It's that time of year again!

[Teriyakicat]

Say it again Sam... errr Bobby!!

 

[Teriyakicat]

Don't you mean Adelaide and Brisbane?

Easier to do when you get a little help from your friends in high places, isn't it?

 

[Teriyakicat]

I'm really happy that nobody is expecting much from the Cats.. again. I enjoy it so much when they are the media and the 'experts' are forced to sit up and take notice when our boys just never give up and win those games everyone expects them to lose- like about 25% of last season. Despite injuries, despite having no ruck, blah blah and etc, we still managed to have the best winning record vs other top 4 opponents and .. shock horror! ... ended up 2nd on the ladder. We ridiculed and criticised the coaching decisions and selections by the MC each week - but how effective was the game plan that managed to overcome having a skeleton crew in the ruck and big holes in our midfield? And an incapacitated full forward who remained our main target from Round 1 to the end of the season when we bowed out?
I sit back and take my hat off to the blokes who made all those decisions and tweaked the game plan to hide our weaknesses because, once again, they made the footy world respect the Cats and their efforts in 2013. Yeah, fair enough, several weaknesses were exposed (like our penchant for leaving big holes in front of opposition goals and our failure against teams like Brisbane and North) but there were so many amazing things that happened during the year to give us hope for 2014 and 2015: the emergence of Motlop and, late in the season, Guthrie, with Johnson and Stokes reinventing themselves to help paper over the developing cracks. The new season begins with sadness at the ever-increasing injury list but also with excitement due to the fact that this means that other players will now be asked to put their hands up and accept the extra responsibility. Several have already responded- e.g. Duncan, Caddy and Guthrie. I am excited to see how the team will go with two (hopefully) fit ruckmen- who are currently looking the goods- and I await the unfolding of the season, to see who else will answer the call to step up and demand selection!

 

[Partridge]

I thought we were going to win the flag last year, and but some shockingly rotten luck we could have, this year however I don't think we will win the flag, I reckon we will slide a touch (I still think 4-6th).
If we didn't have the issues we currently have (Motlop, Vardy, Bundy etc) then I'd give us a bigger chance but even then I think we are behind Hawthorn and Freo and equal with a few other clubs.
Of course with some luck (we are due some damnit!) we COULD compete and push towards a Grand Final berth but I'm hopeful and not expectant.

Until Round 1 starts we're not behind anyone.

I'll just think about how we go about beating Adelaide. Everything else is irrelevant.

 

[FredLeDeux]

Until Round 1 starts we're not behind anyone.

I'll just think about how we go about beating Adelaide. Everything else is irrelevant.

Well you can approach it in that fancy dan way if you like.
Me, I'm just going to take it one week at a time.

 

[El Dubya]

catman 71 is upset because Essendon are rated so highly with their new power forward Paul Chapman, who's planning on playing 25 games and winning a Norm Smith.

 

[Teriyakicat]

catman 71 is upset because Essendon are rated so highly with their new power forward Paul Chapman, who's planning on playing 25 games and winning a Norm Smith.

Hmmm... I could live with that- as long as we won the GF!
Can't see Chappy winning a chook raffle this year. My money is on him breaking down. Not that I hope he does, mind you- I just don't think his body is reliable any longer (unless he's found some leftover needles in the locker room to help him recover after games!)

 

[El Dubya]

Hmmm... I could live with that- as long as we won the GF!
Can't see Chappy winning a chook raffle this year. My money is on him breaking down. Not that I hope he does, mind you- I just don't think his body is reliable any longer (unless he's found some leftover needles in the locker room to help him recover after games!)

You need to know catman71's posting history to know how sarcastic I was being.

 

[Teriyakicat]

You need to know catman71's posting history to know how sarcastic I was being.

I read a little about 'Chapman 71' etc over the past day or so- that's enough to get the gist of recent digs at catman 71 Obviously he's a favourite of that poster!

 

[barmy44]

I read a little about 'Chapman 71' etc over the past day or so- that's enough to get the gist of recent digs at catman 71 Obviously he's a favourite of that poster!

definitely is... his living room is completely covered in chapman posters and pictures! however, the eyes on each one have been burnt out with cigarettes.

 

[Teriyakicat]

Remind me not to visit Until he gets over his problem with Chappy!

 

[Scottland2007]

Well you can approach it in that fancy dan way if you like.
Me, I'm just going to take it one week at a time.

Max likes you http://m.geelongcats.com.au/news/2014-03-11/rookeys-raddest-cats-names

 

[Teriyakicat]

Max likes you http://m.geelongcats.com.au/news/2014-03-11/rookeys-raddest-cats-names

Haha- not sure if Rookey likes him or not. He's got Fred listed under 'odd' Can't believe a couple of those other names- Tom Morrow and Clete Turner! That's just strange. What were their parents thinking??

 

[Scottland2007]

Haha- not sure if Rookey likes him or not. He's got Fred listed under 'odd' Can't believe a couple of those other names- Tom Morrow and Clete Turner! That's just strange. What were their parents thinking??

no Tara Dactyl is always a plus! Maybe Max knows Fred well?

