Autopsy Cats lose to Lions by 41 points.

[Catsace]

What an absolute embarrassment of a performance that was. Got beaten in every single position, Lions tackled harder, disposed better, just better in every single way. We are ****ed if we face them again unless a flu strikes them down all at once. Their ability to have all those high quality players within the salary cap is impressive - A graders in every position.

Trouble is many of those A-graders are 2nd-3rd year players too. Pair of young talented Ashcrofts, Lohmann saw hoops and decided to play footy for the first time in '25, and I don't even know what a Logan Morris is, although he seems to be the next Dunstall. We were just beaten all ends up, beaten in all four quarters, and chasing tail all game. I've followed the Cats for many years, and the 6.15.51 is a score that reminds me of some crappy games in 1977, or even that game against the Weegles in 1999 I think on a windy day when we kicked 5.16.46

The only possible redeeming feature is that everyone has had their backside well and truly kicked tonight, we will now be in with a bunch of sides in that 36-40 point range and with a bye some sides will catch us now. Percentage also copped a belting tonight. We also play GWS soon, and honestly if we play like this again an egg might have the better of us in terms of avoiding a beating. Perhaps it's just one of those days nothing at all goes right, Geelong's had a handful over the years (Swans 2014, Essendon 2018 and probably a couple of our finals over the years).

We hopefully re-set, regroup and rediscover the intensity needed in tackling and pressure, and rediscover some skills, as so many kicks and handballs tonight were way off. In games like tonight sadly Duncan looks very slow, but we all did as the Loins just spun and danced rings around us.

Also, their flog factor and punchable head index is certainly very high in my eyes, hopefully next time Geelong meets them they are really up for the game, losing three in a row to any side should rankle with this group and coaching department.

 

[winty]

Credit where it's due - Ollie Henry showed a lot of urgency and intent to compete in the short time he was on which had been lacking for most of the year. He ended up with more touches in 31% game time than Close, O'Connor and Zach Guthrie

39

Zach Guthrie

Age

27

Ht

188cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.0

3star

K

5.8

2star

HB

5.2

4star

M

3.3

3star

T

1.8

4star

MG

90.0

1star

D

7.0

1star

K

4.0

1star

HB

3.0

2star

M

1.0

1star

T

1.0

2star

MG

90.0

2star

D

10.4

3star

K

3.8

2star

HB

6.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.6

4star

.

 

[maxy87]

Smashed at clearance initially and then sliced apart on turnover with crisp ball movement and short kicking that often left our defence disorganised. We’ve seen this movie before over the last 18 months or so and I think Brisbane have the wood over us now.

While we tightened up on clearances as the game unfolded, this aspect of the game still appears to be a problem for us. I think we are still one elite clearance mid away from being a real contender. The rest of the game was decided by Brisbane creating turnovers and then slicing us to pieces on the outside with clever and efficient ball movement.

If we can take a positive out of this, it’s that we were still able to generate >20 scoring shots despite having next to no fluency in our ball movement and connectivity between the mids and forwards.

 

[Reg Hickey]

Turnovers vs score involvements

Smith: 12/7
Holmes: 5/4
Miers: 5/4
Dangerfield: 5/6
Stanley: 4/3

31 turnovers, 24 score involvements. Shocking ratio.

Duncan, Martin and Close somehow only had 7 between them, but missed kicks otherwise that I guess ended up in congestion.

3.11 from set shots. Underperforming expected score by 40 points.

Pressure rating well below Brisbane's. Also 11 less tackles - I bet "effective tackles" there would be an even greater discrepancy.

Start there and work backwards.

Pretty much sums it up.

 

[Live in hope]

Firstly, huge kudos to Brisbane - finals relentless pressures and physicality, running and cutting through the corridor. (And credit to the much maligned D.Fort. Wonder if it will take another premiership to get much respect on these threads).

The upside for us - as we all know our style is more suited to the grounds where finals are usually played. Would be ironic that a home final for us could be a disadvantage).

Good-

• COS, Stewart, Jack Henry
  38

  Jack Henry

  Age

  27

  Ht

  192cm

  Wt

  96kg

  Pos.

