Preview 2nd Prelim Final Geelong v Brisbane Sat Sept 21 2024 515pm @ MCG

[catempire]

Is he not an example of a young player that wasn't being picked, who then moved on to greater opportunity and success?

TBH It's not that common for players from any club to move due lack of opportunity and then flourish, not just Geelong. They definitely exist. But most young players moving clubs either 1. move for opportunity after not being wanted by their original club and then fail, or 2. move despite being wanted by their original club and then succeed.

Correct, it is not such an example.

 

[dont stop me meow]

Paywall. Geelong Gablettiser won't even allow one read before they ask for a subscription.
Typical Hun.

I​

How Geelong’s midfield ‘weakness’ has become a strength​

It doesn’t look like a premiership midfield on paper, and the Cats were getting beaten up early in the season. But Geelong has turned things around dramatically. Here’s how they did it.
Geelong’s midfield doesn’t jump off the page.
An engine room that is still heavily reliant on 34-year-old Patrick Dangerfield with 33-year-old Rhys Stanley leading the ruck division. It doesn’t scream a premiership midfield.
But despite how a group of Dangerfield, Stanley, Tom Stewart, Max Holmes, Tom Atkins, Tanner Bruhn and Jack Bowes looks on paper, it has been extremely effective.
Those names above sans Stewart knocked off the star-studded midfield of Port Adelaide and now they have the vaunted Lions on-ball brigade in their sights.
Since Dangerfield has returned to the side in round 15, the Cats are first in the competition for scores from stoppages – averaging 45.2 points per game – and are the third best in the league at turning a clearance into a score according to Champion Data.

Geelong's stoppage improvement​

	R1-14	AFL Rank	R15-QF	AFL Rank
Points from Clearances	34.7	7th	45.2	1st
Clearance to Score	25%	10th	28%	3rd
Clearances	-4.1	18th	+1.7	7th

That might not mean much in a landscape where raw clearance numbers are more heavily scrutinised, but Champion Data views scores from stoppage with greater importance than the overall clearance count.
The Cats destroyed Port Adelaide in this area last week, particularly inside their own attacking arc.
They registered 31 points from stoppages just from their forward 50 – the second most in any final since Champion Data started recording the statistic.
It is a far cry from how the midfield was going before Dangerfield returned and Stewart was thrown into the mix.

Most Points from F50 Stoppage in a Final​

Team	Season	Round	Pts
GWS GIANTS	2018	EF	33
Geelong Cats	2024	QF	31
Sydney Swans	2012	PF	29
Western Bulldogs	2016	PF	27

Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Stewart celebrate a goal. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images
Raw clearance numbers can be deceiving, but the Cats were getting belted in this area in the first half of the season.
With Dangerfield missing nine games up until round 14, Geelong was dead last for clearance differential.
And it was Dangerfield’s return game in round 15 that marked a turning point for the Cats, where master tactician Chris Scott suggested a midfield shake-up.
Geelong’s finals hopes were brought into question after their horror 63-point loss to Carlton in round 15, where Scott said the Cats were “smacked” at clearances.
“Maybe we need to be a little bit creative again and that’s going to come with some problems,” Scott said.
“I don’t think we will be passive and I don’t think we will be conservative.
“We are not just going to roll over and do the same thing, we’ll go after some things that even if they don’t help us in the short-term – and that is our intention – but if it doesn’t work out in the short-term, it is going to help us by giving those guys some exposure to make sure they are good players in the future.”

Tanner Bruhn and Max Holmes have been an important part of their midfield mix. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images
The very next week, Scott pulled the trigger on Stewart into the midfield – something that had been experimented with in previous seasons but hadn’t been fully explored.
That shift got the five-time All-Australia out of a form slump and gave Geelong’s midfield another dimension. From round 16-24, he ranked first at the club for disposals and second for contested possessions.
Dangerfield was also able to spend ample time on the sidelines getting his troublesome hamstring right, and the results have paid off handsomely.
Holmes has spent more time in the midfield in the back-end of the year and had showed his game-changing impact on the big stage last week.
Bowes has hit his straps, Atkins is back to providing his usual grunt and tackling pressure after an early season stint in defence, while Bruhn gives something different with his work in traffic.
Dual best-and-fairest winner Cam Guthrie, one of Geelong’s most important midfield cogs in their premiership year in 2022, hasn’t featured since round 10 and is now on the outer.
Geelong’s perceived weakness has turned into an underrated asset — and the addition of Bailey Smith will make their engine room even better if the Cats get him over the line.
A match-up against a stacked midfield of Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley, Hugh McCluggage and Will Ashcroft doesn’t appear so daunting anymore.


