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AFLW 2024 - Round 3 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Does Geelong have the worst midfield in the AFL?
- Thread starter geelong_crazy26
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Taper
Club Legend
- Jun 9, 2023
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How did we finish top 4 with our midfield?
Chris Scott is turning water into wine.
Chris Scott is turning water into wine.
Sttew
Brownlow Medallist
Honestly can't remember last time Duncan or Miers played in middle. Danger may be over the hill but he is still effective and has had 3 BOG's this year.
Not bad for a team with the "worst midfield" to finish 3rd after H&A, and along the way to have beaten teams with top notch midfields, e.g., Brisbane, Collingwood, Fremantle, and even WB (first time around in 2024)
threenewpadlocks
Brownlow Medallist
Lots of victory laps for a team that ended up with the 6th best percentage, boosted by a uniquely good home ground advantage ... really?
- Sep 26, 2017
- 28,576
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- Geelong
How many home games did we win again this year ? Can’t really use that excuse
Sttew
Brownlow Medallist
Cats won 60% of their games AWAY from Geelong in 2024. Home ground advantage it is such a hackneyed argument by non-Geelong supporters.
You never hear the same said about the Swans, GC, GWS or Brisbane...
threenewpadlocks
Brownlow Medallist
Did you miss the part where I explicitly mentioned having the sixth best percentage in the league and didn't make any references to wins and losses and where they occurred?
Point being is that you may have had only the seventh or eighth best percentage in the league otherwise.
Richmond had close to the worst forward line in 2017 as far as names go. Yet we dominated finals due to the team work and how well the guys interacted. So yes, Chris Scott is doing a great job, however much I hate to admit it.
Sttew
Brownlow Medallist
No, nor did I miss your comment, “boosted by a uniquely good home ground advantage ... really?” the clear inference being home ground advantage was the only reason Cats finished top 4.
threenewpadlocks
Brownlow Medallist
No, I'm making the point that the Cats were at best the sixth best team over the season with the simple measure of points for and points against, and potentially worse, given that they are unique in not having a large disadvantage travelling to Melbourne for away games (their fans are not locked out of attending, and they are familiar with the grounds), while maintaining a home ground advantage similar to interstate teams when playing in Geelong against Melbourne teams (far greater familiarity with the ground and the ability to effectively lock out opposition fans).
Cats may have finished top 4 on the ladder, but it's clear to everyone that isn't a Geelong supporter that it was somewhat lucky, because the total output of the team including the midfield was at best approximately the sixth best in the competition.
Hawthorn were beaten by 50+ on four separate occasions.
Western Bulldogs beaten by 45, 43, 48, 40 points.
Other than Brisbane, there was really no other club who deserved to finish top four.
Sttew
Brownlow Medallist
Can you did a bigger hole with your argument? Cats finished 3rd because they won 15 games, 9 away from GMHBA. Just reinforces what a great coach Chris Scott is to have this hapless team of geriatrics winning more games than 14 other teams, including teams oozing elite talent like Brisbane
The most common BigFooty prediction for Geelong in 2024 was finishing 14th. The Cats have played their best football away from their home ground this season. We're happy that players such as Dempsey, Mannagh, Humphries, Neale, Bruhn, O.Henry, Bowes and co get to play in their first finals series. Also that the elder statesman have not had to bow out with Richmond 2024 style embarrassment for their team.
If the Cats get trounced in finals so be it. There is still some level of pride in continuing to turn over the list and having a crack each year. Hawkins and Cam Guthrie as VFL finals players now another example.
Look at the players who have retired or are no longer best 22 since the 2020 GF: Ablett, Henderson, Taylor, Dahlhaus, Menegola, Parfitt, Smith (came in but then retired), Selwood, Bews, Rohan, Hawkins and Cam Guthrie. Stanley, Tuohy and Duncan all borderline now as other players have become more important (Holmes, SDK, Miers, Stengle et al). We should not be even close to competitive right now.
I dislike the Cats...intensely.
I dislike Scott...intensely.
I dislike Danger...fairly intensely.
