Review Cats take THE RIVALRY from the Hawks again with 51 point win

[The_Koulouriotis_Fan]

I just posted Duncan has been gold since Humphries stepped into the backline.

Not sure if it’s a coincidence or Duncan just coming good (certainly in front of Touhy/MOC for mine by a long way).

Touhy has also been better since Humphries went to defence and Stewart to the middle

 

[And_ROOS]

Neale showing that whilst he may never become an all time great like Hawkins he has all the tools to be a good key forward for the next 5-10 years.
Humphries continues to impress and should stay in the side unless he has 2-3 bad games in a row which i don't think he will.
SDK in the ruck i like but i still think Conway will be better once he can get continuity but SDK is proving he can be a good stopgap or emg ruck if needed.
Dempsey continues to impress me more than i thought he ever would the ceiling for him is massive.
Mannagh needs to stay in and be give a few games in a row unless he drops stinkers while Henry can go to the 2s and be told to chase and tackle.

Triple M were talking about this and I tend to agree with them, Conway looks the long term ruck option and assuming that happens having SDK become, in their words "the next Blicavs", would be excellent. If he can ruck, we know he can defend, and he has had good moments up forward as well.

But this is a good idea because Conway continues to get injured and we would be absolutely foolish putting all the eggs in one basket. If SDK becomes a better ruck than Conway, then thats a good problem to have because it means we have 2 excellent rucks.

Or if Conway becomes a gun ruck who stays healthy, potentially SDK could become the next Jackson especially depending on how Neale develops.

 

[dazbroncos]

Disagree. It’s a professional sporting event. Not a nightclub.
It kills the true atmosphere of the game.

the music is shit - just some seppo crap they've added to the game.

Hate it. I work in entertainment and I know whats good and effective and whats loud crap.

And yes im old and yelling at clouds.

GO Catters

 

[Play it Sam]

A lot wanted Duncan dropped and then rested over the past fortnight. The MC didn't waver and he's been one of our best players over the last 2 games.

His disposal isn't always perfect these days (but find me which big ball winner in this team's is) but all he needs is a semi-functional team for his strengths to give us an advantage from half back. Mitch remains central to our sling shot game but it doesn't work if our whole side is being swarmed. If we are proactive suddenly he looks good. Having the speedy Holmes and Humphries alongside him has helped too.

Duncan's also had 21 intercepts over the last 3 weeks. Somewhat surprising but maybe the old dog has gotten back a bit of pep in his step.

Yes he's been good, can't beat his canniness and integral leadership smarts that fly under the radar. A lot of his defensive work has perennially gone unnoticed. Despite that, you have to admit that age is catching up when he tries a step too far, has slowed down on the chase, and run, we are holding our collective breath. Still needed, he's one who hasn't really been managed at all.

 

[And_ROOS]

I'm finding Clark hard to read. He's like a mix of Atkins & Parfitt, but once or twice a game he pulls some super classy shit that those others cant do.

Might have been early season or preseason but he had a game where most of his possessions were either skill errors or cut off, but the vision he showed to spot runs from teammates was the key.

It was one of those games where you think "in 2 seasons when he has built up a tank and put on some muscle he is going to break out".

He has vision and skills that you can't always teach. His injury slowed him down, so he might take 3 or 4 years to come good, but when he does he is going to be something.

 

[Heckler]

O Henry is a real worry for me at the moment, needs some VFL time to get some form as he has been offering nothing the past couple months, id be happy to have Clohesy as the sub.

The past couple of months was slump period
Danger injured : Stewart + Jezza got concussed.
Cats were getting totally belted in the midfield.
Stanley Parfitt Clark Bowes Bruhn all struggled.
Zone defense broke down Backline was besieged.
Entries into F50 were poor, high lobs or rushed.
Every forward struggled the goals dried up
Why single out OHenry, then better than Hawkins.
His performance is dependant on ball delivery.
Main issue now with SDK as ruck, is tall defender.
O'Sullivan is ahead of Clohesy in importance ATM.

 

[Heckler]

Blicavs is the obvious option if we feel J. Henry is undersized. I genuinely don't understand why people are acting like COS and Jeka are all we have in reserve when we have a guy on the list who won a Carji and made the AA squad as a key defender. To me he's the self-evident "break glass in case of emergency" KPD. Re-deploying him to KPD while SDK is rucking is no more radical a positional shift than moving Stewart to midfield or SDK himself to ruck. We don't need to be gambling on unproven kids or journeyman list-cloggers, we have better alternatives available.

