Autopsy Cats lose to Suns by 64 points.

[Mattttty]

Neale was shocking in the first half but I'll give him credit for working into the game a bit more towards the end... I can forgive some of those dropped marks due to conditions. If it was dry, it would be another story.

The biggest issue IMO is midfield spread and linkup players... The mix in there is terrible.

Really need to clone Holmes a few times... Not sure if possible though. Thank god he re-signed.

Guys like Parf, Bruhn, and Axe play in such a small radius that once the ball is out of it, they offer very little + they aren't even dominant within that radius.

Get Mullin in the guts more.

Conway should be a fine ruck for a long time.

I may be wrong but I feel like Neale is going to start clunking those marks soon enough and when he does he'll be a really potent target up there.

 

[Finknottle]

Neale was absolutely no worse than Rohan. In fact he was significantly better.

Drop Rohan. Bring Hawkins and Cameron in. Emphasise to Neale that the only way he can hold his spot with the other talls in is to be better at contesting aerial balls and bringing more to ground. Like it or not, we DO need Cameron on the wing around half the time anyway.

If Neale clunked a few of those sitters (humidity a factor? Still disappointing) he ends up with 6 shots at goal on a dog of a night for our team. I don't see how that can be auto reversion to the VFL.

"Emphasise to Neale that the only way he can hold his spot with the other talls in is to be better at contesting aerial balls and bringing more to ground."

It would be difficult for Neale not to be better than Hawkins and Cameron at contesting aerial balls.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

"Emphasise to Neale that the only way he can hold his spot with the other talls in is to be better at contesting aerial balls and bringing more to ground."

It would be difficult for Neale not to be better than Hawkins and Cameron at contesting aerial balls.

He has to play.

I wouldn't play Hawkins, but the club will, and they'll bring Duncan with him.

In that case, Neale plays ahead of Rohan. With Taylor, Buckley, & Idun, we probably need that extra tall regardless.

We've flirted with playing all 3 on many occasions, it's time we actually did it.

If it goes wrong, then forget about it...but after the last 3 weeks we're not exactly in a position snub our noses at any idea.

And if you really want to get granular about it, with the way we're using him Cameron isn't a key forward anyway.

 

[Mr Meow]

"Emphasise to Neale that the only way he can hold his spot with the other talls in is to be better at contesting aerial balls and bringing more to ground."

It would be difficult for Neale not to be better than Hawkins and Cameron at contesting aerial balls.

I don't think that should be the directive though.

"Try to get more balls to ground than Hawkins"

His standards should be set against his own development curve.

 

[bombersboy]

"Emphasise to Neale that the only way he can hold his spot with the other talls in is to be better at contesting aerial balls and bringing more to ground."

It would be difficult for Neale not to be better than Hawkins and Cameron at contesting aerial balls.

There in lies the rub. He is worse.

 

[foxdog50]

very unpopular opinion, but I wish Tom had hung up his boots at the end of 2023 on a high. We wouldn't have been 7-0, but at least our team would have got used to the forward setup by now. Can anyone show me where a mid was actually looking for Neale last night? His poor showing wasn't all on him.

I can see why and what you mean regarding on Hawkins... he is my favourite player..
Finish on a high like Selwood and even Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath did..

 

[CatToTheFuture]

There in lies the rub. He is worse.

Neale has taken 4 and 5 marks this year so not great.

Hawkins averages 2.6.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Next week -

Ins - Cameron, Hardie, Mannagh, O’Sullivan

Outs - J.Henry, C.Guthrie, Tuohy, Atkins

Give Hawkins a decent rest and Neale another opportunity. Unfair to drop him after one game.

I think they will want hawkins to break the record at home but i get your point.

 

[Mr Meow]

Neale has taken 4 and 5 marks this year so not great.

Hawkins averages 2.6.

I think the Hawkins stuff should be put to the side and we purely focus on Neale and his development as a player i.e getting the best out of himself.

Rohan is crispy fried but before he retires surely he can impart some coaching on how to contest/equalise the aerial ball. O.Henry is starting to do it now and then (not nearly enough). It's something that would greatly benefit Henry and Neale's game and the function of the forward line going forward, because we have a bunch of elite smalls and link men. But it's useless if Neale and Henry are going to be as uncompetitive in the air (I'm talking about situations where they won't mark it, but could stop the opposition interceptors getting it) as late stage Cameron and Hawkins. That shouldn't be the only bar they have to clear.

A highlight of the game was when Henry did make a desperate spoil and Neale kicked the boomerang goal off the crumbs.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I think they will want hawkins to break the record at home but i get your point.

We play tigers at home the week after

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I think the Hawkins stuff should be put to the side and we purely focus on Neale and his development as a player i.e getting the best out of himself.

Rohan is crispy fried but before he retires surely he can impart some coaching on how to contest/equalise the aerial ball. O.Henry is starting to do it now and then (not nearly enough). It's something that would greatly benefit Henry and Neale's game, because we have a bunch of elite smalls and link men. But it's useless if Neale and Henry are going to be as uncompetitive in the air as late stage Cameron and Hawkins. That shouldn't be the only bar they have to clear.

