Cats vs Pies round 24

[Cousin of Daicos]

Hard to judge.

Last year we rested Didak and Johnson, and basically didn't give 2 shits about Hawthorn, still should have won, and the loss didn't affect us on iota come finals.

Will we go that way again? Who knows.

They might care enough to want to beat Geelong for phychological reasons, but I'm not sure.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Correct, if you have a spot on the ladder guaranteed, like we do in Rd 24. We will most likely finish second, whether we lose or win.

I understand it's a dead rubber in that sense. But unless a win/loss is the difference between finishing top eight and missing the finals, we could still theoretically meet in a final which would be infinitely more important than whatever had transpired in the H&A season. That would be true, whether Geelong finished second or eighth.

 

[buzzbuzz]

Some of my fellow Collingwood supporters are ridicuously transparent. "Yeah nah it doesn't mean nothing, maybe you're just scared!"

They're arguably our closest rival, of course it will matter!

 

[DTRAIN87]

Only way there will be anything significant to play for will be if the Maggies somehow lose to Freo tonight.

 

[LongBomb]

Some of my fellow Collingwood supporters are ridicuously transparent. "Yeah nah it doesn't mean nothing, maybe you're just scared!"

They're arguably our closest rival, of course it will matter!

Hit the nail on the head. Nice to see some honesty.

There is far more riding on this game than you average 'nuffie' pie supporter would like to admit.

 

[sgbn77]

Hard to judge.

Last year we rested Didak and Johnson, and basically didn't give 2 shits about Hawthorn, still should have won, and the loss didn't affect us on iota come finals.

Will we go that way again? Who knows.

They might care enough to want to beat Geelong for phychological reasons, but I'm not sure.

As far as I can tell from last year, you also dropped Jolly to allow Fraser to get his last game. Other than that, the "not giving two sh*ts" is something you've conjured up over the year to deflect.

Both teams in round 22 bored the hell out of us in the first half, then Hawks lifted and grabbed the ascendency, which bought your players back into it. It went down to the wire, with both sets of players desperate to win.

Players want to win, and every single one out there will be doing the same. Coach may (and will, actually) play funny buggers with positions, and resting key players, but every single player will be doing their utmost to win the game.

You wouldnt have it any other way leading into a finals series, especially first versus second.

Its the fans who are bringing out the excuses. No one expects a finals like intensity, but the players out there are playing for their spots, so they won't be stuffing around.

 

[True Blue Cat]

Neither team will show all their cards. Really unless the result is an absolute flogging 1 way or another i can't see the result having any impact on finals. A goal or 2 is nothing. A game that close could easily go the other way next time they play.

 

[Shade]

Neither team will show all their cards. Really unless the result is an absolute flogging 1 way or another i can't see the result having any impact on finals. A goal or 2 is nothing. A game that close could easily go the other way next time they play.

finally a good response

 

[donbooger]

I hope both sides dont see anything to gain from round 24.

They can throw everything at each other and the only thing gained is both sides get an extra finals match worth of fatigue and soreness.

I am hoping to see huge experimentation from both sides and the game over early, Scarlett with 4 goals and Didak topping the hit outs.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

I'm more concered about our first round against the Hawks than this game.. I want all players fit and ready to play first week and hope for a better result then last years QF.

 

[frantelle]

Only way there will be anything significant to play for will be if the Maggies somehow lose to Freo tonight.

This

Whatever chance there is to gain a psychological edge really goes out the window when both teams will just be parading up and down the G. If we do meet in the finals I would love to compare the intensity difference between the 2 games. Any Geelong supporter who says we are rolling out the excuses, really? If we win tonight, we have top spot basically secure. Why would we care about some 'psychological edge' more over injuries. It will be a game of 'bruise free footy', nothing more, nothing less. This group knows its capable of beating Geelong and going all the way, there is no more psychological edges to gain for us and I dare say it would be the same for Geelong. Will be the absolute definition of a dead rubber

 

[Matthew2708]

The game won't mean too much. Still have nightmares from 2001.
Round 22, Richmond 17.5 (107) def Essendon 12.11 (83)
Qualifying Final. Essendon 17.11 (113) def Richmond 5.13 (43).

