limitations which we all admit to.

Bruhn is going to be real good, but he's young and learning his craft in a new system. Most of us can see him blossoming, but no outrageous claims have been made here either.

It's also commonly agreed that our midfield group is getting beaten more often than we'd like.

They're all doing their best with what they have. The club is doing its best with what it has.

Yes, a portion of us would like to see some more youth in there, but the club is going a different route. It is what it is.

I don't think any of that qualifies as 'raving'.

 

[iameviljez]

Except I haven't seen anything near 'raving' on here.

Atkins gets a bit of a free pass at times.

 

[Cataholic]

Please piss on the Opera House, that would be hilarious.

(I suspect that doing it on the Rock would get you hung, drawn and quartered in the court of Public Opinion).

Having worked there, I can promise you that the threat of public opinion did not deter many, many people from doing so.

It was a disgrace.

Didn't / can't blame the Elders for being upset and offended.

Anyhow, back OT.......

 

[Cataholic]

Atkins gets a bit of a free pass at times.

I admire Atkins tenacity, but he's limited.

I think he's given some leeway because of that.

 

[Seeds]

Except I haven't seen anything near 'raving' on here.

As individuals, Atkins, Blicavs and Bruhn are all doing their best, with varying degrees of experience and skill. I don't think anyone has said much more than that.

Blicav's is an exceptionally unique player, but he can't do everything alone.

Atkins is a terrier, but he has limitations which we all admit to.

Bruhn is going to be real good, but he's young and learning his craft in a new system. Most of us can see him blossoming, but no outrageous claims have been made here either.

It's also commonly agreed that our midfield group is getting beaten more often than we'd like.

They're all doing their best with what they have. The club is doing its best with what it has.

Yes, a portion of us would like to see some more youth in there, but the club is going a different route. It is what it is.

I don't think any of that qualifies as 'raving'.

Your blicavs comment qualifies a bit as raving.

your other comments dont but they also arent representative of all the posts on here.

atkins and bruhn are not guns or our next captains. i see this posted occassionally. Bruhn has potential to get much better but is far from it at this stage and some major areas he needs to improve. Atkins effort is often confused with ability. everyone also tends to think he is much younger then he is. He aint getting much better.

 

[Cataholic]

Your blicavs comment qualifies a bit as raving.

your other comments dont but they also arent representative of all the posts on here.

atkins and bruhn are not guns or our next captains. i see this posted occassionally. Bruhn has potential to get much better but is far from it at this stage and some major areas he needs to improve. Atkins effort is often confused with ability. everyone also tends to think he is much younger then he is. He aint getting much better.

Blicavs is widely acknowledged as being exceptionally unique because of his versatility as a player across the ground.

I truly don't see how that is 'raving'.