Opinion Our Game Plan

[Jhye Clark 13]

I have a little theory regarding our game plan this season which is why i've remained optimistic in regards to our fortunes in 2012.

The game plan that was successful in claiming last years premiership has only been used at it's entirety in the Essendon match and the last half of our unsuccessful rd 8 game against the Pies, and to a lesser extent certain games where the side has been down by a margin, and forced to play catch up. I walked away from the Pies match with extreme confidence of another successful season this year if we played that same style of football.

Scott must prepare for retirements and blood younsters, this is obvious and with the fitness required to fully enforce such a taxing style coupled with the late start to pre-season training, a lax in intensity over entire 4 quarters was a given while future development was being enforced.

Preparation in players development (learning the Geelong way) and giving game time to the kids was a must and with current AFL football being so demanding on the body, it gave Scott an opportunity to toy with the game plan in a sense and employ some new structures and elements towards future ambitions.

I think the hierarchy walked away from that Collingwood encounter knowing we can still compete with the best and set upon ensuring our run to the finals would peak at the correct time.

Most of the season the team has in my opinion deliberately moved away from "taxing football" to a slower tempo type of game style to conserve energy down the track. This can be seen when competing against the lesser quality sides we were assured of winning against (without sounding arrogant.

I'd like to get the opinions of the better half of this board in regards to this thread. Any criticism is welcome.

This is my observation and i'm confident the side will begin to play a similar style to the Essendon match as we head towards what is hopefully, another finals appearance.

 

[Jmac2225]

At different times this year we have made sides like Collingwood, Hawthorn and Sydney look second rate but have allowed them to make us look bad too.

We have been unable to put in a 4 quarter effort up until Friday night but showed we are still a good side by tearing up a good albeit injury riddled opposition. Still much better form than what we showed against Port or GC.

The game plans one capable of destroying any side IMO it's just a matter of the players executing it effectively for 4 quarters.

 

[topic97]

I'll reserve judgement on game plans and our realistic prospects of going deep into the finals until after our next few games.

If we play 4 quarters(or 8) like we did Friday night against Adelaide & hawforn we could quite possibly have 3 big scalps in a row and have the competition extremely worried.

But then we could get flogged the next two weeks & revert back to giving opposition huge starts.

Friday was certainly a positive step in the right direction though!!

 

[Berserker26]

It's something I'd love to believe however it's just so hard to see how a team so accustomed to winning and battling to the last minute could 'take their foot off' to ease the load.

I hope your observations ring true.

 

[vinum coupe]

Nice one Moons. Stealing my pm to you on Saturday !

"I still can't believe how we played last night.
We haven't even played 10 minutes of footy that looked like that all year.

I reckon Scott has changed the game plan back to last years style.
Everyone finally seemed to know where to run.

Let's give it 2 weeks and see if I'm right."

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Nice one Moons. Stealing my pm to you on Saturday !

"I still can't believe how we played last night.
We haven't even played 10 minutes of footy that looked like that all year.

I reckon Scott has changed the game plan back to last years style.
Everyone finally seemed to know where to run.

Let's give it 2 weeks and see if I'm right."

It's funny because i've been thinking it for a while, and i was waiting in anticipation for Geelong to start playing that way to start a thread...........then the PM.

I was going to wait and see how we performed after the Adelaide game to see if my suspicions had any merit, and when you sent me the PM i thought now is the time.

 

[vinum coupe]

Well done.
Because I haven't been thinking it at all. I was just hoping they'd show something. And I'd pretty much given up hope.

But they didn't look better (necessarily) they looked different.
When was the last time we blocked up options like that?

It would have to be last year.

 

[Jwuzzy]

I'm not too sure whether any of you guys listened to the Triple M pregame talk on Friday night prior to the Cats Vs Bombers game,
but Gary Lyon was saying he heard from somebody closely associated with the GFC, that the cats had nearly purposely played in 2nd gear up for most of the season right up until the bombers game where they deliberately targeted that game to hit their straps in the lead-up to the finals. Simiarly to how we approached the 2009 premiership. In the last few rounds of that year, it looked like we had lost our mojo losing a few games towards the end of the season. Lost to carlton from memory and also the dogs in the final round? Then all of a sudden the next week we played the dogs again in the first final remember and won the game and somehow looked a different team than the week before.
Anywayz, not too sure if any of you guys heard it but it was a interesting discussion on Triple M.
It would be awesome if it was true.
We did smash the bombers.
Gonna be real interesting to see how we go against the crows this coming weekend.
If we destroy them as well, there could be a bit of truth to this.
Like i said, it seemed like we did a similiar thing in 09.
We clearly were a different team once the finals started.
If we come out and belt the crows this weekend, i am going to start getting excited bcos
when we are on song i reckon we can beat anyone anywhere.
Anywayz, dare to dream.

