Autopsy Cats lose their way in 18 points loss to Saints

[frggr]

You've got to be in it to win and anything can happen on the day.

We obliterated the Swans in the 22 flag but weren't leagues ahead of them.

We got belted by the Tigers in the 2017 QF and we were a better team than they were.

We weren't a 20 goal better team than Port Adelaide in 2007 etc etc.

The only guarantee you've got of not winning a flag is finishing 9th or below.

I'm not saying it's likely we'll win one this year, but we've given ourselves a chance to get it done. Who knows what happens - who knows who might get injured or rubbed out or find form or have the footy gods smile upon them in the remaining games.

Guaranteed we as supporters will be rueing this loss longer than the players do. Chin up, dust ya selves off and see what happens.

 

[frggr]

Jack Henry's first quarter definitely had me up and about

I don't know how we ended up having all our defenders go up for the aerial contest at once then go to ground on pretty much every entry in the 2nd half though.

I wonder if it was just nerves and nobody trusting their team mate to get the job done so everyone decided to take it on for themselves

 

[frggr]

Good luck getting home tonight folks....

But opposition fans keep telling me Melbourne's just an hour down the road?

 

[BIGANT]

Henry wasnt the issue rohan was as was our ball use. When we lowered our eyes inside 50 in thr first hf it was ok.
Hawkins is physically done too far back.

That's the opinion. If Hawk is available and the fwd line remains dysfunctional, he'll be in.

 

[The_Todd07]

Good luck getting home tonight folks....

Seems to be cleared up now
We've just arrived at Tarneit after sitting at Deer Park

2nd worst hour of my night so far

 

[Finknottle]

The worry for me is our fitness. We seem capable of playing half a game but not any more. When a team gets on a run after half time we cannot go with them. Perhaps we can make excuses for our veterans, Dangerfield, Duncan, Rohan, Stanley, Blicavs. But it seems to affect the whole team. In the finals we will come up against teams that can play 4 quarters and I just don't see how we can expect to beat any of them.

 

[Live in hope]

I agree with that.
The real trouble in the 3rd quarter was us not defending them out of stoppage but we made it worse but not slowing the game down for 2-3 mins when we needed to. Which is unlike us normally we are good at that.

Kudos to Saints and Lyon there as well - they tagged Stewart at stoppage as well and also ran hard defensively to cover the sideways chip/possession game.

 

[cats_09]

Good luck getting home tonight folks....

We're moving again - I'm on the train directly behind but we were getting updates on the situation

Someone was pressing the emergency button on our train as a woman fainted - the conductor couldn't get to her so asked for an ambulance to be called. Before that could happen, she recovered and just as we thought we'd be on our way, we were advised of issues on the train ahead of us

The first train post match was stuck at Tarneit waiting for the ambulance and PSOs - an ill passenger required medical assistance and we were told that due to injuries, the PSOs were unable to remove her until the ambulance arrived

Took like half an hour for the ambulance to be dispatched based on the info coming to us

 

[Live in hope]

Kudos to Saints and Lyon there as well - they tagged Stewart at stoppage as well and also ran hard defensively to cover the sideways chip/possession game.

 

[Interdimensional Bigfoot]

Wish we could've seen what Hardie had at AFL level. Man wasn't blowing the roof off but elevated at AFL and has been a solid player. Knevitt, Mullin, Rohan, Duncan, Henry. I'm so confused with Duncan as a sub, unless we thought we'd just auto win this game.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Lucky we always win those finals against the Power in Adelaide.

Oh man, don't bring it up. You're reminding me of the time I took my Hawks supporting mate to the 2021 qualifier.

 

[frggr]

Wish we could've seen what Hardie had at AFL level. Man wasn't blowing the roof off but elevated at AFL and has been a solid player. Knevitt, Mullin, Rohan, Duncan, Henry. I'm so confused with Duncan as a sub, unless we thought we'd just auto win this game.

He does strike me as a "we're likely to have this game under control" sub option.

Needed someone with a bit of leg speed and a level head.

 

[Larry Donohue]

WHAT WAS THAT

 

[Finknottle]

Wish we could've seen what Hardie had at AFL level. Man wasn't blowing the roof off but elevated at AFL and has been a solid player. Knevitt, Mullin, Rohan, Duncan, Henry. I'm so confused with Duncan as a sub, unless we thought we'd just auto win this game.

Duncan as sub was ridiculous. If the MC made that decision then I don't get it.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Think we are a chance?

