Autopsy Cats lose to Saints by 10 points.

[Cataholic]

It's not that simple at all, because the club won't win the flag this year, and I don't think Jeremy Cameron will be part of a Geelong premiership.

In fact I don't think there will be a Geelong premiership until the club changes course and starts genuinely investing in a more hungry, youthful demographic.
We could have had three AA U/18 calibre kids join the list last year; could be 25ish games into their careers at Geelong right now.

And while we do have a very good 2nd key forward, he won't be a Tom Hawkins replacement when Hawkins is gone; a player whom you can structure a forward line around.

I hope Cameron does kick 60 goals this year; he will entertain while doing so no doubt. Meanwhile clubs that have accepted the reality of their position are re-investing in a youthful core and will shortly pass us as they rise and we fall, too dependent on players who have already proven they are not up to finals scrutiny.

His trade was a no-brainer in the immediate tense, but we simply haven't had the cattle around him for his inclusion to make a significant difference in our pursuit of a premiership.

I vwry much doubt he'll play a part in the next one, hence the debate on whether he's improved us going forward.

A good player, but he can't / won't do it on his own.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

That game is why we need a proper consistent readymade ruck so blicavs can play back for the rest of the year. Otherwise we will get away with our small defence against some teams but top 4 sides will exploit it. Just play him back for goodness sake.

 

[Seeds]

That game is why we need a proper consistent readymade ruck so blicavs can play back for the rest of the year. Otherwise we will get away with our small defence against some teams but top 4 sides will exploit it. Just play him back for goodness sake.

I think he had to play more time in the centre square today cos stanley just wasnt fit enough.

blicavs needs to be a permanent defender. We just need a solution to help stanley in the ruck. Dont know what that is.

 

[CHAWKTS]

Everyone says that we need to play the kids, but who's seriously available next week?

I understand why Stephens was sub tonight but surely he's in the best 22 next week.

Evans?

Neale, Dempsey, Knevitt have talent but still need more time and you can't play them all at once.

The rest are injured.

If 4 youngsters (21 and under) can cement their spots in our best 22 for 2023 that's a good result. DeKoning. Tick. Holmes. Tick. Stephens, Neale, Dempsey, Knevitt, Evans?

Agree. It might be that they need to almost “rotate” some of them in for 3-4 weeks stints (not sure two is enough given chances are will play on and off). So ”carry” a few under 21’s each week (which will hurt) rather than “carrying” older ones and hoping they will get back to as good as they once played?

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Prismall?

I was actually thinking of Russell 'Coca' Koehler.

 

[kickazz]

I have lower expectations than many here (we aren't winning the flag, folks) and given the it's we have I think we did ok tonight.

But just ok.

For a year or so now we have shown that we can have many goals scored against us in a short amount of time. Our midfield is not very good. It battles away, but can be exposed badly.

 

[Play it Sam]

We

I think he had to play more time in the centre square today cos stanley just wasnt fit enough.

blicavs needs to be a permanent defender. We just need a solution to help stanley in the ruck. Dont know what that is.

Well it won't be Esava TF, but Ceglar is only weeks away.
Maybe with a bit of a boost in defence with returnees will help.......
Bews next week, Menegola back soon, maybe Sam Simpson, Henry.

Ankle/foot injuries are renowned to take time, i.e. Holmes, Stanley, Henry
and sometimes never the same afterwards.
I think people should remember that when they get (fight) back in.
I believe Hawk is playing just under par due to chronic pain, but don't
see the knives out for him like Danger.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

I think he had to play more time in the centre square today cos stanley just wasnt fit enough.

blicavs needs to be a permanent defender. We just need a solution to help stanley in the ruck. Dont know what that is.

Yes and i agree stanley didnt look fit. But we knew about this issue at the end of last year and we didnt recruit kpds to fill the gap and the ruck we recruited is injured. We need to pick up a readymade ruck in the msd and blitz needs to go back full time or it will be a wasted year. Long term hopefully conway fixes it but for now we gotta do that.

 

[Partridge]

What are you talking about? His ball use remains as solid as ever and he's been doing good work at the coalface all year.

Name one Geelong midfielder who has been at Selwood's level in 2022.

That's where we differ.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

I feel sorry for Paddy. He'll never win a flag in this team.

