Autopsy Cats lose 4th straight to GWS by 4 points.

[Play it Sam]

No there won't. We don't have any long-term injuries and we're not going to force a player into early retirement so we can pick up the next Darcy Fort.

Right. They'll just patch him up and roll him out again. Hopefully revitalised for a few games/months.
What choice otherwise? Conway still blooming, Blics stuffed, Neale in and out like a yoyo.
We don't have to like it, but it is what it is.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Agree. I’m a little worried Mitch will look to move without opportunities. We are caught in this transitional phase of our list, where many of the younger cohort are the future but currently not best 22.
With Mitch, the MC also do appear to be uncertain how he could slot in.
IMO the club should look at Darren Milburn as a model - similar size who could play multiple roles but was settled to half back and following stints. Ultimately I think he replaces Kolo or Tuohy.
Give Mitch signals at least that he is part of the future - couple of games might be enough if one of the above comes out.

He's contracted for next year so if we rate him he's going nowhere.

 

[Heckler]

That last bomb into the forward line was an encapsulation of Geelong's disfunction. Not a single medium to tall forward flew in the contest. Only Stengle contested against Aleer and I think Hogan who had gone down back or Himmelberg. The rest of the Geelong players were ball watching, some hoping it would spill. Aleer took a great mark over the top of Stengle. That was essentially the ball game. Stengle turned around and screamed at the Geelong players in disgust. It was damning but not out of sorts. We've got some prima donnas who don't like to contest unless the ball is delivered to their advantage. We've all seen it, blind Freddy is even aware of it. It's not just the forward line either. There are certain non-negotiables that good teams understand. It does not seem to be the case at Geelong recently. Half arsed attempts at tackling by certain stars of the team is another example.

After the long bomb to Stengle half the grandstand were screaming as well.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Right. They'll just patch him up and roll him out again. Hopefully revitalised for a few games/months.
What choice otherwise? Conway still blooming, Blics stuffed, Neale in and out like a yoyo.
We don't have to like it, but it is what it is.

There is no solution. We have the rucks we have. There's just zero chance we force Bews into retirement just to get a ruck that's no better than Stanley or Conway currently but also has no long-term future.

 

[Just do something]

Is Neale, Henry, Holmes, Henry, DeKoning a spine for the future? Conway, Clark, Bruhn the starting mids? All played in the same team yesterday for the first time. Avg. games played across the group is 48. Needs to be priority, but needs time.

On SM-G780G using BigFooty.com mobile app

I have some concerns with Dekoning atm. Just lacks urgency and it looks like his confidence gets knocked around a lot in games.

 

[feelinfeline]

The biggest issue I saw with Hardie yesterday is that he was a one way player with a lack of defensive urgency

Even from the first quarter he was jogging through the centre square when GWS had ball in hand & was moving forward - no urgency to push back in defence, pick up an open player etc

He then did the same thing in our forward 50 in the second quarter, giving up the chase close to the goal square; and then a later passage in the second quarter with GWS clearing from defence, Foster out ran him to keep pressuring GWS players along the wing

Mannagh was working himself up & down the ground, pushing back into defence to give an extra body etc


Those are all things coaches notice - if Hardie isn't breaking through for senior selection, maybe it's more about what he's not showing as there's fundamentals you want to see from all players and it was disappointing to not see Hardie pushing harder in some of those areas


And yes Parfitt had faults in his game yesterday, but workrate isn't one of them - if he gets selected next week it's because he didn't stop from the first bounce until the final siren

Hardie has been at the club for almost a year. Surely he would have received feedback multiple times that he needs to work harder defensively, so it’s bizarre he’s not doing it.

 

[The_Koulouriotis_Fan]

Lol! Our whole midfield is not AFL standard. Given his ability to win contested possessions (16 yesterday) and clearances (8), even if he managed a fraction of that he'd improve our midfield. A comment like "he is not AFL standard" is irrelevant when you look at the low standard being set by Geelong's current AFL team.

This is such a throwaway insulting comment for these guys who bust their gut and have talent to make it. They’re all AFL standard, they’ve all made the grade and have all shown they can be excellent footballers. Atkins for example was a pivotal player in a premiership year. Blitz all Australian. The other boys are developing. The problem is, they lack a leadership and a big bodied A grader in there to change things up when they start getting beaten, unfortunately he’s injured and 34, the match committee would’ve counted on having him and Guthrie (in form) back in there, but that hasn’t eventuated and the balance is way off.
There’s no star in the VFL ready to come in and make a difference. It’ll be the same issue, too even across the board. We need Danger in there for the rest of the year to lead these young guys.

