Autopsy Cats lose to Demons by 8 points

[feelinfeline]

I would've made only one change, Stewart for Dangerfield.

Interesting. We all have our opinions. I wouldn’t have played Stewart. He didn’t look ready to me.

I though Clark and Atkins were better than Parfitt and MOC had been the previous week.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Had 1.

In the third as you say he came on at a different level of energy from others which is what you want out of a sub. And impacted for a couple of goal assists that were crucial for Cats getting back into the game

But zero impact in the last qtr which was a shame as his “fresh legs” was something that we could have used - and it was in our forward area for a fair chunk.

I am going to watch with interest. Different to Guthrie, Rowan has had 3 games to blow off the cobwebs but maybe he needed that sub role to get the pace of AFL again.

He will be very valuable if he brings what we all hope (And have seen) he can to the team….but if he is not at that level of impact then he will take up a spot from probably a midfielder in the end I think. No way he take O Henry space (he is genuine huge impact - scoreboard - off limited opportunities EVERY week) and I don’t think he will (or should) take Dempsey role which now looks to have morphed into a 90% plus wing connector role. So in some sense we will have 8 forwards as defined in “best 23” early in the year if Rohan and Dempsey play which means we need to lose one out of the MF.

Rohan will probably start this week as dempsey is almost due for a sub/rest but im not convinced rohan is b22 anymore.

 

[Heckler]

We are 7-1 and just lost our first game by 8 points. I very much doubt any mental problems exist.

Biggest mental problem is Chris Scott
Lax protecting the mark hurts the team.
Lax effort means a lack of discipline.
Lax self discipline is a mental issue.
Bad goalkicking is both technique and mental
Poor skill under pressure is a mental issue.
Need for a power forward has been obvious.
Every quick kick into F50 was intercepted.
Hawkins poor form been obvious for weeks.
Scott presser avoids saying the obvious.
Protecting his players feelings, staying positive.
This is protecting a mental weakness.
Fibbing to others leads to fibbing to oneself.
Avoiding harsh truths allows problems to remain.
Accepting truth is first step to fixing problems.
End of 2006 Cats met to bare the truth.
Why they played well some weeks, bad others.
Acknowledged: Played well when in right mood.
Vowed to play their best at 100% every game
Vowed never to let their teammates down.
This was a huge mental transformation
No surprise Cats great era began in 2007

Cats players are professionals.
They can handle the truth.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Interesting. We all have our opinions. I wouldn’t have played Stewart. He didn’t look ready to me.

I though Clark and Atkins were better than Parfitt and MOC had been the previous week.

Clark and atkins were good but i would have kept moc in and rested duncan (which we will probably do this week).

 

[Pure_Ownage]

I am worried that Toby “managed” is actually a niggle. Given how conservative they are I would not be suprised if they give him next week off and have Toby ready for Gold Coast. I hope that is wrong and he is ready to play Friday

He didnt look like he had a niggle in the vfl the previous week though. I think hes just been rested for port.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

But Blicavs has been really down on form. He's slower and can't hold onto marks. He must be playing injured.

Wouldnt surprise me. We do run him into thr ground a lot as structurally we cant afford to rest him.

 

[cats_09]

He feels like a Higgins or Dal in 2022. Will be there abouts and decision made in back end of the year whether a back up or best 23. Same as 2E.

I am not sure about Rohan as we need to see him play more in VFL to work out whether he is at his best.

I actually think we still have a chance to win flag even if these 3 are not part of our best 23 - but only if that is because we have continued development out of kids and mid age…

What we do need is the other “older players” to be at their best…Danger, Guthrie, Blitz, Jezza and Hawkins. If they have 2022 years then I reckon we are real shot. If they fall off or injured (at the moment Jezza only one I am truely confident in and Blitz very hopeful in terms of return to form - the rest are questionable)

In ruck I don’t know the answer other than we did win it in 2022 with Stanley as #1

I think guys like Duncan, Tuohy and Rohan look most vulnerable in terms of holding their positions across the remainder of the season

Not sure I necessarily see too much VFL though for Duncan or Tuohy, and calls on their playing future will be made in consultation with them as the season goes on

Dahlhaus & Higgins were more recent recruits who had predominantly played their football elsewhere, so seeing them in the VFL has a bit of different feel compared with guys who've played 150+ & 250+ games in the Hoops

 

[CHAWKTS]

Rohan will probably start this week as dempsey is almost due for a sub/rest but im not convinced rohan is b22 anymore.

