It's been interesting to sit back and digest the review from many Cats supporters but I think we should all keep things in perspective ... Bomber did'nt exactly look gutted and I suspect that whilst we saw close to the full repetoire from StK the Cats definately held back some cards. Here's my take on how it all unfolded - just an opinion.
(1) Check out the first qtr - we started with Ablett and Bartel outside the centre square and Mumford in the ruck and by the 15min mark we're 5 goals down. I'm recalling @ 25min mark was the first time Ablett and Bartel went in for extended periods.
(2) SJ was a big loss - as some media outlets have reported, if the brownlow was'nt built around weight of posessions he'd propably be leading the count right now. His absence was one thing but what it allowed StK to do was have both Fisher and Gilbert not be as accountable (as either would have taken SJ) and they both had 25+ touches. Next time they have to sit one on SJ's clacker all day in a defensive mindset.
Make no mistake - Geelong and ever other club knows to beat StK you must limit the free run and carry from Fisher ... next time they'll need to use Gilbert as a negater against SJ and you can almost guarantee that Max Rooke will have a serious 'take out' job planned for Fisher ..... but why reveal your plans for Fisher in a Rd 14 game.
My sources tell me that SJ would have played if it was a final and quote ..."really no serious reason he did't play today other than giving him a week of that strangely coincided with a big game" ... it's called "keeping the powder dry".
(3) Next time Ottens will be fit and don't tell me for one minute that Gardner will be the difference and kick 4. More importantly he gives us another option (which we currently lack) of pushing a big bloke forward.
(4) I reckon Geelong showed their hand (or lack of) at selection by not bringing in Gamble ..... he's got a bit of x-factor and whilst they were propably tempted to play him I'd say they see him as another ace up the sleeve.
(5) For those of you turning the heat onto Hawkins - take a few minutes and think it through. His best football in recent weeks has been playing the lead up role and then quick movement inside 50m .... they pushed him wide yesterday (almost as a decoy) and hardly had him playing a lead up role. Come September I still think he has a big role to play.
(6) On a lighter note - by the time we play them in a GF (hopefully) I'm tipping that umpire Chamberlain might have received some training on the 'play on - advantage' rule and not bend us over onto 'all fours' and perform un-natural farm animal acts on us. He might also realise that in the same passage of play that it's dangerous for Ablett if his head is rammed 2 metres below the surface with 95kg strapped to his back .... afterall coal miners at least take oxygen tanks when they go underground.
Sorry - had to get that off my chest.
(7) We saw glimpses of Ablett being rested down forward but certainly not for extended periods and I can't recall too many times him being 'one out' ... which leads me to think that this still remains a big ace in the deck and will surely be something we see more of come September. Same goes for Stokes - and whilst his form has dropped off a bit - it was a move that virtually won us the game V Doggies.
Finally, for those of you with an eye on stats ..... remember that in the last 7 years the eventual premier has lost it's previous encounter (H&A) with the side it beat on the last day in September. So it's far from doom and gloom.
(1) Check out the first qtr - we started with Ablett and Bartel outside the centre square and Mumford in the ruck and by the 15min mark we're 5 goals down. I'm recalling @ 25min mark was the first time Ablett and Bartel went in for extended periods.
(2) SJ was a big loss - as some media outlets have reported, if the brownlow was'nt built around weight of posessions he'd propably be leading the count right now. His absence was one thing but what it allowed StK to do was have both Fisher and Gilbert not be as accountable (as either would have taken SJ) and they both had 25+ touches. Next time they have to sit one on SJ's clacker all day in a defensive mindset.
Make no mistake - Geelong and ever other club knows to beat StK you must limit the free run and carry from Fisher ... next time they'll need to use Gilbert as a negater against SJ and you can almost guarantee that Max Rooke will have a serious 'take out' job planned for Fisher ..... but why reveal your plans for Fisher in a Rd 14 game.
My sources tell me that SJ would have played if it was a final and quote ..."really no serious reason he did't play today other than giving him a week of that strangely coincided with a big game" ... it's called "keeping the powder dry".
(3) Next time Ottens will be fit and don't tell me for one minute that Gardner will be the difference and kick 4. More importantly he gives us another option (which we currently lack) of pushing a big bloke forward.
(4) I reckon Geelong showed their hand (or lack of) at selection by not bringing in Gamble ..... he's got a bit of x-factor and whilst they were propably tempted to play him I'd say they see him as another ace up the sleeve.
(5) For those of you turning the heat onto Hawkins - take a few minutes and think it through. His best football in recent weeks has been playing the lead up role and then quick movement inside 50m .... they pushed him wide yesterday (almost as a decoy) and hardly had him playing a lead up role. Come September I still think he has a big role to play.
(6) On a lighter note - by the time we play them in a GF (hopefully) I'm tipping that umpire Chamberlain might have received some training on the 'play on - advantage' rule and not bend us over onto 'all fours' and perform un-natural farm animal acts on us. He might also realise that in the same passage of play that it's dangerous for Ablett if his head is rammed 2 metres below the surface with 95kg strapped to his back .... afterall coal miners at least take oxygen tanks when they go underground.
Sorry - had to get that off my chest.
(7) We saw glimpses of Ablett being rested down forward but certainly not for extended periods and I can't recall too many times him being 'one out' ... which leads me to think that this still remains a big ace in the deck and will surely be something we see more of come September. Same goes for Stokes - and whilst his form has dropped off a bit - it was a move that virtually won us the game V Doggies.
Finally, for those of you with an eye on stats ..... remember that in the last 7 years the eventual premier has lost it's previous encounter (H&A) with the side it beat on the last day in September. So it's far from doom and gloom.
