Opinion Do we need to have a loss pre finals?

[Chinacats]

Another great H & A season for the cats and Scott with his 70%+ win %. Now it’s all about the deca flag for this club. Most will know my thoughts… it will be a fail if Sel is not lifting the cup from this point! As David King said “it’s the cats to lose”. We are premiership favorites and the most experienced finals team possibly in the history of the game. Fails in 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21 . Must get it done this year. Can we win 13 straight heading into finals and then 3 more for the cup? 07, 09, 11 we had late losses to perhaps sharpen us up.. do we need a loss before the finals to win the cup? Discuss…..

 

[thecatattack]

No, what does a loss change?? I don't think we have big heads and winning out the H&A season will not change that. It's also not like losing to one of STK, GCS or WCE is gonna help us tactically in finals.

 

[Mr Meow]

No, the concept of "needing" to have a loss is a ridiculous one.

You can get the same kick up the backside by having games where you were tested and had clear deficiencies to work on. Over the past few games, Geelong have had that. They responded within the games thankfully which is the best method of training there is, but undoubtedly they would have analysed the poor quarters at length.

Geelong had late losses in all of the seasons you mentioned. Maybe not losing is actually the secret to sustaining form. I believe Richmond and Melbourne had decent winning streaks leading straight into flags.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

I used to think so, but I don’t see it this year.
We seem to be building every game.

The more games we win, the more confidence we will have. Especially at this time of year.

 

[smotherking]

The performances in the second half of this current run suggest we’re tracking very very well

Like Mr Meow says, we’ve had in-game challenges we’ve responded to and I’d rather see that happen than a loss for loss sake

Keep up current form and teams will be afraid to face us. We lose a game or two and teams will start to think they’re a chance

Rather the confidence up and the team humming. Those adjustments mid game we’ve made to battle through for wins means a whole lot more than any loss ever will

 

[Romeoh1]

Nope- we don’t. We are playing too well to have a loss in any case.

 

[goyoucatters]

We definitely don't need to lose to a 'barely there' St Kilda, a faltering Suns, or a rabble like the Weagles to 'sharpen us up'. Losses to any of these sides would do little for our supposed 'learning' as well, as none of them are playing close to the football we'll face from other contenders in the finals.

So anyone who thinks we need a loss against these ordinary teams probably also needs to totally recalibrate their expectations of what we'll be achieving at the end of this season. If we can't cope with beating three pretty mediocre line-ups in the run-in to finals, you seriously wonder how we'll go against much better units in the massive games to follow.

Still, as has been always the case, get the process right and the result will generally look after itself. If we turn up ready to perform in these games, we're likely to win them all. If we decide to ease our way through any of them, we could well cop the 'L'. Which will therefore teach us precisely nothing we didn't know before playing the games in the first place.

So we would be far better to just win and keep our system and squad fit and firing. We don't need a correction or an interruption to what is a promising surge of momentum from us since the Saints debacle.

 

[witsend]

No, no and no. Winning is everything. If we lose a final because we’re up ourselves from winning too many games in a row, we were never gonna win it anyway.


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[D BRIDGE]

Winning shows that our new game style is working.
Confidence and belief in it is huge... + CS says it can still be improved.
I don't wanna see anyone beat it at all.

 

[Cursed Cat]

We need to be playing our very best football in September and to do whatever it takes to attain that.
If we play our very best game late in September then I will be content no matter the result. But our very best should be enough.

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

I used to think so, but I don’t see it this year.
We seem to be building every game.

The more games we win, the more confidence we will have. Especially at this time of year.

I think the "have to have a loss concept" becomes a conversation when you are winning by just going through the motions - complacency sets in and a loss can help the team recalibrate.
I don't see that with this team so far and hopefully we put the foot firmly on the throat for the next 3 games and take excellent form , favouritism for the flag and a winning belief into September.
I never build my hopes up too much but it seems we are headed for September in rare form with a fit list , go you good things

 

[GeelongFTW]

If we win this week putting us clear top 2 I wouldn't be concerned if GCS play their grand final and we don't go with them.