You can only meet the bar you've got

 

[Mr Meow]

You cat only meet the bar you've got

True, but I see a mobile and athletic player. One with more zip than our veteran forwards. I reckon with some coaching he can square a bunch more 50/50s or even 40/60 situations. In the modern game, stopping elite interceptors having it all their way is just about half the battle.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

True, but I see a mobile and athletic player. One with more zip than our veteran forwards. I reckon with some coaching he can square a bunch more 50/50s or even 40/60 situations. In the modern game, stopping elite interceptors having it all their way is just about half the battle.

Yeah I think he has a fair bit of potential but it's not developing in the 2s

 

[Heckler]

Considering the majority of Cats had an off night
Even reliable consistent Cats had a night to forget.
Cats players didn't just lose their ability suddenly.
While very ordinary Suns played like superstars.
Can't simply be coincidence, has to be a reason.
Everyone seems quick to blame the midfielders
Sure there was a notable difference in class.
It didn't account for the un-competitiveness.
While every Cat seemed to be working hard.
Suns seemed to be doing it all effortlessly.
It's easy to underestimate the effects of:-
A 5 day turnaround following a hard game.
Consequences of travel, a lousy night's sleep.
Combination of 30C heat with 70% humidity.
A good first quarter is all Cats had to offer.
Half way through Q2 Cats hit the fatigue wall.
AFL football is a highly competitive game.
Only takes a 10% drop to look uncompetitive.
TV commentators said it was uncharacteristic.
Our disappointment is total understandable.
Our condemnation is somewhat unwarranted​

 

[CHAWKTS]

If they delist Neale end of current contract I would be astounded.

They will make a call on Neale this year I reckon. Either extend him if they genuinely think he is Hawk replacement….or use him for trade bait for WA club with 1 year left on contract

 

[CHAWKTS]

I still don't get bringing 178cm Mannagh into the midfield when he has been playing as a small forward. Surely 185cm Mitch Hardie, a genuine midfielder, would come in. Hardie gets plenty of ball and lays a lot of tackles. We need a bit more height in the middle. Atkins and Parfitt are 180cm and Clark is 181cm

If we are taking about a straight injection into MF to address problem then yes I agree that Hardie is ahead for that specific role over Mannagh - for the reasons you outline.

I was thinking about a more radical MF surgery - like Crows and Essendon each did a few weeks ago. Ie. We move Holmes and Miers for example into the MF rotation. I think Mannagh could be a backfill then

 

[Hinkley29]

Off on a tangent - but is there a more annoying saying that has crept into footy vernacular as “player x’s one wood”?????

Not only is it cringeworthy, but also nonsensical. Most golfer’s “one wood” sucks, and is not actually a strength.

 

[catempire]

They will make a call on Neale this year I reckon. Either extend him if they genuinely think he is Hawk replacement….or use him for trade bait for WA club with 1 year left on contract

That would be an astounding move with a retiring Hawkins. Can’t agree that’s on the cards at all.

 

[catempire]

Off on a tangent - but is there a more annoying saying that has crept into footy vernacular as “player x’s one wood”?????

Not only is it cringeworthy, but also nonsensical. Most golfer’s “one wood” sucks, and is not actually a strength.

Would you accept: “his 4 iron punch out of the trees after spraying one-wood”?

 

[Hinkley29]

Would you accept: “his 4 iron punch out of the trees after spraying one-wood”?

Much better

 

[foxdog50]

Not many people are mentioning Blicavs... Honestly his form has been way below his standards playing as a midfielder...
His best games this year is when his playing ruck...


With the way our tall Defenders playing we should look at playing him in defence and play as that back up ruck. Was a great Key Defender when he played there
Just a thought

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

I'm glad I didn't watch it.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Can we all please agree that there is no meaningful analysis or conclusions that can be gleaned from that game. Please remember the following:

• the team was significantly depleted with a number of players being asked to fill a prominent role that they had not done previously.
• the conditions were outrageously favourable to one team (ie not Geelong) and you could see how foreign it was by their inability to handle and mark the football
• the location had a country football atmosphere which was unlike anything Geelong ever play in. GC play in this type of atmosphere every second week.
• the umpiring was some of the most one sided that I have ever seen.

Given the conditions above, we were NEVER winning that game. The loss to port was far more disappointing.

It was not instructive at all. Annoying yes, instructive no.

It is actually pretty scandalous that the AFL thinks it is a good idea to play any meaningful games in those conditions, and is example number 987,435 that the AFL has no interest in fixture integrity.

That is exactly right - Julius Sumner Miller

And Why Is It So - well you then list all the logical reasons why

Geel are well placed at 7-3 , if they lose badly to GWS ( which i dont think they will ) then you can raise questions about the team

 

[Cursed Cat]

Good summary CC.

I will add, that after he gifted Lukosius that goal in Q1 he is hereby given the Blicavs/Kolo edict to NEVER EVER KICK ACROSS GOAL WITH NO FORWARD MOMENTUM.

Amen.

 

[Cursed Cat]

As disappointing as Neale’s game was, he did kick a couple, had a goal assist and 6 score involvements all while dropping marks he’d usually take and dealing with our mids kicking it straight to Gold Coast defenders all night. His biggest issue for me was not getting to the right spots to contest. I’ll overlook the dropped marks in those conditions.

I’m not as down on him as others. It was just a shame he didn’t make himself undroppable.

Neale produced about what I expected under the conditions and with our midfield sputtering.

A bit like Conway though, the most pleasing thing about his game was the fact that he was still running around in the last quarter, in fact Neale's last quarter was arguable his best for the evening.

I did like his two finishes, too; the set shot was sound, the snap showed touch.