I was one of the ones who had them dropping right off the cliff this year. I was wrong. Scott (as much as I detest him) is a very good coach. And the players who have come in, accept the roles they are playing and largely play to their max.
Kudos to the club as a whole. It may well be straight sets exit but then again, they may win a final or 2 and have the last laugh on here.
I dislike Scott...intensely.
I dislike Danger...fairly intensely.
I was one of the ones who had them dropping right off the cliff this year. I was wrong. Scott (as much as I detest him) is a very good coach. And the players who have come in, accept the roles they are playing and largely play to their max.
Kudos to the club as a whole. It may well be straight sets exit but then again, they may win a final or 2 and have the last laugh on here.
Sttew
Brownlow Medallist
When you say, "I detest the Cats' do you mean supporters on BF or the actual team?
- May 5, 2016
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Right.
Right, because this has become one of a myriad sports where wins and losses don’t count.
It’s that whole trendy vibe that has* taken over sport the world over where no one cares who wins. Results don’t matter. You haven’t actually won unless it’s by a certain margin.
*hasnt.
- Sep 26, 2017
- 28,576
- 47,909
- AFL Club
- Geelong
Keep backpeddling and gaslighting
We didn't really see one Geelong midfield for the entire season.
This season much more than most there were wild swings in performance as we searched for the right combination. It took a bit of tinkering but I think with a healthy, Danger, Bruhn, and Stanley. Then adding Stewart to the midfield group, we ended up a top 4 side, and I think slightly above average midfield. Still a bit venerable to some of the stronger midfields (like Port and the Bulldogs) but not the worst in the league.
- Weeks 1-8 we were a below average midfield getting it done over a soft draw
- Weeks 8-16 the midfield got decimated and got smashed by a pretty tough set of opponents
- Weeks 16-23 the midfield picked up and I think was slightly above average midfield with a middling draw
This season much more than most there were wild swings in performance as we searched for the right combination. It took a bit of tinkering but I think with a healthy, Danger, Bruhn, and Stanley. Then adding Stewart to the midfield group, we ended up a top 4 side, and I think slightly above average midfield. Still a bit venerable to some of the stronger midfields (like Port and the Bulldogs) but not the worst in the league.
- Sep 19, 2012
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- Norwood, Aston Villa
Crikey. Dunno about victory laps but we were poo at home this year. Especially against your blokes. Wish I could forget that game as well as you have.
- Sep 19, 2012
- 4,513
- 5,574
- AFL Club
- Geelong
- Other Teams
- Norwood, Aston Villa
It's not great but Scott did a good job with what we have to be competitive. It's still all about Danger though, even though some have made great strides. The way we have mismanaged Cam Guthrie has been pretty shithouse too just quietly.
- Sep 19, 2012
- 4,513
- 5,574
- AFL Club
- Geelong
- Other Teams
- Norwood, Aston Villa
I reckon this is the worst Cat team in twenty years. Scott is coach of the year but won't be afforded the gong. Not sure you've seen a Cat Park game this year though...we actually let oppo fans in now. It would be an awesome advantage if a- we could play there and b- we could play the best teams there and c- we could get a home final there. Massive leg up for the Cats.
Considering so many people (including most of Bigfooty) was aggressively talking us down and expecting us to fall off the proverbial cliff with 'a team full of past-it oldies' in 2024, finishing 3rd seems a pretty damn good performance.
Team. Don't ask me why...most of our dislike is irrational.
The team today is a lot better than the ones we had 2015-2020.
Kersten, Ruggles, Caddy, Motlop, Murdoch, Cowan, Horlin-Smith, Thurlow and then a batch of older players who were well and truly cooked like Taylor (could barely run in his final two years), Dahlhaus, Menzel (a shadow of the player he once was), Ablett (cooked), Parfitt.
Henderson, Kelly, Menegola were excellent players and would slot in immediately.
If you look at the statistics:
4th in contested possessions
6th for inside fifties
3rd for centre clearances
6th for stoppage clearances
5th in total clearances
11th in hitouts
We aren't as bad as people think. We just don't have any young superstars accumulating 30 disposals every week. This is what makes Geelong one of the most dangerous teams to play in the finals.
