Game Day Round 3 - Crows v Cats

[catempire]

Huge opportunity here to setup the season.

 

[STPer18]

This has the makings of a real Danger game. 30+ and 2 goals.

 

[you pick one]

Best side available no excuses.

 

[fpm84]

Hawkins, Ablett three goals each.
Parfitt a sneaky chance to fly under the radar for BOG.
Stewart a lazy 25+ possessions and 10+ marks.

 

[dazbroncos]

3 - 0

Not too many hands would go up suggesting they thought this was on the cards -and reasonably so.

However,... here we are. Bring the heat, the gamestyle and the commitment of the last 2 weeks on a 5 day break and an interstate trip.... and thats probably only gonna get you 80% of the way there

Will be a massive get this one....

It can be done... go get it.

GO Catters

 

[Ratcat]

Henderson to the "Texan", Hendo looks ripped should be a doosey.

 

[Drunkcat]

Thursday just don't feel like game day must be getting old

 

[Strange Cat]

Thursday just don't feel like game day must be getting old

Shocking day to have it as you still have another day of work

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Can Geelong win the centre clearances - if and when that happens on a consistent basis - the Cats will become a reliable unit and very hard to beat

I keep coming back to that Haw v Geel game a few years back - where Orren Stephenson dominated in the ruck - they ball it up in the centre - beautiful palm to Chapman - Geel goal - they ball it up in the centre - another beautiful tap out to a Geel midfielder - Geel goal - ditto ditto ditto ditto - at qtr Time its 9 goals to 2 the Cats way against top class opposition - simply because they annihilated the Hawks in the centre clearances

However what normally happens is the Cats get smashed in the centre clearances - and if the backline holds firm - and the opposition waste a hell of alot of opportunities - like the last 2 weeks - then they can still record good wins

However ive got no confidence - until they consistently win the centre clearances - im just hoping tonight thats it

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

Great chance to see where we are at coming off two good wins against the Crows who were pantsed by the Hawks at home and just overcame the Swannies away.
They seem to like bringing the heat against us and it's rare they lose two in a row at home so a win by us would be a strong and early endorsement of our preparation for 2019. Get over the line and not counting chickens but with 2 home games out of the next 3 and Bombers,Roos to follow all of a sudden the dreaded first 8 weeks doesn't seem so scary.
Our starts have been very good so that needs to remain as does the manic pressure and forward line effectiveness , Dees threw a lot at us early and our response at the contest was first rate - let's hope that's in our DNA for the season.
Just have a feeling Hawk and Sav will cause havoc tonight as will Stanley who has had a very tough two weeks.
I'm normally a kiss of death but I reckon we have the weapons to bring this one home

 

[Jimmy Willis Jawline]

With our current forward pressure, and their defence shuffling around after Doedee's injury anything is possible. Get on Rohan to kick 5!
All seriousness though, Sam Jacobs being out, and Stanley surprising us all with his form is a boost.

 

[Pollywaffle]

Best side available no excuses.

Except:
five day break
Interstate travel
Still a good test. Knock these guys off on home deck and I will start believing..

 

[Vdubs]

Can Geelong win the centre clearances - if and when that happens on a consistent basis - the Cats will become a reliable unit and very hard to beat

I keep coming back to that Haw v Geel game a few years back - where Orren Stephenson dominated in the ruck - they ball it up in the centre - beautiful palm to Chapman - Geel goal - they ball it up in the centre - another beautiful tap out to a Geel midfielder - Geel goal - ditto ditto ditto ditto - at qtr Time its 9 goals to 2 the Cats way against top class opposition - simply because they annihilated the Hawks in the centre clearances

However what normally happens is the Cats get smashed in the centre clearances - and if the backline holds firm - and the opposition waste a hell of alot of opportunities - like the last 2 weeks - then they can still record good wins

However ive got no confidence - until they consistently win the centre clearances - im just hoping tonight thats it

I have similar memories of Mark Blake giving our mids an armchair ride in many games 2008, 2009. He might not have been great around the ground, although he was a link player, but that first usage is more important now with this 6-6-6.
I don't know how we were beaten by so many CC's and I 50's last week yet won by 80!!?

 

[you pick one]

Shocking day to have it as you still have another day of work

Not to mention 9 days here stewing over a loss if that's the way it falls,no we couldn't lose could we.

 

[Vdubs]

My concerns-
-Tex hit some form last week.
-Gibbs always plays well against us.
-Sloane loves playing against us now we have Danger.
-Do we have a matchup for Betts?
-The heat plus home crowd- last time I saw us play in those conditions was that dreaded final, and those memories need to be erased by a win tonight. They don't have Charlie Cameron who embarrassed us.

I say all this without acknowledging our own strengths, having added some hungry skilled young players and GAJ.

 

[BotsMaster]

Shocking day to have it as you still have another day of work

Yeah and kids have school in the morning as Garry Lyon said

 

[you pick one]

Except:
five day break
Interstate travel
Still a good test. Knock these guys off on home deck and I will start believing..