  Def

  Career

  Season

  Last 5

  D

  10.3

  3star

  K

  7.3

  3star

  HB

  2.9

  3star

  M

  4.0

  4star

  T

  2.2

  4star

  MG

  142.6

  2star

  D

  8.6

  2star

  K

  6.7

  3star

  HB

  1.9

  1star

  M

  3.9

  4star

  T

  2.1

  3star

  MG

  142.6

  3star

  D

  9.6

  3star

  K

  7.0

  3star

  HB

  2.6

  3star

  M

  3.6

  4star

  T

  2.0

  4star

  , Cameron. Mullen good effort on Cameron.
• Liked Ollie Henry’s physicality when he came on - an attribute that might help find a spot for him.
• Love at the ground for Danger.

Bad

• awful decision making and passing. Nearly all players where culprits but Close, Martin stood out. Miers to a lesser extent. Lots of ‘12 point turn arounds’ - wide open players missed and leaving the corridor open for easy goals the other way.
• double and triple grabbing and fumbling
• feeble, weak pressure efforts by our small/outside players. Brushed aside like under 18yos.
• worst of all - the players exuded bewilderment and a sense of uncertainty what to do. Haven’t seen that for 6plus years (in bad games). Didn’t seem to have any confidence in a plan B.

As others have noted- the Bye is a chance to take stock.

 

[Finknottle]

Cameron was ok. Neale is one dimensional. He was absolutely owned by Andrews who is not as athletic but has subtle football skills. Dangerfield has been good this year but he reverted back to the last couple of years tonight - lots of power but zero finesse. The Brisbane players just seemed stronger physically and more assured.

 

[Reg Hickey]

COS
Atkins
Humphries
MOC
Zuth
Jack Henry
can all hold heads up high

Jezza kicked 4.

PFD 350 and Stengle 100 was lamentable.

The rest were ordinary.

Cant keep our feet and cant hold skills in the conditions - the conditions meaning it was pressured and slippery.

Heading into the bye with plenty to think about.

The rest.... take a long hard look.

Its only 1 game but certainly one to review hard to find the issues.

Jsut not good enough tonight and bad kicking is bad footy - 6.15... enough said.

Prob 5 goals misster just missed.

Martin and Duncan will do well to hold their spots.

Go Catters

Zuth? Not great.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

J.Henry was good.
As was Jezza.

O.Henry I don't want to see in the seniors again this season, on form. Small forwards not enough goals.

Martin and Duncan, can we play both. Krock pining for Bews for one of them.

Neale well beaten, competed better 2nd half than the first half which was non-competitive.

 

[TEDDY24INC]

There's too many things to say to cover in one point, but here's a few.

We do not play our best football at our home ground. This is a point I have been consistent on for many years. It's not a fortress and many teams do not fear playing here. We have GWS taking the absolute piss and beating us four times in a row down here, struggling to deal with Richmond last year, barely squeaking past St Kilda, completing two fake comebacks against Port and GWS last year and now this absolute disaster. I don't know what the solution is but this is a significant problem that is going under the radar. We play our best football at the MCG. Have zero interest in holding finals at KP until this is sorted.

Back to handbagger stuff tonight. We could not retain the pill and couldn't split the ball. Maddeningly poor around the ball. Chasing all night. Disgusting.

Miers, absolutely disgraceful. Comfortably the worst game I've ever seen him play. He was so poor it was almost a droppable performance. Yes, it was 'that' bad. The fact he yet again attempted a cute kick on the 45 in our defensive 50 and it was almost cut off yet again just defied all possible logic.

Close almost as poor, basic kicks under limited pressure missing targets by a country mile. He also looks like he'd get blown over by a gust of wind. Weak and ineffectual.

Massive reality check for Holmes. I thought he had come of age over the past fortnight but he was given an absolute bath by the Ashcroft twins repeatedly.

Probably the only time I've ever been disappointed in Dangerfield. What a champion he is and he deserved so much better, but he showed zero composure in front of goal. Rushed his set shots when we needed stability. Really disappointing.

Smith... the less said the better. Would have been lucky to have gone at 40% by foot.

I don't want to see Jack Martin again for some time. Turnover merchant, sprayed a regulation set shot.

Stengle and Mannagh, nowhere to be seen at the fall of the ball. Unfathomable.

