Review Cats make Swans live the GF again and add more hurt by 93 points

[Mr Meow]

I said earlier that I like O'Connor pushing up into the midfield. But I was a little surprised to see Scotty make that move specifically against the Swans since de Koning was also getting a lot of midfield minutes. It worked out alright though.

Chris, you don't have to play these games. We get it, you're a great coach. Get off BF!

 

[Generalissimo]

Chris, you don't have to play these games. We get it, you're a great coach. Get off BF!

Joke's on you. I'm actually Mark O'Connor.

 

[witsend]

The end will come - I hope I'm wrong - when Dangerfield and Hawkins retire. Special players.

I’d add Blicavs to that list…unique. Almost impossible to replace.


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[Mr Meow]

I’d add Blicavs to that list…unique. Almost impossible to replace.


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Very good shout. It's sad that Blicavs is nearing the end, I was shocked to see he's 32 years old. The late start in AFL explains it but maybe means he eeks out an extra year or two due to less crash and bash? His games at the club, however, have been full throttle so who knows. I'd love for all three to play on in 2024 but their presence is enough to treat 2023 as a contending year at least. If we somehow went back to back, maybe the decision is made for Hawkins no matter how well he is still playing.

 

[catempire]

Joke's on you. I'm actually Mark O'Connor.

Your accent was a dead giveaway.

 

[MacStradbroke]

Very good shout. It's sad that Blicavs is nearing the end, I was shocked to see he's 32 years old. The late start in AFL explains it but maybe means he eeks out an extra year or two due to less crash and bash? His games at the club, however, have been full throttle so who knows. I'd love for all three to play on in 2024 but their presence is enough to treat 2023 as a contending year at least. If we somehow went back to back, maybe the decision is made for Hawkins no matter how well he is still playing.

Blicavs 100% plays next year.

On Hawk, one would think he could plonk himself at FF in a less mobile role for a few years yet, but being at the ground, watching him take what seems like forever to get up every time he goes down must be seriously hard yakka for him. It’s line ball as to who stays down longer out of him and SDK. I was buoyed by his comments after the game Saturday though saying as long as he’s enjoying it he will play for as long as he physically can .

Been said to death, has there been a nice pair of champions in the game than Hawkins and Selwood. Phenomenal humans.

 

[Stokey]

Joke's on you. I'm actually Mark O'Connor.

I'm liking your season so far to be sure.

 

[Mr Meow]

Blicavs 100% plays next year.

On Hawk, one would think he could plonk himself at FF in a less mobile role for a few years yet, but being at the ground, watching him take what seems like forever to get up every time he goes down must be seriously hard yakka for him. It’s line ball as to who stays down longer out of him and SDK. I was buoyed by his comments after the game Saturday though saying as long as he’s enjoying it he will play for as long as he physically can .

Been said to death, has there been a nice pair of champions in the game than Hawkins and Selwood. Phenomenal humans.

The thing about Hawkins is that he refuses to miss a game. "I'll have my pre season playing the first 3 matches, knowing I'll cop some heat for being a bit below my best, but still best option for the team". But if he goes on in subsequent years surely we manage his games carefully and get Neale some experience. It's a very curious thing though because as you said, the role and his attributes still lend him such an advantage over his opponents. We are not in an era of truly elite, big bodied key position defenders either.

The melts is his form keeps picking up and he earns another AA guernsey would be delicious. Dangerfield somehow climbing into the squad would be pure nirvana. The latter will be managed and have his ups and downs though so I doubt it. But he's had a good start all things considered.

 

[goyoucatters]

Been said to death, has there been a nicer pair of champions in the game than Hawkins and Selwood. Phenomenal humans.

I'll acknowledge my bias, of course. But I haven't seen two better people on and off the field than this duo over my lifetime of following the Cats.

Despite their unbelievable careers, it is not an exaggeration to say that I respect them even more for who they are as people than for what they have produced out on the ground in the hoops.

 

[goyoucatters]

I’d argue he’s someone who stands up for Geelong and writes positive pieces more than most

If you look at his published pieces, this is absolutely true. He has actually swum against the tide in defending the Cats for years, holding to the narrative that their plan to always contend is worthy of praise rather than derision. Which was finally completely vindicated in the wake of last years' flag triumph.

What is also true of Barrett, however, is that he is incredibly stubborn about holding to his views, come what may. So having seemingly decided to flip the script on the Cats after the first few weeks of this season, he's now probably caught up in going with that until it becomes clear that writing us off is completely untenable.

Which means if we string together some wins again, he will swing back hard into relentless positivity about the hoops. It's just the way he operates; once he gets a narrative in his head, it is always incredibly difficult to change it. If you think back a couple of years, it was mention after mention of how Jenkins was still massively in calculations to come back into the senior team for the Cats during the 2021 season. Then he retired at the end of the year without featuring even once...

Basically he appears to be quite committed to the philosophy that it's almost as important to be convinced (and supposedly convincing) as it is to be correct.

 

[goyoucatters]

View attachment 1668586

Did he roll with Tim Lane's 'the days of domination are over' at any point?

