Preview AFL 2024 Preliminary Final - Cats v Lions Sat Sept 21st 5:15pm EST (MCG)

[Mr Meow]

As this finals series has shown, bar Lions Blues, there are no gimmees or easy results, it could easily go either way. I think it comes down to whether this comeback win steels the Lions and being battle hardened is more of an advantage than the Cats fresh legs and coaching nous.

4 out of 6 underdogs have won finals so far, too.

 

[Miluxx]

This game should be played down at Geelong

I agree.

 

[CuttlefishMcfly]

If it bleeds we can kill it type of game.

 

[Mr Meow]

Cats fans overly confident is bizarre. Going to be a close one.

Cats are an extremely consistent, albeit low ceiling team. Brisbane's best is the best of any team, but they don't bring it near enough hence not making top four.

If the best of Brisbane turn up, they win by 2-5 goals. If they don't, the ultra consistent, professional Cats outfit will get it done.

Really bizarre post.

The most confident pro-Geelong posts have been by neutrals. The majority of Geelong supporters in here are not overly confident at all.

Pretty much all of us expect a close match and think the result could go either way.

 

[Chinacats]

Control vs Chaos… this time cats are the chaos team and that’s suited to the hectic pressure type environment of finals. A week off and a ‘home’ prelim give cats a good chance. However Brisbane still want another shot at the cup and redemption for last year. They’ve experienced the lot the lions and have proved they can win from any situation.
Brisbane favourite for mine.

 

[GoldbergsGold]

The laziest of lazy takes

Since we recruited Jeremy Cameron and then Tyson Stengle the year later

At the G - played 26, won 19, lost 7 (73% win percentage)

At KP - played 36, won 27, lost 9 (75% win percentage)

At KP (excluding North & WC) - played 29, won 20, lost 9 (68% win percentage)

Since we found ourselves a proper forward line we are much better suited to the open spaces of the G

Geelong have performed better at Kardinia Park than The MCG, that's just observable reality, so it's like you're saying 2 plus 2 equals 4 is a "lazy take."

 

[GoldbergsGold]

Cats fans overly confident is bizarre. Going to be a close one.

Cats are an extremely consistent, albeit low ceiling team. Brisbane's best is the best of any team, but they don't bring it near enough hence not making top four.

If the best of Brisbane turn up, they win by 2-5 goals. If they don't, the ultra consistent, professional Cats outfit will get it done.

Probably because Brisbane haven't beaten Geelong outside The Gabba since 2004.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

As this finals series has shown, bar Lions Blues, there are no gimmees or easy results, it could easily go either way. I think it comes down to whether this comeback win steels the Lions and being battle hardened is more of an advantage than the Cats fresh legs and coaching nous.

Geelong need to start like Oscar Piastri and not Lando Norris.

 

[Hamingja]

Geelong have performed better at Kardinia Park than The MCG, that's just observable reality, so it's like you're saying 2 plus 2 equals 4 is a "lazy take."

No it's not. As posted above take out the two worst teams of the last 20 years, who we would beat on the moon, and we have a better record at the G than at KP since the start of 2021.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

Hehe, you've got me all wrong old mate. If the shoe was on the other foot the Lions would be hosting Geelong at the Gabba. I'm fuming. It's only fair the Cats get to play at GMHBABHBGBA stadium or whatever it's called. The name kind of reads as a sequence of music chords or the sound of some jungle drums being whacked away at. Nevertheless, this game should be played in Geelong.

Besides, there'd be less empty seats for the tv cameras to hide.

The cameras won't be elevating above ground level for the Tiges come next season.

Bye.

 

[Munich]

Why does every oppo supporter care more about our finals being played at the G than we do.

Bizarre.

 

[Seeds]

Geelong will win comfortably.

It'll be a Geelong Vs Sydney GF.

Geelong will win GF.

We are just thinking that because that is what happened in 2022. This year will be different.

Geelong hanst won 11 straight for starters. They were getting smashed at home 4-5 weeks ago. Got rolled by the saint 3 games ago.

 

[JasRulz63]

Watching the game it is more than kicking straight. It’s the constant kicking long to goal square and behinds being rushed. It’s as much the ball use going in as it is the shots at goal

I agree to an extent, our inside 50s are very haphazard which leads to rushed behind. That being said we are also the second worse set shot at goal according to expected score.