 

[Cataholic]

I have some concerns with Dekoning atm. Just lacks urgency and it looks like his confidence gets knocked around a lot in games.

Doesn't look anywhere near the same player as he was in his first year to me.

 

[Play it Sam]

That last bomb into the forward line was an encapsulation of Geelong's disfunction. Not a single medium to tall forward flew in the contest. Only Stengle contested against Aleer and I think Hogan who had gone down back or Himmelberg. The rest of the Geelong players were ball watching, some hoping it would spill. Aleer took a great mark over the top of Stengle. That was essentially the ball game. Stengle turned around and screamed at the Geelong players in disgust. It was damning but not out of sorts. We've got some prima donnas who don't like to contest unless the ball is delivered to their advantage. We've all seen it, blind Freddy is even aware of it. It's not just the forward line either. There are certain non-negotiables that good teams understand. It does not seem to be the case at Geelong recently. Half arsed attempts at tackling by certain stars of the team is another example.

You speak the truth. This occurred not more than 20 metres from me, and absolutely lacked aggression or any forward thinking, nouse, effort or skill. GWS backs were great, underestimated. Rohan would not have stood idly by, and made a contest at least.
Stengle was spewing, and earlier Stewart gave the backs an absolute spray.
Turning on each other when the wheels fall off.

BTW: Pretty sure you can't quote sight challenged Freddy anymore: not PC apparently.

 

[you pick one]

I'm ready to give Hardie and Mannagh their chance, if your one of those waiting for Guthrie to turn the ship around good luck to you for FS can we bring Cameron back into the forward half of the ground stop dicking around with Bowes and play him through the middle also wouldn't mind giving SDK or Henry a spell this week and have a look at Jeka deap back.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Agree. I’m a little worried Mitch will look to move without opportunities. We are caught in this transitional phase of our list, where many of the younger cohort are the future but currently not best 22.
With Mitch, the MC also do appear to be uncertain how he could slot in.
IMO the club should look at Darren Milburn as a model - similar size who could play multiple roles but was settled to half back and following stints. Ultimately I think he replaces Kolo or Tuohy.
Give Mitch signals at least that he is part of the future - couple of games might be enough if one of the above comes out.

I don't think he'll look elsewhere just yet. Local kid, played a lot with Conway, Bruhn, Henry, Clark, and Clohesy I think.

 

[fpm84]

Still shaking my head about our match committee. To lose Guthrie and Parfitt on Thursday - regardless of what you think of them / what form they’re in, they’re two premiership mids - and not bring someone in with an eye to playing them through the middle (Knevitt, Hardie, Mannagh, whoever) was stupid. To them makes Bowes the sub just added to it.

It’s like we are making decisions to deliberately weaken the midfield which is already paper thin and unbalanced as is.

 

[The_Koulouriotis_Fan]

The funny thing is… we could be 10-1, but we’ve bottled those losses mainly by letting a team ragdoll us for a quarter and a half. If you look at Collingwood for example, they have managed to escape losses with 2 draws and 3 wins by a goal or less, they’re season really should be over, but they find a way.

This isn’t like 2023. Last year we looked nothing like it and we’d come back but would never really get close enough. This year we’ve had opportunities to take the lead and either missed, had the ball touched, an advantage not called, a smother rebound to the most dangerous player on the ground.

To be able to turn things around with our midfield the way it is, is promising for the future. It’s a developing year. All the young players will take a big step forward after playing most of this season. Conway is going to be great, Bruhn needs more time on ground and a big mid by his side, but he shows a lot, same as Clark. Nice to see SDK back to playing 22 footy in the last quarter and Stewart and Henry looking better, I don’t think you can underestimate the effect of the injuries had on SDK and Henry and the concussion on Stewart and Cameron.

7-0 had expectations high, but we shouldn’t get carried away. Match committee knows what’s going on and our problems and limitations.

I see us just scraping into the 8 and losing the first week. Bring in a couple of mature age recruits next year and we’re back at it!

 

[RegHickeyStand]

We are bombing it into the 50 with no results. Our midfield needs Dangerfield back!
(PS, what is wrong with this? lol)

 

[Pure_Ownage]

There is no solution. We have the rucks we have. There's just zero chance we force Bews into retirement just to get a ruck that's no better than Stanley or Conway currently but also has no long-term future.

