Season on the line next week

[catempire]

Fair point!

Still, in a way that would make it even more galling if one of our prime Jez + Hawkins in the same team years ended up being a "lost season" due to injuries. It could be decades before we assemble combined firepower like this again.

I certainly agree insofar as the opportunity that is here before us. But I also know that winning flags in this era is as much as anything about having a very good run with injuries at the right time. Bluntly: if we do not get a much better run with injuries in the back half of the season we are no chance. And conversely, whoever of Geelong, Collingwood and Melbourne (I won’t be convinced of Brisbane until they actually win it) does get the best run will almost certainly win it.

 

[Chinacats]

Cats are a 3rd tier top team ATM. 5-5 would be giving up a 3-4 game head start to the top dogs…. What happened to the ‘I’m content with a loss’ narrative?

 

[Kobe Gryant]

We're going to get players back, hit the turbo button and win the flag. Scott and the club are not the slightest bit concerned, we are going to be fine.

I see so many parallels to last year, and Richmond 2019. We'd like to be a game or two further ahead, but a slow start was to be expected, and arguably planned. Injuries have forced our hand there.

I reckon we can afford 2 more losses and finish top 4, and with the extra game we could maybe stretch that to 3. It would be pushing our luck but it's been done.

The top 2 argument is a moot point anyway, if we finish 4th we're going to get the Dees or Pies regardless. We get dudded there either way.

 

[And_ROOS]

We can come back from 5-5 purely because we have an easier draw after the bye with home games and players back but the more wins we can get before the bye the more the chance of top 4 stays in play. So its a crucial game.

The massive amount of home games we have in the run home, along with hopefully a smaller injury list, will be the 2 factors that determine if we have success this year.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Put it this way: This time last year a premiership was the furthest thing from our minds. It looked like a middling year, where we'd play some kids and have some highs and lows. Nobody, and I mean nobody saw 16 in a row coming.

Fast forward to this year, we have personnel coming back in short order, and an easier run home than we had this time last year.

We don't have to win 17 in a row, we just have to win all but 2 or 3. It's more than doable. Get into a QF against the Pies or Dees and anything can happen.

Just got to get to 16 or 17 wins, our percentage will get us over the line if it's tight.

 

[Mr Meow]

Win the next three and I'm very confident we'll finish in the top 4.

Lose one of them and it makes it a 50/50 where we may need to win a big game like Port on the road.

There's little doubt in my mind that we will finish the season very strongly and win 8 of our last 10, even though there are some serious tests in there.

 

[Baudolino]

Win the next three and I'm very confident we'll finish in the top 4.

Lose one of them and it makes it a 50/50 where we may need to win a big game like Port on the road.

There's little doubt in my mind that we will finish the season very strongly and win 8 of our last 10, even though there are some serious tests in there.

Do you think 16-7 will be enough for top four?

 

[Mr Meow]

Do you think 16-7 will be enough for top four?

I think so. It would be really nice if Port slipped up against Melbourne and Richmond (vomit) over the next two weeks. If they win those two they may take some catching. I hope the St Kilda game was an anomaly and they will drop some games when they visit Victoria.

 

[CHAWKTS]

Come back from what exactly??
Top 2 ?? Yeah i think u r right.
Top 4?? Mmm makes it tuff.
5-6th ?? nah we are in prime position.
7-8th ?? LockItInEddy.

Last part of the season will dictate how we enter September.
Like every season. Injuries will dictate how far we travel. 2022 we were kissed on the Richard TBH.

Agree about injuries. We had them all first half (like 2023) which rested out players and we had no injuries to any of our top 26 players (other than poor max last game)…Very charmed run after the bye. If we have the same we will win back to back…!

 

[you pick one]

The last two games we have lost by 4 goals a goal a quarter we have that covered sitting on the injury list plus heaps more I bet there are 17 other coaches hoping they stay there.

 

[Strange Cat]

Fair point!

Still, in a way that would make it even more galling if one of our prime Jez + Hawkins in the same team years ended up being a "lost season" due to injuries. It could be decades before we assemble combined firepower like this again.

You can’t control injuries and if we don’t have a full list by the month before finals that’s just how it rolls

 

[Strange Cat]

The last two games we have lost by 4 goals a goal a quarter we have that covered sitting on the injury list plus heaps more I bet there are 17 other coaches hoping they stay there.