I'm wayyyyy... late to this tread so I'm sure you've already seen this but just in case

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Even in 2011 - a different coach would have played Blake, Milburn, Byrnes and Mooney over Bundy, West, Duncan and Hawkins.

I think that Scott showed a much greater disregard for older players who had been developed under the previous coach and from the previous era than he has since shown for players who spent much of their time under him. That is, as Scott demonstrated in his first season, it's quite easy to come into a club and make calls on youth versus aged and experienced for the objective good of the team or with an eye to the future. This didn't just materialise in his selection of players in his first year but also how the club handled the retirements of several of its stars. Despite still capable and champions of the club, we didn't allow older players to continue to breaking point because the objective was to expedite development of a younger brigade.

But the wheel has now turned and Scott is on the other side. He's now the guy who has a deep connection with long-tenured players and also shows a reluctance to push them out for the greater good of the side. The calls he was making in 2011 are not the calls he's making now, because he's now been in this job for 14 years and is rooted in his own ways and proclivities.

 

[supahoops]

I think that Scott showed a much greater disregard for older players who had been developed under the previous coach and from the previous era than he has since shown for players who spent much of their time under him. That is, as Scott demonstrated in his first season, it's quite easy to come into a club and make calls on youth versus aged and experienced for the objective good of the team or with an eye to the future. This didn't just materialise in his selection of players in his first year but also how the club handled the retirements of several of its stars. Despite still capable and champions of the club, we didn't allow older players to continue to breaking point because the objective was to expedite development of a younger brigade.

But the wheel has now turned and Scott is on the other side. He's now the guy who has a deep connection with long-tenured players and also shows a reluctance to push them out for the greater good of the side. The calls he was making in 2011 are not the calls he's making now, because he's now been in this job for 14 years and is rooted in his own ways and proclivities.

Yes and No, didn’t really have much choice at times during that middle period. I don’t think he’ll flinch in how he deals with Hawkins, Guthrie, Rohan, Tuohy, Bews, SDK, Stanley and dare I say Duncan if he feels there’s a better option this week or next.

 

[Footy Smarts]

I think that Scott showed a much greater disregard for older players who had been developed under the previous coach and from the previous era than he has since shown for players who spent much of their time under him. That is, as Scott demonstrated in his first season, it's quite easy to come into a club and make calls on youth versus aged and experienced for the objective good of the team or with an eye to the future. This didn't just materialise in his selection of players in his first year but also how the club handled the retirements of several of its stars. Despite still capable and champions of the club, we didn't allow older players to continue to breaking point because the objective was to expedite development of a younger brigade.

But the wheel has now turned and Scott is on the other side. He's now the guy who has a deep connection with long-tenured players and also shows a reluctance to push them out for the greater good of the side. The calls he was making in 2011 are not the calls he's making now, because he's now been in this job for 14 years and is rooted in his own ways and proclivities.

Who are the older players he's stuck with too long? Plenty of coaches would be rushing Hawkins and Guthrie back into the side. O'Connor, Bews, Parfitt, Rohan and Stanley are all long-term players under Scott who have been stuck in the VFL for significant parts of this year.

 

[cats_09]

T-2hrs to meltdown time

 

[calder_daddy]

T-2hrs to meltdown time

What melt are we expecting the most?
The SDK didn’t get a game melt

The SDK should’ve gotten a game over 2E melt

The Mullin keeps his spot melt?

I for one am expecting this

In Stewart SDK

Out 2E and Mullin
SDK to be the sub

 

[supahoops]

T-2hrs to meltdown time

1 hour prior to bounce for me.

 

[cats_09]

What melt are we expecting the most?
The SDK didn’t get a game melt

The SDK should’ve gotten a game over 2E melt

The Mullin keeps his spot melt?