Still think that Essendon deliberately lost that game so they wouldn't have to play Carlton.

Or last year.
2010, Round 21: Hawthorn 24.11 (155) def Fremantle 5.9 (39)
Elimination Final: Fremantle 14.10 (94) def Hawthorn 8.16 (64)

I do hope that both Collingwood and Geelong throw everything at each other.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

The game won't mean too much. Still have nightmares from 2001.
Round 22, Richmond 17.5 (107) def Essendon 12.11 (83)
Qualifying Final. Essendon 17.11 (113) def Richmond 5.13 (43).

Still think that Essendon deliberately lost that game so they wouldn't have to play Carlton.

Or last year.
2010, Round 21: Hawthorn 24.11 (155) def Fremantle 5.9 (39)
Elimination Final: Fremantle 14.10 (94) def Hawthorn 8.16 (64)

I do hope that both Collingwood and Geelong throw everything at each other.

Mitigating circumstances there. Freo rested half their team to avoid the trip to Launceston and rest up for a must win game at home against Carlton in the last round (which they did). Hawthorn at the line that week was the easiest money in the history of gambling.

And with respect, Richmond weren't Essendon's biggest challenger in 2001.

 

[Matthew2708]

Mitigating circumstances there. Freo rested half their team to avoid the trip to Launceston and rest up for a must win game at home against Carlton in the last round (which they did). Hawthorn at the line that week was the easiest money in the history of gambling.

And with respect, Richmond weren't Essendon's biggest challenger in 2001.

Yeah, I knew that about Richmond in 2001. We were nowhere near Essendon or Brisbane Lions. We were a weak top 4 team. Brisbane was always the best team that year over Essendon. Brisbane won the last 15 or something?

They were just basic comparisions of the difference between the last or 2 rounds of the season and then the finals. The big difference, that's all.

 

[Larry the Liquidator]

It's a fine line balancing act between keeping players injury free and tinkering with form a week out from the finals.

The AFL would have known at the time they locked in this draw that both teams would be serious challengers for the flag. Collingwood and Geelong have played some cracking matches in the last 5 years, by making them them play in round 24, they have effectively robbed the comp and all AFL fans of a blockbuster, which pisses me off. Would like to know the reason behind this.

 

[Bassy]

I think both teams will go in hard for 3 quarters to get used to the final like game then pull back a bit to stay fresh for the real thing. Players will try hard but the coaches will play around with structure and position and try not to reveal anything. I don't think it matters for either side who wins even by a belting.

 

[Coolangatta]

It's a fine line balancing act between keeping players injury free and tinkering with form a week out from the finals.

The AFL would have known at the time they locked in this draw that both teams would be serious challengers for the flag. Collingwood and Geelong have played some cracking matches in the last 5 years, by making them them play in round 24, they have effectively robbed the comp and all AFL fans of a blockbuster, which pisses me off. Would like to know the reason behind this.

Maybe the AFL thought that Geelong would struggle to make the top 4 this year, and really, if a few of their close wins went the other way, that would've been the case.

 

[ioppolo]

What were the AFL thinking when they scheduled this? Seriously.

 

[ioppolo]

EDIT just saw above post

 

[PP34]

I'd expect Geelong to rest players and I think Collingwood might rest a couple of players as well. I don't think neither team would care much about this game they'd just care about having every player fit and ready to go the week after.

 

[Adz]

The cats will go all out. They don't want to go into a final series on two straight losses.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

What were the AFL thinking when they scheduled this? Seriously.

The AFL bought into the same hope that a lot of people had in that we would slide and not be a premiership threat again.

Probably the same reason they made us play a bunch of top sides early in the season, then gave us the piss weak opponents in the run into the finals.

 

[PP34]

AFL did the same thing last year except Hawthorn weren't as high on the ladder.

 

[David the Cat]

I suspect a game as far away from a tight final as you can get.


Here's hoping for a good old fashioned shoot out....the result won't mean much for either side, and what entertainment it will be for the huge crowd that will be there.

High level skills from both teams.....free flowing end to end stuff...bring it on.


I can dream.....

 

[Cohzee]

It will be fascinating to watch. When was the last time a top of the table clash meant absolutely nothing?