Autopsy Cats lose to Port by 6 points after being down by 10 goals

[Baudolino]

Can’t have Cameron roaming all over the ground either. He’s kicked one goal in two weeks and we’ve lost both games.

This.

It's doing my head in. It's like Scott and the coaches bought into the hype about "Roaming Jez" and decided it should be his main role now, when in actual fact the media narrative hyping up that part of his game for the first 7 rounds was mostly based on a fallacy, as his actual amount of time spent up the field in percentage terms remained very low despite the likes of David King trying to act like Jez was doing it all game. The last two weeks he has been playing very high up the ground for most of the game and it's diminished his effectiveness.

 

[CHAWKTS]

Can’t have Cameron roaming all over the ground either. He’s kicked one goal in two weeks and we’ve lost both games.

I noticed that it was Cameron’s choice last night. Dempsey came on in third qtr and ran to his wing where Cameron was. Signaled to Cameron to go to forward line (assume was a coach instruction) and was waved off by Cameron and Dempsey went forward. Cameron stayed wing entire second half I think

I don’t mind it but as you say it robs our forward line a bit and I don’t think Cameron does the defensive zoning stuff a younger wing would do

 

[you pick one]

Good, then we stick with Stanley, Blicavs, Conway this year, that is all. There are no gems out there in the ether.
Next year, let's see.

We don't have a pick at this stage

 

[supahoops]

Surely Stanley has time to get his season back up and running? He can not be banished for the next 14 weeks. Ridiculous.

If Stanley is having no impact in the ruck makes sense to play Blicavs there and throw Mullin into the CBA’s to give us some leg speed on last nights evidence.

 

[CHAWKTS]

It’s obvious Clark will be a star but he’s not up to AFL standard just yet. Hardie, Knevitt, even Clohesy would contribute much more.

Maybe… but before we add those three we have Bowes and Bruhn who will certainly add more and will be in our best midfield. Hopefully with Danger and maybe Guthrie back at his best after half a dozen games. With Blitz in the MF rotation all of a sudden we don’t look that bad?

Clark as you say will be a star at some stage (he did some things last night….)

 

[Baudolino]

I've been massively disappointed by Cameron's last few weeks. He's on track to do what he did last year: get hyped up for a couple of weeks as "the best player in the comp" and then by the end of the year not even be good enough to make the All Australian team.

I know I wouldn't have him as AA at the moment personally. Hard to justify the idea that he's best in the league when you're not even at that level.

 

[terry_bright]

I doubt we need more draftees.

We have a ton of draftees. We need one or two top end players. I'd be happy not to draft any kids for three years if we land a Dangerfield replacement and a Hawkins replacement

Problem with that is when we do have to hit the draft it’s going to be compromised with Tassie’s inclusion.
Happy to go hard this year for some talent elsewhere, considering who looks like getting tapped on the shoulder, but we still need to add some talented kids before Tassie joins the competition.
It’s a balancing act and I’d rather be in our position than that of a number of other clubs.

 

[Vdubs]

Maybe… but before we add those three we have Bowes and Bruhn who will certainly add more and will be in our best midfield. Hopefully with Danger and maybe Guthrie back at his best after half a dozen games. With Blitz in the MF rotation all of a sudden we don’t look that bad?

Clark as you say will be a star at some stage (he did some things last night….)

Agree with all that. We just have to be patient and not get depressed if May is barren for wins.

 

[CHAWKTS]

His mark under pressure last qtr was excellent
Been having a very good year so far.
Scott has confirmed Hawkins will be rested for the GC game which is in Darwin and being played in the evening which means it will be a slippery and not ideal circumstances for big men. Not sure if right game for Neale

Your point about the wet is right…but Neale surely plays if fit. He would be devasted not to play with Hawkins managed. And we will want a back up to Conway in the ruck (if Toby is fit).

