Review Semi-Final #2 2021 - Geelong Cats v GWS Giants, 7.50 pm AEST Fri 3 September @ Optus Oval, WA

Nov 23, 2015
11,654
17,071
AFL Club
GWS
The GIANTS take on Geelong on Friday night at 7:50pm EST.

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The GIANTS have made three changes for Friday night’s cut-throat semi-final against Geelong at Optus Stadium in Perth. Third-year forward Bobby Hill will get the chance to play in front of his home crowd having been named to play his first game since round 17. Hill has played 16 matches this season and kicked 13 goals. He returned to Sydney following the round 17 win over the Suns and re-joined the team via the quarantine hub.

The GIANTS’ first selections from the 2020 Draft, Tanner Bruhn and Conor Stone will also get their first full taste of finals action. Bruhn was the medi-sub for last week’s elimination final against the Swans, coming on for the final nerve-wracking quarter. Stone comes in for his fifth game of the season after debuting in round four and overcoming hamstring issues.

Out of the side are Toby Greene (suspension), Tom Green (broken arm) and Sam Reid (hamstring).

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Capture - SF team changes.PNG


Making the semi-final this year has exceeded the expectations of most. Certainly, the Melbourne media circus had pretty much written off GWS as a finals chance this year following the losses of Jeremy Cameron, Aidan Corr, Zac Williams, Jye Caldwell (all to other clubs) and Heath Shaw (retired) on top of a poor 2020. And this season's results probably reflected that to a large degree, with a poor start to the year and some mixed results throughout. We had a tendency to lose games to those we should have beaten, but then lift to beat those we should have lost to. Finishing 7th was a surprise to many; beating the Swans last week - who had impressively bounced back from their own poor results in 2020 - a huge surprise.

Once again this week, the Giants are tipped to fall to our higher-placed opposition. Geelong have integrated their off season recruits, including ex-Giant Jeremy cameron and ex-Hawk Isaac Smith well, to finish third and look -as usual - menacing. And the fact that GWS has been on the road for a long part of this season (and didn't handle that at all well in 2020) is just further proof for the naysayers that this will be a Cats win.


When the GIANTS and their crosstown rivals Sydney left the harbour city on June 22, they expected to be away for a week or two to avoid potential complications due to a COVID-19 outbreak in NSW. It is now 10 weeks later and the GIANTS' players and staff still haven't returned to their homes but have been based at six locations across four states, had dozens of COVID-19 tests and covered more than 8000km on hastily-arranged flights. Staying ahead of escalating outbreaks, snap lockdowns and border closures has also meant training at more than 10 different venues and playing five consecutive 'home' matches away from home. Perth is the next stop on this cross-country journey.

Well, so be what the experts, media pundits, and many opposition fans think. Hopefully, our Giants live up to their #Never Surrender tagline, and fight out a win tonight.

But even if we don't win, we should be proud of what the boys have achieved this year in the face of much adversity. Hopefully, that stands them in excellent stead for next year, too.

Go Giants, beat the Cats.
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,989
41,667
AFL Club
GWS
On one side, all the pre-season talk was we would be at the top of the bottom 8.
We then lost our 1st 3 (no matter the reasons or excuses that are valid). We then left our home to have a never ending road trip.
To say I’m proud of the club as a whole for making to the second week of the finals, winning a Sydney Derby eliminator against a more fancied big brother, is an understatement. They have developed the youth and rookies, for the most part really really well.

Now after saying all that. I really do think we can beat them playing at our best.
Defence has held up and has taken them on before, though without the traitor, and our mids seem to be firing, well at least for 3 quarters.
Hogan is getting better week by week and hopefully Cogs kicking rust is all gone as the rest of the talent is still there.

Giants by 8
 

ClockworkOrange

Club Legend
Jan 30, 2016
1,504
2,190
AFL Club
GWS
A once in a lifetime opportunity to blow the Cattery to smithereens.