 

[Jwuzzy]

Even the commentators on friday night were saying we looked like the geelong of old.
We were tackling in groups.
This is the geelong i used to know.
Fck, i'm getting pumped about how chances in 2012 now.
Although maybe i should put a lid on it and just see what happens. lol

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Well done.
Because I haven't been thinking it at all. I was just hoping they'd show something. And I'd pretty much given up hope.

But they didn't look better (necessarily) they looked different.
When was the last time we blocked up options like that?

It would have to be last year.

The last quarter and a half against the Pies in rd 8, but not to that extent. Other than that it was the corresponding Collingwood fixture in 2011 where we utterly dominated.

While it is going to be hard to win the flag this season, with the likelihood of interstate finals, i'm confident we're about to give it a decent shot.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

I'm not too sure whether any of you guys listened to the Triple M pregame talk on Friday night prior to the Cats Vs Bombers game,
but Gary Lyon was saying he heard from somebody closely associated with the GFC, that the cats had nearly purposely played in 2nd gear up for most of the season right up until the bombers game where they deliberately targeted that game to hit their straps in the lead-up to the finals. Simiarly to how we approached the 2009 premiership. In the last few rounds of that year, it looked like we had lost our mojo losing a few games towards the end of the season. Lost to carlton from memory and also the dogs in the final round? Then all of a sudden the next week we played the dogs again in the first final remember and won the game and somehow looked a different team than the week before.
Anywayz, not too sure if any of you guys heard it but it was a interesting discussion on Triple M.
It would be awesome if it was true.
We did smash the bombers.
Gonna be real interesting to see how we go against the crows this coming weekend.
If we destroy them as well, there could be a bit of truth to this.
Like i said, it seemed like we did a similiar thing in 09.
We clearly were a different team once the finals started.
If we come out and belt the crows this weekend, i am going to start getting excited bcos
when we are on song i reckon we can beat anyone anywhere.
Anywayz, dare to dream.

In all honesty i never heard Lyon say that and it's something i've been musing over for a while, hence my continued optimism. Time will tell, particularly the upcoming game.

Is there any podcast or other means to the MMM discussion?

 

[Rellik666]

If that is the case, and how I would love to believe it, why did we wait until the Essendon game and not the Collingwood one?

Do you really think we are playing some kind of game with collingwood, thinking they will be in the final again?

And why has CS looked like he was going to kill someone during the games where we have been crap?

I would love to think we could just switch it on, but I just don't see how.

I have faith in the GFC but are we really that arrogant that we can just play when we want to play and win the flag?! Really?!?

 

[Berserker26]

1 game does not maketh a season...let's do the 2007 thing and keep a lid on it.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

If that is the case, and how I would love to believe it, why did we wait until the Essendon game and not the Collingwood one?

Do you really think we are playing some kind of game with collingwood, thinking they will be in the final again?

And why has CS looked like he was going to kill someone during the games where we have been crap?

I would love to think we could just switch it on, but I just don't see how.

I have faith in the GFC but are we really that arrogant that we can just play when we want to play and win the flag?! Really?!?

The first question is a good one which Scott couldn't even answer. I don't think Scott wanted to play that poorly to begin the game against Collingwood but considering we beat them after quarter time augers well.

I don't think it's about arrogance and switching on when we want, it's merely a consideration on the future while giving game time to the kids and playing a balancing act towards the now and the future. ie, different structure and particulars.

Now of course we may not be good enough to win the flag this year and there's a chance i'm off the mark, it's just the way i've observed the season so far.

 

[Partridge]

I'm not too sure whether any of you guys listened to the Triple M pregame talk on Friday night prior to the Cats Vs Bombers game,
but Gary Lyon was saying he heard from somebody closely associated with the GFC, that the cats had nearly purposely played in 2nd gear up for most of the season right up until the bombers game where they deliberately targeted that game to hit their straps in the lead-up to the finals. Simiarly to how we approached the 2009 premiership. In the last few rounds of that year, it looked like we had lost our mojo losing a few games towards the end of the season. Lost to carlton from memory and also the dogs in the final round? Then all of a sudden the next week we played the dogs again in the first final remember and won the game and somehow looked a different team than the week before.

Small difference was in 2009 they won their first 13 games. Bit easier to plan for the finals when you know you'll be there. Not the case this year.