I think you can still isolate Stengle even with Neale as he can get up the ground

 

[CatToTheFuture]

View attachment 1985499

Not making it any better

 

[Vdubs]

If Stanley is having no impact in the ruck makes sense to play Blicavs there and throw Mullin into the CBA’s to give us some leg speed on last nights evidence.

Stanley will not be crap all year.

 

[MisterMarcus]

I doubt we need more draftees.

We have a ton of draftees. We need one or two top end players. I'd be happy not to draft any kids for three years if we land a Dangerfield replacement and a Hawkins replacement

We don't want to fall into the trap of Hawthorn or even North Melbourne over the last decade, though.

"We must always be competitive" so they topped up with older guys, didn't bring the kids on as well as they should, tried for One Last Flag, papered over the cracks for years and years......And then the rebuild was so much more brutal when it finally came.

I'd rather drop back just a little for a couple of years while pumping games into the kids, instead of going down the Hawthorn route.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

This, dunno what the purpose of it is, but we’ve gone from him winning the game for us against the Blues to a luxury we simply cannot afford.

I think the difference is losing the element of surprise.

He shouldn't be starting centre bounces on wing

 

[BORIS332]

I've been massively disappointed by Cameron's last few weeks. He's on track to do what he did last year: get hyped up for a couple of weeks as "the best player in the comp" and then by the end of the year not even be good enough to make the All Australian team.

I know I wouldn't have him as AA at the moment personally. Hard to justify the idea that he's best in the league when you're not even at that level.

I’ve seen this a few times. Cameron’s second half of the year was poor last year because his shoulder was so badly injured he could barely lift his arm. This year is not the same.

 

[Wish Wellingtons]

And still that's not a great A cast.

We need a power midfielder. Someone who can break a game open.

We just need an experienced consistent midfielder who can get the ball and make sensible decisions. Sure I would take a Gary Ablett jnr but a Joel Corey would also do the trick.

Two of Clark, Parfitt and Atkins need to make way or perhaps all three. Not managed, dropped.

Clark still isn’t ready, Parfitt goes missing (even if he fought back well) and Atkins is way off his best.

C Guthrie and Duncan need to be made aware that they also aren’t undroppable. I hope they can get back to near their best, but they’re both struggling atm.

Time for the MC to stop playing favourites.

How is Atkins off his best? This is what he is, a super plucky defensive midfielder who is too good for VFL but not good enough for AFL. Obviously you can point to quarters he played in games years ago and say "if he played like that he would be a champion", but at this point we have to realize it's just not going to happen. Same with Parfitt.

 

[Chinacats]

Really got cup up with Port’s run and gun high tempo brand in the first 1.5 quarters. They waltzed it through the middle , scored from centre clearances and did us at stoppages with clearances. When Stanley was ejected we wrestled some control back and clogged it up a bit more…. Too far back unfortunately to get it done ….
Oppo coaches have certainly gave us something to think about the last two games.
21-70 debacle…. Over to you Mr. Scott

 

[Seeds]

If stewarts going to be tagged should we try him in the midfield?

 

[The_Koulouriotis_Fan]

I have noted those stats too. In fact there seems like a correlation between losing clearances and winning qtrs rather than the other way around.

I have to say at the game it felt like we were getting killed in clearances and then I looked at numbers…. Some of that will be bias as supporter watching but I think some is that opposition clearances seem more damaging. They can power out of them with clean possession and kick under limited pressure. Our clearances appear to be hacked out of there more often?

somehow we need a better mix of MF to get more impact?

I think the problem is that we know our midfield doesn’t have the A-Listers (yet) and so it’s glaring when we lose in the centre, we also have a tendency to get belted early there in a game so it’s the thing we see and is spoken about by the commentators.

The thing lost on here is that we do tend to even it up in game.

The Cats will be desperate to trade in an established A grade midfielder but until one becomes available they have to work with what they have and they’re doing a good job with it (yes, we’re slaughtered in the first quarter, but turned it around in the second half)

We’re not an all conquering team at the moment. We’re one in the mix which is pretty good as we’re a team in transition.

