Opinion Lessons learnt from the past five weeks

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

We have the most over-reactive supporters in the AFL.

One week we're inked in as premiers, next week can't make the finals.

Other teams must laugh at us the way some of us carry on when we're 14-3. Most clubs would give anything to have that record.

I'm sure when we are back on the winners list you will start a new thread telling Cats supporters to suck eggs.

 

[GeelongFTW]

I'm sure when we are back on the winners list you will start a new thread telling Cats supporters to suck eggs.

I don't think so. Beating st kildea is not much of a achviement.

 

[Senatorguesty]

I don't think so. Beating st kildea is not much of a achviement.

But they are third! bottom

 

[GeelongFTW]

Gee what a massive fall from grace. Back to back grand finals (failures! ) to being a cellar dweller.
In regards to st kildea if you're stupid.

 

[Partridge]

I don't think so. Beating st kildea is not much of a achviement.

Let's just see if we can actually do it first. Exact same attitude permeated and infested discussion before the Brisbane and Adelaide games too.

 

[SleazySimon]

Stop picking sides with players we hope will play well. Fair enough TV needs game time. But to attempt to carry him with Stringer and Smedts doing #### all while Murdoch (who had finally hit some form) watched from the bench while GHS who had played very well watched from interstate is just not smart.

Oh and SJ needs/needed a club sanction or at least an indication that what he's doing is wrong and will no longer be tolerated. As opposed to ignorant head in the sand bull shit.

Players arnt being gifted games (apart from Murdoch of course). Smedts earned his spot via VFL. It's his responsibility to perform. No one elses. Not the coach or the MC. Stringer and GHS have also been standout in VFL.

 

[Emperor66669]

Lesson learnt don't be too cocky or else we might end up like what we ended last year got beaten in elimination final ..

 

[GeelongFTW]

Let's just see if we can actually do it first. Exact same attitude permeated and infested discussion before the Brisbane and Adelaide games too.

Yeah but I'm not a player. I'm allowed to be as cocky as I want as long as the players don't think the same way.

But my point still stands. The saints aren't exactly a powerhouse.

 

[GeelongFTW]

Lesson learnt don't be too cocky or else we might end up like what we ended last year got beaten in qualifying final ..

Elimination

 

[Partridge]

Yeah but I'm not a player. I'm allowed to be as cocky as I want as long as the players don't think the same way.

But my point still stands. The saints aren't exactly a powerhouse.

They're not. We turn up focused and switched on like the Fremantle and Melbourne games and we'll blow them to pieces. Gotta do it first though.

 

[SkittleCats]

Oh and SJ needs/needed a club sanction or at least an indication that what he's doing is wrong and will no longer be tolerated. As opposed to ignorant head in the sand bull shit.

So your solution would be to?..what, suspend him? fine him? pull some Mick Malthouse, treat em like their children bullshit? I could understand this line of thinking if he went out and smacked some bloke every week and copped multiple weeks for it every time. Fact is on any other week he wouldn't have been suspended for any of those "incidents". Should we impose further penalty on a player for something he shouldn't of been penalized for in the first place? People love drinking the media kool-aid on shit like this. He's been suspended 3 times this season for a total of 4 weeks by my recollection. Yep, we should really bring the hammer down on him for it! As a supporter of this team do you really think they have there "head in the sand" on this? really?

Like the club imposed sanction in 2007 did nothing?

Yep, ban SJ for 8 weeks, that'll do the trick...

 

[THE CAT WRANGLER]

Lessons learnt = nothing

When we were the best we would be 40 down and win he three games we lost we've been up by 13,50+ , 30 a disgrace
The coach has to take blame as well

 

[Nicko29]

Main lesson is that the players need to learn how to rove OUR ruckman as Daws is winning his fair of hitouts which aren't being capitalised on by our rovers (probably due to the lack of service in the middle since Ottens retired). Also, Caddy was worth all that effort last year (especially considering that that draft pick will end up being a low first round pick). He's all cat now and looking better with every game. Other lessons are that the MRP is officially part of the AFL's new equalisation plan and that the players need to stay motivated for four quarters (feels like some of the older guys are losing their mental drive, though when we're on we are simply the best as shown against Freo, Hawthorn and Melbourne).

