Review Cats thump Power to the tune of 88 points

[cats_09]

We will need to play a lot better than this but other than Brisbane everyone is pretenders this year. We just need to keep winning and we could absolutely Bradbury it. If there is a year this year is it.

Why aren't Brisbane pretenders?

They got smashed by GC just a week ago - they didn't look like premiership favorites during that effort

 

[winty]

I wonder how many goals Jack Martin

19

Jack Martin

Age

30

Ht

186cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.2

4star

K

10.0

4star

HB

6.3

4star

M

4.9

5star

T

3.7

5star

G

0.9

4star

D

14.9

4star

K

7.9

3star

HB

7.0

4star

M

4.3

4star

T

3.6

4star

G

1.1

5star

D

8.2

2star

K

4.6

2star

HB

3.6

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.0

4star

G

0.6

3star

would've kicked if he started on the ground.

 

[Cursed Cat]

This match had all the intensity of a contentious episode of the Great British Bake-Off

It's easy to be seduced by such a performance.

Port Adelaide in 2025 are not a bad team - but they won’t be contending next month.

We didn’t put a foot wrong, yet these go-ahead games don’t really hold us in good stead for the intensity of Finals footy - but what are ya gonna do?

The Max Holmes/Bailey Smith

3

Bailey Smith

Age

24

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

show rolled on unimpeded; Smith maybe has a bit of a memememe reputation, yet I’ve seen a willingness to wax and defer to Holmes on many occasions this year, to the team’s benefit.
I consider this iteration of the Ford Geelong Cats as being Max Holmes’ team - but he wouldn’t be able to shine so bright without Smith’s effort and fight.

Conversion is nine tenths of modern footy success - 23.15 might look reasonable on paper but Ty Stengle, Shaun Mannagh and a couple others should mark themselves harshly this evening after snubbing some golden opportunities - even dead-eye Shannon Neale left one on the table that he should have slotted.

Despite my negativity we can only beat the team we face on a weekly basis - when I was a kid Geelong would drop the odd game against a 12th (in a 12-team comp) placed St Kilda, or an expansionist Bears.

We get it done one way or another 95 times out of 100 these days - it would be churlish to expect any more at this point in the season. Regardless, I think we're the 4th best team in it right here and now.

 

[DangerHere]

Mullins & Neale were great.

Holmes has gone to the next level.

That was an awesome win, the third Qtr was stunning

 

[cats_09]

When looking at the basic fact that Hinkley's 4 biggest defeats as Port coach have come this year, and two of those in the last two weeks - is it fair to ask if he really should have seen out this year or the coaching change should have been made earlier?

 

[winty]

When looking at the basic fact that Hinkley's 4 biggest defeats as Port coach have come this year, and two of those in the last two weeks - is it fair to ask if he really should have seen out this year or the coaching change should have been made earlier?

Looking at that, they should re-sign him for life.

 

[Lana]

We're going to have a lot of bad habits by the first week of finals

 

[Biggy_Boy]

We're going to have a lot of bad habits by the first week of finals

Collectively the group should be intelligent enough to realise that they won't be able to do what they do against these teams against teams in finals. The focus should be on picking apart the multiple GWS and Lions defeats as that's where our troubles lie.

In '22 we had a pretty easy run into finals as well, and it didn't hurt us much.

 

[GlenMiddlemissed]

Just some random thoughts:

Max: There's nothing more fun to watch than Max burning off some random. Meep meep (Road runner music). And his kicking just keeps improving.

Shannon: I've watched him since his first VFL game, I knew he would be good. But he is surpassing even that. He's now added ruckman to his resume. And his kicking, goal or field, is superb!

Oisin: just reduced the supposedly best or equal best player to irrelevant status. Did you see his run down spoil on Butters in the 3rd? Just how quick does he accelerate?

Lawson: 29 games and he's that cool

Connor: 19 games and the best young player we've had since Joel. His can't yet win every contest (19 games remember) but he's going to damn well try to

Jack (Martin): I didn't know who he was when we recruited him. His first few games were nothing special. But I'm a convert now

Sam: much better. Maybe COS is helping, or forcing him, to get involved more

Jack (Bowes): we were given pick 8 to take Bowes? Thankyou

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Neale set shot goal kicking is exquisite, and he is starting to clunk a higher % of marks

We have an absolute gem here.
It isn’t just his brilliant kicking. What he does off the ball is also excellent.
6 tackles.
He also had 5 inside 50s.
He’s a serious weapon who’s only going to get better.

 

[Frappe]

33 inside 50s conceded. Defensive structures did well.

Stewart looking solid the last few games. Not his AA dominant best but reliable.

When you see what is done to Butters and Daicos. Why put Mullin anywhere other than mid tagger. Blanketed a gun mid today.

33 I50s for 20 scoring shots generated - 60% strike rate - wouldn't want that in finals.

 

[winty]

 

[CatToTheFuture]

33 inside 50s conceded. Defensive structures did well.

Stewart looking solid the last few games. Not his AA dominant best but reliable.

When you see what is done to Butters and Daicos. Why put Mullin anywhere other than mid tagger. Blanketed a gun mid today.

