Review Geelong defeats Ninthmond by 38 points at their home ground... twice.

[Vdubs]

In general..if we are a legit side..I think its time for other sides to worry about us.

The Swans are always a difficult side as the play Man on Man.

No matter who we play..it starts in the middle.

We are virtually equal favourites with Dogs and Demons. Plenty are worried about us.

 

[Turbocat]

If Sav stays when Cameron comes back then who are you leaving out? Talk of Blicavs is silly even when he has the occasional brain fart. Is it one of the small forwards? Or one of the backs?

Stanley best not drop form.

 

[StonedCat]

Me, too. As good as he can be and has been, he must be able to come back in at full speed. If there are any, minimum two games in VFL first. I would love to have him in at his best.

I wouldn't mind seeing Mitch purely in the forward line getting match fit

 

[Vdubs]

It's obviously Stanley that goes. Sav plays 30% ruck and the rest forward then Blicavs rucks for most of the game. Stanley doesn't offer anywhere near enough in the ruck to justify picking him when he doesn't offer as much as others elsewhere and has a nasty habit of putting in a genuine stinker on occasions.

I think we make changes only after a loss. Particularly if the offender is a repeat offender.

 

[Turbocat]

We are virtually equal favourites with Dogs and Demons. Plenty are worried about us.

I dont see that yet. Melb and Dogs and probably Swans and Port would not be too worried. If we can make it work with Sav in... then they start to lay bricks. Id say we see by the Saints game. Thats one game we can play tall.

 

[allrighty]

I’m tipping the Tuggers make 8th, they have a fairly easy run home, and the Bombers have a though one.

Me too did the predictor today

 

[Generalissimo]

Mr. Q. Narkle had eight clearances, more than anyone on the ground. Not bad for a guy subbed on half way through the third quarter.

 

[Vdubs]

Mr. Q. Narkle had eight clearances, more than anyone on the ground. Not bad for a guy subbed on half way through the third quarter.

Therein is the the perfect position for him- supersub?

 

[cats_09]

must come in.

Joel would be in some doubt, so it's an easy swap with Narkle taking his spot in the guts

 

[PhatBoy]

Very good win today but your mob. The biggest reason I think you guys are the favorite for the flag is that you seem to have become a far better team/system oriented team rather than relying heavily upon the big names. Well done on the win.

Thank you. Like I’ve said in a couple of threads now of the contenders, we are the ones who know what we are doing and how we are doing it better than the others. But I’ll happily concede that what they do, when it works, it’s a bit better than our football IMO

 

[year of the cat]

Stanley best not drop form.

He’s a lock if fit.

 

[Cursed Cat]

I dont see that yet. Melb and Dogs and probably Swans and Port would not be too worried. If we can make it work with Sav in... then they start to lay bricks. Id say we see by the Saints game. Thats one game we can play tall.

Those 4, plus Brisbane thumped us only a few weeks ago - we're in a good position, but we've been in good positions for the last decade without much to show for it.

Jeremy Cameron and Mitch Duncan would add so much, Cameron looks certain to play a part, Mitch ... ?

 

[Turbocat]

He’s a lock if fit.

He has never played near his best for an extended period. It will only take one of his bad biorhythm days and he will be out...because how else do you keep Sav in.

 

[Black Saab]

To whomever it may concern that wields the power over the thread title... we are now Tenthmond.

 

[maxy87]

Really happy with that today. Richmond were always going to hit us hard. This was apparently their “last chance” to make finals and keep their 3-peat dream alive, as have been the last four games or so. No Dusty plus other injuries and they’re teetering on the edge of the abyss.

Geelong needed to bury these bastards alive and end their miserable season. And they did.

The Cats were hitting the pill hard early. Hitting contests and tackling hard. I thought Danger and Parfitt really set the tone early. There were good signs all round from the get-go. Isaac Smith

7

Isaac Smith

Age

35

Ht

188cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.3

5star

K

13.0

5star

HB

8.4

5star

M

5.5

5star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.7

4star

D

19.4

4star

K

11.1

4star

HB

8.3

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.5

3star

CL

1.3

4star

D

19.2

5star

K

10.6

4star

HB

8.6

5star

M

7.6

5star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.6

3star

was everywhere in the first quarter.