 

[terry_bright]

Stanley was poor, but the mids were beaten up badly. Reactive, fumbly and on their heels. Port's were the complete opposite early, they were sharp, always in motion and attacked with speed.

Stewart was basically tagged out by that scrub McEntee, who had no intention of ever trying to win the ball and just scragged Stewart out of the contest at every opportunity. Has been a tactic they've used in the part, Port.

The amount of times Port were able to run forward of the contest at stoppages under no pressure was a killer. Parfitt, Atkins and Clark being chief culprits in allowing this in the 1st half. So flat footed at times. Combine that with an ineffective ruck and a half back line who were ill disciplined and turning it over constantly, we were on a hiding to nothing.

 

[Wish Wellingtons]

I think the difference is losing the element of surprise.

He shouldn't be starting centre bounces on wing

It's a fantastic ace to pull out of your sleeve but it can't be your standard response, especially when Hawkins has kicked 1 goal in 5 games

 

[Wish Wellingtons]

I think the problem is that we know our midfield doesn’t have the A-Listers (yet) and so it’s glaring when we lose in the centre, we also have a tendency to get belted early there in a game so it’s the thing we see and is spoken about by the commentators.

The thing lost on here is that we do tend to even it up in game.

The Cats will be desperate to trade in an established A grade midfielder but until one becomes available they have to work with what they have and they’re doing a good job with it (yes, we’re slaughtered in the first quarter, but turned it around in the second half)

We’re not an all conquering team at the moment. We’re one in the mix which is pretty good as we’re a team in transition.

We don't even have B-listers.

 

[foxdog50]

Sorry for the intrusion but I think you need your list manager to work his magic and get Sean Darcy at seasons end. Failing that, happy to give you guys Pete Ladhams

All good.. honestly Ladhams would be bloody great for us. If Conway can play 15 odd games for us next year and Ladhams could play the other 8 or what needed, that is what we are looking for

 

[Vdubs]

All the off season angst about extending Hawkins' contract- pretty sure they were hoping he would retire, as many of us did, but Demons started sniffing around, forcing us to give him this contract. I doubt that Hawkins will pull the pin now during this season, even if he is cooked, which is how it appears. He is facing the biggest hurdle of his career, one which does not have a solution- AGE. Happens to all and the best. Equalling Selwood's tally would be a nice gesture- retire now- but that will not happen. We can only hope that we are expert at managing him , and that he can get out of this rut often enough to be of value.

 

[FootyLad0]

Hardie maybe, but he's a vanilla footballer IMO, and I don't really see him as an upgrade on what we have. Same goes for Clohesy but I think they both are worth looking at. Who knows they might surprise.

I’d take vanilla BALL WINNERS over playing 4 defensive mids around the stoppage.
Someone has to go get it. Port for whatever faults they have, have guys who go and get the footy.

It was blatantly obvious our ruckman is cooked (who gets soundly beaten by a 4th string ruck and subbed off in a half)
That’s embarrassing.
But the midfield crew had no change of pace and looked like they were waiting for someone else to do it.

We need to go after guys like Perkins (OOC) or Smith (OOC) in the off-season.
We need ball winners.

 

[Jumping Jack]

Might be an interesting interesting few weeks coming up.

Hawkins rested - can Neale perform?

Duncan surely rested for Suns. I think he’s cooked anyway. Becoming a liability - it’s a young man’s game (his role) and he’s getting burnt for leg speed.

Cameron - very good chance he’s got concussion. Club will be fined - he refused to come off when the doctor grabbed him to go to the bench for assessment. Vision is damning

Holmes looked very sore at the end of the game

How will the playing group perform after attending Stanley’s memorial service during the week and scattering his ashes?

Bruhn was passed fit to play but they managed him - Bowes managed - and we were coming up against a very good midfield. Match committee can take some heat for last night - it was either arrogant or misguided. Either way, it was absurd considering both are younger players and we were already missing Dangerfield, and Guthrie is starting a long way back.


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