Review 2024 Season review thread

[Mangy Carl]

Overall, a really successful season.. Possibly overachieved with our list..
Some real finds with our youth, Dempsey, Humphries, Neale, Mannagh (not young).
Still a lot of work to do in the middle of the ground, and HOW we actually use those in the middle (actually give them game time! Bruhn cant become an A grader by spending 1/3 of each game on the bench)

How I'd like to see our best 23 by the end of 2025

B - J Henry DeKoning Z Guthrie
HB - Humphries O'Sullivan Stewart
C - Holmes B Smith* Dempsey
HF - Miers Cameron Mannagh
FF - O Henry Neale Stengle
FOLL - Conway Bruhn Clark
INT - Danger Close Mullin Blitz Bowes

Now, I say I'd LIKE to see this, as I hope there is significant development from several younger players.

I'd like to see Clark, Mullin, Conway, O'Sullivan and Bruhn really push on next season and force the likes of Kolo, Atkins, Stanley, Duncan, Bews, MO'C, C Guthrie etc out of the 23..

It would be nice to see a real dangerous midfield where we dont then have to rely on Danger. Hopefully that includes Bailey Smith

3

Bailey Smith

Age

24

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

and a much improved Clark and Bruhn, with a fully fit, beefed up, Conway leading the ruck..

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

It looks like that, but is it true?

If yesterday's game was somehow replayed immediately after, there's no guarantee Brisbane themselves repeat that win.

Every game is an isolated outcome.

Do Collingwood stroll to the flag in '07 'but for' one more goal in the PF? Port in '14?

Maybe, maybe not.

GWS were 44 points up. Maybe this Brisbane side actually had something to them and we did well to be 25 points up and get within 10?

Brisbane strolled to it yesterday. No guarantee we would have. 12th placed St Kikda made us look utterly terrible for a half a couple of weeks earlier.

We were a side with a 112%, who at one stage lost 6 out of 7. It's obviously disappointing, but many years are.



Dogs in '21. Crows in '93. Collingwood in '70. Sturt in '78. Hawthorn in '11. Hawthorn in '12. GWS in '24 (twice).

There are plenty of others, in plenty of other sports.

We aren't unique. It's disappointing, but it's sport.

Sydney are mentally shot. Most teams in the 8 would have beaten them yesterday. They didn’t want to be there.
Hell even at the parade when the captains held the cup Rampe looked like he didn’t want to be there.
Great effort from Brisbane but Sydney were awful and a number of teams would have smashed them yesterday.

They have clear mental issues. They were belted by 100 against port ffs. How many teams win a flag after that performance?
None. Ever.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

Can’t see it myself. Look what happened to us against Bris when he went off last week. For us to compete against the big guns we needed all our mids fit and available. Our Achilles heel was exposed.

Swans lost to Richmond at the G, they weren't winning anything there.

 

[Warhorse]

Look we overachieved as there's no way we have a top 4 list coaches did well. But the reality is we had Brisbane on the rack-enough inside 50s to win and poor decision making in the 2nd half. Given how poor Sydney were we threw away a flag which is an obvious fail. Its probably our worst finals loss in the last 10 years-an interstate team off a week off was an utter fail. Guys like danger won't win another one now as I don't think we can win it in the next 2 years but I think by 28-29 we will be a good chance of winning it again if we can get some quality mid age free agents over the next couple of years.

Agree. Our worst finals loss in a decade

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Time for a season review thread

Exceeded expectations and did great to make a prelim but to lose the flag with everything falling our way was terrible. We dropped the cup and picked up our handbag instead. So dissappointing.

Look at Brisbane's record at the MCG in finals, the fact they had a tiring game against GWS and we go into a winnable position

Disagree. Brisbane showed very little “tiring” from their grand final win yesterday. If anything they seemed to be building momentum and were well adjusting to the travel.

If we had of won the grand final, it would be in recent hisrory for a few decades the worst midfield group to win a premiership. Its a huge deficiency to cover yet we somehow got close to pulling it off.

Its a very even season, and at the end of the day, several teams will think “ we blew it” because the oppo they lost to had flaws and was also vulnerable for the kill. This will always be the case when there is no standout team.

I think if anything, our boys overachieved this year with what we had at our disposal to work with.

I think we will be close to a flag next year if sa few improvements go our way.

 

[cats_09]

Look we overachieved as there's no way we have a top 4 list coaches did well. But the reality is we had Brisbane on the rack-enough inside 50s to win and poor decision making in the 2nd half. Given how poor Sydney were we threw away a flag which is an obvious fail. Its probably our worst finals loss in the last 10 years-an interstate team off a week off was an utter fail. Guys like danger won't win another one now as I don't think we can win it in the next 2 years but I think by 28-29 we will be a good chance of winning it again if we can get some quality mid age free agents over the next couple of years.