Ruck swapping at Key Defender.... mmmm?... interesting idea
No different in principle than... Ruck swapping at Key Forward

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Touhy has also been better since Humphries went to defence and Stewart to the middle

He's had a distinct role

 

[Burtyl78]

Mannagh should be playing the wing/MF role.

But that said of that lot id drop rohan.

Rohan chases, Henry doesn’t strike fear into opposition defenders

 

[Art Vandelay_]

I called for sdk back not because he cant ruck but because i said our key defence wasnt good enough without him. And i stand by the opinipn that the rest of the year will show it.

Except he's been up and down like a yo-yo since having his face broken.
This has freed him up and he's playing good footy again.

And i didnt call to drop duncan.

You most certainly did. You should know me by now, I go back and check.

Autopsy - Cats lose to Port by 6 points after being down by 10 goals

The mature ruck strategy never works because they only ever do it with late late picks. If you want a really good ruck you need to invest capital in it. As far as this year we knee stanley was almost cooked, we knew conway couldnt play every week, we knew blitz was 33. Furphy hadnt played footy...

www.bigfooty.com

Autopsy - Cats lose to Port by 6 points after being down by 10 goals

Since we're back on the discussion of disposal numbers (really not sure why), I decided to check out how we fared in that regard back in 2022 & this "magical" figure of 30 disposals in a match Out of our 25 matches in 2022, in only 10 of those matches did we have a player or players finish with...

www.bigfooty.com

Autopsy - Cats lose 4th straight to GWS by 4 points.

You guys got cocky resting all your players and now it's biting you in the arse, you don't mess with form.. will be interesting to see if it has any effect later in the year Are you lost?

www.bigfooty.com

Preview - Rd 15 Geelong V Blues Fri 21 Jun 740 pm @ MCG

Little early but we got nothing else going on. Will be a very big game for us after out Bye. Will the rest be good or will the cobwebs still be on us at 1/2 time?!? Surely given a few blokes limping into the bye the rest will have been helpful. We also get a few back. PFD for one. Jezza...

www.bigfooty.com

Duncan is sadly close to cooked for speed. I would drop him but mc probably wont.

I said that we cant win finals if we play both duncan or tuohy because they cant defend fast transition. I said you have to pick one or the other and i stand by that.

False equivalency to use that as the measure. We're not going all the way because we lack in a couple key areas. Namely midfield, ruck, and without Hawkins now KPF also.

Using our likely September exit as the bar that shows you're right is not a fair one to make.
Both have played all year, in a team that will go close to securing top 4 yet again.

 

[Zouz Kitty]

You're amazing! Thank you

 

[Cats_R_Cool_4_Ever]

Perfect 40th Birthday present our Cats thrashing the Dorks!!

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

Rohan chases, Henry doesn’t strike fear into opposition defenders

Still a fantastic impact player when he’s on- has been fantastic and back to his best the last few weeks

 

[The Casey Cat]

Rohan chases, Henry doesn’t strike fear into opposition defenders

Also competes in the air to bring the ball down, bashes and crashes like a much bigger KPF and will bolt faster than anyone else can on the field just to lay a shepherd or provide support.

 

[Play it Sam]

Except he's been up and down like a yo-yo since having his face broken.
This has freed him up and he's playing good footy again.


You most certainly did. You should know me by now, I go back and check.

Autopsy - Cats lose to Port by 6 points after being down by 10 goals

The mature ruck strategy never works because they only ever do it with late late picks. If you want a really good ruck you need to invest capital in it. As far as this year we knee stanley was almost cooked, we knew conway couldnt play every week, we knew blitz was 33. Furphy hadnt played footy...

www.bigfooty.com

Autopsy - Cats lose to Port by 6 points after being down by 10 goals

Since we're back on the discussion of disposal numbers (really not sure why), I decided to check out how we fared in that regard back in 2022 & this "magical" figure of 30 disposals in a match Out of our 25 matches in 2022, in only 10 of those matches did we have a player or players finish with...

www.bigfooty.com

Autopsy - Cats lose 4th straight to GWS by 4 points.

You guys got cocky resting all your players and now it's biting you in the arse, you don't mess with form.. will be interesting to see if it has any effect later in the year Are you lost?

www.bigfooty.com

Preview - Rd 15 Geelong V Blues Fri 21 Jun 740 pm @ MCG

Little early but we got nothing else going on. Will be a very big game for us after out Bye. Will the rest be good or will the cobwebs still be on us at 1/2 time?!? Surely given a few blokes limping into the bye the rest will have been helpful. We also get a few back. PFD for one. Jezza...

www.bigfooty.com

False equivalency to use that as the measure. We're not going all the way because we lack in a couple key areas. Namely midfield, ruck, and without Hawkins now KPF also.