I for one am expecting this

In Stewart SDK

Out 2E and Mullin
SDK to be the sub

Melts over Bews holding his spot

I'm going with - Stewart in and Tuohy out

Mullin holds his spot

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I​

How Geelong’s midfield ‘weakness’ has become a strength​

It doesn’t look like a premiership midfield on paper, and the Cats were getting beaten up early in the season. But Geelong has turned things around dramatically. Here’s how they did it.
Geelong’s midfield doesn’t jump off the page.
An engine room that is still heavily reliant on 34-year-old Patrick Dangerfield with 33-year-old Rhys Stanley leading the ruck division. It doesn’t scream a premiership midfield.
But despite how a group of Dangerfield, Stanley, Tom Stewart, Max Holmes, Tom Atkins, Tanner Bruhn and Jack Bowes looks on paper, it has been extremely effective.
Those names above sans Stewart knocked off the star-studded midfield of Port Adelaide and now they have the vaunted Lions on-ball brigade in their sights.
Since Dangerfield has returned to the side in round 15, the Cats are first in the competition for scores from stoppages – averaging 45.2 points per game – and are the third best in the league at turning a clearance into a score according to Champion Data.

Geelong's stoppage improvement​

	R1-14	AFL Rank	R15-QF	AFL Rank
Points from Clearances	34.7	7th	45.2	1st
Clearance to Score	25%	10th	28%	3rd
Clearances	-4.1	18th	+1.7	7th

That might not mean much in a landscape where raw clearance numbers are more heavily scrutinised, but Champion Data views scores from stoppage with greater importance than the overall clearance count.
The Cats destroyed Port Adelaide in this area last week, particularly inside their own attacking arc.
They registered 31 points from stoppages just from their forward 50 – the second most in any final since Champion Data started recording the statistic.
It is a far cry from how the midfield was going before Dangerfield returned and Stewart was thrown into the mix.

Most Points from F50 Stoppage in a Final​

Team	Season	Round	Pts
GWS GIANTS	2018	EF	33
Geelong Cats	2024	QF	31
Sydney Swans	2012	PF	29
Western Bulldogs	2016	PF	27

Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Stewart celebrate a goal. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images
Raw clearance numbers can be deceiving, but the Cats were getting belted in this area in the first half of the season.
With Dangerfield missing nine games up until round 14, Geelong was dead last for clearance differential.
And it was Dangerfield’s return game in round 15 that marked a turning point for the Cats, where master tactician Chris Scott suggested a midfield shake-up.
Geelong’s finals hopes were brought into question after their horror 63-point loss to Carlton in round 15, where Scott said the Cats were “smacked” at clearances.
“Maybe we need to be a little bit creative again and that’s going to come with some problems,” Scott said.
“I don’t think we will be passive and I don’t think we will be conservative.
“We are not just going to roll over and do the same thing, we’ll go after some things that even if they don’t help us in the short-term – and that is our intention – but if it doesn’t work out in the short-term, it is going to help us by giving those guys some exposure to make sure they are good players in the future.”

Tanner Bruhn and Max Holmes have been an important part of their midfield mix. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images
The very next week, Scott pulled the trigger on Stewart into the midfield – something that had been experimented with in previous seasons but hadn’t been fully explored.
That shift got the five-time All-Australia out of a form slump and gave Geelong’s midfield another dimension. From round 16-24, he ranked first at the club for disposals and second for contested possessions.
Dangerfield was also able to spend ample time on the sidelines getting his troublesome hamstring right, and the results have paid off handsomely.
Holmes has spent more time in the midfield in the back-end of the year and had showed his game-changing impact on the big stage last week.
Bowes has hit his straps, Atkins is back to providing his usual grunt and tackling pressure after an early season stint in defence, while Bruhn gives something different with his work in traffic.
Dual best-and-fairest winner Cam Guthrie, one of Geelong’s most important midfield cogs in their premiership year in 2022, hasn’t featured since round 10 and is now on the outer.
Geelong’s perceived weakness has turned into an underrated asset — and the addition of Bailey Smith will make their engine room even better if the Cats get him over the line.
A match-up against a stacked midfield of Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley, Hugh McCluggage and Will Ashcroft doesn’t appear so daunting anymore.


