Autopsy Cats lose to Lions by 41 points.

[cats_09]

Lions have now beaten us at three different venues the past 12-months. They will have serious belief to beat us anywhere. Not panic stations, but that result won't do much for belief in beating them in September.

Couldn't we reverse that point though

In the 24 months prior to last September we had beaten them at 3 different venues which wouldn't do much for their belief that they'd be able to get the better of us in September?

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Surely you can admit he more than holds his own as a small defender, and then the fact he can actually go and do a role in the midfield is a huge bonus. He’s improving as quickly as anyone on our list. The boy has tools that others can only dream of.

Agree Cameron is cooked.

Bews used to get eviscerated for his ball use and composure. Before the premiership (brilliant performance in the GF) so did Kolodjashnij. Lonergan, Henderson, Ruggles. Etc etc etc.

Yet being Irish and growing up on GAA means we should ignore it for Mullin? He doesn't have the ball use, composure or footy IQ to play down back.

He can stop his man in a contest from getting the ball. But that's only one facet of defensive play. Contest work is fine.

Open play with ground balls and congestion not so much. His play-on and panicked left foot kick to O'Connor really should have cost a goal but was a brilliant contested mark that bailed him out.

Mid tagger or VFL.
That's me being as complimentary towards him as I can, I can acknowledge he has an AFL standard role. Use it. Every week.

 

[Finknottle]

If we play Brisbane again this year with a full or close to full strength team we will beat them, especially if it’s dry

I have to disagree. Brisbane are bigger and stronger on average. They manhandled our lighter framed players. They shrugged off tackles, burst through packs and ran to space. Geelong players tripping over and losing their footing was another strange thing. It seemed contagious. It looked a bit like men playing boys. And players like Neale who are big and strong allow themselves to be pushed off the ball, worried out of marking contests. Andrews made Neale look like a petulant school boy. With his build Neale should be striking fear into the backmen but far from it. Dangerfield is a big body but he didn't show any of his explosive speed. I'm sure he is worried about his next hamstring injury.

 

[MacStradbroke]

Bews used to get eviscerated for his ball use and composure. Before the premiership (brilliant performance in the GF) so did Kolodjashnij. Lonergan, Henderson, Ruggles. Etc etc etc.

Yet being Irish and growing up on GAA means we should ignore it for Mullin? He doesn't have the ball use, composure or footy IQ to play down back.

He can stop his man in a contest from getting the ball. But that's only one facet of defensive play. Contest work is fine.

Open play with ground balls and congestion not so much. His play-on and panicked left foot kick to O'Connor really should have cost a goal but was a brilliant contested mark that bailed him out.

Mid tagger or VFL.
That's me being as complimentary towards him as I can, I can acknowledge he has an AFL standard role. Use it. Every week.

FWIW I want Bews straight back in as soon as he’s ready.

 

[Heckler]

Cats midfield is clearly the team weak link
Midfield was dominant in premiership years
Reason why Cats are chasing quality mid's
Also need to address how ball is transitioned
Can't rely on Holmes / Smith to break the lines
Need entire team to run and chain handball
Especially more directness not via boundary
There are many things Cats can improve on

Watching Scott's Presser was most annoying
Can't tell if the Don't Panic was pure spin
Surely can't sweep this loss under the carpet
Interested if tweaks to Game Plan after Bye

 

[cats_09]

FWIW I want Bews straight back in as soon as he’s ready.

Bews has been playing VFL over recent weeks, including today - he's not currently seen as best 22/23 in the seniors

 

[Finknottle]

Everytime we play Brisbane recently i find myself reflecting on the class of their players and access to high draft picks. The game were forced to play against them only seems to accentuate the many a graders they have and lower skill roll players we've accumulated from non typical drafting strategies that are very good in our system when we play our way. Brisbane are elite around stoppages and congestion. I was in awe of the way they block for each other and the slick handball chains. Fagan seems to have Scott's measure also tactically recently. Would love to have that young forward Logan morris in the hoops, what a talent! Ah well, no shame in being beaten by a better team on the night. Brisbane were very good. We looked off right from the start, seemed to lack the pressure and intensity of previous weeks. It didn't look like the cats right from the start and didn't improve. People on Facebook saying Danger had covid during the week, who knows. Something definitely looked off.

The difference in class stood out to me as well. Brisbane have a bunch of first round picks plus some father sons who would have gone high first round. Geelong has had very little help from the draft, but it was accentuated by bringing in players from other clubs, Cameron, Smith. Players like Close, Mullin, Duncan, Bews, wouldn't be anywhere near the top 22 at Brisbane. Forget about guys we have been hoping could make it like Knevitt, Stephens, etc.

