Preview Round 16-Geelong Cats vs Western Bulldogs, Saturday July 18 1.45pm Simonds Stadium

[Pure_Ownage]

Must win game for a team with only 6 wins at this stage of the year, against a challenging young opponent.

We have not been good at home this year so need to lift this week.

Discuss the game and ins and outs here.

 

[catempire]

The only players who played today that I'd consider are Smedts and GHS.

I thought Stokes - aside from his goal which was nice - was our worst tonight so I'd drop him for either of those.

 

[Cataholic]

Can't see us winning this one either.

We just don't have the spirit or form, though we may be a little better for the run tonight.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Out: Stokes (omit), Simpson (omit)

In: Horlin Smith, Kersten

Stokes I would drop as he has been poor lately, we need to bring in the best performed contested mid from the vfl, I would go HS but would be happy with Jansen.

Simpson was poor and doesnt have a future so no point playing him, I am not convinced Kersten has done enough to earn a recall but structurally it would help to play him forward and Walker as the second ruck. Maybe bring Kolo in if not him.

Kolo will come in anyway if Rivers knee is bad and hopefully Kelly's ankle is ok.

 

[Partridge]

Stokes I would drop as he has been poor lately, we need to bring in the best performed contested mid from the vfl, I would go HS but would be happy with Jansen.

Simpson was poor and doesnt have a future so no point playing him, I am not convinced Kersten has done enough to earn a recall but structurally it would help to play him forward and Walker as the second ruck. Maybe bring Kolo in if not him.

Kolo will come in anyway if Rivers knee is bad and hopefully Kelly's ankle is ok.

I would never have thought I'd agree with that two years ago, even 12 months ago, but pretty much agree now. There is very little point persevering with Simpson. Unfortunately.

 

[Whit3y]

make players play for there future

ghs, kersten, walker, blease, smedts.

or do we wanna keep these guys in the team for 8 years and have them play sfa games ala brown, never really knowing if he had the goods to succeed

lets give them the opportunity

no chance finals so why not

 

[Partridge]

make players play for there future

ghs, kersten, walker, blease, smedts.

or do we wanna keep these guys in the team for 8 years and have them play sfa games ala brown, never really knowing if he had the goods to succeed

lets give them the opportunity

no chance finals so why not

It might hinge on the next few weeks. If they win enough games to have any hope of finals, there won't be wholesale changes made. I would guess it would take some horrific losses and absolutely no chance of finals for them to consider it.

 

[Whit3y]

It might hinge on the next few weeks. If they win enough games to have any hope of finals, there won't be wholesale changes made. I would guess it would take some horrific losses and absolutely no chance of finals for them to consider it.

re melbourne

 

[TheJimmyCartel]

I'm strongly of the opinion that Kolo should play every AFL game for the remainder of the season no matter what.

Lonergan, Rivers, Mackie & Enright will not be in our next premiership side; holding Kolo out of the team for us to try and scrape into 8th achieves zero, actually it achieves a very negative result in that there is a good chance he will want out and he is a player we can't afford to lose. We need to keep him and we need games into him. We are not competing for a flag so what will the coaching staff be achieving by persisting that mix week-in and week-out?

Same goes for Kelly, Stokes and to a lesser extent SJ. If we are to progress for 2017+ we should be doing all we can to get some or more games into Jansen, GHS, Smedts, Gore & Cockatoo. We have been getting games into kids, yes, but I think after tonights loss we need to be more aggressive in dropping senior guys who don't perform or rotating them.

I'd start with

Out: Stokes, Rivers, Simpson - I know Riv has been one of our best this year but we need to start seriously looking forward now.

In: Jansen, Kolo, Smedts/GHS/Kersten - Unfortunately, Blicavs & Walker have to play the ruck combo. Simpson is a liabilty, Get Jansen, GHS and eventually Gore some game time in the center while Blicavs has to ruck. We're f&*ked there anyway, so make a positive out of and blood some kids in the center while they have Bartel to learn from.

A couple more good VFL games from GHS, Gore and Smedts for match fitness if they don't come in this week and they should be pushing.

It just seems that we're at a real crossroads now and if we aren't prepared to go backwards a little bit to get some experience and senior exposure into our youth, we'll remain stagnant for longer. VERY interesting remainder of the season to see what the MC does. I hope they don't waste it on a pointless attempt to scrape into the finals.

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

Well considering we play our worst footy at home, we are no chance at winning this.

Dogs by 30pts, we are just not upto it anymore, I've looked at the fixture and I get depressed, can't see our next win.

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

I'm strongly of the opinion that Kolo should play every AFL game for the remainder of the season no matter what.

Lonergan, Rivers, Mackie & Enright will not be in our next premiership side; holding Kolo out of the team for us to try and scrape into 8th achieves zero, actually it achieves a very negative result in that there is a good chance he will want out and he is a player we can't afford to lose. We need to keep him and we need games into him. We are not competing for a flag so what will the coaching staff be achieving by persisting that mix week-in and week-out?