 

[gogeelongcats]

They appear a well balanced team at the moment.

Sadly Stanley is injured for now.
Lucky we have Steglar until his return.

The players need continued confidence in their teammates and loosing does not foster this.

 

[catscratchfever]

Absolutely not. Keep winning right through to the end of the season, grinding everyone into the dust. That would suit me just fine.

 

[Catman]

On evidence so far we certainly don't look like we need a loss to let's say, recalibrate. The patches where sides kick multiple unanswered goals is a worry, but our responses have been so emphatic compared to anything in the past, that it's not as a pressing concern as it may have been.

On the other hand, I won't be overly disappointed if we do have one. I do feel a little uneasy about a long winning streak heading in to September. It's additional pressure we probably don't need.

 

[lionbear]

If we are the best team, a loss will not change anything, what will be will be.

 

[Chinacats]

I don’t think we’ll be up for the saints game. A mental downer… doesn’t mean we need the loss. We owe them one , so let’s see….

 

[jim boy]

Definitely dont need a loss, but I do want the opposition for the rest of the H&A to really step up and do the best they can to bring finals-like pressure. Would much rather 2 hard-fought wins and a hard -fought loss than three ho-hum thrashings in matches against teams comprised mainly of witches hats. That's kind of what happened in 2008.

 

[Willo_]

We don't need to lose, we as supporters though are all nervous worried folk who fear that it all has to end sooner or later so hope a loss now protects us later

There are no place for rational thoughts at this stage of the year!

 

[No Quarter]

I almost feel like the third qtr v Port and the first qtr last week served the 'feels like a loss' purpose. Albeit, the club is handling it different in game this year compared to previous when we have a serious challenge applied to us.

 

[Generalissimo]

The important thing is to test ourselves against a team playing well and giving it everything; winning or losing that game is almost secondary. We've had good wins against Port and the Dogs, who are decent teams basically playing for their seasons, and this week we've got the Saints who are in the same situation. They'll hit us with everything they've got and that's the important thing- if we beat them we won't have missed out on the "loss we had to have".

 

[Chinacats]

I think we can rest 6-8 players against Gold Coast. So it could be a loss. However I think the loss we need to have is not for a game improvement / things to work on loss now. That’s gone. It’s more the mental pressure of carrying a 13 game win streak going into the QF. We know how jittery this mob get in the QF… an easing of the mental pressure could be good?

 

[Kobe Gryant]

I think we can rest 6-8 players against Gold Coast. So it could be a loss. However I think the loss we need to have is not for a game improvement / things to work on loss now. That’s gone. It’s more the mental pressure of carrying a 13 game win streak going into the QF. We know how jittery this mob get in the QF… an easing of the mental pressure could be good?

Not at all. The more we keep winning the more faith the players have in our new gameplan and direction.

They know it works, and won't go into their shells if we're struggling in a final like previous years. We've even seen in already in our ability to respond after waves and waves of pressure. I haven't seen us do that in years.

 

[BotsMaster]

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

I think we can rest 6-8 players against Gold Coast. So it could be a loss. However I think the loss we need to have is not for a game improvement / things to work on loss now. That’s gone. It’s more the mental pressure of carrying a 13 game win streak going into the QF. We know how jittery this mob get in the QF… an easing of the mental pressure could be good?

Not at all. The more we keep winning the more faith the players have in our new gameplan and direction.

They know it works, and won't go into their shells if we're struggling in a final like previous years. We've even seen in already in our ability to respond after waves and waves of pressure. I haven't seen us do that in years.

At 1/2 time I was with Chinacats in that I thought complacency had set in and a kick up the rear end wouldn't do us any harm.
Pleasingly though , we adjusted to a very desperate 2ndQ from a team with its' season on the line , and powered ahead in the second half.
I'll take that as we really wanted that win , zero complacency there.
So , Kobe Gryant , I'm with you now. This team is special so we should keep this building and only rest players who need it to be at their prime in September.