cats_09
Otters United
- Jun 21, 2011
- 62,842
- 130,984
- AFL Club
- Geelong
- Moderator
- #1
Last night we watched Sydney secure their spot in the 2024 Grand Final - their second GF appearance in 3 years and by 9pm tonight we'll know who'll they be facing, with the Mighty Blue & White aiming to face off in a rematch of the 2022 'Big Dance'
But what a ride we've been on with this team - this is Scott's 14th season as our senior coach and the 9th prelim we've played in. On paper, we've rarely been the favourite team at the start of a season, often had question marks over the balance of the list & who the unknown to outsiders, players are - but Scott & our coaching group just know how to get the best out of our ever evolving squad, and as per the often repeated words within the 4 walls of KP,
Tonight we face off against Brisbane in a prelim final for the 3rd time in 5 seasons - having beaten them on their home turf in 2020 & a comfortable win as part of our premiership run in 2022. On paper, they look the more polished option with the 2 x Brownlow medalist Lachie Neale in the guts, the tall timber of Daniher & Hipwood up forward and the rock solid KPD Harris Andrews who acts as a brick wall in defence if you decide to mindlessly kick long
But our guys shouldn't be dismissed - Captain Dangerfield often seemed to overreach & push too hard come September during his earlier years in the hoops, but in 2022 he found that magic ground where he got the absolute best of our himself and bought his teammates along for the ride; when he is in that mindset he's one difficult man to stop. Max Holmes was the highest rated wing in the league in the league during the second half of the 22 season & an unfortunate hamstring injury saw him miss our grand final, but barely 2 years on he has developed his game to show he is much more than just an outside runner and if you give the space to take a running bounce, he won't be stopping at one
Jezza Cameron has shown time & time again that when he is in a goal kicking mood, there's no spot on the ground he can't kick them from and being the finals we know he'll have something up his non-existent sleeve for tonight. Scratcher Neale has 1 final under his belt, and showed himself to not be overawed by the occasion, while Ollie Henry continued to get himself into dangerous positions in his first final and with some better finishing could have finished with 2 or 3 goals himself. Those guys are surrounded by the small forwards group of Close, Miers, Stengle & hybrid forward/mid Mannagh, with our new look forward line knowing how to trouble opposition defences - you can try to close down on one or maybe two, but not necessarily easy to shut them all out
It would be easy to go on & on, mention each of the players by name ahead of this afternoons final but their stories are ones we're all familiar with as we live this experience each & every week of the season in our own ways
To those heading to the match this afternoon, scream loud all match long - let's make the MCG our September fortress. If you're watching at home, down at the pub or a mates place, enjoy and scream as loud as you can before they'll kick you out
And I'll leave the last word to the often unheard second verse of our song:
So! Stand up and fight, remember our tradition
Stand up and fight, it’s always our ambition
Throughout the game to fight with all our might
Because we’re the mighty blue and white
And when the ball is bounced, to the final bell
Stand up and fight like hell!
But what a ride we've been on with this team - this is Scott's 14th season as our senior coach and the 9th prelim we've played in. On paper, we've rarely been the favourite team at the start of a season, often had question marks over the balance of the list & who the unknown to outsiders, players are - but Scott & our coaching group just know how to get the best out of our ever evolving squad, and as per the often repeated words within the 4 walls of KP,
Tonight we face off against Brisbane in a prelim final for the 3rd time in 5 seasons - having beaten them on their home turf in 2020 & a comfortable win as part of our premiership run in 2022. On paper, they look the more polished option with the 2 x Brownlow medalist Lachie Neale in the guts, the tall timber of Daniher & Hipwood up forward and the rock solid KPD Harris Andrews who acts as a brick wall in defence if you decide to mindlessly kick long
But our guys shouldn't be dismissed - Captain Dangerfield often seemed to overreach & push too hard come September during his earlier years in the hoops, but in 2022 he found that magic ground where he got the absolute best of our himself and bought his teammates along for the ride; when he is in that mindset he's one difficult man to stop. Max Holmes was the highest rated wing in the league in the league during the second half of the 22 season & an unfortunate hamstring injury saw him miss our grand final, but barely 2 years on he has developed his game to show he is much more than just an outside runner and if you give the space to take a running bounce, he won't be stopping at one
Jezza Cameron has shown time & time again that when he is in a goal kicking mood, there's no spot on the ground he can't kick them from and being the finals we know he'll have something up his non-existent sleeve for tonight. Scratcher Neale has 1 final under his belt, and showed himself to not be overawed by the occasion, while Ollie Henry continued to get himself into dangerous positions in his first final and with some better finishing could have finished with 2 or 3 goals himself. Those guys are surrounded by the small forwards group of Close, Miers, Stengle & hybrid forward/mid Mannagh, with our new look forward line knowing how to trouble opposition defences - you can try to close down on one or maybe two, but not necessarily easy to shut them all out
It would be easy to go on & on, mention each of the players by name ahead of this afternoons final but their stories are ones we're all familiar with as we live this experience each & every week of the season in our own ways
To those heading to the match this afternoon, scream loud all match long - let's make the MCG our September fortress. If you're watching at home, down at the pub or a mates place, enjoy and scream as loud as you can before they'll kick you out
And I'll leave the last word to the often unheard second verse of our song:
So! Stand up and fight, remember our tradition
Stand up and fight, it’s always our ambition
Throughout the game to fight with all our might
Because we’re the mighty blue and white
And when the ball is bounced, to the final bell
Stand up and fight like hell!