Why not?

There's no reason we won't be in a better position to win next year than we were this year - we weren't expected to finish top 4 this season and if anything we overachieved with the players at hand

What we've been able to do though is get a full season into Dempsey, start getting experience into Humphies, Neale & Mannagh who will all be better for the run, and we're likely to be adding strength to our midfield for next year an area of real weakness this year

I'd be more confident of being able to compete at a higher level next year than we were this year

 

[barmy44]

And as bad as Sydney were yesterday there’s no guarantee we would have got over the line without Holmes, and Bruhn and a few others not 100%.

Absolutely - we still had 120 minutes of footy to play, against a good team.

Sydney are mentally shot. Most teams in the 8 would have beaten them yesterday. They didn’t want to be there.
Hell even at the parade when the captains held the cup Rampe looked like he didn’t want to be there.
Great effort from Brisbane but Sydney were awful and a number of teams would have smashed them yesterday.

They have clear mental issues. They were belted by 100 against port ffs. How many teams win a flag after that performance?
None. Ever.

Yeah, maybe... but not sure I totally agree. Sydney can win GFs, they just haven't.

It's just all a bit weird. If it wasn't for blowing a 46 point lead in round 1, Brisbane likely have home finals. They're a good team.

How many 112% teams win premierships? North in the 90s. Many others?

How many teams lose 6 of 7 and win flags?

Of course losing a PF you have a lead in by 10 points raises 'what ifs'. But we also got belted by 10 goals by Footscray (who looked shell shocked in their only final), Carlton (who were 60-0 down in their only final), GC... it just smacks of Geelong-centricity assuming we 'threw away' a flag in this season.

Be disappointed, we all are. But Brisbane earnt this flag for sure. They didn't win it because we dropped it.

 

[Warhorse]

Disagree. Brisbane showed very little “tiring” from their grand final win yesterday. If anything they seemed to be building momentum and were well adjusting to the travel.

If we had of won the grand final, it would be in recent hisrory for a few decades the worst midfield group to win a premiership. Its a huge deficiency to cover yet we somehow got close to pulling it off.

Its a very even season, and at the end of the day, several teams will think “ we blew it” because the oppo they lost to had flaws and was also vulnerable for the kill. This will always be the case when there is no standout team.

I think if anything, our boys overachieved this year with what we had at our disposal to work with.

I think we will be close to a flag next year if sa few improvements go our way.

We gave them a bruise free game with 140 pressure points in the 3rd term. Shockingly low for a final and the reason they were so fresh in the grand final

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Can’t see it myself. Look what happened to us against Bris when he went off last week. For us to compete against the big guns we needed all our mids fit and available. Our Achilles heel was exposed.

With all due respect mate if this helps you sleep better at night then great.

 

[year of the cat]

With all due respect mate if this helps you sleep better at night then great.

I’ll sleep soundly regardless. Just not buying into this narrative that we were a moral if we’d beaten Brisbane.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

I’ll sleep soundly regardless. Just not buying into this narrative that we were a moral if we’d beaten Brisbane.

Cool mate

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Can’t see it myself. Look what happened to us against Bris when he went off last week. For us to compete against the big guns we needed all our mids fit and available. Our Achilles heel was exposed.

While yes that's our heel without Holmes we can't ignore how poor Sydney are in big finals and GFs away from Sydney it's like they have stage fright. I think it's very likely we would have beaten them but we won't know.

What we do know is while Brisbane were good we dominated large parts of the game, had more inside 50s than them in the last qtr and more than enough chances to win. But our efficiency and decisions were unusually off. In that sense we threw away a flag and that hopefully burns the players as I think we will struggle to get back there next year.

 

[year of the cat]

While yes that's our heel without Holmes we can't ignore how poor Sydney are in big finals and GFs away from Sydney it's like they have stage fright. I think it's very likely we would have beaten them but we won't know.

What we do know is while Brisbane were good we dominated large parts of the game, had more inside 50s than them in the last qtr and more than enough chances to win. But our efficiency and decisions were unusually off. In that sense we threw away a flag and that hopefully burns the players as I think we will struggle to get back there next year.

What I will concede is that IF Holmes hadn’t done his hammy AND we had won then we would have had a good crack.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

While yes that's our heel without Holmes we can't ignore how poor Sydney are in big finals and GFs away from Sydney it's like they have stage fright. I think it's very likely we would have beaten them but we won't know.

