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

[Catman]

Despite my earlier frustrations, Jhye Clark is getting better each week. You can see the game slowing down for him. He's becoming more composed by foot and by hand.

Give him another pre-season or two and we'll see a real player.

 

[frggr]

Glass half empty:

• losing four in a row is a disaster
• we haven’t been able to close out close games three times in four weeks
• some older players look like they’re just hanging on
• Jez and Stewart completely off the boil during our losing streak
• midfield still hugely reliant on Danger to be competitive
• if Port and GWS were more ruthless they would have been 50-60 points up and we wouldn’t have been able to come back from there.

Glass half full:

• 7-4 is still a very solid foundation
• the run of six tough games we’ve just played is over now and the fixture is about to start opening up
• strong chance Holmes, Zuthrie and Miers are currently top 3 in the Carji - younger and mid age players having more of a say than our veterans
• shocking quarters that have cost us matches aside, we’ve dominated top 6 teams in Port/GWS for large periods of matches
• the only current top 8 teams we face after the bye are Carlton, Essendon and Collingwood (not counting Freo as Melb should replace them in the 8 this afternoon).

Well said.

Just to add....

Glass half full says our only 'bad' game was against the Suns in Darwin, which we'll never have to contend with again.

Every other game was gettable despite our shitness or baffling selection decisions. 3 losses for 20 points total

Better to be at this stage of the season with everyone writing Geelong off than absolutely flying and everyone concentrating on how to take us down, I reckon.

Jezza and Stewart will find their rhythms again. Concussions are a strange beast and even if you're "right to play" you can have issues with 'sharpness' for a fair while after.

No point painting a big old target on your back.

 

[joe444]

Someone who watched the game and didn’t just look at the stats sheet.

I watched the game, CE. Did you?

If not, you can always watch the replay!

 

[frggr]

Geelong was obliterated in that second quarter. GWS 6-5 to Cats 1-2
It wasn't Geelong dropping off, It was GWS going to another level. Geelong no longer has that higher gear. GWS coasted for a while in the second half and almost allowed Geelong to pinch it. When you take into account it was a Geelong home game, and GWS was seriously undermanned due to injuries and suspensions, the close result is extremely flattering for Geelong. Richmond have been terrible all year but they have a few players back and have a superior midfield. It will be a real test for Geelong, even at home. Maybe it's not the time to blood some new talent, maybe it is.

GWS didn't coast - they were absolutely gassed. The 'higher level' doesn't come free - they over-exerted themselves.

 

[frggr]

Richmond preview not open yet so will post this here - Shai Bolton won’t play.

Good news. Shame about his concussion/injury, but better for Geelong if he doesn't play. He doesn't always fire - bit hot and cold - but not playing means that doesn't matter.

 

[fpm84]

Good news. Shame about his concussion/injury, but better for Geelong if he doesn't play. He doesn't always fire - bit hot and cold - but not playing means that doesn't matter.

Yep, hate Richmond but he’s a star and a matchwinner.

 

[Hello Kitty]

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

Dangerfield is injury prone, tragically

He’ll play against top teams

Need a baby Danger, who will develop into that role. But who?

I swear if the team keeps long bombing into I50, I’m breaking into team meetings, with my best Karen Walker face slaps for Scotty, all the way through the team! With Play it Sam riding shotgun!

 

[Live in hope]

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

Then grab Joe pike.

Only pause is that Pike appears to be a similar style to Conway, old fashioned bullocking ruck - not sure you can have two in a side. I do however like the idea of getting in Pike as a further developing ruck and depth given the injury to Edwards,Furphy and careful management of Conway. Looks like Pike is a top mid season target so even if we had a pick not sure we’d get him.

 

[Finknottle]

GWS didn't coast - they were absolutely gassed. The 'higher level' doesn't come free - they over-exerted themselves.

The important point was GWS have that higher gear

 

[frggr]

The important point was GWS have that higher gear

We have it too

 

[allrighty]

Basically it came from bombs into our F50 during the last 4 minutes or so, with no poise or clear passing at all, unless you count directly to GWS. The tackles were not in question at this time across the ground- good from Clarke, Atkins, Bruhn.
It was tough on Ollie as the only flyer, he simply doesn't get in front- Hawk is rooted to the ground, Neale invisible.

Henry bombs to Neale, not good enough
Atkins passes directly to Taylor GWS
Bowes poor kick to oppo.
SDK bomb- Hawkins caught behind, Neale wrestling, Dempsey free
Jezza tap from Neale, under pressure tries the miraculous and kicks a point
GWS evade a slow Hawkins tackle on the boundary
Blics free kick and directs it straight to Whitfield GWS.
Bruhn misses a simple mark on GWS F50 ball carries to
Dempsey to Cameron, ill advised he's covered by 2 GWS,
meanwhile Stengle is running free over the back screaming for it, Dempsey ignores.
Dempsey fails to get back on his player after the turnover, and is dragged.
Ollie tries to mark from behind and fails-Aleer. watching on Hawkins behind,
and Duncan, the shorter Bowes and Stengle.
Clark bombs, Duncan out of position, so is Hawk (behind them)
Duncan kicks a grubber to Cameron.