To be honest who honesty cares about “mission let’s get danger a flag”
Last I checked it was a team game. And ironically Danger did have a chance to win a flag. But he went to water in the 20 GF like the rest of the team while Dusty tore us to shreds.

Danger has been a gun for us over the years but lets not sympathise for him for failing to win a premiership.

 

[Play it Sam]

To be fair, Marshall and Ryder probably best ruck combo going around.
Always was going to be a struggle.

We did something-got old Ceglar (eye rolls) and a boy in Neale

Yes we will join Pure_Ownage screaming Alleluia and pass the shotgun - when they finally listen to him msd

 

[CHAWKTS]

Yep, and if it is Stephens (and I saw nothing last week to make me think it would be bad) it means he might get to around 30-35 games by the end of next year. Which would be brilliant. And, just like Dempsey against Fremantle, and Knevitt tonight, he'll have some stinkers. But might as well get them out of the way.

And pick others (including Dempsey and knevitt) and give them 4-5 games in blocks (then rests) without worrying about a stinker. Dempsey and Knevitte didn’t “mess” up second games - just didn’t get near it. Not a coincidence that it was when older players got beaten up in midfield those weeks. So I reckon give them a few weeks crack at it and then go back to training. Off and on with a proper structured plan to accelerate experience

 

[Heckler]

It's obvious the Cats are on the downward slide.
Everyone here is calling for more games given to youth.
There is evidence the coach recognized this reality
How this is managed now becomes critical.
It is important to remain competitive with honourable losses
Falling off a cliff is potential permanent cellar dwellers.
Would rather see a rotation of debutants than games gifted to the select few.
The aim is too see what a potential player has, to avoid list cloggers and spot the spuds.
The goal should to build broad depth and competitiveness for spots amongst the youth
One or two kittens per week in the team with more in the final few rounds.
Managing / rotating the senior players to the VFL will also help the youngsters there.
No tanking... just draft management...with addition resources to the recruiting dept.

 

[Play it Sam]

And pick others (including Dempsey and knevitt) and give them 4-5 games in blocks (then rests) without worrying about a stinker. Dempsey and Knevitte didn’t “mess” up second games - just didn’t get near it. Not a coincidence that it was when older players got beaten up in midfield those weeks. So I reckon give them a few weeks crack at it and then go back to training. Off and on with a proper structured plan to accelerate experience

Yes I like your passion, and believe Stephens is the one to do this with.
That is all. Simply because of the list of experienced players to come back in.
They will pick (previous) winners on each line, that's how it goes.
So Menegola trumps Knevitt. For now.

 

[Finknottle]

Miers, O Connor, Zuthrie... Enough is enough. You can't win games of football while you are carrying unskilled hacks like that.

Miers wasn't too bad tonight. I'd add Atkins, Kolodjashnij, Parfitt to the unskilled list. Narkle has skills but they deserted him tonight. Dangerfield trys hard but was ineffective again tonight, his kicking and handball skills have got worse over the years. He has perfected the art of receiving the ball, running a wide arc around the back of the pack, taking a few strides and kicking an up and under that gives the defence time to set up and spoil. And he working on the handball under pressure that goes anywhere.

 

[Kain26Toad]

I don't know how The Saints were still in it at half time.
Thought the Cats were a four to five goal better team in the first half.
Then only ten points in it at the end.
Other than the Dees its wide open.
From an outsider, I would'n't be calling for Scott's head or 'play the kids' just yet.

 

[OddYears]

Our midfield is a massive problem that will only get worse in 1 to 2 years. This has been building for a while now.

First step is keeping O’Connor out of there.

We need some tough ball winners. Where they come from is hard to see. Time to play the kids and get games into them asap.

Selwood with a game high 10 clearances. We’re in serious trouble when he hangs em up

 

[James1970]

Parfitt with another shocker of a game, spending over a third of it warming the bench. His lack of tank, fitness and ball-skills for a mid-fielder is laughable and seems to be getting shown up by the lacklustre seasons of Danger and Guthrie to carry him. Going backwards faster than Miers.

 

[Cataholic]

Our midfield is a massive problem that will only get worse in 1 to 2 years. This has been building for a while now.