What we do know is while Brisbane were good we dominated large parts of the game, had more inside 50s than them in the last qtr and more than enough chances to win. But our efficiency and decisions were unusually off. In that sense we threw away a flag and that hopefully burns the players as I think we will struggle to get back there next year.

Agree with all of it except the last part. I think it will burn the players and drive them to finish top 4 again

 

[Vdubs]

This seems less 'well reasoned frustration' and more 'pouting and baiting for reactions'... out of frustration.

You can't drop a cup from the prelim. And not sure how we lost the flag with everything falling our way - Brisbane beat us. That's a pretty major element that didn't fall our way.

Records in finals are just that - records. Much like assuming we stroll to a premiership if we beat them last week. It's an entirely different GF. You can't extrapolate from one week to the next.

We were good at times this year, we were great at times this year. We were awful at times this year. In the finals, we got a bit of all of that.

And the 'inability to cash in' thing needs to be put to bed.

Brisbane went PF, straight sets, PF, losing GF and finally nabbed one.

Sydney's record is well known.

Dogs have been thereabouts since their premiership without getting another. Melbourne have teased for one. Port almost.

Getting close and not 'succeeding' (in the sense of winning the flag) is the rule, not the exception.

Well done to Brisbane. Thoroughly deserved premiership after years of 'not cashing in'.

Could we have beaten them last week? Yes. Could we have beaten Sydney yesterday? Yes. Could we have lost to Sydney yesterday? Yes. Do any of those hypothetical matter? No.

An AFL season is endless possibilities coalescing into a single outcome.

And every single year there are at least 3 top 4 teams and often a few outside the 4 and the 8 who 'could have, should have, would have' if not for the pesky persistence of reality and what ultimately did happen.

Unfortunately, this year we were one of those. Saying we dropped the cup is daft and disrespectful.

Congratulations Brisbane.

Brilliant, measured post and welcome back.
You beautifully worded everything I thought these last 8 days.

 

[cats_09]

What I will concede is that IF Holmes hadn’t done his hammy AND we had won then we would have had a good crack.

This I agree with

Watching us limp to the final siren, IF we got over Brisbane we seemed likely to be needing to make 2 or 3 changes ahead of yesterday, and then potentially playing others sore - what was already a weak midfield would likely have been even weaker

 

[Cataholic]

It is what it is.

We coulda, woulda, shoulda....but we didn't.

I get the regret, but the simple truth is we just weren't good enough. We didn't put it all together when it counted most. Simple as that.

The season is gone, and we'll never know what might've been in an alternate universe. Our wildest fantasies will never change the outcome.

There's nothing to be gained crying over spilt milk..... I'm sure Scott & Co are already moving on to putting everything in place to maximise our chances next year.

2024 ended in a disappointing manner for us, yet we should acknowledge the players, coaches and all associated with the club did their very best. It's all we can ask.

The excitement now is watching the draft, seeing who we bring in, how we revitalise our list, and how we attack the pre-season.

Eyes on 2025

 

[Vdubs]

Look we overachieved as there's no way we have a top 4 list coaches did well. But the reality is we had Brisbane on the rack-enough inside 50s to win and poor decision making in the 2nd half. Given how poor Sydney were we threw away a flag which is an obvious fail. Its probably our worst finals loss in the last 10 years-an interstate team off a week off was an utter fail. Guys like danger won't win another one now as I don't think we can win it in the next 2 years but I think by 28-29 we will be a good chance of winning it again if we can get some quality mid age free agents over the next couple of years.

NO way of knowing how Sydney would have fronted up to our very sore list, minus Holmes, maybe JHenry, and very sore Blicavs, Danger and Stanley. We were nothing like our 22 team.
What Brisbane did in quarters 2 and 3 in particular was some of the best pressure footy I've seen since ... 22. They peaked superbly well, and were always capable of being the best 1 or 2 teams this year.
We deserved to be in the GF no more than Collingwood in 07, when they threw everything at us.
Sydney certainly flopped yesterday, but that was DIRECTLY due to the disciplined perfect pressure footy that Brisbane put together.
We were not in the position to do that yesterday.
No way did we throw away a flag, we were just not good enough to even get there.
And Lions played as if they had HGA; playing there last week really helped them.

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

I'd hoped we would play Finals again in 2024 by scraping into the 8 , so in that sense I had us overachieving by finishing 3rd.
Typical Geelong though , they had me believing another Flag was possible after spiflicating Power on their home deck.
We looked to be peaking with virtually a fully fit list at the right time.
Wasn't to be though - even though we gave it a damn good shake against the eventual ( deserving) Premier.
Reverse the 10 minutes of non Geelong Footy we played and we are at the Big Dance again, go figure..