I think we're a better chance against them there than GWS or Port away

 

[witsend]

Downsides:
Shocking fade out to a team that simply out ran and out worked us. Concerning how much space they were able to find in their F50. Each loss of that nature is a learning opportunity for a team in transition.
Still feels like Cameron is not imposing himself consistently on the game, given his undeniable raw talent. Especially when we’re struggling. Carrying an injury? A little timid post concussions?
Rohan seems to be unable to produce at the level required. Love the guy, but could be cooked.
Upsides:
Best players were likely Bowes, Mannagh, Humphries and Holmes imo.
Neale shows flashes of his talent and capability but we have to remember how long it took Hawkins to produce consistently as a KPF.
I actually believe our transition is ahead of schedule.
I would look to 2026 as the year we are most likely to hit our full straps.
I’ll finish by saying this:
If someone offered us Top 4 at the start of this season, we’d have grabbed it without question.
The glass is far more than half-full…
Go Cats



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[The_Koulouriotis_Fan]

We’ve had a few really disappointing losses this year. That one was the worst, to give up a 33point lead in a quarter and lose by 18 points, I expected better from a team trying to lock in top 4 v a team thats season is over.

Ah well, another reminder that we don’t really have the team to win it this year and it the 2017/18 vibes of this team feel about right.

Will still finish top 4 when we beat West Coast but an away final against Sydney is not gonna be very nice.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I wonder if it was just nerves and nobody trusting their team mate to get the job done so everyone decided to take it on for themselves

I guess just too gassed to get to best position early enough and allow one player to bring to ground and the other to keep his feet. They were just doing everything they could to not concede the mark. Reckon the entries were just too fast and Henry and Kolo just too gassed from trying to keep up.

I would be interested to know others thoughts

 

[ShaunWDT]

Id have had more impact than Henry,Knevitt and Mullin and I'm fat and havent played footy for a decade, sooner they get the hell out of the 22 the better.

 

[bombersboy]

I'm all pro Neale, I'm just waiting for him to take a few steps on what his doing currently

Neale does a couple of things each game but for most of it he is non competitive. Everyone is bagging Henry but he gets a free ride.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

We’ve had a few really disappointing losses this year. That one was the worst, to give up a 33point lead in a quarter and lose by 18 points, I expected better from a team trying to lock in top 4 v a team thats season is over.

Ah well, another reminder that we don’t really have the team to win it this year and it the 2017/18 vibes of this team feel about right.

Will still finish top 4 when we beat West Coast but an away final against Sydney is not gonna be very nice.

Au contraire. I encourage anyone willing and able to get a ticket and go. Brilliant venue for footy the SCG.

 

[Heckler]

Great first half won every contest
Established a match winning lead
Saints off to a fly after half time.
Finding loose men with every kick
It seemed Saints could do no wrong
Cats panicked with dumb decisions
Skills disappeared, chaos ensued
Saints kicked 7 goals to 1 in Q3
Score was level ...Game Was On
Scott needed to instill composure
Cats fought back after last break
Saints were equally determined
Cats surrendered the momentum
Umps ensured it stayed that way.
Cats lost the unbeatable game
This was Mother of All Catnaps

This loss will sting deep
It hurt our finals chance
It taught a timely lesson
Good teams don't stop
Team selection matters

 

[Interdimensional Bigfoot]

Neale does a couple of things each game but for most of it he is non competitive. Everyone is bagging Henry but he gets a free ride.

With the way we've been playing, he's a better option then Hawk, our inside 50s are dirty and Neale can contest that type of high long bomb, Hawk is stronger and smarter with positioning but if it's coming like it is he won't give us much.

*Edit, what I trying to say is Neale earns a spot, O Henry is very lucky to be getting picked each game

 

[Play it Sam]

I find Bowes a fascinating player to watch. When he gets it he looks like he's going in slow motion but he somehow either gets the disposal away, or, because everything is in one fluid motion where he doesn't stop he doesn't get pinged htb.

That possession he had where he spent step after step looking for a handball option then just dropped it on the boot to soccer to Dempsey and picked up the receive looked like some Harlem globetrotter stuff. Then some of his standard field kicks were average at best.

I could watch him for hours and never form a solid opinion

It would help if he could stick a tackle first by catching them, and pick out a man instead of bomb into f50. He’s inconsistent for mine and yet his stats don’t reflect that. I can’t really fathom what team we’ll take into finals, we have no balance. There’s SDK, Bruhn, Guthrie, Hawkins floating and Bews in the wings. At least not riddled by injury a la 2023, but I hate to think how seesaw anxious we’ll all be expecting a finals flogging or close game. We’ve got ability but get the bloody team right and experimental free.

 

[The_Koulouriotis_Fan]

Au contraire. I encourage anyone willing and able to get a ticket and go. Brilliant venue for footy the SCG.

I mean the result.

But look, who knows! Anything can happen!