Thats a guess. You have no idea if said someone would have a long term future or not. Its worth a punt.

 

[you pick one]

We are bombing it into the 50 with no results. Our midfield needs Dangerfield back!
(PS, what is wrong with this? lol)

Are you suggesting that's Dangers one wood.

 

[Live in hope]

A good 60 minutes and crappy 40 minutes last night.
They had no Kelly Ash Buckley Brown Ward and Coniglio for the last half.
We got them at the right time and whiffed badly.
Forget the top 4.
I said 7th-8th would be a good result.
Can we do it? Even with the blooding of new youngsters?
Yeah. Of course we can.
Transitioning from Hawk Duncan Tuohy Danger Guthrie Blitz is a big task.
Embrace the changeover as it makes sweeter when we get through to the other side.

FWIW this upcoming week i'd swing a few changes some folk won't like.

Time in the Magoos.
Ollie HENRY. One trick pony. Find some other tricks.

Have a rest.
Ollie DEMPSEY. Maybe... Freshen up the thoroughbred.

Have another rest.
Tom HAWKINS. Last 4-5 weeks have been excruciating to watch. The cliff has finally come.

Mitch DUNCAN... Mmmm. Yep, that cliff is right there. Will he fall off at years' end?

We play the Tigers at HOME.
Easy kill?? Nah. Not for us these days.

Humphries and Clohesy should be getting a look in this week.
Mitch Hardie? Jury is out after watching him again close up. Great at VFL. At AFL??
Mitch Knevitt has been thrown around the park. Not sure what they 9MC/coaches) see him TBH.

Cheers Boys.
Those 3 outta 4 losses in single digits leaves a salty taste.
As my Mrs always says... just spit it out and move on. lol.

MC is trying some transition now with games for Mullen, Clark (who has been hot and cold), Neale, COS - points for that. Just got to be a little more daring I think swing through Hardie, Clohesy, Knevitt and Humphries rather than rush back older players

 

[OzeSparky]

Well if Stanley’s is stuffed then he may well medically retire.

Then grab Joe pike.

 

[RegHickeyStand]

I don't know anything about running systems/patterns in the AFL, but I think Scott worked out a beauty for us this season. But like anything in football that is so coach-devised, it has a use-by day. The use-by date in this case was up to round 8. Now we have a situation where its up t the players to save the day, and the oldies just don't got it no more, and the youngsters haven't been drilled/skilled up enough, particulariy the talls! Too many running drills.

 

[Gavin Excell]

You speak the truth. This occurred not more than 20 metres from me, and absolutely lacked aggression or any forward thinking, nouse, effort or skill. GWS backs were great, underestimated. Rohan would not have stood idly by, and made a contest at least.
Stengle was spewing, and earlier Stewart gave the backs an absolute spray.
Turning on each other when the wheels fall off.

BTW: Pretty sure you can't quote sight challenged Freddy anymore: not PC apparently.

Can you name names of those not prepared to contest nor tackle?
I'm not needling you, just genuinely interested who you see as not having a crack

 

[Heckler]

Not a pot shot. Just pointing out that the club has kept picking him…at some stage he will get managed I suspect (I have thought it might happen at anytime over the past few games). Us fans react emotionally and largely based on possessions and what we see on the screen. The club gives players roles to do and are either happy or not with whether they play those roles.

If I had to guess (which is all it is - and not worth much) it is because he is playing his running game. What I can see on the stats (Tracker) if that he is in top 5 on the ground (usually top or 2nd for Cats) every single week for either total KM run and/or distance at high distance and sprints.

Tonight watching at the ground he swapped over at every stoppage to go “off the ball” (ie. 2E came to the contest and he swapped away). I have had that explained to me that it is a role where they want someone to defend the ground and then be ready for an overlap if it happens - but do not expect them to get lots of possessions (“off ball”).

Tonight 15.2km run (Geelong best), 3.2km at high speed (only Cat in top 5), only Cat in top 5 average speed (9.4km), 2nd on ground (Geelong best) for number of sprints…. I assume that is his role (plugging holes, creating space and impacting when you can).

Now as a fan I would look after a loss and say 10 possessions and he is young and lazily (as I have the last 2 weeks) say he is due to be managed. Maybe give Mannagh or Knevitt a go instead. But the club knows I assume he can do that role better than others still?

I would assume he will be managed next week (as I have now said every game over past 4).

