Preview Rd 2 Geelong v Carlton Thursday March23 2023, MCG @ 720 pm

[Pure_Ownage]

This team doesn’t make sense.

Last week Scott said we probably went in light on defenders. And then we lost Stewart.

So they go and replace Stewart with a mid.
We are in trouble.

Bowes has played a lot at half back for gc and will probably play there while stewart is out.
And if whyte comes on he will play in defence.
We are ok for medium defenders.

Tall defenders are another matter but we have none of those to bring in.

 

[D BRIDGE]

Bowes has played a lot at half back for gc and will probably play there while stewart is out.
And if whyte comes on he will play in defence.
We are ok for medium defenders.

Tall defenders are another matter but we have none of those to bring in.

+ is there even any other “defenders” on the list capable of playing even if we needed more backs?

 

[small 4wards]

Oisin dislikes this.

So does Sav

 

[CatsDoItBetter]

The defence struggled with the amount of entries last week it I think we were beaten in the middle. Put more pressure on through the middle and the defenders will be under less pressure.

We’ve got some injuries down there but my bigger concern was the way the mids played last week and their inability to run the game out.
Need some of the leaders and experienced mids to step up this week.

 

[Mr Meow]

Bowes is a jet. We've missed our old jet (Duncan) so I think that's a pretty handy in. He gives us flexibility too depending on where others are required at certain stages of the game.

 

[catempire]

The closest I come to melting is Ceglar emergency over Neale.

 

[Stocks_go_Up]

No excuses not to put Carlton away by 20-40 points comfortably if this team wants to compete for a premiership. We folded to Collingwood in the last quarter way too easily - yes injuries this injuries that.

 

[Mr Meow]

No excuses not to put Carlton away by 20-40 points comfortably if this team wants to compete for a premiership. We folded to Collingwood in the last quarter way too easily - yes injuries this injuries that.

So if Sav, SDK (MOC moves to Curnow, Whyte onto Mackay) and Dangerfield all go down early we still have to win by 40 points or the premiership dream is over? Context matters, always.

 

[cats_09]

The closest I come to melting is Ceglar emergency over Neale.

I'm thinking that's more a match fitness thing than anything else

Neale has played one practice match since his ankle injury, so likely they want to get another run under his belt before consideration for the emergency list, as they may be unsure if he's quite ready for a full match at senior level if required

 

[BotsMaster]

Looking forward to seeing how Bowes goes ahead of Parfitt.

It's a shame Parfitt couldn't replicate his Grand Final performance last week

 

[sleep]

So sounds like there’s another injury that will be the 2nd out?

Can anyone confirm that Hawkins has a corked calf? Heard Kane Cornes mention this.

 

[Cataholic]

Can anyone confirm that Hawkins has a corked calf? Heard Kane Cornes mention this.

He was training with his calf strapped

 

[feelinfeline]

And good to see Parfitt dropped after that dross. Should have been on the trade table last October.

He signed a new two-year contract in August. So they should have traded him two months later after he kicked a goal in a premiership team? Yeah, right.

No denying he was very poor on Friday. He's rarely, if ever, that poor. I'm guessing he's down on confidence after being dropped at the end of last year and missing out on the 22 again.

Yes, his kicking isn't great and his decision-making can be shaky. His tackling is usually excellent but he couldn't get near the player or the ball, perhaps not helped by Collingwood's pace and game style.

I agree he will struggle for games this year, especially if his confidence has deserted him, because there are now enough better players on the list. And it's quite possible he'll be gone by year's end if another club comes calling. But to cut him after a premiership would be heartless and bad for team morale. Fortunately the club didn't fall for it (not that they were ever going to). They actually treat their players with respect, unlike some other teams, and it seems to be repaid, for the most part, with intense loyalty in return.

Just my opinion, of course.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

The closest I come to melting is Ceglar emergency over Neale.

Probably actually makes sense this week. If SDK is a late out Blicavs in defence and Ceglar as 2nd ruck.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

 

[goyoucatters]

This team doesn’t make sense.

Last week Scott said we probably went in light on defenders. And then we lost Stewart.

So they go and replace Stewart with a mid.
We are in trouble.

We lost our gun rebound defender and a mid from last week's team. And we've replaced them with the best two available players who can both play back and also provide some rebound that was sadly lacking from our line-up in round 1, once Tommy was off the ground.

So, if anything, we've loaded up even more heavily in defence for this game, and have basically no realistic options for players we could sensibly bring in back there apart from the players already selected. We're going in with all these players as notional options to play in the back six...

SDK
Bews
Tuohy
MOC
Esava
Zuth
Bowes
Whyte
Blitz
Atkins (he's done it regularly before, as recently as last season)

All of which means that a loss in this game certainly won't result from not selecting enough players who can play back. As last week showed, our biggest issue is likely to be not getting enough out of our mids group. Sort that out and the defence will have more than enough capacity to hold the opposition to a middling score.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

+ is there even any other “defenders” on the list capable of playing even if we needed more backs?

Medium sized defenders not many except only really kroeger (although he is still MIA) and mullin who isnt ready.

Tall defenders murdoch (who isnt ready) and nobody.

Our best defensive option outside the team from the pies game is bowes until guys like stewart henry duncan kolo are back.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

But he still shouldnt be listed as an in tonight though if he will be sub as subs arent declared until 2 hours before the game arent they? And if subs are declared on the night before now they should be listed as such on the team sheet. yet that doesnt appear to be the case.

Its like how adel announced on friday tyler brown would debut but then made him emg so it was obvious he would be sub on sunday. Doesnt mean much.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

The closest I come to melting is Ceglar emergency over Neale.

Neale is first game back from injury and would have had a 5 day break to play tomorrow its understandable (whereas ceglar was rested last week).

 

[goyoucatters]

Never really been keen on these late withdrawals for the opposition. Not that I think Martin was likely to torch us, anyway. But once the rhetoric starts about how nobody in their right mind can see how we could possibly drop a game against such depleted opposition. it just fills me with a nagging sense of dread.

 

[Mr Meow]

Never really been keen on these late withdrawals for the opposition. Not that I think Martin was likely to torch us, anyway. But once the rhetoric starts about how nobody in their right mind can see how we could possibly drop a game against such depleted opposition. it just fills me with a nagging sense of dread.

Except like you allude to, anyone watching knows that Martin has largely been poor the past couple of years.

They're missing some mids, with us it's mostly defenders. Should be no excuses really but I don't think a close loss for either is the end of the world (on the proviso performance is good).

 

[Chinacats]

King on 360 showed how woods cut us up through the corridor. Yet Carlton are the complete opposite and go safe from defense… surely we get this done!

 

[sleep]

He was training with his calf strapped

I heard he was really proppy. Lets hope we sit him if he needs to be sat.

No way should players be playing through any sort of pain this early in the year.

 

[CatRiot]

So Whyte isn't playing, he's just the Sub. But mostly gets subbed in, someone will get rested or should I say, get injured midway thru the game...

I hope we play Bruhn more as an Inside Mid, and then forward pocket.

 

[Mr Meow]

I heard he was really proppy. Lets hope we sit him if he needs to be sat.

No way should players be playing through any sort of pain this early in the year.

Hawkins has been proppy for 5 years. 4 AA's at least in that time if I recall.