I'm wayyyyy... late to this tread so I'm sure you've already seen this but just in case

You are right on time so I won't stop you meow

 

[Commando]

I was quietly confident against Port but I am feeling a bit pessimistic about this week and more so as the week goes on. Just feel like Brisbane might find a way -there’s a few omens I don’t like; hopefully it’s just the prelim week devil whispering bad thoughts in my ear..

That's just doubt messing with you.. the whispering would be even louder if GWS had gone onto record a massive win!
We've got this

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Melts over Bews holding his spot

I'm going with - Stewart in and Tuohy out

Mullin holds his spot

I'm going with Stewart in for Mullin only.

 

[cats_09]

I'm going with Stewart in for Mullin only.

I'm tossing a coin between the two and it keeps landing differently

I can make arguments to keep one, the other & both in - don't envy the job of the coaches

 

[Hamingja]

IN: Stewart
OUT: Mullin

OR

IN: Stewart, SDK
OUT: Mullin, Tuohy

They would be my options for the coin toss

 

[Play it Sam]

I​

How Geelong’s midfield ‘weakness’ has become a strength​

It doesn’t look like a premiership midfield on paper, and the Cats were getting beaten up early in the season. But Geelong has turned things around dramatically. Here’s how they did it.
Geelong’s midfield doesn’t jump off the page.
An engine room that is still heavily reliant on 34-year-old Patrick Dangerfield with 33-year-old Rhys Stanley leading the ruck division. It doesn’t scream a premiership midfield.
But despite how a group of Dangerfield, Stanley, Tom Stewart, Max Holmes, Tom Atkins, Tanner Bruhn and Jack Bowes looks on paper, it has been extremely effective.
Those names above sans Stewart knocked off the star-studded midfield of Port Adelaide and now they have the vaunted Lions on-ball brigade in their sights.
Since Dangerfield has returned to the side in round 15, the Cats are first in the competition for scores from stoppages – averaging 45.2 points per game – and are the third best in the league at turning a clearance into a score according to Champion Data.

Geelong's stoppage improvement​

	R1-14	AFL Rank	R15-QF	AFL Rank
Points from Clearances	34.7	7th	45.2	1st
Clearance to Score	25%	10th	28%	3rd
Clearances	-4.1	18th	+1.7	7th

That might not mean much in a landscape where raw clearance numbers are more heavily scrutinised, but Champion Data views scores from stoppage with greater importance than the overall clearance count.
The Cats destroyed Port Adelaide in this area last week, particularly inside their own attacking arc.
They registered 31 points from stoppages just from their forward 50 – the second most in any final since Champion Data started recording the statistic.
It is a far cry from how the midfield was going before Dangerfield returned and Stewart was thrown into the mix.

Most Points from F50 Stoppage in a Final​

Team	Season	Round	Pts
GWS GIANTS	2018	EF	33
Geelong Cats	2024	QF	31
Sydney Swans	2012	PF	29
Western Bulldogs	2016	PF	27

Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Stewart celebrate a goal. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images
Raw clearance numbers can be deceiving, but the Cats were getting belted in this area in the first half of the season.
With Dangerfield missing nine games up until round 14, Geelong was dead last for clearance differential.
And it was Dangerfield’s return game in round 15 that marked a turning point for the Cats, where master tactician Chris Scott suggested a midfield shake-up.
Geelong’s finals hopes were brought into question after their horror 63-point loss to Carlton in round 15, where Scott said the Cats were “smacked” at clearances.
“Maybe we need to be a little bit creative again and that’s going to come with some problems,” Scott said.
“I don’t think we will be passive and I don’t think we will be conservative.
“We are not just going to roll over and do the same thing, we’ll go after some things that even if they don’t help us in the short-term – and that is our intention – but if it doesn’t work out in the short-term, it is going to help us by giving those guys some exposure to make sure they are good players in the future.”