I thought Richmond really came to play at times throughout the match. It was a real scrap at the start with high intensity from Richmond but the Cats matched it and eventually broke them open halfway through the second quarter. Some of the passages of play were excellent to watch.

Save for some patches in the third quarter where Richmond tightened things up, the Cats didn’t take a backward step and were largely in control. So good. The build toward September is coming along nicely..

 

[kittypurry]

I dont see that yet. Melb and Dogs and probably Swans and Port would not be too worried. If we can make it work with Sav in... then they start to lay bricks. Id say we see by the Saints game. Thats one game we can play tall.

Every team would be worried about us! Here are just some reason why but in no particular order:

1. We've managed 10 wins from the last 11 games.
2. We've kept the past 3 teams to 1 goal by half time.
3. Jezza is waiting in the wings to return.
4. Maybe Duncan.
5. Sav is coming of age before our very eyes.
6. Scott is the best game day coach in the league.
7. We have insane weapons on every line, from Stewart to Guthrie to Hawkins.
8. Statistically, we are elite at shutting down the opposition. For example, we are ranked 1st in Least Opponent Inside 50s, 1st in Least Opponent Marks, 1st in Least Opponent Handballs and the list literally goes on.

I mean it scares me how good we are, and I'm a Geelong supporter.

 

[foodles05]

Sav was great but do we play 3 talls when Cameron is back? Does Stanley get dropped and sav goes into a position we have seen he is uncomfortable with?

I know this probably isnt popular but I think he has to play (probably with Stanley out and Blitz rucking outside centre square) because he brings that aerial presence and prevents intercept marking. I think intercept marking is arguably the most important statistic in the game. Hawk and Cameron are better when it's on their terms and don't really crash packs. If Rohan is up and about then he does it but if he isn't then we could get killed in the air by Melbourne's tall backs. I love Hawk but sometimes if it's two on one he tries to play from behind and doesn't compete hard enough. Cameron is a little the same. The way we play getting a number behind the ball the reality is that out big forwards are often asked to play that way being outnumbered at our end. When we are dominating it's not a problem becuase the ball is coming in under no pressure but during finals it is so much more often a dump kick forward cause of the pressure. Sav's ability to bring it to ground is so massive for us and I think we have to find a way to keep him in.

 

[PhatBoy]

I’ve had this argument with countless people on the main board re. The age profile of our team. If they’re in their 40s and can still cut it at the job they’re given who the hell cares.

I subscribe to the same theory with height.

why pick a player to play a position just because he has grown more than someone else?

hawthorn won a flag with Franklin, Roughead and hale in their forward line. Why? Because Franklin May be massive but he is quick enough and has skills at ground level. Tell me what is stopping us from playing Hawkins, Cameron and Ratugolea in a forward line? Cameron and Ratugolea are reasonably quick, Cameron is agile and Ratugolea’s stupidly grippy hands at ground level seem to make the impossible look easy at times. Hawkins today crumbed a goal from ground level from memory and ironically set one of his own up the same way when he got a loose ball and found close, who then hit him on the chest. What makes a 1.8m forward any more valuable for team balance than a 1.9m forward if the second guy can pretty much do the same things as the first guy?

 

[Strange Cat]

I’ve had this argument with countless people on the main board re. The age profile of our team. If they’re in their 40s and can still cut it at the job they’re given who the hell cares.

I subscribe to the same theory with height.

why pick a player to play a position just because he has grown more than someone else?

hawthorn won a flag with Franklin, Roughead and hale in their forward line. Why? Because Franklin May be massive but he is quick enough and has skills at ground level. Tell me what is stopping us from playing Hawkins, Cameron and Ratugolea in a forward line? Cameron and Ratugolea are reasonably quick, Cameron is agile and Ratugolea’s stupidly grippy hands at ground level seem to make the impossible look easy at times. Hawkins today crumbed a goal from ground level from memory and ironically set one of his own up the same way when he got a loose ball and found close, who then hit him on the chest. What makes a 1.8m forward any more valuable for team balance than a 1.9m forward if the second guy can pretty much do the same things as the first guy?