 

[dazbroncos]

True, but this is uncharted territory. Historically sides reach a certain age and that's it. There's never been a side as old as last year's Geelong to win the flag. That's where the management is so critical - and top of the list is Dangerfield not needing to play full games anymore. Also why for me Atkins, Close, and Miers are unbelievably important. And it's no coincidence as they've returned to form so has the team.

We are certainly braking new ground with the way we are doing it - unprecedented indeed.

and yes, the importance of Atkins, Close, Holmes, Miers, SDK, Sav, Zuthrie et al and the younger kids running games out and being a point of difference is critical.

Allows the flexibility for PFD, Guthrie, Duncan etc to get breaks and move around.

GO Catters

 

[goyoucatters]

We are certainly braking new ground with the way we are doing it - unprecedented indeed.

and yes, the importance of Atkins, Close, Holmes, Miers, SDK, Sav, Zuthrie et al and the younger kids running games out and being a point of difference is critical.

Allows the flexibility for PFD, Guthrie, Duncan etc to get breaks and move around.

GO Catters

We are certainly moving towards a time where a whole bunch of generational players will depart in quick succession. But, like you, I do believe we have some cause for optimism when you consider the contribution currently coming from players who still have plenty of their prospective peak years in the system to come.

Players 27 or under who already show strong signs of being at least solid senior players for plenty of years to come (current age in brackets)

Holmes (20)
Bowes (25)
SDK (22)
Stengle (24)
Atkins (27)
Miers (24)
O Henry (20)
J Henry (24)
Zuth (24)
MOC (26)
Close (24)

Players 24 or under who I believe could play at least solid senior footy for plenty of years to come

Conway (20)
Rata (24)
Dempsey (20)
SOS (24)

And this outline doesn't include Parf (24), Bruhn (20), Whyte (20), Clark (18) and Neale (20), who all impress me enough to think they'll be contributors as well.

I acknowledge that our issue is likely to be the lack of 'star power'. That's what perennial contending tends to do to you, of course, But with some continued canny FA acquisitions, I don't think the long-term prospects of our list look all that dim, given how this list of 'younger' talent lines up against a bunch of the other competing clubs at this point.

 

[The Unforgiven]

David King...hello?....hello??

You must hate sharing a name with that flog.

 

[you pick one]

Just put the DVD on again....

Special....

No Cup for this win but it was a pizzliing for sure.

Jez 5
Tomma 5
Simmo 2

Missing some key parts and covered it really really well.

Saw the Flag get unrolled and a good ceremony with Anzac day.

Puts us 3-3 and gives us some whopping % going into Rd 7

Hard to pick a passenger tonight - and we missed several gettable goals at the end so it could have been even worse.

PFD, Close, Miers, SAV - yes SAV in the best - Even Bowes getting better over time

Great win and onto next week

Oh.. and Jezza worth ever bit of the 3 x Rd1 picks.


not to mention we did it without Stengle, Stanley, Jack Henry...

GO Catters

Honourable mention to Jed Bews.

 

[catempire]

Not sure if it has been mentioned but Fox is concussed from the Duncan incident and Longmire is complaining. Brave call by the MRO.

 

[Cataholic]

Not sure if it has been mentioned but Fox is concussed from the Duncan incident and Longmire is complaining. Brave call by the MRO.

So there WAS a violent impact to the head.......

The right decision was made by the MRO, but I had no faith in their ability to exercise such commonsense.

 

[cats_09]

Not sure if it has been mentioned but Fox is concussed from the Duncan incident and Longmire is complaining. Brave call by the MRO.

That happened 3rd quarter (?), and did Fox play out the match or sit on the bench from that point on?

 

[Cataholic]

That happened 3rd quarter (?), and did Fox play out the match or sit on the bench from that point on?

Didn't he play on?

The wording about his concussion suggests he failed the protocol post game.

 

[catempire]

That happened 3rd quarter (?), and did Fox play out the match or sit on the bench from that point on?

Didn't he play on?

The wording about his concussion suggests he failed the protocol post game.

Yes seems delayed onset of symptoms.

Anyway, we wish him well.

 

[you pick one]

Didn't he play on?

The wording about his concussion suggests he failed the protocol post game.

Most certainly did was on Cameron right to the end.

 

[Cataholic]

Yes seems delayed onset of symptoms.

Anyway, we wish him well.

I wonder if this is a specific area where the science and treatment can be improved?

The sooner a concussion is diagnosed the better.

 

[Strange Cat]

Not sure if it has been mentioned but Fox is concussed from the Duncan incident and Longmire is complaining. Brave call by the MRO.

Right decision was made as there were no legitimate options for Duncan to make at the time of the incident

Accidents do happen

 

[Mr Meow]

Not sure if it has been mentioned but Fox is concussed from the Duncan incident and Longmire is complaining. Brave call by the MRO.

What's that disgusting noise?

Nevermind, it's just the mouth frothing of ABG (anyone but Geelong) nuffies on the main board.

 

[MisterMarcus]

He talks up almost everyone. That's the kind of coach he is.

It seems to work.

Plus what do people expect a coach to say to those types of questions?

"Nah he's a s** truck and should be dumped to the twos"??