That is my explanation for what it is worth - not based on knowledge but assuming the club knows more than us fans?

Players are frequently assigned special tasks:-
Play as decoy to lead a defender away.
Keep swapping and running to tire out a key player.
Niggling to distract an opponent.
Running into space for structural options.
...etc.

 

[Finknottle]

This is such a throwaway insulting comment for these guys who bust their gut and have talent to make it. They’re all AFL standard, they’ve all made the grade and have all shown they can be excellent footballers. Atkins for example was a pivotal player in a premiership year. Blitz all Australian. The other boys are developing. The problem is, they lack a leadership and a big bodied A grader in there to change things up when they start getting beaten, unfortunately he’s injured and 34, the match committee would’ve counted on having him and Guthrie (in form) back in there, but that hasn’t eventuated and the balance is way off.
There’s no star in the VFL ready to come in and make a difference. It’ll be the same issue, too even across the board. We need Danger in there for the rest of the year to lead these young guys.

It wasn't a throwaway line, our midfield is that bad, our forward line and backline were making up for it but it's now totally exposed for what it is. I didn't say our midfield is not trying, I just said they are not AFL standard. Only a couple in our midfield rotation would get a game at another AFL club.

 

[cats_09]

Hardie has been at the club for almost a year. Surely he would have received feedback multiple times that he needs to work harder defensively, so it’s bizarre he’s not doing it.

Around halftime in the VFL match yesterday I made a similar comment in the that thread, and a reply was that it was an issue he had in the SANFL & when he arrived at the club but is something he's been working on

It's therefore more disappointing to not see it being applied yesterday, because with just a bit more defensive urgency, and working up & down the ground especially back into defence, could be the final push to a senior debut


Hardie's game yesterday reminded me of a VFL watched of Constable a few years back in 2021 - Constable was a ball magnet, the big body mid that we as fans were seemingly screaming out for. In this match against North's VFL team the was one passage that started with a centre bounce, and even with no genuine clean disposal, the North mids moved the ball from the centre square to the 50m mark on the Brownlow wing. Constable stayed out of the contest, waiting in the centre square for a teammate to win the ball & he could then be an open player; meanwhile his direct opponent is in the middle of the contest, moving the ball forward and trying to make something happen for North. Ultimately in the stalemate the umpire called a ball up & Constable had to then get on his bike, run 40m to the contest to man up & be an option for us

After that I wouldn't have minded if we didn't see Constable play a senior match again because it was how much does he really want it


And it was a little similar with Hardie yesterday - why aren't you busting a gut to get back in defence; when your opponent runs off you to present as an opposition in the middle why aren't you running after them to close that down etc, there's just some times he seemed to be taking the easy option


Mannagh is working up & down the ground, giving that extra body where needed; Willis is chasing every loose ball in our forward 50 no matter how close to an opponent or the boundary line, and at one stage when he fumbled the loose ball over the line, he smacked the ground in frustration. Parfitt didn't stop working all day, Clohesy is a hard nut that no matter how many hits he takes, he bounces up and gets straight back into it, and Humphries is a clean player who looks like he'll be a real weapon off halfback

 

[Pollywaffle]

7-0 had expectations high, but we shouldn’t get carried away. Match committee knows what’s going on and our problems and limitations.

Does show how footy fortunes turn on a dime.
It’s now doom and gloom, even though we have essentially the same guys (plus or minus) on the park.
Some said that we had yet to be really tested during that early run, and that proved to be true.
Some concussions, a leadership deficit, odd selection decisions and a lack of cohesion all contributing.
Not giving up on the season just yet, but hard to see us genuinely competing with teams at the top as thing’s currently stand.
Worrying also that our home advantage seems to have evaporated.

 

[gogeelongcats]

I don't know anything about running systems/patterns in the AFL, but I think Scott worked out a beauty for us this season. But like anything in football that is so coach-devised, it has a use-by day. The use-by date in this case was up to round 8. Now we have a situation where its up t the players to save the day, and the oldies just don't got it no more, and the youngsters haven't been drilled/skilled up enough, particulariy the talls! Too many running drills.

Whilst we know that Conway has huge potential he is injury-prone and his stamina has to be improved. Keiren Briggs was the GWS best player. He had 44 hit outs and 24 disposals 80% gametime. Conway had 17 hitouts and 11 disposals and looked very one paced. Keiren is not that good.

The club must reinforce the ruck position as Stanley will be gone and Conway is an unknown quantity.