 

[standupand]

Lowman and Rayner seem to find a gear when they play us.

And those Ashcroft boys look classy.

How about that Morris kid... not bad hey

Roaar

Some people on here were telling me Brisbane would struggle with Morris as a key forward instead of Daniher.

 

[Catman]

Watching Scott's Presser was most annoying
Can't tell if the Don't Panic was pure spin
Surely can't sweep this loss under the carpet
Interested if tweaks to Game Plan after Bye

What do you want him to say? He's never been one to throw the team under the bus, he always backs them publicly, even more so after a very solid month of footy. Last night was very disappointing and behind closed doors they'll know there's plenty of work to be done.

 

[allrighty]

I do wonder sometimes. All the media this week was about the KP curse on Brisbane and how accurate we are at kicking goals. Both smashed last night.

Irony?

 

[Play it Sam]

I hope he looks a lot deeper into the game and comes up with something more concrete than that starting with the basics winning ground ball, tackling, pressure and composure all of which were missing last night by a good 70% of the players for the majority of the game.I'd want them all in Monday for a drill down review. I don't agree with sweeping those sorts of efforts under the rug.

I agree, sure that will happen on review behind closed doors. You know Scott, won't humiliate for media sake.
Broke my golden rule and watched a losing replay, didn't enhance breakfast!
It was a crowded game with poor decision making, add nothing went their way.
Kick a few bums then take what we can learn out of it for next time.

 

[bombersboy]

I have to disagree. Brisbane are bigger and stronger on average. They manhandled our lighter framed players. They shrugged off tackles, burst through packs and ran to space. Geelong players tripping over and losing their footing was another strange thing. It seemed contagious. It looked a bit like men playing boys. And players like Neale who are big and strong allow themselves to be pushed off the ball, worried out of marking contests. Andrews made Neale look like a petulant school boy. With his build Neale should be striking fear into the backmen but far from it. Dangerfield is a big body but he didn't show any of his explosive speed. I'm sure he is worried about his next hamstring injury.

After sleeping on it I am just putting last night down to being one of those games. We are a lot better than how we played. We just butchered the ball.

Last night though I left the ground thinking Brisbane believe they can beat us anywhere anytime. We have a number of players that do not believe we can beat Brisbane. Brisbane and Collingwood do not have one player that does not go when it is their turn. We have too many.

 

[Catman]

I have to disagree. Brisbane are bigger and stronger on average. They manhandled our lighter framed players. They shrugged off tackles, burst through packs and ran to space. Geelong players tripping over and losing their footing was another strange thing. It seemed contagious. It looked a bit like men playing boys. And players like Neale who are big and strong allow themselves to be pushed off the ball, worried out of marking contests. Andrews made Neale look like a petulant school boy. With his build Neale should be striking fear into the backmen but far from it. Dangerfield is a big body but he didn't show any of his explosive speed. I'm sure he is worried about his next hamstring injury.

Petulant? Of all the words to use, that would be one of the last ones I'd use.

Also, where have you been for the past month?

 

[Finknottle]

Petulant? Of all the words to use, that would be one of the last ones I'd use.

Also, where have you been for the past month?

Not the best word I agree. I was thinking the next big thing who has a long way to go.

 

[Strange Cat]

Better to have our structure and weakness exposed now than in the finals ..still questions remains if Scott can fix these issues ..given it’s the halfway point I don’t think we can so hopefully Scott has something up his sleeve’s tactically for the finals

And as for the lions having the wood on us ..we only have to beat them once

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

Looking at the ladder, we're only a game in front of a few clubs now, so we might find ourselves back outside the top 4 this weekend or next (our bye). Yikes.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

If we play Brisbane again this year with a full or close to full strength team we will beat them, especially if it’s dry

We pretty much are full strength. We have sdk missing (who has been pretty average anyway) and Kolo (who’s been missing for the entire year)

Who else is going to make a difference?

The team we fielded last night was a strong one.
We had the wrong mindset and were extremely lethargic for whatever reason I dont know.

I think we’ve dug ourselves a hole, and the only way we knock off the Lions now in a final is if we play them up there and all the pressure is on them. And hope they have a bad game, similar to their victory in last years prelim over us.

 

[AWOL]

I was at the game and haven’t seen replay, so views only from the stand.

Felt like we’d been drinking our own bathwater. Not enough genuine effort.

Very sloppy all over. Never seen is so poor by foot, fumbly with ball in hand and our guys even struggled to keep their feet at times. Notably Miers was uncharacteristically poor by foot.

