Autopsy Cats lose to Lions by 9 points.

[Play it Sam]

As disappointing as losing from the position we were in last night is, I'm not too concerned in the grand scheme of things.

We're rolling with a new look midfield this year that is pretty young and I think we're still trying to work on what our best 6- 8 midfielders are.
Knevitt, Clark, Clohesy all less than 20 games.
Holmes, SDK, Dempsey all less than 80 games.
A new cog in Bailey Smith.
It's been a big shift from years gone by of late, an I just think it needs time to settle and gel.
ef
Defence looks solid enough & some of the forwards could play better, but the key IMO to a successful year is we can get that midfield to gel and work. Hopefully towards the pointy end of the season.

We have to have belief and the conditions were atrocious, an each way bet. It’s the inconsistency in either chasing down a lead or burning one that’s the worry. Going to be hearing footsteps every half time break If they keep this up, other teams will hunt us.

 

[fpm84]

 

[Strange Cat]

Anyone in the VFL to give a run or will we reshuffle the big players around to fill in his spot?

 

[Munich]

Stewart and Mannagh yes. Kolo no.

The backline is settled when he's there.

 

[joe444]

The above (Neale) really bothers me, because the K Rock call picked up on it really early and repeated, to the point of ad nauseum, that he was hampered. About halfway through the second quarter they predicted that Harris Andrews "will just sag off him all night" and it pretty much happened that way.

We were top-heavy in the conditions anyway. And now it looks like he really was hurt.

I know they're the pros, but sometimes the club stuffs up.

 

[fpm84]

Anyone in the VFL to give a run or will we reshuffle the big players around to fill in his spot?

J Henry seems the obvious switch for me, potentially COS (maybe reliant on Kolo being available) or SDK (if we bring Stanley in to ruck).

 

[ShadowCat]

Would imagine the moon boot is just precautionary. Likely rolled it, swelled up, and then played out the game. Can't imagine they'd have let him play the whole game, if it was anything more serious than that. Wouldn't be able to if it was a syndesmosis or anything sinister.

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

Would imagine the moon boot is just precautionary. Likely rolled it, swelled up, and then played out the game. Can't imagine they'd have let him play the whole game, if it was anything more serious than that. Wouldn't be able to if it was a syndesmosis or anything sinister.

He didn’t roll it, looked more like a ‘jarring’ of the joint as he landed.

 

[iameviljez]

Dropped that simple chest mark early on which was almost costly, but otherwise was alright. Had 10 CP's & 4 clearances last night in 3qtrs.
I thought we missed his presence in the contest in the last quarter. If uninjured, Neale would have been subbed out who looked hampered and was ineffective for the most part.

Speaking of, Neale is in a moon boot

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Agreed that there’s nothing new coming from the VFL anytime soon.

It probably shows how young we were last night.

Usually there’s a kid or two we are exited about going ok in the VFL and it’s just a matter of time before they get a birth.

Well all those kids were playing last night (Besides Conway).

I'm going to hold out hope on Hofmann

 

[Jeff76]

SDK to full forward and Blitz to ruck? Either way Demons midfield of Gawn Trac and Oliver will be licking their lips next week.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[cats_09]

Could always try Stanley in the ruck with SDK up forward to see how he goes with his goal kicking

Or if we have Mannagh good to return this week, we don't replace Neale with a tall, instead backing in Cameron & Henry up forward to pull out their fingers and surround them with a mosquito fleet of smalls

It's a configuration we could try on the smaller KP

 

[AM]

We have to have belief and the conditions were atrocious, an each way bet. It’s the inconsistency in either chasing down a lead or burning one that’s the worry. Going to be hearing footsteps every half time break If they keep this up, other teams will hunt us.

The concern might be it was when the conditions improved the Lions got hold of us.

 

[AM]

SDK to full forward and Blitz to ruck? Either way Demons midfield of Gawn Trac and Oliver will be licking their lips next week.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

SDK was fine in the ruck the week before. There's a lot of short-termism around these parts.