This , should we get a full list and cohesion on the run to the finals we will blow the teams away

 

[Chinacats]

Is this the official preview thread for the dockers game? Sticking with it?

 

[Chinacats]

Dockers looked good going forward against depleted swans backline last week. Got two good smalls in Schulz & seirakowski . Two talls played well in Jackson & Treacy and add Amiss as the lead up target and they’ll be hard to contain if given decent supply…

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

Is this the official preview thread for the dockers game? Sticking with it?

dazbroncos winty
Should have my preview done by tomorrow - do you want me to post it here ?
Thanks
F2G

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Dockers looked good going forward against depleted swans backline last week. Got two good smalls in Schulz & seirakowski . Two talls played well in Jackson & Treacy and add Amiss as the lead up target and they’ll be hard to contain if given decent supply…

I think they'll look to replicate tigers method they undertook in the 2nd half against us. Park talls in front of sav and bring to ground. Schultz as a Switowski the danger forwards.

 

[GeelongFTW]

I agree 1000% with you

Im not that perturbed if Geel dont finish top 4 - for the very reason you have stated

Terribly weak comp - Geel get all their players fit and firing re Sept -bottom part of 8 you need to win 4 games to win flag - top 4 - have to still win 3 games to win the premiership - one double chance - but last 2 finals sudden death - and we have seen numerous short price faves on PF night get the jitters

And Geel in the finals this year - have got no pressure on them whatsoever - because the Premiership drought clock for the Cats is sitting at Zero years .

The reason why teams outside of the top 4 don't win is that usually teams that finish that low are generally not good enough to win a PF/GF. Not necessarily because its too difficult to win 4 in a row.

If we finish 5th because we lost to gold coast round 3 (for example) but otherwise in pretty good shape i wouldn't count us out.

 

[GeelongFTW]

Do you think 16-7 will be enough for top four?

port, saints and crom are hardly world beaters. no reason why we cant finish above them

 

[Strange Cat]

I would say we would be a good chance of beating Brisbane up there which should help us get a top four spot

Lots of things to line up first

 

[PzBlinky]

I would say we would be a good chance of beating Brisbane up there which should help us get a top four spot

Lots of things to line up first

Why do you say that?

I think the Lions game is 40/60 at best - they're a different team up here.

That said, if we get most of our injured back AND if they're back to their old form, then maybe it becomes more a 50/50.

 

[Strange Cat]

Why do you say that?

I think the Lions game is 40/60 at best - they're a different team up here.

That said, if we get most of our injured back AND if they're back to their old form, then maybe it becomes more a 50/50.

Got a solid record vs them up there from
Memory without looking it up …I could be very wrong though

 

[Jumping Jack]

Comment I got from a senior person at another club over the weekend was that Geelong are still his smart money bet for the flag.

"Deep lists win premierships and Geelong is thought by most clubs to have the deepest list"

"If Collingwood and Melbourne stay healthy they're the biggest threats, but Geelong are able to rotate players and freshen key players better than anyone and they'll have learned a lot, and be confident in their ability to do that again this year"

"Brisbane a threat if they get it on their terms and score 2 home finals ..... but put a line through them if they don't finish first or second".

 

[PzBlinky]

Got a solid record vs them up there from
Memory without looking it up …I could be very wrong though

It's hard to look at the track record with all the COVID mix-up. Last time we played there (2021) we got smashed by 7 goals - but did the same to them in the 2020 PF.

Actually looking at the record, they have a decent H&A record against us. They've gotten close a couple of times down at the Cattery too.

 

[Mr Meow]

It's hard to look at the track record with all the COVID mix-up. Last time we played there (2021) we got smashed by 7 goals - but did the same to them in the 2020 PF.

Actually looking at the record, they have a decent H&A record against us. They've gotten close a couple of times down at the Cattery too.

Jagging the game against Port in Adelaide would be nearly as tough but more important. Beat Bulldogs twice, Port twice and St Kilda then our odds of snatching 4th go way up. If anything we want Collingwood, Melbourne and Brisbane to win as many games as possible. Or at least, the games against sides currently in 4th-10th.

 

[Sire of Claude]

We've got to get the missing players back and then they have to find form - and quickly - and that won't necessarily happen.

My hunch is we'll miss top 4 but I can see us winning the flag if we're fit and firing come September. Maybe be other teams will cop the injury curse.

Why? Because at full strength we have the complete structure - forwards, backs and a mid-field that in form can hold its own.