Neale failed miserably in his role. He HAD to do more to keep Andrews out of dangerous positions. Be unselfish and completely sacrifice your own game to take away their one wood. Might be easier to do on the MCG with more space to drag him away.

Finally, I’m not sure Martin is the right fit for our team. Seems to lack speed and intensity. Not dissimilar to O Henry. Back to the twos for jack IMO.

 

[AWOL]

We pretty much are full strength. We have sdk missing (who has been pretty average anyway) and Kolo (who’s been missing for the entire year)

Who else is going to make a difference?

The team we fielded last night was a strong one.
We had the wrong mindset and were extremely lethargic for whatever reason I dont know.

I think we’ve dug ourselves a hole, and the only way we knock off the Lions now in a final is if we play them up there and all the pressure is on them. And hope they have a bad game, similar to their victory in last years prelim over us.

Ted. He should be playing in the ones.

 

[Mr Meow]

Win more of the ball. He is a centre bounce midfielder who only had 21 touches. Probably the least touches of all the regulars.

Atkins role in our midfield is a focus on contested possessions, tackles and pressure acts.

Game high contested possessions (15), equal 2nd tackles (6), 2nd pressure acts (22).

6 score involvements and 4 turnovers (ratio 1.5). Smith and Holmes had a lot more outside ball and combined for 11 score involvements and 17 turnovers (ratio 0.65).

Atkins was much better than Holmes and Smith last night.

 

[Mr Meow]

It was clearly a very poor game from us. You don't lose like that without being outplayed in plenty of key moments.

Having said that, as the coach pointed out, the underlying numbers were quite even and didn't point to a shocking lack of effort. And we actually 'should have won', based on expected score. I get how 'coulda, shoulda, woulda' that sounds. But it does indicate that it was our execution more than anything that failed us a lot throughout the game.

In essence, seems like they flipped the script on what we've been routinely doing to other teams, and consistently torched us on turnover. That's really disappointing, for sure. But it's not an outcome that has me thinking we're no show against them if we meet again this year. Just need miles better execution and fluency from us than we showed this time around.

For me, then, how much of our ineptitude was truly out of our control (based on how they 'made us play') will actually be the really interesting watch the next time we come up against them.

#keepthefaith

Diagnosing the issues, the first quarter was different to the last three.

Q1 we could barely get our hands on the ball and were dominated in clearances + inside 50s (16 to 3 at one stage?). Our pressure was very poor.

Q2-4 ball winning and territory wasn't actually an issue. Our horrific ball use and mistakes, vs their efficiency in all areas of the game stood out. Still, we generated many opportunities and each miss that preceded a slingshot Brisbane goal was a dagger to the heart.

 

[Heckler]

What do you want him to say? He's never been one to throw the team under the bus, he always backs them publicly, even more so after a very solid month of footy. Last night was very disappointing and behind closed doors they'll know there's plenty of work to be done.

Perhaps, Lions PF defeat could be written off
Holmes got injured and Cats tried to defend
Then Cats gave away a big lead in Round 3
That was twice to Lions in the identical way
If Scott was devising a counter plan, Test it!
Instead Lions dominance has now increased
Nature of this loss will create mental scars.
Scott's presser was all excuses and denials
Was no acknowledgement of needed change.
Players have bye will go away forget about it.
Acknowledging change gives team incentive
This is not throwing the team under the bus
Past history shows no evidence of change.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

Felt like some of our old finals games pre 2022 in which we where 5 goals down 10-15 mins into the game and that was it.

Not being able to execute, on our home deck in conditions that favor us more than the opposition is disappointing, but Brisbane where part of the reason we couldn't get going.

Overall we're still in a good spot to tackle the 2nd half of the year so not all is lost but a lot to work on.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

Past history shows no evidence of change.

I don't agree. They clearly changed during last season when our midfield was getting smashed early in the season to become competitive in its own right by the finals. That required them to tweak the game plan on the run, which is what may happen after this loss. But you can't make wholesale changes to the game plan with nine rounds to go to the finals. Those things can only be done in the preseason.

 

[Jumping Jack]

Ted. He should be playing in the ones.

Who exactly does he replace in a like for like role?

Always find it entertaining when people say player x or y should play. Someone has to drop out.

As much as I think Duncan and Martin are not the answer, in the case of Clohesy, his ball use is nowhere near AFL standard. If you think back to his last game at AFL level, that’s why he was dropped. Butchered it in consecutive efforts within 2-3 passages of play.

Not sure he plays many more games in the hoops.