Dempsey zero impact and zero toughness. I fear he will never reach his potential with how poor his footskills are. Doesn't go when it's his turn and gets shrugged off when he 'tackles' often.

Duncan has had some laughable poor moments so far this year and tonight dished up a couple more.

Atkins left his brain in the lockeroom, he tried hard all night but the decision making was laughably bad.

COS is a poor user of the ball. Needs to sort that out, really iffy under any sort of pressure.

On some slightly more positive notes.

I thought Stewart continued trending in the right direction, he made some poor mistakes (who on the team didn't) but I think he won his position. Ditto Jack Henry.

Special mention to Jezza. I have been a hard marker of his at times but he had nothing go his away and he kept toiling all night. Kicking 4 given that team performance was exceptional and guess what? He did the simple things right and executed... if only his teammates could have done the same. I thought that was one of his best games. Would have kicked 8 if we could have enjoyed any sort of momentum.

All of the above takes nothing away from Brisbane, they were marvellous. They didn't waste their chances and absolutely cut us up in the middle. Whether we like it or not they have our measure and we have become something of a bunny for them.

It's not a complicated game sometimes but my word did we make it so tonight.

We may go on to win it all from here but it's hard to remember too many premiers that delivered that poor of a performance this deep into the season.

Not a bad write up, a tad harsh on some individuals, like miers.. Agree we are more an MCG team now. Just got to beat the teams we should post bye and we still likely get top 2.
Not sure on the comment about a team dishing up a performance like this this time of the year been cooked, we’re in the middle of the season deep into winter just before the bye. Mulligan type period if ever I’ve seen it, albeit not good on a milestone game

 

[Kitcat]

Firstly, huge kudos to Brisbane - finals relentless pressures and physicality, running and cutting through the corridor. (Credit to the much maligned D.Fort. Wonder if it will take another premiership to get respect on these threads).

Agree. We never have Fort a chance. Never selected him. Premiership player.

 

[SkittleCats]

Could someone give me some justification for the Irish continuing to get a game?

 

[bulletproof]

J.Henry was good.
As was Jezza.

O.Henry I don't want to see in the seniors again this season, on form. Small forwards not enough goals.

Martin and Duncan, can we play both. Krock pining for Bews for one of them.

Neale well beaten, competed better 2nd half than the first half which was non-competitive.

I think Bowes will take Duncan’s spot.

Jack Martin had a bit of a nightmare but they will persist with him for a while yet.

Jack Henry was very good, as usual.

 

[JeffM]

Those who are arguing tonight is the only awful loss Geelong has had this year are ignoring there have been other losses which very much fall into that category (e.g., waiting until the 2nd half to show up against St Kilda and allowing Carlton to play their best game of the year).

Not to mention this is the second loss at GMHBA this season where our inaccuracy has cost us four points. Dropping eight points in such a manner will come back to bite us in September ladder-wise.

For the team to be as flat as they were for a big milestone games is inexcusable.

 

[#cats2021]

Not a bad write up, a tad harsh on some individuals, like miers.. Agree we are more an MCG team now. Just got to beat the teams we should post bye and we still likely get top 2.
Not sure on the comment about a team dishing up a performance like this this time of the year been cooked, we’re in the middle of the season deep into winter just before the bye. Mulligan type period if ever I’ve seen it, albeit not good on a milestone game

I am not one who usually gets on Miers but yes he was that bad tonight. Cost us two goals directly at least, he got a bronx cheer at one point for hitting a target...

I didn't say we are cooked, but I think it's unusual for premiers to be putting in a performance like tonight this deep into the year. I'm happy to be proven wrong of course. Still think we can do damage.

 

[winty]

Players must've got confused. That's usually a performance we put in the week after the bye, not the week before it.

 

[Finknottle]

That was an utter disgrace. Enright milestone game 2.0

It completely changed my perception of the clubs chances this year. If we are capable of a capitulation like that, mentally, we are not a hope in September.

We read too much media this week, drinking the bath water how good we are.

Pretenders I think we are, unfortunately.

Great game from Connor O’Sullivan. He’s going to be the next Harry Taylor.

Feel sorry for Danger, he deserved more.

Danger deserved a better 350th but he wouldn't be happy with the way he played. Geelong looked off from the getgo. Lack of urgency, second to the ball, missing tackles. The writing was on the wall.