For those calling us out for performing poorly walk a mile in Sydney's shoes FFS
I'm so proud to be a Cats supporter over the last 68 years.
Even now I'm fascinated by what we will do in the off season and how our mastercoach will structure us in 2025.
IMHO our forward line and backline ( with SDK in 2022 form) are premiership quality.
Our midfield group ( surprise) is the issue but with Bazlenka , maybe more coming plus development of our young guys we may be able to turn that around.
I think we will focus on who plays between the arcs as more and more the game will be decided with how you attack and defend from there. I'd look at adding Campbell from Swans or O'Driscoll from the Dockers to boost that area.

In summary we are transitioning our side in a positive manner , veterans are being replaced and our young guys are coming along very nicely.
We should be encouraged , reload for 2025, and aim for top 4 again...............

 

[geelong_crazy26]

While yes that's our heel without Holmes we can't ignore how poor Sydney are in big finals and GFs away from Sydney it's like they have stage fright. I think it's very likely we would have beaten them but we won't know.

What we do know is while Brisbane were good we dominated large parts of the game, had more inside 50s than them in the last qtr and more than enough chances to win. But our efficiency and decisions were unusually off. In that sense we threw away a flag and that hopefully burns the players as I think we will struggle to get back there next year.

Overly simplistic.

Its about quality of entries not quanity of entries. We struggled to move the ball with ant potency or penetration and got cut off easily. Brisbane looked very damaging and penetrating out of defencd and opened us up.

The margin was not some insurmountable defecit at half time. We didnt have the game in the bag or a hand on the cup. 4 goals in a half of footy is nothing really.

Its also disrespectful to brisbane and naive to think that if ashcroft dunkley neale berry get on a roll in the middle that we arent going to struggle to contain them with what we have on the park.

Our weaknesses got exposed, and thats all it takes. Nothing choked about it, just flaws being exposed by a slightly better well rounded outfit

 

[kickazz]

Exceeded expectations and did great to make a prelim but to lose the flag with everything falling our way was terrible.

Apart from a few key things NOT falling our way in the Prelim, this sums up our season well.

Should be proud of exceeding expectations, but it was the sort of year where there was no superpower to get over, it really was up for grabs and we let it slip.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Look we overachieved as there's no way we have a top 4 list coaches did well. But the reality is we had Brisbane on the rack-enough inside 50s to win and poor decision making in the 2nd half. Given how poor Sydney were we threw away a flag which is an obvious fail. Its probably our worst finals loss in the last 10 years-an interstate team off a week off was an utter fail. Guys like danger won't win another one now as I don't think we can win it in the next 2 years but I think by 28-29 we will be a good chance of winning it again if we can get some quality mid age free agents over the next couple of years.

No ive changed my tune/opinion on that 180 degrees after watching the Lions yesterday

They played outstanding football in the GF , and would have wiped the floor with quite few teams actually , so after witnessing that , im now of the view that Geelong played pretty well in that PF

Its not the end of the world Geelong not winning the premiership , and you look at the Lions , beaten in a GF , and a couple of PFS , so you cant begrudge them this Premiership , and the joy and satisfaction their getting from it , all their old Fitzroy diehards up at their original Brunswick St Oval today , and all the surrounding Pubs in that street packed to the rafters

So i say good luck to them .

 

[iameviljez]

Agree. Our worst finals loss in a decade

2019 QF vs a pretty ordinary Collingwood was much worse. So was dropping the 2016 PF to Sydney. The 2019 game was particularly egregious, because IMO it put us on a collision course with Richmond before Hawkins got back on the field.

That 2024 PF was a game where we should have won it on the balance of chances, but reality is that we didn't take them and the Lions did, in a pretty classic game of footy. The others were dour shockers against what I think were inferior opposition.

 

[iameviljez]

For a side with a pretty big achilles heel through the middle, I was really happy with how the season went.

Humphries and Dempsey were just massive, unexpected bonuses.

I'd really like to see guys like Knevitt, Clark and Bruhn kick on next year. All of them stalled a bit in the second half of this season, so it'd be good to see them push through.

 

[kickazz]

2019 QF vs a pretty ordinary Collingwood was much worse. So was dropping the 2016 PF to Sydney.

That 2024 PF was a game where we should have won it on the balance of chances, but reality is that we didn't take them and the Lions did, in a pretty classic game of footy. The others were dour shockers against what I think were inferior opposition.

So true.

At least we "looked like it" this PF. As in, watching the game you could see us rise to the occasion and play well.

The other games you mention were poo.