My only concern is where does that leave Rohan as he plays like a tall forward as it is…still I think CS will trial it just to see how effective it is

 

[PhatBoy]

My only concern is where does that leave Rohan as he plays like a tall forward as it is…still I think CS will trial it just to see how effective it is

But Rohan is also easily fast and skilful enough to play as a small as well.
I wouldn’t have an issue with playing the three big Blokes, Dahlhaus, close and Rohan, with Miers on the bench or Rohan on the bench or close or whatever. Close looks pretty versatile too

I do see your point but Rohan hasn’t really been asked to play as a crumber or small type but physically I don’t see what would stop him

 

[cats_09]

I hate to be so pessimistic after flogging Shitmond but...This is the game that could kill us.

You cant drop Sav or Stanley after todays game, but you have to find a way to get Cameron into the team. We also know he wont drop Blicavs, while still playing all of Hendo, Kolo and obviously Hawkins. My gut tells me that is a team that if it lines up against either the Dogs or Melbourne will get beaten. The Dogs will run rings around us and the Demons will do what Richmond have done to us for the last 3 years: mass numbers at the contest/stoppages and wait for us to turn it over and then score off the rebound. I am also still not convinced with O'Connor, he isnt the tagger we'd like him to be, and much like Blicavs, is a clear liability when the pressure is on.

The two clear outs are therefore Blicavs and O'Connor for Narkle and Cameron, which to me, if it happens, feels like it makes us better. But the sinking feeling i have in the pit of my stomach knowing he wont drop either Blicavs or O'Connor (injuries not withstanding) is the reason why im not as confident as id like to be going into finals.

I agree that a tall is may be in trouble when Cameron returns if they are wanting to play all of Hawkins, Cameron & Ratugolea up forward, while keeping Stanley in the ruck. But can't see that tall being Blicavs considering that he's clearly our preferred ruck support this year, and it's clear that since returning from his "managed" week that Ratugolea isn't really in our ruck plans with a total of 4 hitouts the last 3 weeks

Nor would Henderson's position be in question, but it may be someone like Kolodjashnij. Or alternatively they'll look at dropping a forward if going a genuine 3 tall attack - can't see Rohan being omitted, but maybe one of Dahlhaus, Miers or Close will be in trouble, with Rohan playing more as a roving forward rather than the guy flying for marks


And no doubt Narkle had a good day after coming on in the 3rd, but one thing that also helped him is that he replaced another inside mid in Selwood - so he was able to come on and play his usual role in the guts

If the idea is omitting Blicavs & O'Connor from the side (other then it not happening), it doesn't really help Narkle that much in that it really doesn't open up an inside mid spot if all of Dangerfield, Selwood, Guthrie & Parfitt are fit, in the side and playing their usual roles which is in the guts & at centre bounces

O'Connor is top 6 at the club for average tackles - we know how much the MC value the defensive aspects of ones game, and as such would be best surprised if O'Connor's name has a question mark against it

Narkle is showing his value as a "super sub" and that there's no doubt he's the next cab off the ranks in terms of inside mid at the club, the problem for him is that those currently ahead of him aren't making it easy for him to take their spot on a permanent basis

 

[Strange Cat]

But Rohan is also easily fast and skilful enough to play as a small as well.
I wouldn’t have an issue with playing the three big Blokes, Dahlhaus, close and Rohan, with Miers on the bench or Rohan on the bench or close or whatever. Close looks pretty versatile too

I do see your point but Rohan hasn’t really been asked to play as a crumber or small type but physically I don’t see what would stop him

It’s worth trialing before the finals if possible, I just worry that the setup with three talls may be too much for Rohan and the others smalls to adjust to.

Time will tell

 

[CatToTheFuture]

The thing about Ratugolea is not even the four goals he kicked but the fact that every time the ball went near him he made a contest that advantaged his team. I think it was Gary Lyon who said “his teammates would be saying ‘I dont care if you don’t take another mark this year’”.

Has had a pretty good role model in Hawk there. Strong jedi padawan vibes

 

[year of the cat]

He has never played near his best for an extended period. It will only take one of his bad biorhythm days and he will be out...because how else do you keep Sav in.

Drop a defender I think

 

[CatToTheFuture]

North

Saints gave us a few headaches last time. Melbourne beat us by 5 goals