 

[Finknottle]

I'll forget about footy for a couple of weeks and keep myself amused with the train wreck happening in the US and Middle East.

 

[winty]

Anyone else find it ironic that after having articles written during the week about how accurate we are in front of goal and how cohesive our forwardline is, we kick 3.11 from set shots and regularly had 2 or more forwards spoiling each other flying for the same mark?

Talk about jinxing us. Thanks media!

 

[Cataholic]

Thought I'd reply here as Daz was going to lock the other thread

I have no doubt we'll see that from the media, just as we've been seeing it on here throughout the match

Did we play well - no, but it also didn't feel like we were dismantled, destroyed and back to the drawing board etc

Tonight reminded me a bit of our pre-season clash with Essendon; they couldn't miss and looked a million bucks throughout the match and we made everything look hard. That night it was 23 scoring shots to 19, but Essendon ran out 21 point winners... Let's look at how the two teams are currently fairing

While I'm disappointed in the defensive pressure; 50 tackles for the match with 17 in the last quarter which is great, it makes the 20 in the first half look like the shit it was

We more than had our chances throughout the night - what may have been if Tyson kicks the first goal against the run of play? Instead we see Brisbane pile on 4 quick goals, including at least one arsy one

We just missed way too many gettable goals that we've been converting in recent weeks

As the final predicted scores say - we convert we win. I get the frustration from the fans, but the coaches aren't throwing everything out the window after tonight's performance

If tonight's performance becomes a pattern, then it gives the coaches something to seriously think about. But we don't throw out what's clearly been working over the first 15 rounds and seen us get to 10 wins - let's not overreact off one loss

View attachment 2347308

Interesting interview with Fagan then - he explained how they changed their ball movement to counteract us, deny us, and how they forced us to kick long down the line whilst refusing to do the same.

They analysed our ball movement, and made specific changes to stifle it. They anticipated our attempts to switch the ball, and brought relentless pressure to bear on our ball carriers.

They broke us down. They neutralised our ball movement. Dismantled? Yep, I'd say so.

Their pressure forced many errors, and missed goals.

They outworked us.

We just made it easier for them by being unwilling to work as hard and employing atrocious skills.

 

[Vdubs]

Could someone give me some justification for the Irish continuing to get a game?

Easy-we don’t play teams like Brisbane every week.
The Irish eyes have been smiling in most other weeks.

 

[Finknottle]

Credit where it's due - Ollie Henry showed a lot of urgency and intent to compete in the short time he was on which had been lacking for most of the year. He ended up with more touches in 31% game time than Close, O'Connor and Zach Guthrie.

Oh please.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Don’t agree about arrogant display. Lack of respect for Brisbane by many of our supporters. I really think last week’s game was a poor preparation.

Brisbane are a very good side. The gap isn't so big that we what we saw tonight.

Arrogant display is in reference to how the game was played, not the result.

A lack of intensity, pressure, and ability to adjust structurally shows a clear lack of respect for the opposition, or an overestimation of your own abilities. Neither is a good thing.

That's what I'm getting at. Had we been pipped at the end of the Hawthorn, Collingwood, or Adelaide games, then that's different. The Giants game is a good example.

A combination of luck, preparation, and just blatantly being outplayed would have been a result of that. It happens, and that's footy. You cop that any day of the week as a fan.

Tonight wasn't a game played in that fashion by our club.

 

[Finknottle]

Easy-we don’t play teams like Brisbane every week.
The Irish eyes have been smiling in most other weeks.

O'Connor has been great this year, not sure if Mullin will make it but we have worse players than him in the team.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Could someone give me some justification for the Irish continuing to get a game?

They both have 1 role they can perform. Mid tagger.
One played in defence as was a deer in the headlights like every other time in defence. The other got walloped by McCluggage.

 

[Play it Sam]

Horrifying. Error ridden, skill less, gutless, beaten, luck less.
No wonder they put out recycle bins for the Tshirts.
The silence there was deafening, and not because my hearing aid failed, along with any sort of internet reception.
What do you do? name and shame would take too long. Do what they do, suck it up. Just a blip on the transcendental highway. Of which tonight, I got breathalyzed. Dog of a night all round.