Could probably go on, and I'm not a fan of Scotts take that it was a game of inches, citing Mullins lapse and Greene's goal. It was ultimately lost at the last by poor decision making by many, kicking to packs and and a stagnant forward line.

The issue of the slow FL is:

1) Hawk is done [EDIT: He cannot get off the ground, and now has about 1.5 tricks left] sadly
2) As a result OH gets flooded by oppo players and cannot escape
3) JC is up the ground
4) and our upfield players bomb it rather than demand a lead from someone

It strikes me that we are panicking and rushing rather than controlling the tempo a bit more. All the same it is difficult when the MF can't get near it and the FB handballs to the oppo. And the frustration around the umpires must be simmering, not that that is why we are losing.

 

[allrighty]

Despite my earlier frustrations, Jhye Clark is getting better each week. You can see the game slowing down for him. He's becoming more composed by foot and by hand.

Give him another pre-season or two and we'll see a real player.

He did some ripper things in the last

 

[allrighty]

I swear if the team keeps long bombing into I50, I’m breaking into team meetings, with my best Karen Walker face slaps for Scotty, all the way through the team! With Play it Sam riding shotgun!

You would not get one slap in, you'd be drooling too much

 

[Romeoh1]

The important point was GWS have that higher gear

They were lucky to win.

 

[frggr]

Dangerfield is injury prone, tragically

He’ll play against top teams

Need a baby Danger, who will develop into that role. But who?

Holmes

 

[D BRIDGE]

They were lucky to win.

We once were good enough to be unlucky and win.

 

[Just do something]

Wouldn’t be surprised if match committee sent a few messages this week.

Atkins dropped. He’s been poor for a month. Duncan dropped would also be a wake up call that no one is a lock in this side. And he’s not exactly a critical cog in our team right now.

And while I’m on a roll - Cameron’s last 4 weeks might be the worst month of footy we’ve seen since at Geelong.

Danger will miss Richmond game it seems. Maybe play Hardie so I don’t have to keep reading the posts that liken him as a prodigal son. Blokes a battler - watch the VFL before getting firm in the lower regions.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

I’m not sure anyone is saying prodigal son for Hardie but he seems to accumulate the ball alot in the vfl. I haven’t seen him play live so not sure on what to expect

 

[Hello Kitty]

You would not get one slap in, you'd be drooling too much

 

[Hello Kitty]

Holmes

Good call!!! Played out of his skin last night

 

[CatToTheFuture]

We once were good enough to be unlucky and win.

Yeah we have been pretty spoiled as a fan base

 

[Romeoh1]

We once were good enough to be unlucky and win.

Yep and we aren’t that team anymore. They had a superstar who took his limited chance and converted. We don’t have someone like that atm but we still had so many chances to get the win in the last quarter. They didn’t win because their defence held up- they won because our entries/forays forward were dreadful- in terms of decision making and skill execution. We never stopped trying- we just couldn’t get it right.

 

[allrighty]

I’m not sure anyone is saying prodigal son for Hardie but he seems to accumulate the ball alot in the vfl. I haven’t seen him play live so not sure on what to expect

I've seen him a few times. He is worth a punt IMO. And as said earlier Mannagh is worth it too. Not in the guts - he would get killed.

 

[kickazz]

hv u watched sydney?

They are a cut above the rest.

Our best is as good as anyone else's though more or less.

 

[kickazz]

I recon Ollie Henry needs to play further up the ground if his man is getting too many marks. Provide the link, make some space behind him.

 

[Heckler]

Don't give up and go full rebuild mode yet.
Signs of a return to form noticed and building.
Mullin : Holmes as mid's add strength and speed.
Holmes is more dangerous within goal range
Conway is a competitive beast and improving.
Hawkins work-rate up. created opportunities
Stewart post concussion back taking intercept marks.
Jezza starting to overcome concussion fuzziness.
Neale added a target without clashing with Tom.
Neal needs games to learn and jell with teammates.
Neal offers option and versatility in ruck contests.
Kolo and SDK improved as game progressed.
Clark is gaining composure and AFL pace.
Team shows ability to lift pressure and fight back.
Team is fighting till final siren not giving up.
Cats match fitness running out games to the siren.
Stengle and Zuthrie remain in great form.
Scott is shuffling the magnets and trying tactics.
Team gains versatility by shuffling players around.
Rotating positions Sharing the load pays off later.
Players learn valuable lessens from close losses.
Guthrie will be back with more match fitness.
Danger will return soon to add grunt and cream.