Preview Rd 6 Geelong V Brisbane Sat April 20 720 pm @ Gabba

[4quarter_cat]

Chris Scott for PM would be delicious.

Delicious? Can we get Bruce McIveny to commentate on election night?

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Oh man, umpires with the match saving htb non-decision for Draper

Genuinely funny. After the way the crows season ended last year there's a few friends of mine whose mental health will have been well diminished

 

[allrighty]

From Scotty
"He's the ultimate team man," Scott said of Hawkins.

"We've flagged consistently that we will manage our list.

"The good news is he was available to play this week and we think he'll be better next week for missing (against North).

"The conversations aren't difficult because I think our players understand it."

Hawkins is the heart + soul of our forward line. He's as solid a team player as we've ever seen. The number of times he altruistically passes the ball to a young player to kick a goal is proof that he gives so much of himself to help his teammates.

Achievements:
Triple Premiership player;
Coleman medallist;
Club best + fairest;
Five All Australians;
Cats leading goalkicker - 11 times;
350 career games + many more I hope.

All of these prove his strength of contribution in not only our forward line, but for the team.

AA Captain

 

[BotsMaster]

Game day

 

[you pick one]

Anyone else here in section 414?

 

[Mr Meow]

Anyone else here in section 414?

Wow you're there early!

 

[Strange Cat]

Wow you're there early!

Gotta get in there before the rain

 

[Vdubs]

Come in peace hope it's a good game etc...

A few things this game will hinge on i think, interested in your thoughts

6 day break - i reckon this is a furphy. especially as you played north at home.

Wet weather - meant to be raining all game. Normally i would say well big bodied cats should have the advantage... but i noticed we are somehow older and more experienced than the geriatrics! Not sure this is an advantage to either side, although if we get on top in clearances it might be harder for geelong to play a slick transition game in the wet, which brings me to...

Midfield battle - is neale's ankle okay? will geelong smash him anyway a la 2022 prelim? Will Dangerfield be absolutely cherry ripe from a few weeks off? Geelong's forward line is looking very potent so i think the lions need to win midfield. dunkley looks in better form. rayner has had a few really good games but never 2 in a row! who would tag neale, o'connor?

Cameron - charlie. lots of attention on him now. he was in great form in the second half v dees. who gets him?

cameron - jeremy. back in ominous form and no doubt pumped to get to 600 goals. not sure who we play on him as Gardiner used to get the job but is playing forward. maybe we switch him back as gardiner has done okay on him.

Hawkins - boy has he hurt us over the years. Is he perhaps starting to fade a little bit? has played 2 excellent games, but 2 quiet ones. has had a break so suspect we get one of the good ones

Geelong's best vs Brisbane's best-ish at the gabba - No doubt the cats have surprised me and a few others. They are going well and basically injury-free. Lions seem to be back in form (honestly who knows) but missing a few (bailey, mckenna, ashcroft, i guess i need to stop including doedee and coleman as they are out for the year) and back at the gabba. So that combination suggests a pretty even contest

Who has more to gain / lose? No doubt this would be a huge scalp for the cats and make the footy world put them back as a flag fancy. it also feels like a bit of a free hit given you are 5-0 and for once don't have a top 6 draw. My point being the win would be big for you but you are in a great position in terms of top 4. For us - it's about the four points. We desperately need them, and also going 0-3 at the gabba would be a disaster for our confidence, and also mean we are 2-4 before traveling to canberra to play the giants. I think for that reason it's a much bigger game for us.

The one thing you get from Geelong (well one of the things) is they don't do those horrid fold games interstate most teams do at least every now and then. you will give a 'minimum' of performance if that makes sense that will be at least a 'good' performance.

i have tipped us but think the game is a bit closer than the odds. I can see us playing well and being desperate and winning by 3-4 goals. but can also see us nervy, too keen to try to win, giving away frees etc. I think the gabba crowd is pretty good but can sometimes fall in to a malaise when the side is playing flat footy. i think the murmuring will start about our home form IF we start to struggle on the scoreboard.

Excellent summary, agree with your points and prediction. The team that needs and wants the win more should get the points today. We are still not settled regarding best 23, but getting close. Guthrie has been awol for so long now; his presence, if fit and firing, is important, but his fill-ins have been good.
As I had Lions to go all the way to the GF again this year, unfortunately, I can't imagine seeing you losing today.

 

[Eddynukes]

AA Captain

I mean this whole chain is a bit unnecessary - no one is doubting that Hawkins is comfortably in our best team.

But, just because he's a brilliant player, doesn't mean he's a perfect player - Neale does seem to add improved defensive pressure and will probably be able crash more packs, because that's just not what Hawkins does anymore (and it's why Rohan is comfortably best 22 - because he does both).

When he does eventually retire (and I see no need to rush it), we might end up improving our forward half retention in some aspects, but Neale will probably also turn the ball over more than Hawkins (no disrespect to Neale), we probably won't be as creative going forward, and he probably won't win as many 1on1 contests as Hawkins.

 

[Zouz Kitty]

 

[canny30]

No milestones for either side this week - makes for a change from the season to date

Looking forward to attending my first match at the Gabba - hoping for a good game

Hopefully that means if we win we get a 30% discount at the Cats Shop rather than some crappy milestone postcard

 

[magic_johnson!]

I had a dream last night that geelong were up about 50-20 at some stage, and then brisbane came back. I woke before the game finished.

The Squiggle has brisbane winning 82-81.

 

[Zouz Kitty]

Interesting



EDIT: No idea why it’s posting twice

 

[Generalissimo]

Delicious? Can we get Bruce McIveny to commentate on election night?

Can we get Antony Green to commentate the footy?

 

[patience]

Can we get Antony Green to commentate the footy?

Bhahahahaha

 

[Kobe Gryant]

View attachment 1964682View attachment 1964684View attachment 1964692View attachment 1964693View attachment 1964694

Is Jimmy Bartel available?

 

[Strange Cat]

It’s getting dark up here in Brisbane

 

[Zouz Kitty]

Is Jimmy Bartel available?

I wish
Hawkins kicked six in that game

In Hawthorn slog -
Disposals:
Bruhn 27
Duncan 26
Stewart 24
Close 23 - long sleeves, closet we have

Hawkins + OHenry kicked four each

Anyone in the team who looks like Bartel, we could swap?

 

[Kobe Gryant]

I wish
Hawkins kicked six in that game

In Hawthorn slog -
Disposals:
Bruhn 27
Duncan 26
Stewart 24
Close 23 - long sleeves, closet we have

Hawkins + OHenry kicked four each

Anyone in the team who looks like Bartel, we could swap?

Jack Bowes?

 

[iameviljez]

Can we get Antony Green to commentate the footy?

Aaaand let's have a look at the half-forward flank now... Daniher and De Koning have only been playing for five minutes, but one the balance of early results, I'm going to have to call this one for Daniher.

 

[dazbroncos]

Its game day peeeeeeepoles.

GO Catters

Game Day - Rd 6 Geelong V Brisbane Sat April 20 720 pm @ Gabba

Big one this.... Rd 6 Clash... going be "very moist and sticky indeed" as one ala Tony Grieg once allegedly said. But to the Gabba we go and Tomma kicking 6 in the wet. Ash McGrath nowhere to be seen so that will settle some nerves. Lots of games tlaent coming back in. Prob about 800...

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