Agree on all points…Rohan will definitely get a start - and they have to find out whether he is the best 22 Rohan or not…

Dempsey will get a rest either this week or against Gold Coast. I bet he wants to play Port! Mackie suggested it pre game on K Rock…discussing how much running he has done (I think he is now the first or second runner after Miers and certainly done the most running at high speed this year)

Rohan could be best 23 and should get a chance to prove it…but I would not be surprised if he gets squeezed out. For him to stay in he needs those classic run downs and tackles etc

 

[CHAWKTS]

He didnt look like he had a niggle in the vfl the previous week though. I think hes just been rested for port.

I hope you are right…and what i “heard” was wrong or overstated

 

[iameviljez]

Biggest mental problem is Chris Scott

That's not just a baby, it's a whole damn nursery out with the bathwater.

 

[Play it Sam]

In the cool light of day and time to reflect. I cannot believe how bad we were.

There is an absolute chasm between Cameron's best and worst. I can accept having an off night. Can even accept shanking a regulation kick at goal from 30-40 metres but 2 in less than 20 minutes ??? For a bloke on around $800k per year that is unacceptable.

Made me think who I want taking the game shot from 30-40 with everything on the line. My picks in order

Ollie Henry
Rohan
Close
Stengle
Hawkins
Cameron

At the start of the year I thought we were a bottom of the 8 side. Last couple of weeks started to think we could be top 4. Question is which game was the aberration, Carlton or Melbourne? The answer I think is both. We are not as good as we played against Carlton nor are we as bad as we played against Melbourne. Winning 1 out of 2 is probably a fair result although I would probably expect the results to be reversed. Lose against Carlton and a win against Melbourne.

My money is still on Hawk-if he can ever get it.
Don't know the % of accuracy among those listed, but Stengle is eminently trustworthy from any direction.
Rohan is an each way bet, a few finals miss shots to haunt him.
Melbourne is not as good as they think either, I'd have more faith Carlton will proceed.

 

[God Mode]

Yep- we were a fair way off our best and still could have won it. Melbourne’s tactics contributed to that scenario too, but mostly we just had an off day. Don’t really accept that the dees were near their best though. They were better than us but they can play better than that too. The rematch will be interesting.

Yeah, that's totally fair and probably my bias slipping in. But I was confident at every point in the game we could comeback and win, despite how we were playing. They were obviously forcing us to play their low-scoring game and it worked this time. I just think we are capable of kicking a far, far higher score than they can if we get things going on a better night.

 

[Heckler]

That's not just a baby, it's a whole damn nursery out with the bathwater.

Coach and Players are fundamentally fine
Just pointing the correct butts to kick : (edit)
Coaches paid big bucks to get team mentally fit.
Scott's mistake was to trust the plan
Mental state can be fixed overnight
Expect a hungry Cats team next week
Expect structural change next week

 

[Play it Sam]

Opposition posters have always been and will continue to be welcome to post on the Geelong board

And if their efforts is the best they can come up with, the best option is to laugh and move on - it wasn't even a decent attempt at trolling

Yes but ours had a point though, didn't he? Blues poster point totally irrelevant, sounded more like comeuppance.
And we seem to take the higher ground far more often than opposition forums/ We're usually more emotionally intelligent.

 

[Finknottle]

Half time in the Magoos

 

[Romeoh1]

Yeah, that's totally fair and probably my bias slipping in. But I was confident at every point in the game we could comeback and win, despite how we were playing. They were obviously forcing us to play their low-scoring game and it worked this time. I just think we are capable of kicking a far, far higher score than they can if we get things going on a better night.

Yep - I certainly came away thinking we can beat them. Pleased we scrapped it out despite being down on form.

 

[iameviljez]

Coach and Players are fundamentally fine
Just pointing the correct butts to kick : (edit)
Coaches paid big bucks to get team mentally fit.
Scott's mistake was to trust the plan
Mental state can be fixed overnight
Expect a hungry Cats team next week
Expect structural change next week

To somehow state that Chris Scott has a problem with managing a team's mental state following a close H&A loss to a good side, runs completely contrary to the fact that he has the best H&A record of any coach in history by such a large margin it's ridiculous.