Mullin has definitely found his primary position but I think he needs to learn to be a small forward too because once he's real good at tagging his man will go forward to shake him and he should follow be able to follow him

 

[Sttew]

Butters will be checking his closet and under the bed to see if there's any signs of Mullin before turning out the bedroom light tonight.

Butters will be asking - where do I sign to join Geelong so I can avoid being tagged out of existence by Mullin?

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Why aren't Brisbane pretenders?

They got smashed by GC just a week ago - they didn't look like premiership favorites during that effort

To be fair they are inconsistent too but at their best they have a gear the other top 8 teams dont have. But yes your point shows this is a weak year-whoever can be least inconsistent for the 4 weeks will win it. That could be us.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

The port defensive obsession with Cameron was incredibly detrimental to their overall defensive structure.

Often 2-3 players standing around Cameron and his leading lanes or jones facing away from the footy blocking Cameron (should have been 10 blocking frees against jones). Each time it was the port defense happy to leave a huge open hole for a geelong player to waltz into and take an easy forward fifty mark.

If I was the port coach I would be filthy with lachie jones and co for such a poor defensive collaborative effort that was not team focused but individual focused

 

[Lana]

33 I50s for 20 scoring shots generated - 60% strike rate - wouldn't want that in finals.

The numbers are related, if you defend higher up the ground, you conceed less I50 but at a higher conversion rate. How many teams win a game with 33 I50s? You can't be strong everywhere at once.

 

[Wish Wellingtons]

Geez, when Holmes gets all parts of his game together he's an absolute weapon.

25 kicks.
10 handballs.
2 goals.
875 metres gained.
9 inside 50s.

At his best, he is the best.

 

[catscratchfever]

The Filth lost, the Wees & Poos lost, we won. That's a perfect footy weekend right there

A special mention to Shannon 'The Cannon' Neale. Love what he's been doing since he became a regular member of the firsts

 

[CatToTheFuture]

When looking at the basic fact that Hinkley's 4 biggest defeats as Port coach have come this year, and two of those in the last two weeks - is it fair to ask if he really should have seen out this year or the coaching change should have been made earlier?

We knew the answer to that question 3 years ago

 

[thegerman]

What’s not to like about this effort.

- Mulllin. Did an amazing job on Butters, who’s one of the best mids in the game. His strength at the stoppages was the best we’ve seen since Ling.

- Neale. For those that didn’t believe at the start of the year, raise your hand and own it. He’s becoming the next generation forward very quickly. Effortless kicking style and neatly on target every time. He’s a gem.

- SDK. Really loved his positioning against a very good opponent. Georgiades definitely flopped on a free to give him a goal, so would have only had two for the game outside of a ridiculous flop.

The rest was fairly routine, given Port are exceptionally below par at this stage of the season. It was good to see a great team effort right across the board.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

We will need to play a lot better than this but other than Brisbane everyone is pretenders this year. We just need to keep winning and we could absolutely Bradbury it. If there is a year this year is it.

You said this last year, and the year before, and you were right. Let's not pretend this year is more than it is though.

The reality is this is just what footy is nowadays. We'll probably get the same chance next year.

Outside of Brisbane who've got a conveyor belt of talent coming in who might get the chance, everyone else is pretty ordinary now.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

The numbers are related, if you defend higher up the ground, you conceed less I50 but at a higher conversion rate. How many teams win a game with 33 I50s? You can't be strong everywhere at once.

That's great but would a better team manage 50 under the same circumstances?

 

[Pollywaffle]

This match had all the intensity of a contentious episode of the Great British Bake-Off

It's easy to be seduced by such a performance.

Port Adelaide in 2025 are not a bad team - but they won’t be contending next month.

We didn’t put a foot wrong, yet these go-ahead games don’t really hold us in good stead for the intensity of Finals footy - but what are ya gonna do?

The Max Holmes/Bailey Smith show rolled on unimpeded; Smith maybe has a bit of a memememe reputation, yet I’ve seen a willingness to wax and defer to Holmes on many occasions this year, to the team’s benefit.
I consider this iteration of the Ford Geelong Cats as being Max Holmes’ team - but he wouldn’t be able to shine so bright without Smith’s effort and fight.

Conversion is nine tenths of modern footy success - 23.15 might look reasonable on paper but Ty Stengle, Shaun Mannagh and a couple others should mark themselves harshly this evening after snubbing some golden opportunities - even dead-eye Shannon Neale left one on the table that he should have slotted.

Despite my negativity we can only beat the team we face on a weekly basis - when I was a kid Geelong would drop the odd game against a 12th (in a 12-team comp) placed St Kilda, or an expansionist Bears.

We get it done one way or another 95 times out of 100 these days - it would be churlish to expect any more at this point in the season. Regardless, I think we're the 4th best team in it right here and now.

No doubt Our ‘best footy’ is good enough but the question is whether we can bring it consistently. Good to enter a finals series as 2nd or 3rd bananas.
Expectations are a bit lower than usual. As somebody has already said, a Bradbury is a distinct possibility.

 

[Cursed Cat]

No doubt Our ‘best footy’ is good enough but the question is whether we can bring it consistently. Good to enter a finals series as 2nd or 3rd bananas.
Expectations are a bit lower than usual. As somebody has already said, a Bradbury is a distinct possibility.

I'd take a Bradbury and no mistake Pollywaffle