 

[Partridge]

Yep, ban SJ for 8 weeks, that'll do the trick...

Wasn't 8, was 5 weeks. And it did do the trick.

 

[FredLeDeux]

Wasn't 8, was 5 weeks. And it did do the trick.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc, much?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_hoc_ergo_propter_hoc

 

[Goggin Our Best]

What ive learned

Simpson has really improved the 1st ruck position

Guthrie is playing really good football

Caddy looks the goods

Stringer isnt in the best team

Hawkins -looked terrific yesterday

Geelong look ominous and are very well placed for a 4th premiership in this era

What id love to see happen -is Hawthorn dont drop another game in the home and away and finish a clear minor premier 20-2 . Geelong finish 4th -please let the cards fall that way
1ST week of the finals the number 1 finishing team Hawthorn with their Glass Jaw and all -have to square off against Geelong -that would be the perfect scenario -lose to Geelong in the 1st week -they would be history then -could even go out in straight sets

Chris Scott is right -Geelong played ok against Adelaide -i watched the replay -it was a pretty good game

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

I said it after Brisbane, some of the kids aren't having an impact. I think we have too many playing week in week out and expect them to pick up the slack.

And it's hard for them to stay consistent too. Some weeks they'll be up and others they will go missing. It's part of the learning process.

The oldies probably struggle mentally and physically to get up for these non blockbusters.

Not blaming the guy for the capsizing, but does anyone think that Simpson is still running out of puff in our games?

First time ever he has played 5 consecutive games and has played a total of 10 AFL games in 6 years. He may still be running out of puff and his body may not handle getting up for next week after clashing with other number 1 rucks roaming around.

Again not blaming him for the losses, but it could contribute. Having said that, I would much rather him being out there then not and he has been quite good in our games, but still he is inexperienced and still learning. (along with Blitz)

We have the most inexperienced rucks in the league except probably Gold Cost.

 

[footscore]

James Kelly plays poor, we lose!
Maybe just an exaggeration but against the Lions he was pretty quiet and then again on Sunday he was very quiet.
They targeted him in that Elimination final with the heavy tag and we missed his flurry of clearances & tackles and without Stevie J, that depth is really tested.

(Poodle, Bundy and Chappy go alright too )

 

[Catsace]

This year it seems to be the unknown opponents that have carved us up. Against the Pies it was Dwyer, Elliott and while not an unknown, the 'Greatest story ever told' Krakouer got three goals each. This week it was the hitherto unknown Wright who gets four goals and the somewhat Gomer Pile-looking Tom Lynch who gets three. Maybe it's a lack of respect of these players, but this week we even saw players who 2-3 years ago were spuds who looked to be struggling for a spot in the side like Otten and Douglas playing great games, looking faster and stronger than ever before. It was quite a shock to see Harry outbodied by the much smaller Otten in the goalsquare.

As many people have said though, it's probably just the fact that we have a playing group in transition, and the host of sub 60-game players cannot be expected to be the champions that our '99-'01 group were for us in that 2007-2011 period. They are learning, and when Geelong get beaten it's only as a rule by the skin of our teeth. And the unbridled joy and celebration that any side defeating Geelong shows demonstrates how big a target we remain. I don't have any footage of it, but i would venture to say that the opposition's team song sung in a win over Geelong would rival the emphatic-ness of any of our three Premierships in terms of joy and celebration. Clubs generally always are up for our games, it is rare for any Geelong opponent to 'not come to play'.

Against Adelaide as well do not underestimate the influence having Milburn and Sanderson in the coaching box would mean as well. There would be little they would not know about Geelong, so the Crows would have had a perfect plan for how to combat Geelong. They did play on quickly, and spread impressively. Three times as well, a Geelong defending punch from an inside 50 by a Crow's forward landed squarely in the lap of a waiting unattended Crow for three goals. Ouch!!

