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

[PhatBoy]

I find that a bit hard to believe

I’m disappointed, any team’s fans are when they lose, but I’m not going to tear my hair out over it. We were never expected to get this far, we gave it a great crack, and were beaten by a better side, and dozens of neutrals seem to be celebrating like their own teams have just won a flag

 

[Black Saab]

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

Bye.

You said bye. That's lovely and you said things before that as well. What a Sunday!

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Slightly more confident than I was heading into the QF, but still feel like it's a 50/50 prospect.

Compared to 2-3 years ago, Brisbane's pretty solid at the MCG. Hopefully they're a bit shaky in front of goal: looked like they were having another one of 'those' games until the last quarter blitz.

One big positive with Geelong's recent form is that in year's past, an unceremonious finals exit was often on the back of our opponent knocking up a 3/4/5 goal lead in the first quarter. Our first quarters recently have been very good, we've won the last six. And if we can start we'll, hopefully the fresher legs will help us in the fourth quarter.

Some interesting selection decisions for the Cats, with Stewart a certain in, de Koning to be strongly considered and a sonewhat underdone Cam Guthrie maybe an outside chance.

Disappointed that if Brisbane do win Lincoln McCarthy

11

Lincoln Mccarthy

Age

31

Ht

178cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.6

3star

K

6.8

3star

HB

4.9

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.2

5star

G

0.9

4star

D

9.1

2star

K

5.4

2star

HB

3.7

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.3

4star

G

0.9

4star

D

9.2

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

3.8

3star

M

1.6

2star

T

2.2

4star

G

0.0

1star

won't take his place in the grand final side.

 

[Wojcinski]

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.

Brisbane are huge favourites anyway, it would be the choke of the century if they can't beat a rebuilding Geelong team who is just happy to be here. This might be this Brisbane groups last chance at a flag - pressure will be through the roof for them to finally do something in September

 

[Mr Meow]

Brisbane are huge favourites anyway, it would be the choke of the century if they can't beat a rebuilding Geelong team who is just happy to be here. This might be this Brisbane groups last chance at a flag - pressure will be through the roof for them to finally do something in September

The Lions are the only remaining team who even made it past the first week of finals in 2023. A prelim the year before that. Close to premiership favourites before the late season losses to GWS and Collingwood.

They are primed. The Brisbane Primons.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

The Lions are the only remaining team who even made it past the first week of finals in 2023. A prelim the year before that. Close to premiership favourites before the late season losses to GWS and Collingwood.

They are primed. The Brisbane Primons.

They may never lose again

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I reckon if Geelong were playing at home at Kardinia Park they'd have this in the bag easily, but The AFL are gonna make it much harder for them at The MCG.

We have been materially better at the mcg since the start of 2022. Prefer it there any day of the week

 

[Toffee Lion]

Kind of funny how both sets of fans are more confident this time around.

I gave us no chance in the 22' Prelim, as evident by the Cats performance the following week in the Grand Final, they were primed.

I give us more of a chance this year yet Cats fans are more confident than 22', intriguing.

 

[The Casey Cat]

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

Being flogged reg season hasn't been a problem for some extremely good teams in the past (Tigs included). And both teams have big star players. Pretending otherwise is again displaying what a stupid, ignorant, deluded muppet you are. If you're so disillusioned with everything to the point of posting such false rubbish how about give us a break and #### off?

 

[CatToTheFuture]

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."

Not since we stopped playing chip mark in 2022. Our running half forwards just aren't as effective without the space

The win loss is pretty even but we've played better teams at the mcg recently so the stats don't reflect it fully.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

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..

Port were not "disinterested" in winning a qualifier

 

[Elixuh]

Brisbane are huge favourites anyway, it would be the choke of the century if they can't beat a rebuilding Geelong team who is just happy to be here. This might be this Brisbane groups last chance at a flag - pressure will be through the roof for them to finally do something in September

Guys guys gather round, the second oldest list in the comp is rebuilding. Does anything less than the oldest list in the league count as a full rebuild down at the mighty cattery?

 

[The Casey Cat]

Just checked the records, Brisbane haven't beaten Geelong outside The Gabba in 20 years, not since the 2004 preliminary final at The MCG. And Brisbane haven't beaten Geelong at Kardinia Park since 2003.

We owed them something like this after what we copped from them 94-04/05. After the scoring record in 92 we had all sorts of trouble with them. Even when they weren't good and we were and at KP too.

 

[STPer18]

Brisbane are due, surely we can't keep pummelling them in prelims and denying this club yet another flag? Can we?

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Kind of funny how both sets of fans are more confident this time around.

I gave us no chance in the 22' Prelim, as evident by the Cats performance the following week in the Grand Final, they were primed.

I give us more of a chance this year yet Cats fans are more confident than 22', intriguing.

I also give you more chance than last year, just we were expecting gws and with our history against gws they're a worse draw for us than you. Not to say anyone is certain of a win here, under dogs are winning finals everywhere this year, but this is a better scenario for us no offence

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Brisbane are due, surely we can't keep pummelling them in prelims and denying this club yet another flag? Can we?