 

[winty]

Easier to do when you get a little help from your friends in high places, isn't it?

Always thought it was a bit suspicious that Adelaide won the flag in the first two years a South Australian was CEO of the AFL.

 

[Teriyakicat]

Always thought it was a bit suspicious that Adelaide won the flag in the first two years a South Australian was CEO of the AFL.

I was merely thinking of all the concessions that new clubs get, winty, but I like your idea better!!

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Always thought it was a bit suspicious that Adelaide won the flag in the first two years a South Australian was CEO of the AFL.

I can still remember Wayne Jackson saying "we reward clubs for winning finals" - his explanation why the Crows got that home final - nothing in the actual rules - just made it up as they went

Ive allways thought those 2 Crows flags - were suspect - and bordering on - mickey mouse- they only had 13 - 9 records in both years - which is blooody ordinary - losing to Melb by 10 goals in week 1 - and getting a 2nd chance -ridiculous

Some of the nonsense that went on -back in that era - Carlton losing a final - should have been eliminated - and getting into the GF - and the poor old Saints in 91 finishing 4th - and playing Geelong 3rd - in a knock out final - that was the biggest farce of the lot

 

[winty]

I can still remember Wayne Jackson saying "we reward clubs for winning finals" - his explanation why the Crows got that home final - nothing in the actual rules - just made it up as they went

Ive allways thought those 2 Crows flags - were suspect - and bordering on - mickey mouse- they only had 13 - 9 records in both years - which is blooody ordinary - losing to Melb by 10 goals in week 1 - and getting a 2nd chance -ridiculous

Some of the nonsense that went on -back in that era - Carlton losing a final - should have been eliminated - and getting into the GF - and the poor old Saints in 91 finishing 4th - and playing Geelong 3rd - in a knock out final - that was the biggest farce of the lot

1997's finals series was a joke. We finished 2nd, but had to play 7th North at their home ground on a Sunday night (that was back when North were seen as "night specialists"), and after that, we had to play Adelaide in Adelaide. Some reward for finishing 2nd that was. Although, to be fair, we should've finished first - IIRC we were about 5 goals up against the Swans in the last round, but let them kick the last three goals in junk time, which was pretty much the difference between us and St.Kilda in the end.

 

[Beanstalk]

I love that scene.

 

[nowhereneargeelong]

I dont mind dropping down the ladder, it's to be expected.

But I am worried the hawks will pinch another flag.

 

[manboob]

we won't be dropping down as far as most think. Lonergan and Taylor are still two of the better defenders in the competition, Mackie was an All-Australian last season.
Thurlow will give us something new and exciting and if he doesn't, Enright will pick up the slack.

Yeah it's not like we are going to get scores of 100+ regularly kicked against us.

 

[Teriyakicat]

we won't be dropping down as far as most think. Lonergan and Taylor are still two of the better defenders in the competition, Mackie was an All-Australian last season.
Thurlow will give us something new and exciting and if he doesn't, Enright will pick up the slack.

A lot of the chat on here centres on our weakness in the forward line now- the backline seems OK (though will have to stop leaking goals via those sneaky small forwards who jag bags of 5-7 on the odd occasion!) and the ruck area has received a boost. Likewise people appear happy with the midfield... It's just that damned forward half!!!

 

[Catatonic Shock]

we won't be dropping down as far as most think. Lonergan and Taylor are still two of the better defenders in the competition, Mackie was an All-Australian last season.
Thurlow will give us something new and exciting and if he doesn't, Enright will pick up the slack.

I just think it's due to 2 reasons really.
Firstly we are no longer (and haven't been for a few years to be honest) the best or second best team in the comp, and secondly we will rely on a few players to either get back to some serious form (Hawkins back to AA form, McIntosh to what he was at North, Varcoe to 2011 form, Taylor Hunt to any form etc) and will rely on fringe players filling voids either left from retirement or injury (Brown is numero uno in this one).
Last year we were one of the 2 best sides in the comp, argueably the best during the H&A season but was let down by injury and suspensions, if we even remotely match those issues again this year we will slide a fair way I reckon, we need a lot of luck to get up there this time.

 

[Bobby_]

we were ranked 4th for points against, average of 80 per game is what Geelong conceded. Our defenders lived upto their end of the bargain but unfortunately, we could only manage about 90 points per game in September.

 

[Vdubs]

I dont mind dropping down the ladder, it's to be expected.

But I am worried the hawks will pinch another flag.

I don't think they'll "pinch" it- they are deserved favourites at this early stage. Now that Buddy and Guerra are gone, they have become less detestable in my eyes. Like Geelong, they are a benchmark team as far as management, recruiting and list development, but Geelong IS the benchmark. The Hawks are respectworthy. Swans annoy me more nowadays with their COLA and concessions, and their acquisition of Buddy and Kurt etc.