Same goes for Kelly, Stokes and to a lesser extent SJ. If we are to progress for 2017+ we should be doing all we can to get some or more games into Jansen, GHS, Smedts, Gore & Cockatoo. We have been getting games into kids, yes, but I think after tonights loss we need to be more aggressive in dropping senior guys who don't perform or rotating them.

I'd start with

Out: Stokes, Rivers, Simpson - I know Riv has been one of our best this year but we need to start seriously looking forward now.

In: Jansen, Kolo, Smedts/GHS/Kersten - Unfortunately, Blicavs & Walker have to play the ruck combo. Simpson is a liabilty, Get Jansen, GHS and eventually Gore some game time in the center while Blicavs has to ruck. We're f&*ked there anyway, so make a positive out of and blood some kids in the center while they have Bartel to learn from.

A couple more good VFL games from GHS, Gore and Smedts for match fitness if they don't come in this week and they should be pushing.

It just seems that we're at a real crossroads now and if we aren't prepared to go backwards a little bit to get some experience and senior exposure into our youth, we'll remain stagnant for longer. VERY interesting remainder of the season to see what the MC does. I hope they don't waste it on a pointless attempt to scrape into the finals.

Great post. I agree, we HAVE to play the young guys who will be part of our future, 2015 is done finals wise, no point persisting with the veterans, Scott has to tell them the situation, Mackie should go and as good as Enright is and as much as I love him I think he should retire just so we can move forward. Lonergan also a question mark.

Stokes and kelly need to make way, and SJ is finished, don't care what anyone says. Of course we will still have to keep experience in the side, but we have to ease a few out, Bartel for example is showing how it's done.

Time to just accept where we are now and build for 2017/18.

 

[Ricky Vaughn]

Simpson stays.

Our structure going forward is relied on Blicavs being a midfielder, and No. 2 ruckman. We should continue that.

Otherwise, we clearly need to move towards 2016. Stokes and Kelly go out, Cockatoo and Horlin-Smith come in.
Just don't play Blease or Smedts and we'll be looking good.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Simpson stays.

Our structure going forward is relied on Blicavs being a midfielder, and No. 2 ruckman. We should continue that.

Otherwise, we clearly need to move towards 2016. Stokes and Kelly go out, Cockatoo and Horlin-Smith come in.
Just don't play Blease or Smedts and we'll be looking good.

Why shouldn't we play Smedts? Now or never.

 

[THE CAT WRANGLER]

Shocking attitude,work ethic and defensive mindset.

In for a world of pain can't see aeon for awhile

 

[Mahlepi]

People need to understand that our youth is not great
Need to keep experience to assist the young guys

 

[Partridge]

People need to understand that our youth is not great
Need to keep experience to assist the young guys

Assist them in doing what though? Keeping all the veterans in is reasonable if the team is winning and still in contention (like 2013). Not it is when we're getting thrashed anyway.

 

[Mahlepi]

Assist them in doing what though? Keeping all the veterans in is reasonable if the team is winning and still in contention (like 2013). Not it is when we're getting thrashed anyway.

We would be thrashed by 100, and the kids would be mentally scared

 

[Mahlepi]

Why shouldn't we play Smedts? Now or never.

Smedts could come back to bite us ala varcoe

 

[fpm84]

Smedts and GHS in, please.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

Doggies small forwards are going to have a field day.

 

[Cataholic]

Simpson stays.

Our structure going forward is relied on Blicavs being a midfielder, and No. 2 ruckman. We should continue that.

Otherwise, we clearly need to move towards 2016. Stokes and Kelly go out, Cockatoo and Horlin-Smith come in.
Just don't play Blease or Smedts and we'll be looking good.

No thanks.

I've seen the Statue of Liberty move quicker and take more marks.

 

[Partridge]

We would be thrashed by 100, and the kids would be mentally scared

As opposed to losing to Sydney by 110 points last year, when we had Bartel, Kelly, Stokes, Johnson, Mackie, McIntosh and Rivers all playing. Tons of experience. It didn't help.

That's the flipside of that argument; in theory the youngsters have plenty of excellent examples to follow. The downside can be if too many veterans decline badly at once. It means that they're no longer providing the output expected, the young guys haven't yet developed enough to take over, and because there are too many veterans in the team the overall balance is affected.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Out: Rivers (inj), Selwood (susp), Simpson (no point playing if he's gone next year), Stokes (omit)

In: Kolo(rest of year), Smedts, Jansen, Gore(if fit enough. If not Kersten)

 

[JUBJUB]

May as well go Walker & Blitz in ruck,so on your bike Simpson.

IN : Jansen,Gore
OUT : Simpson,Stokes

Gregson sub

* Kolo in if Rivers is out
* Hyphen in if Selwood is out

 

[catman2006]

I would keep Simpson in, he needs a run of games to decide if we keep him hard to make any impact on a game here and their, did well at contests in the ruck just his around the ground movement needs to improve out of sight