The two hardest things when it comes to regular season games are managing fatigue, and getting the players up for each game. Frankly, he has shown that he's better at these things than any other coach in modern football history.

 

[iameviljez]

But Blicavs has been really down on form. He's slower and can't hold onto marks. He must be playing injured.

He's also 33 years old.

 

[Finknottle]

Half time in the Magoos

Cats by 46 points

 

[Turbocat]

Id almost say ... hit the showers boys ... we had one of those nights. Next.

Is there really much to learn from the night . Perhaps the AFl will have learnt that the 4.30 time slot might be more attractive at the G and under the roof at 7.30?

Big picture im sure the MC will have a few lurking doubts about a couple of players ... but we there is no way we will be doing anything that relects badly upon players that have been great for the club. I fully expect us to just support anyone who needs support and expect a change of form and luck to arrive eventually.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

He's also 33 years old.

Interrupted pre-season too.

Personally, I reckon we're managing his inside minutes to account for coming back from the shoulder.

It would also explain his marking troubles so far this year.

He was wearing the 'non-contact' cap until February from memory, it would hardly be surprising if he's not quite at full capacity in the upper body yet.

 

[Pollywaffle]

Hmm a bit early for cards close to his chest theory….. we mightn’t even make top 4 . They mightn’t either….

Barring disaster we are definitely making finals if our home ground record holds up. But yes maybe we were just outplayed and outcoached.

 

[Pollywaffle]

FWIW, I did miss the game because I was at a mate's party.

That said, I have always found Rohan a very difficult player, because "if he plays at his best" is such a lottery. I've only known four other players at Geelong to have such a massive gap between best and worst, and they are David Mensch, Rhys Stanley, Steven Motlop and Billy Brownless.

At his best, he is extremely valuable - but that is such a caveat.

We used to specialise in them.
Bruce Lindner, Gavin Excell, Half of the team from 1970-2005..

 

[Play it Sam]

Barring disaster we are definitely making finals if our home ground record holds up. But yes maybe we were just outplayed and outcoached.

You're right. Freud; sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
Or: where there's smoke there's fire.
Needless to say we love the autopsy.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

I can hear them laughing from here, but who cares, we're not suited to be media darlings.
Just cannot understand Jezza's 3 kicks for very gettable goals were so atrocious-even lucky to be points.

Blics looked like a ****ed Inspector Gadget -he couldn't even run or bend down in the end.
Duncan playing every bit his age, worse because you cringed when he got the ball-waiting for it.
Defenders all at sea, not in front. Stanley consistent with shiteness. A few umpiring faux pas
Upside Clark, Atkins, Holmes.
Upside home game next, and a rude awakening.

Geelong have been blessed with the old talented players seemingly playing forever

But maybe with Blicavs , yes hes got the athletics background , but maybe father time has caught up with him

This year he has put in some uncharacteristic games and looks right off the pace especially in contests , and last night he was terrible

If he cant resurrect his usual top form then that will be a big loss for Geelong

With Jack Henry i dont think he is any where near as good as alot of supporters think he is

 

[Play it Sam]

Yes, but what else can we do while natural attrition takes it place, one by one? Can't drop all of Blics, Tuohey, Hawk, Danger, Duncan, Stanley and send Cameron to ressies. I think we just have to keep the faith.

Jack Henry

38

Jack Henry

Age

26

Ht

192cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.3

3star

K

7.3

3star

HB

2.9

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.2

4star

MG

142.6

2star

D

8.6

2star

K

6.7

3star

HB

1.9

1star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.1

3star

MG

142.6

3star

D

9.6

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

2.6

3star

M

3.6

4star

T

2.0

4star

was without his General Stewart last week, and then Tom returned slightly off his best pace, so we'll keep the faith there as well. Pretty sure they'll never omit JH, just be patient for increase in form. It's a bit funny he's replaced Kolo as the whipping boy for the moment.

Actually quite sad that Fred Le Deux has left the mortal plane, he used to love Jack, and might have argued the point with you!