First step is keeping O’Connor out of there.

We need some tough ball winners. Where they come from is hard to see. Time to play the kids and get games into them asap.

Selwood with a game high 10 clearances. We’re in serious trouble when he hangs em up

And to think Danger won't be far behind him.......

 

[Play it Sam]

I don't know how The Saints were still in it at half time.
Thought the Cats were a four to five goal better team in the first half.
Then only ten points in it at the end.
Other than the Dees its wide open.
From an outsider, I would'n't be calling for Scott's head or 'play the kids' just yet.

Yours was a story of persistence, good rucks and midfield, savvy coach.
Your forwards have been overshadowed by your defence previously,
but proved too nippy for us today, good game, well done.
Oh, we have a whole thread devoted to axing Scott well before this.
Waste of breath it is.

 

[Catsace]

Your takeaway is correct but misdirected.

Where is our Harry Taylor replacement? It's been literally years and we just elected not to

Perhaps Henry? His loss from his foot, and also the issues that affected him late last season have had an effect on our defence. If we had him in his 2021 season form and fitness along with Stewart, SDK and the so far solid form of Kolo would have made the defensive group quite a solid and relatively youngish unit. But it's apparent now that the midfield is just being outplayed in patches during the game when other sides spread, switch and simply run. Stanley back in today and perhaps still affected by his ankle meant that we were carved up in the rucks, two goals to St.Kilda were from tap-outs (one each from Marshall and Ryder) in a scene reminiscent of the 2013 QF with Sandilands in the 3rd quarter twice back then.

The club's depth is tested now, i know they are in the older group but so far not having Menegola and Rohan has hurt a little (both are penetrative kicks) and even watching today, it seemed at full back our man on the mark for the St.Kilda kick-out man seemed to have carte blanche to run as far as he liked with no pressure, something Rohan at least offers with his pace. Stanley being hamstrung leave Blitz to ruck, and he's up against it when playing against two genuine ruckmen. Ryder also seems fit this year, he had been labouring for some of 2020 and 2021.

Losing to Freo and St.Kilda shows that we're trying, not giving up but are being outmatched in midfield power. Below standard in the ruck, and now with a mid group that is older than most contemporaries and just unable to match the pace, spread and switchability of other teams. Again, the familiar sight of St.Kilda wildly but accurately flipping the ball backwards, sideways and any which way between team mates despite our attempts to tackle just saw them find a free man, and they'd run away. It's a common theme and probably won't be able to be stopped until Geelong is able to bring in new, fresher mids. Which of course can only happen in the upcoming years in the draft, and hopefully with improvement from existing youngsters we already have.

 

[OddYears]

Seen a bit of ‘we’ll be better with menegola and Rohan’ but these guys are finals failures and won’t be a part of our next real flag tilt. I reckon we’ll be a lot better with Henry back. The backline is in all sorts

 

[you pick one]

Miers wasn't too bad tonight. I'd add Atkins, Kolodjashnij, Parfitt to the unskilled list. Narkle has skills but they deserted him tonight. Dangerfield trys hard but was ineffective again tonight, his kicking and handball skills have got worse over the years. He has perfected the art of receiving the ball, running a wide arc around the back of the pack, taking a few strides and kicking an up and under that gives the defence time to set up and spoil. And he working on the handball under pressure that goes anywhere.

Miers! half decent first quarter then almost unsighted for the remainder of the game.

 

[OddYears]

Confused with a couple of positional changes during games, namely why we keep starting Stewart on the wing each week and why we throw JC in the centre square at critical times in games.

Neither move makes any sense to me not have they contributed to any wins.

I mentioned this a few weeks ago. What is the point of Cameron in the centre bounce? It makes no sense at all. He even mentioned in a post game interview he doesn’t know what he’s doing in there. Madness

 

[Partridge]

I mentioned this a few weeks ago. What is the point of Cameron in the centre bounce? It makes no sense at all. He even mentioned in a post game interview he doesn’t know what he’s doing in there. Madness

Stuff like that drives fans insane. What purpose does it serve? Has he ever been a midfielder? Wasn't the point of bringing a key forward to the club to play him as a - you know, key forward? Extremely unfair on him too. Now expected to win clearances apparently.

As you say correctly, utter madness.