Also, we are hurt by the ruckmen of other sides.....Luenberger was huge against Geelong, and both Jenkins and Jacobs were damaging for the Crows....that Jenkins/Stringer contest was downright sad....not sure how that mismatch occurred, but it wasn't good seeing a bloke 8 inches shorter trying to contest a defensive mark! Mind you, Dawson is looking very good as he gains confidence and fitness, was impressed with his around the ground marking yesterday. With noting that he has scored 133 and 148 in SC, while Nic Nat (who i hold with great chagrin) is scoring 70's....so Dawson is almost the in-form ruckman of the comp now! He's been worth the wait for his body to catch up to his height.

Plus last but not least...thank God the Crows and Port plan to play away from Football Park. It's been the sole venue that Geelong has struggled big time at since 1991. It's like the VFL park of South Australia, and our record at that ground is awful. Geelong has played 31 games at that venue for 10 wins and a draw. Record against the Crows is 5-14. Good riddance to that venue....

Oh...and if Geelong players so much as sneeze or have bad breath, it's two weeks. Seriously, Bartel's 'hit' where he remained essentially stationary as a Crow dived into him..what in the name of Hell could Jimmy do? Jump out of the way? He merely used his arm to sort of brace...bloody hell for him to be cited and have a two match ban reduced to one for that....geez. Meanwhile Selwood gets knocked with a hard body bump, and then almost knocked out by the Port ruckman diving into his back and head, and no word your honour. Two sets of rules, no question. I'll forever be resentful that Scott Thompson could cause a bump that saw Stevie J go off the ground in the first minute of play last year yet not get any citation.

 

[proboy]

i have learnt that if i watch the game with out a beer we lose. But if i crack a tinnie and gulp them down we win.

From now on ill be beering it on till the Flag is ours. And then ill beer it more!

Feel free to join the club, the more the merrier.

 

[Pivo]

i have learnt that if i watch the game with out a beer we lose. But if i crack a tinnie and gulp them down we win.

From now on ill be beering it on till the Flag is ours. And then ill beer it more!

Feel free to join the club, the more the merrier.

Sadly I counteract that.

I was having a couple of beers watching the game.

So, clearly you need to drink and I need to stop.

 

[Scottland2007]

That the Afl and in particular the MRP will help us win the flag by randomly resting senior players for us.

 

[Partridge]

I said it after Brisbane, some of the kids aren't having an impact. I think we have too many playing week in week out and expect them to pick up the slack.

And it's hard for them to stay consistent too. Some weeks they'll be up and others they will go missing. It's part of the learning process.

To be honest (I've edited out the rest of your post), I don't think was to blame on Sunday at all; I thought he was very good. He's getting fitter and fitter, and better and better. What killed us was all of the outside running players - Varcoe, Smedts, Stringer, Murdoch (once he came on) - had crap games. Three very young players and they all had stinkers. Plus Varcoe having a shocker as well. That hurt us far more than Simpson I think.

To me if there is a ruck dilemma to resolve then West or Vardy resolve it - bring in a second ruckman who can compete at centre bounces. For all the warm fuzzy feelings about Blicavs he doesn't do that. West can kick a goal up forward and Vardy even more so.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

To be honest (I've edited out the rest of your post), I don't think was to blame on Sunday at all; I thought he was very good. He's getting fitter and fitter, and better and better. What killed us was all of the outside running players - Varcoe, Smedts, Stringer, Murdoch (once he came on) - had crap games. Three very young players and they all had stinkers. Plus Varcoe having a shocker as well. That hurt us far more than Simpson I think.

To me if there is a ruck dilemma to resolve then West or Vardy resolve it - bring in a second ruckman who can compete at centre bounces. For all the warm fuzzy feelings about Blicavs he doesn't do that. West can kick a goal up forward and Vardy even more so.

Agree with this. Again I wasn't blaming Simpson, but I thought maybe with all of his injuries and limited preseason, he may be out of puff giving other ruckman a sniff, but then again he was very good the other 3 weeks he didn't slow down..

The rest of your post is spot on though. As much as I like Bitz, I think another tap ruckman is the way to go for finals.

 

[Emperor66669]

Mentally cats must strengthen ...

http://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/2013-07-23/mentally-cats-must-strengthen