Tanner Bruhn and Max Holmes have been an important part of their midfield mix. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images
The very next week, Scott pulled the trigger on Stewart into the midfield – something that had been experimented with in previous seasons but hadn’t been fully explored.
That shift got the five-time All-Australia out of a form slump and gave Geelong’s midfield another dimension. From round 16-24, he ranked first at the club for disposals and second for contested possessions.
Dangerfield was also able to spend ample time on the sidelines getting his troublesome hamstring right, and the results have paid off handsomely.
Holmes has spent more time in the midfield in the back-end of the year and had showed his game-changing impact on the big stage last week.
Bowes has hit his straps, Atkins is back to providing his usual grunt and tackling pressure after an early season stint in defence, while Bruhn gives something different with his work in traffic.
Dual best-and-fairest winner Cam Guthrie, one of Geelong’s most important midfield cogs in their premiership year in 2022, hasn’t featured since round 10 and is now on the outer.
Geelong’s perceived weakness has turned into an underrated asset — and the addition of Bailey Smith will make their engine room even better if the Cats get him over the line.
A match-up against a stacked midfield of Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley, Hugh McCluggage and Will Ashcroft doesn’t appear so daunting anymore.


I'm wayyyyy... late to this tread so I'm sure you've already seen this but just in case

No I hadn't paid the ransom. Thank you, good read.

 

[cats_09]

50 minutes

 

[And_ROOS]

T-2hrs to meltdown time

What melts? We are clearly saving Hardie for the Grand Final, the rest of the team picks itself.

 

[year of the cat]

IN: Stewart
OUT: Mullin

OR

IN: Stewart, SDK
OUT: Mullin, Tuohy

They would be my options for the coin toss

Former for me. Just the one change.

 

[cats_09]

What melts? We are clearly saving Hardie for the Grand Final, the rest of the team picks itself.

Going by this article, maybe we could see a debutant for Saturday nights final... I will admit that I'm super proud of how the club has managed to keep this underwraps until now:

"Crucially, Scott said Tom De Koning is right in the frame for selection. “We’re still thinking through the final selection with the guys that we think are fit and available, De Koning fits into that category,” he said."

Jimmy Bartel ignored as Geelong make call on Tom Hawkins for AFL preliminary final

Tom Hawkins is desperate for a fairytale farewell. Read more here.

au.sports.yahoo.com

 

[CatToTheFuture]

50 minutes

The tension!

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Going by this article, maybe we could see a debutant for Saturday nights final... I will admit that I'm super proud of how the club has managed to keep this underwraps until now:

"Crucially, Scott said Tom De Koning is right in the frame for selection. “We’re still thinking through the final selection with the guys that we think are fit and available, De Koning fits into that category,” he said."

Jimmy Bartel ignored as Geelong make call on Tom Hawkins for AFL preliminary final

Tom Hawkins is desperate for a fairytale farewell. Read more here.

au.sports.yahoo.com

I'm not sure when we added him to the list but I'll take him over Stanley

 

[iameviljez]

But the wheel has now turned and Scott is on the other side. He's now the guy who has a deep connection with long-tenured players and also shows a reluctance to push them out for the greater good of the side.

... you have to be kidding me. Even our turnover from the 2022 GF has been rapid. And frankly, I can't think of many he's gotten wrong.

Even now, Hawkins, SDK and Guthrie are going to be left out of the PF side so far as we can guess. Rohan, similarly, would have been left out even if fit. Bews would be outside the squad if Mullin had done sufficiently well to take his chances earlier in the year.

Menegola in 2022 could have easily been included for a younger Parfitt.

 

[00VicWard001]

The Lions best chance at winning will be quelling Dangerfield.

Dunkley has a bit more size to him and that is probably my main concern. A Danger hamstring or Berry or Dunkley blanketing him.

If Danger gets a hold of you like he normally does, it will be a very comfortable Geelong win.

He brings the rest of the side along with him. We all saw how Geelong went without Danger.

He remains the big dog of the competition.

I believe that Stewart was actually our best midfielder over the last little bit. So take it as you may, but Danger will have his moments, but Stewart will be impacting all night.

 

[cats_09]

I'm not sure when we added him to the list but I'll take him over Stanley

And he also leapfrogs his younger brother...

 

[Hinkley29]

Scott has certainly changed in that respect

The Scott of a few years back would have been reluctant to play the younger folk

I disagree.

Please name all the good young players that didn’t get selected by Geelong who actually turned out to be good.

Chris Scott and the match committee have a very good track record at figuring out which of the young guys are going to be good and which aren’t going to make it. Once they identify that they will be good they get games, and are backed in for extended periods. We don’t waste time playing young blokes once they are identified as not being able to make it. See Hardie as a prime example. Constable, c Stephens, Fogarty, etc. all spuds that people on here were clamouring for Geelong to play but were actually no good.