Pretty sure there's no rule against it

 

[The Casey Cat]

Kind of funny how both sets of fans are more confident this time around.

I gave us no chance in the 22' Prelim, as evident by the Cats performance the following week in the Grand Final, they were primed.

I give us more of a chance this year yet Cats fans are more confident than 22', intriguing.

Again where is the evidence of Cats fans being like this? I was miles more confident two years ago btw.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Let's be real, we're both just lambs to a slaughter waiting to play Ken 'father figure' Hinkley and his heroes on GF day.

This game is a waste of time. Port of West Horsham vs Glasgow (without the good pubs) is the real preliminary final.

 

[Toffee Lion]

Again where is the evidence of Cats fans being like this? I was miles more confident two years ago btw.

That's fair. Ironically we've been the preferred choice on both occasions (22' and 24') coming out of the SF, so only natural to have confidence when that follows through.

I also give you more chance than last year, just we were expecting gws and with our history against gws they're a worse draw for us than you. Not to say anyone is certain of a win here, under dogs are winning finals everywhere this year, but this is a better scenario for us no offence

Yeah I agree with this. In 22' I felt we'd get flogged, this year I can see a more narrow loss or even heartbreak loss.

Head doesn't say win but I definitely feel more confident than 22'. I'd ultimately be quite disappointed if it's a similar result to 22' as our group has gone through a GF since 22', we should be more than capable of standing up on the big stage.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

That's fair. Ironically we've been the preferred choice on both occasions (22' and 24') coming out of the SF, so only natural to have confidence when that follows through.


Yeah I agree with this. In 22' I felt we'd get flogged, this year I can see a more narrow loss or even heartbreak loss.

Head doesn't say win but I definitely feel more confident than 22'. I'd ultimately be quite disappointed if it's a similar result to 22' as our group has gone through a GF since 22', we should be more than capable of standing up on the big stage.

Yeah feels like history won't be a guide. Both teams very different to our first encounter

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Kind of funny how both sets of fans are more confident this time around.

I gave us no chance in the 22' Prelim, as evident by the Cats performance the following week in the Grand Final, they were primed.

I give us more of a chance this year yet Cats fans are more confident than 22', intriguing.

It's interesting, I doubt I'm more confident than I was in 2022, though I certainly wasn't chalking the 'W' up then either from memory. You're going to play a good side in a preliminary final, they're not supposed to be easy.

I guess maybe from a Geelong point of view, at least from my perspective, it's a balance between the 2024 side - certainly on paper, as well as extended form - being not as good as 2022, but is that offset by the 'been there, done that factor' where we'll line up with 13-14 premiership players? We'll see I suppose. But yeah, I'd say the last time I went into a PF with anything resembling confidence was 2011.

 

[Toffee Lion]

Yeah feels like history won't be a guide. Both teams very different to our first encounter

Except for Dangerfield, that guy demolishes us every time. We didn't have Dunkley in 22' though, so fingers crossed he can nullify him a bit this time.

Hopefully it's a good contest. 22' was a pantsing, 14 scoring shots to 4 at HT.

 

[Wojcinski]

Guys guys gather round, the second oldest list in the comp is rebuilding. Does anything less than the oldest list in the league count as a full rebuild down at the mighty cattery?

Oh does a rebuild mean you have to be the youngest team in the league now? I always thought it was a period of high player turnover like Geelong is currently going through. I guess not, thanks for opening my eyes to what a rebuild definitely is.

 

[Wojcinski]

Except for Dangerfield, that guy demolishes us every time. We didn't have Dunkley in 22' though, so fingers crossed he can nullify him a bit this time.

Hopefully it's a good contest. 22' was a pantsing, 14 scoring shots to 4 at HT.

Wouldn't using Dunkley as a tagger be kind of a waste of his talents though?

 

[Toffee Lion]

It's interesting, I doubt I'm more confident than I was in 2022, though I certainly wasn't chalking the 'W' up then either from memory. You're going to play a good side in a preliminary final, they're not supposed to be easy.

I guess maybe from a Geelong point of view, at least from my perspective, it's a balance between the 2024 side - certainly on paper, as well as extended form - being not as good as 2022 particular confidence, but is that offset by the 'been there, done that factor' where we'll line up with 13-14 premiership players? We'll see I suppose. But yeah, I'd say the last time I went into a PF with anything resembling confidence was 2011.

I think list profile wise we're quite similar. Both lists have the older guys who have battle hardened, been there done that and then some added youth making their first real runs deep into finals.

Only difference is your lot got the flag, we just got a 4 point loss.

 

[Toffee Lion]

Wouldn't using Dunkley as a tagger be kind of a waste of his talents though?

Dunkley doesn't "tag" perse but he does go to the oppo's most dangerous mid like a Cripps/Dangerfield for example. Neale usually cops a tag and then that leaves McCluggage & Ashcroft to be more expressive.