I won't be using either or them combined as an excuse,it not like the Crows have been sitting at home on their arses on extended breaks.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

I have similar memories of Mark Blake giving our mids an armchair ride in many games 2008, 2009. He might not have been great around the ground, although he was a link player, but that first usage is more important now with this 6-6-6.
I don't know how we were beaten by so many CC's and I 50's last week yet won by 80!!?

Its not a blueprint for consistent success

I didnt see Melbs game against Pt Adel - they must have been pretty ordinary

However last week in general play - i thought they were ok - in that 3rd qtr when they were dominating - they hit the post - that would have got them back to about 15 pts re margin - they couldnt take a trick - it was just a disaster game - even though i didnt think they played that bad

Pity the Dees aernt playing Haw this week because i reckon they would flog the Hawks

 

[year of the cat]

Didn't get an opportunity to reply to your post catempire before the thread was closed but I think those stats support my argument. At other venues to KP (which is where my concern lies) there was a 9% difference in winning from having 3 talls to having 4. The mathematicians can work out whether that is statistically significant but my gut tells me it is. (If you win 53% of games you potentially make finals. If you win 44% of games you certainly don't).

 

[Max Milburn]

More of the same and we're a big chance.
Shame it isn't going to rain tonight, because our ball movement in the wet last week made Melbourne look second rate.
Agree with YPO, it will be a long 9 days if we don't take home the points.

 

[catempire]

Didn't get an opportunity to reply to your post catempire before the thread was closed but I think those stats support my argument. At other venues to KP (which is where my concern lies) there was a 9% difference in winning from having 3 talls to having 4. The mathematicians can work out whether that is statistically significant but my gut tells me it is. (If you win 53% of games you potentially make finals. If you win 44% of games you certainly don't).

With those sample sizes drawing firm conclusions is problematic. People will likely see what they want to see.

My issue is more that confirmation bias at play with this debate. You hear a lot of noise pre-game when we play four talls, then a lot afterwards if we lose but none if we win. Yet the stats say it's roughly 50:50 as to which outcome you'll get.

 

[Tony Barber]

I'm going to be interested to see if our ball movement is like it was vs Collingwood.
People have spoken about our inability to spread on the MCG and then stymie the opponents spread.

Well we did it.
Let's back it up.

 

[year of the cat]

With those sample sizes drawing firm conclusions is problematic. People will likely see what they want to see.

My issue is more that confirmation bias at play with this debate. You hear a lot of noise pre-game when we play four talls, then a lot afterwards if we lose but none if we win. Yet the stats say it's roughly 50:50 as to which outcome you'll get.

I think what you say is true. We all have different perceptions and ideas as to what our best set up is. Some of that may be supported by stats, most of it though is based on how we watch the game and how we view certain moments in matches. My opinion, rightly or wrongly, is that we "look" a much more dangerous and damaging team when we have better run out of defence. When we have a taller set up, that run, in my opinion, is stifled and we look very one paced. We don't bring the ball into our forward 50 as quickly from our back 50.

I think what we have seen this year albeit in only 2 games, is a determination to try to run the ball more than we have been. Fast entries into that forward 50 supported by a manic forward pressure is working fantastically well. I think Clark's inclusion is critical. We have needed that player to run and carry as well as being able to deliver pin point passes over a long distance. He's a beauty. Combine that with Stewart's run and mobile talls in Blicavs, Henry and Kolo then you have a bloody good set up. My concern is that throwing Henderson into that mix skews the dynamic of that back six back to a too stagnant one. I'd be playing Henderson only at the expense of Taylor or Blicavs. Anyway we will see tonight how it goes.

 

[Spearman]

Yeah and kids have school in the morning as Garry Lyon said

at first I was cursing the MF at the AFL, but then I was pleasantly surprised that today is a national holiday here, part of a 4 day weekend
so off to get some brews and eats and get myself set up for the game.

hoping the cohesion/synergy/mojo is not flash-in-the-pan and we compete well.
I also hope we don't fall for any niggle (you know who), but if they do any cheap stuff(he of the stupid nickname), someone takes him out.

get your game faces on boys!

 

[xtatik222k]

What I want to see:

- The smaller forwards and mids harrassing and chasing like their lives depend on it.
- Hawkins busting packs and bringing the ball to ground in the vicinity of Dalhaus, Rohan, Danger etc when he doesn't have the opportunity to take a clean mark.
- Attacking football in the backline to take advantage of Adelaide's lumbering forwards. Rebound, rebound, rebound.
- The best players in the middle from the opening bounce, PLEASE.
- Fifth-gear effort from the opening bounce. These games are always tough because a huge amount of the result is predicated upon the opening fifteen minutes. If you can't come out breathing fire from the opening bounce and you give away a four goal lead in the first quarter, that's the game.

Go Cats!