 

[Hinkley29]

O'Sullivan looks great down back, he is strong overhead and has wheels. Not sure how you fit Kolo into the team unless JHenry goes out. If O'Sullivan needs to be managed then Kolo is a fair replacement.

It will depend on the structure of the opposition, but….

Kolo takes the deepest/biggest forward.
Henry takes the other key forward.
COS and Zuth are intercept floaters who can defend in specific situations if needed (ie. when the other team transitions of a turnover and we are out of position)
Stewart plays more mid minutes (goodness knows we could have used him taking some midfield minutes last night)
Mullin takes the small forward unless Bews takes his spot
Blitz does what Blitz does

 

[Jeff76]

SDK was fine in the ruck the week before. There's a lot of short-termism around these parts.

I thought Marshall flogged him last week, 29 possessions and 32 hit outs.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[hbk_aus]

Long time no post. Have seen some comment on fitness being an issue. I think our last quarter tally for the year is 16 goals to 5 our way so not sure fitness is an issue. Skills, composure and foot speed however...

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Anyone in the VFL to give a run or will we reshuffle the big players around to fill in his spot?

SDK or COS forward would be the switch for me

 

[Strange Cat]

SDK or COS forward would be the switch for me

I like the idea of COS forward as I can see teams not giving him any respect which may result in a few sneaky goals

 

[Biggy_Boy]

The above (Neale) really bothers me, because the K Rock call picked up on it really early and repeated, to the point of ad nauseum, that he was hampered. About halfway through the second quarter they predicted that Harris Andrews "will just sag off him all night" and it pretty much happened that way.

We were top-heavy in the conditions anyway. And now it looks like he really was hurt.

I know they're the pros, but sometimes the club stuffs up.

Might have been a play to take Neale off, inject Knevitt into the mids earlier and then push SDK into the forward line as a forward. Obviously SDK wasn't working in the ruck and Neale was hampered. SDK can't fit into the backline and can't do ruck so the forward line is really our last option.

 

[hoopla]

Long time no post. Have seen some comment on fitness being an issue. I think our last quarter tally for the year is 16 goals to 5 our way so not sure fitness is an issue. Skills, composure and foot speed however...

I think humidity was probably a factor. If you don’t play or train in it often then it’d certainly have to have an impact. Queensland humidity can be oppressive at times.

 

[And_ROOS]

Has everyone calmed down from last night ? Our two losses haven’t been big ones they just sting a bit more because they could had been won

The team will only get better and it’s a long year I’m sure they’ll be fine over the next month

The concern I have is we still haven't addressed what to do when teams get momentum and slam on goals.
Against Freo we were out of sight but it was still a scare.

It cost us against Saints and Brissie. And we are lucky that we get Melbourne while they are at their absolute worst so they lack the forwards to punish us.

But the AFL right now is a momentum swing game, and we are awful when teams get a run on.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

You just cant put on 15kg at once.
There was a nth player I knew. They made him work admin all week. Everyday they gave him a loaf of bread and made him eat it all during work hours. It did not work.

I spent 2 dedicated years trying to lift my weight above 78.
I made it to 80.

We are all built differently.

I agree with that. And that's why I'm not worried so long as he has the right attitude to his training and diet (which only our fitness staff would know) as it will take time. He's absolutely a smart player his body just has not caught up yet.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Anyone in the VFL to give a run or will we reshuffle the big players around to fill in his spot?

No key forwards in the 2s-molier and edwards injured, polk not ready.
Either mannagh is a straight swap and we go smaller (ie play danger out of FF) or mannagh in for someone else and Stanley goes in and sdk goes forward (I wouldn't move osullivan he's doing too well where he us keep him there).

 

[D BRIDGE]

No key forwards in the 2s-molier and edwards injured, polk not ready.
Either mannagh is a straight swap and we go smaller (ie play danger out of FF) or mannagh in for someone else and Stanley goes in and sdk goes forward (I wouldn't move osullivan he's doing too well where he us keep him there).

CS has mentioned SDK playing forward at times in the preseason.

Well.... Now might be the time.