If we win tonight we:

1. End the Scott era, and define it as one of Finals failure.
2. Instantly trigger a Cats list purge and rebuild.
3. Deny Dangerfield a flag.
4. Validate the Jezza trade for us.
5. Make Cogs a WA legend.
6. Complete Hogan’s rehab as a KPF on his 100th.

100 per cent of the pressure on the Cats.

Zero pressure on us.

Absolute, bona fide FREE HIT.

Giants by 1, just because that will maximise the melt at the Cattery

ps. Can’t believe they didn’t select Dog Dahlhaus tonight.

It may be Chris Scott’s final coaching error at the Cattery….



Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
 

Hendo_21

Club Legend
Aug 14, 2021
1,928
2,756
AFL Club
GWS
A once in a lifetime opportunity to blow the Cattery to smithereens.

If we win tonight we:

1. End the Scott era, and define it as one of Finals failure.
2. Instantly trigger a Cats list purge and rebuild.
3. Deny Dangerfield a flag.
4. Validate the Jezza trade for us.
5. Make Cogs a WA legend.
6. Complete Hogan’s rehab as a KPF on his 100th.

100 per cent of the pressure on the Cats.

Zero pressure on us.

Absolute, bona fide FREE HIT.

Giants by 1, just because that will maximise the melt at the Cattery

ps. Can’t believe they didn’t select Dog Dahlhaus tonight.

It may be Chris Scott’s final coaching error at the Cattery….



Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
Personally not too shocked that Dahlhaus got dropped he's been quite poor for a while now, really hope we get some big games out of Hogan, Hill and Cogs playing back home super excited for them
 
Sep 8, 2012
10,179
9,036
Sydney
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
GWS
A once in a lifetime opportunity to blow the Cattery to smithereens.

If we win tonight we:

1. End the Scott era, and define it as one of Finals failure.
2. Instantly trigger a Cats list purge and rebuild.
3. Deny Dangerfield a flag.
4. Validate the Jezza trade for us.
5. Make Cogs a WA legend.
6. Complete Hogan’s rehab as a KPF on his 100th.

100 per cent of the pressure on the Cats.

Zero pressure on us.

Absolute, bona fide FREE HIT.

Giants by 1, just because that will maximise the melt at the Cattery

ps. Can’t believe they didn’t select Dog Dahlhaus tonight.

It may be Chris Scott’s final coaching error at the Cattery….



Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Also an opportunity to win some fans too. Lots of neutrals going for us that couldn’t even tell us 3 players. Going to be awesome

For some reason I think they can do it

Hope we didn’t play our GF Last week


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
 
Sep 8, 2012
10,179
9,036
Sydney
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Fremantle
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GWS
Dumb hunch. Can't say I called it if I haven't put it out there first.

Also can't see Mummy making it through all 4 quarters.

But I do see a giants win.

Now hopefully I nail the last prediction!



Via BigFooty mobile app.

Is that you Chris Scott

Arn’t you a sneaky bugger


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
 
Sep 8, 2012
10,179
9,036
Sydney
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
GWS
Haha just had a look at the Geelong board too. Not saying a word

Until GWS win then heading straight there for my first ban of season 2022.

Pretty poor to still bring up the no fans thing after 10 years in the comp and over 30K members really


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
 
Nov 7, 2017
27,654
53,308
Melbourne
AFL Club
GWS
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Manchester City, Collingwood AFLW
Probably the first game of the year I truly feel like I can't pick a favourite, we're looking good despite the Sydney fight back last week and I feel we're past the point of Toby reliance in the team, Stone and Hill add speed we haven't had for a while and on a big ground they'll struggle to match that. Throw in the fact they've been letting in a lot of scores from stoppages and it's the perfect mix for us to win

But Geelong are Geelong, they've got a ridiculous amount of experienced talent, especially when it comes to finals time, if they beat us, I think it'll be down to better ball use and better structure which they're capable of. Locking down Jezza is going to be vital for a win here, he gets off the leash and it lifts a whole team
 
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