Using our likely September exit as the bar that shows you're right is not a fair one to make.
Both have played all year, in a team that will go close to securing top 4 yet again.

It's a petty world when someone wades through the almanac of BS just to prove a poster said what most others did at the time- Duncan was down. And a spiteful, irrelevant counter to praise that Pure_Ownage , unlike you, passionately backed Mannagh from day one.

 

[CoolCat75]

the music is shit - just some seppo crap they've added to the game.

And yes im old and yelling at clouds.

GO Catters

I hear you Mr Benaud.

Hail Richie, hail the great man. Hail!

 

[Commando]

So what is that dance tune played after goals and prior to bounce?
Pretty sure the terrace were chanting it at one stage too..

 

[dazbroncos]

It's a petty world when someone wades through the almanac of BS just to prove a poster said what most others did at the time- Duncan was down. And a spiteful, irrelevant counter to praise that Pure_Ownage , unlike you, passionately backed Mannagh from day one.

Ill take Pure_Ownage anyday of the week and 3 times on Sunday.

Go Catters

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Also competes in the air to bring the ball down, bashes and crashes like a much bigger KPF and will bolt faster than anyone else can on the field just to lay a shepherd or provide support.

Harry Taylor when he was the conditioning , phys ed bloke at Geel for a couple of seasons , i heard him on the radio being interviewed and he said , quote , Rohan is lightning quick and the quickest player on the Geelong list

They are great attributes for any footballer to have

 

[Heckler]

Watching live at the ground :
Thought Neale Humphries Mannagh were good.
After watching the TV replay was even better.
Neale :
Worked hard : Presenting and marking upfield
Showed aggression : Crashing the packs
Displayed skill and smarts : Handball and Taps to advantage
Showed Promise : Leading and Pack marks
Needs to play every remaining game
Humphries :
Composed Skilled Smart Brave
Will become best 23 soon
Mannagh :
Worked hard showed true hustle
Used the ball well by hand and foot
Can handle the ALF speed and pace
Strong body ready to step up now.

Age profile of this trio fills the gap b/w cats and Kittens

 

[StonedCat]

the music is shit - just some seppo crap they've added to the game.

Hate it. I work in entertainment and I know whats good and effective and whats loud crap.

And yes im old and yelling at clouds.

GO Catters

Don't ask me to select anything. I'd be playing 70s hard rock for every goal

 

[dazbroncos]

Don't ask me to select anything. I'd be playing 70s hard rock for every goal

Im at the Footy... I dont want music period.

GO Catters

 

[cats_09]

I don't mind the music - surely it's better than the cats meow/roar they tried a couple of years back

But I've also grown up going to basketball matches and music plays a big role there - the tempo of the game, getting the crowd involved etc

I wonder if the latter is part of the reasoning behind the increased use of music throughout the league, and trying to bring some life to crowds which at times are a bit meh with atmosphere

Last night, like last week it was a pretty flat atmosphere for majority of the last quarter as the result was a foregone conclusion - but with a couple of late goals to Cameron & Close it sparked back up a bit

 

[#6 Thorp #7 Selwood LOL]

Can handle the ALF speed and pace

 

[Mr Meow]

Yes he's been good, can't beat his canniness and integral leadership smarts that fly under the radar. A lot of his defensive work has perennially gone unnoticed. Despite that, you have to admit that age is catching up when he tries a step too far, has slowed down on the chase, and run, we are holding our collective breath. Still needed, he's one who hasn't really been managed at all.

Yeah Duncan is simply facing the realities of every veteran player nearing the end, where half a second less due to decline of speed/reflexes means mistakes will creep in. They can't pull off certain kicks 9 out of 10 times like they could before. This still occurs with Pendlebury and essentially every veteran, even those who remain high performers right until the end (e.g Enright/Taylor).

These veterans can be smooth operators in well functioning teams and are exposed in ones facing serious heat or lack of cohesion. Duncan has always relied on movement ahead of the ball, good spread etc where he has options on transition. His timing is that of a faulty stopwatch when there's congestion and we are stilted, where pressure gets deferred to the ball carrier.

For whatever reason the slightest up tick in Tuohy's form receives an abundance of adulation, when in reality the best of Tuohy this season has been at the level of the worst of Duncan. I've been a fan of both over their careers, so it pains me to criticise Tuohy like that. But if Duncan is slow/discombobulated/malfunctioning, then Tuohy would have to be described in far harsher terms.

Effective disposal numbers are a neat way to summarise that: 228 for Duncan and 135 for Tuohy this season.