 

[Seeds]

Geelong will win comfortably.

It'll be a Geelong Vs Sydney GF.

Geelong will win GF.

We are just thinking that because that is what happened in 2022. This year will be different.

Geelong hasnt won 11 straight for starters. They were getting smashed at home 4-5 weeks ago. Got rolled by the saint 3 games ago.

 

[Seeds]

Geelong will have only played 1 game in 4 weeks. Lions couod very easily get a jump with their current momemtum and game is over half way through the second. If the game is even in the first half then geelongs fresh legs should get them home.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

Historically we have been bad off byes but these days I would consider the freshness a massive positive.

Guys like Danger, Stanley, Duncan, even Jezza with his manic running up and down the ground, would have absolutely no chance of playing 4 finals back to back at their peak level of output.

Game, week off, game, week off, game. Perfect for them.

Difference between a game and being match hardened for finals coming off WC and a disinterested Port.
Youve basically played 1 half of competitive footy since mid August, when WC rallied and even then I'd say you'd racked the cue.

Will be interesting to see how the teams start..

 

[Elixuh]

Hmmm, you can only beat who is in front of you and Geelong may come out and thrash us down at Kardinia, but their most recent matches have been...

Port (witches hats)
WCE
Saints (loss)
Dockers
Crows
North
Bulldogs (loss, trashed)
Collingwood
Hawthorn (win, thrashed the Hawks) - July 6

So Geelong hasn't beaten anyone in the 8 in the H&A since the start of July. And that was the 7th seed.

 

[My Tilly]

Both have been flogged big time throughout the year and neither team has big star players.

Remember in 2019 when Richmond won the flag during a fairly weak period of time, got flogged by 44 points, 49 points, 47 points, 37 points (Kangaroos) and 67 points?
And yet, you preach to all and sundry just how dominant that team was

 

[Lethal09]

Geelong have the home ground advantage and the crowd.

While brisbane just played there grand final against the giants, and have to travel a second time.

Cats by 40.

 

[Munich]

Hmmm, you can only beat who is in front of you and Geelong may come out and thrash us down at Kardinia, but their most recent matches have been...

Port (witches hats)
WCE
Saints (loss)
Dockers
Crows
North
Bulldogs (loss, trashed)
Collingwood
Hawthorn (win, thrashed the Hawks) - July 6

So Geelong hasn't beaten anyone in the 8 in the H&A since the start of July. And that was the 7th seed.

Why dafuq is everybody talking about Kardinia.

We're not playing there!

 

[Elixuh]

Why dafuq is everybody talking about Kardinia.

We're not playing there!

Isn't it your home final? And the Catters spent like 10 years and billions of dollars of Victorian public funds reno'ing Kardinia to host finals? Hmmm.

Well this changes things, Lions by 10 goals.

 

[Munich]

Isn't it your home final? And the Catters spent like 10 years and billions of dollars of Victorian public funds reno'ing Kardinia to host finals? Hmmm.

Well this changes things, Lions by 10 goals.

Good grief are oppo supporters all this dense?

 

[Elixuh]

Good grief are oppo supporters all this dense?

Do they spray paint the G to the dimensions of Kardinia with one wing in a straight line? Or is it normal MCG dimensions?

 

[Mr Meow]

Hmmm, you can only beat who is in front of you and Geelong may come out and thrash us down at Kardinia, but their most recent matches have been...

Port (witches hats)
WCE
Saints (loss)
Dockers
Crows
North
Bulldogs (loss, trashed)
Collingwood
Hawthorn (win, thrashed the Hawks) - July 6

So Geelong hasn't beaten anyone in the 8 in the H&A since the start of July. And that was the 7th seed.

Beating Collingwood and Fremantle stopped either being finals teams so the analysis falls down there. Carlton did not prove any better. Thus it's Freo, Port, Collingwood and Hawthorn as finals levels teams - plenty of scalps and three away from home. Two of them fall into "in a prelim" and "missed a prelim by a kick".

 

[Munich]

Geelong have the home ground advantage and the crowd.

While brisbane just played there grand final against the giants, and have to travel a second time.

Cats by 40.

Should do, was pretty one sided crowd for the last prelim iirc.

Though we did win pretty comfortably so Bris wouldn't have had much to chirp about.