 

[Banj]

$17.00 odds. Jump On

 

[Jwuzzy]

Well the way Gary Lyon described it was Chris Scott had
Purposely over trained us every week to ensure we were primed and ready for the last part
Of the season. And now he has eased off the work load.
apparently he conceded that Collingwood had our measure b4 the game and therefore deliberately
Targeted the essendon game as to when to ease off the workload at training so we would b
More fresh on game day. Makes sense as to why our starts have been so bad this season.
Massive week on the training = sluggish starts. We havent deliberately been playing crap
but our workload has been so extreme, we r rocking up on game day with half a tank of petrol.
Hence ehy everyone is saying we look slow. This is the theory anyway.I don't know if I believe this myself. I doubt it's true
But the fact is we did smash essendon and we beat them under the roof where their speed was on full display. So much
For the cats being slow. If we come out and belt the crows
This week, I will start to sit up and take notice. But ATM, it's 1 good win. I wouldn't put it past Scotty to come
Up with such a plan. He is a great coach and he knows it's a marathon not a sprint.
Don't care if we're average in 1st half of season. It's about being good at the right
Time of the season (now!)
I would love to find a podcast on the triple M discussion if I could
But I doubt one will exist.

 

[Jwuzzy]

In all honesty i never heard Lyon say that and it's something i've been musing over for a while, hence my continued optimism. Time will tell, particularly the upcoming game.

Is there any podcast or other means to the MMM discussion?

Found the podcast on the Geelong theory.
Have a listen
http://www.triplem.com.au/melbourne/sport/afl/listen
"Download this clip" Friday 20th July - about 25:00-28:30 or so
Imagine this was true.

 

[FoxC]

If that is the case, and how I would love to believe it, why did we wait until the Essendon game and not the Collingwood one?

Do you really think we are playing some kind of game with collingwood, thinking they will be in the final again?

And why has CS looked like he was going to kill someone during the games where we have been crap?

I would love to think we could just switch it on, but I just don't see how.

I have faith in the GFC but are we really that arrogant that we can just play when we want to play and win the flag?! Really?!?

The bolded is so true.

Maybe Lyon read this board and saw Bobby's thread that the Cats just had a heavy training load.

 

[Jwuzzy]

The bolded is so true.

Maybe Lyon read this board and saw Bobby's thread that the Cats just had a heavy training load.

listen to the podcast i posted (above)
Question is answered in that

 

[David the Cat]

This " theory" doesn't surprise me at all. It rings true.Despite being called idealistic and overoptimistic by some here, the truth is that we won a Premiership less than twelve months ago. Yes...we lost Ling and Otto from our GF team ( plus Varcoe of course ) and that hurts, and hurts a lot. But it doesn't turn a premiership team into a pack of spuds. There are I think 13 premiership players out there and they don't lose class over night.

For me, its been inevitable that Geelong would find their mojo sooner or later. It might have been too late for 2012 but it was always going to happen. Form is temporary...class is permanent. Never was a truer saying.

There has been a lack of intensity, no doubt, which all of a sudden disappeared Friday night....Geelong were ferocious and physical. Perhaps some of the younger players needed to understand the Geelong way and its taken a little time.

Geelong looked quick and on top of the ground Friday night...have they been freshened up for the run home? Is Scott and his staff something special when it comes to man management? Are Geelong a sleeping giant now waking up? Will we do damage in September? We are about to find out.

Personally I don't expect to win the Premiership this year or even next.....we might but I don't expect to.....but I do expect to make finals and I do expect to win at least one this year.

With our list and the younger players developing so well the signs are very good for the GFC. The loss of Scarlett, Corey, Enright and Chapman over the next year or two and our ability to develop players to take their roles is the challenge for Scott and the club. Hence the focus on younger players and developing them now while these experienced players are still on the park.

When Scott took over he mentioned 2015.....I think he's on track. We just might have some fun on the way through as well!

 

[Smedtsy]

And why has CS looked like he was going to kill someone during the games where we have been crap?

"Too much pressure! LESS!"

Nah, logically speaking, I don't think Scotty would want us to play so bad we lose all our games

I mean if this whole preservation thing was put in place to keep us fresh for finals, we need to GET to the finals first. Riiight?

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Scott's been going mad in the box over the umpiring, not the performance of the side.

 

[Smedtsy]

Scott's been going mad in the box over the umpiring, not the performance of the side.

Does the umpiring not affect what goes on on the field?

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Does the umpiring not affect what goes on on the field?

I was merely stating that Scott isn't going mad at the players or their performances but rather the terrible umpiring and the errors they make against Geelong.