Preview Rd 16 Geelong V the Mirror - Bye week + what we see going forward....

[dazbroncos]

Losing going into a Bye is just horrendous.

The feeling lingers that much longer.

Just sucks.

But we did it to ourselves and the Lions made us pay for our mistakes.

We looked tired as a club in both AFL and VFL games. Time for a week off and a recharge for the run home.

All thoughts about how we sit to this point and what you see ahead land here and the proper preview thread will appear in a few days

GO Catters

 

[Mr Meow]

Heading into the season, we knew it was a tough run until hitting the bye.

About 10-5 was going to be par. And here we are.

While we don't feel like premiership contenders after that performance (and some earlier ones), objectively we look well placed to give it a crack with QFs and PFs.

6-2 from here is what I consider par, leaving us on 16 wins and likely 3rd or 4th. If we really put together a nice run and clear all obstacles, then top 2 is certainly still there for us. That would signal we may be the real deal. Otherwise we will be smokies like last year.

Kolo returning and being at his best would be a big bonus for finals.

Can we roll Dangerfield through midfield in the big games? We probably need a spark from somewhere, a wild card to give us an edge.

I remain cautiously optimistic, but wary of the gap above us to actually be the best team in the comp. I'd still back us to take it up to most, if not all of the likely finalists.

 

[Romeoh1]

Happy with 10-5. Cats will be fine and definitely a contender come the finals. Played some very good footy this year and I’d have thought, given the way we have played this year, Friday night was an outlier. Plenty to look forward to for the rest of the season. Go cats.

 

[STPer18]

We'll be top 4 post-bye having navigated the hardest part of our draw (and one of the hardest in the league thus far). Couldn't ask for much more than that at the start of the year. Don't think it's the worst thing in the world for them to head into the bye off a loss after winning five in a row - still plenty to improve on.

 

[frggr]

We won't lose a game for the rest of the year

 

[cats_09]

Currently top 3, hard to be unhappy with that at this stage of things

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

Tracking good.

We've only lost to 2 teams in the top 9 (top 50% of the ladder) we should still get top 2 based on our draw relative to Brisbane's. However Crows have a pretty soft draw too so we can't afford too many slip ups.

Cats beat Pies, Pies beat Lions and Lions beat Cats, seems a bit of rock paper scissors going on.

So based on that, we're well in the mix, gotta figure out the Brisbane match up though in order to win it or hope someone else knocks them out.

 

[Jeff76]

3rd this time of the year is a solid effort, I can see us dropping another couple games to see the minor round out. GWS and the Swans game I’ve penciled in as losses.

 

[Burtyl78]

Lions seem to have us covered, I would be guessing a home qualifying final against them but doubt we can beat them, really need Kolo back to free stewart and Guthrie up, let’s see what Scott can come up with

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

Decent to be 10/5 with a solid percentage and in 3rd spot.
We have been beaten by 2 also rans , stiff v Giants and done by the Lions twice. Fortunate win v Pies.
We are a definite contender albeit , IMHO , a bit behind the Pies and Lions ( at this stage)

On our terms we are hard to beat but seem susceptible to quick ball movement by hand and teams that change angles by foot and resist bombing into our D50.
Pressure is a variable that can activate our best footy when we bring it , rushes opposition disposal , creates turnovers and can keep it locked in our F50. Pressure also helps to paper the cracks over our midfield weaknesses.
We were around 200 recently for a few games and looked sensational.

Our game seems suited to dry decks and bigger grounds which is a plus heading into September.
We have , on paper , an easy run post bye so that may allow us to experiment a bit and rest players pre finals
Downside of that is we may not be exposed to finals type pressure , time will tell.
What an amazing Club - let's see what the next phase brings.....

 

[MisterMarcus]

Considering in our first 15 games we've played every single other team in the Top 10 (including one twice already), and only one against the bottom three, if anyone had offered 10-5 at the start of the season, most of us would have taken it.

 

[BotsMaster]

Last time:

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

Buckley on SEN was talking about the contending team's profiles:

• Collingwood's offense get better when they play the top 9 (scores from turn over)
• Brisbane's defense gets better when they play the top 9
• Geelong's defense gets worse, we struggle to defend a turn over
• Crows can't score when they play the better teams.

It'll be interesting what adjustments Scott and co will make between now and finals. We'd really like Kolo and SDK back before then as well.

 

[cats_09]

Time to get back to work; at least for a select group

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

We'll be top 4 post-bye

Not if the Hawks & Adelaide win this weekend. They'll have a better percentage than us, and so we'll drop to fifth as a result.

 

[Mr Meow]

Not if the Hawks & Adelaide win this weekend. They'll have a better percentage than us, and so we'll drop to fifth as a result.

Incorrect.

Hawthorn's % is 111.6.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

Incorrect.

Hawthorn's % is 111.6.

You're right. We can hold onto 4th if Adelaide wins. My bad, sorry.

 

[Mr Meow]

You're right. We can hold onto 4th if Adelaide wins. My bad, sorry.

Afterwards:

Geelong: Richmond (h), GWS (a), St Kilda (h) and NM (a)

Adelaide: Melbourne (h), Bulldogs (a), GC (h), Port (h)

Hawthorn: St Kilda (a), Fremantle (a), Port (h), Carlton (h)

You'd think each side should go 3-1.

Luckily for us our run afterwards involves Essendon (h), Port (h) and Richmond (a). Sydney (a) the tricky one.

 

[Interdimensional Bigfoot]

I don't like having a very easy draw into the finals, it is what it is but would prefer a a few tougher games to sharpen those skills, we killed Ess and looked golden, then couldn't handle the Lion pressure at all.

 

[Mr Meow]

I don't like having a very easy draw into the finals, it is what it is but would prefer a a few tougher games to sharpen those skills, we killed Ess and looked golden, then couldn't handle the Lion pressure at all.

GWS and Sydney (now full strength) away will be tough tests.

NM at Marvel isn't necessarily easy now.

 

[Baudolino]

This Pie is AFL's best in this key area … and it's not even close

Check out your club's best kick inside 50 so far this season

www.afl.com.au

Miers not being on the list of players who are elite for kick inside 50 to mark % this year is notable imo.

 

[cats_09]

Haven't seen too many holiday snaps from the short break the guys got - instead it looks like we've got a very focused group ready to put in the work ahead of the second half of the season

 

[Mr Meow]

This Pie is AFL's best in this key area … and it's not even close

Check out your club's best kick inside 50 so far this season

www.afl.com.au

Miers not being on the list of players who are elite for kick inside 50 to mark % this year is notable imo.

Shaun "hungry hungry hippo" Mannagh adds "our best kick inside 50" to his portfolio, that already includes being one of our best clearance, goal and score involvement players.

 

[BIGANT]

Time to get back to work; at least for a select group

Don't get it, aren't the players meant to clear there lockers *so to speak for the week

 

[Munich]

Don't get it, aren't the players meant to clear there lockers *so to speak for the week

Maybe they want to train considering they didn't turn up the other night.