Autopsy Doggies Woof all over Cats by 47 points.

[Cataholic]

In an 18 team competition:

• 4 in 60 years is slightly better than should be expected
• 4 in 35 years is significantly better than should be expected
• 4 in 16 years is outrageously better than expected

Let that sink in.

If someone offered me 4 flags over the next 35 years I would take it with glee.

Couple that with the number of finals we have played in, the ridiculously low number of “inconsequential” games we play in, the number of champions we have seen play the game.

Nearly all clubs have to suck for 5 years winning less than 7-8 games every year to regenerate their list. We do it while making finals and challenging for the top 4.

We have had (and continue to have) an unbelievably charmed run.

I have long thought this, and this year has reinforced my belief - we have some of the most entitled supporters in the league. Most of them have no idea how good we have got it.

vs 13 premierships in 62 years.

We've had it good the last 17 years, but some have had it way better.

Others have had it way worse.

I'm happy to have been a Cats supporter all my life, and consider myself privileged for it.

Did those decades of nothingness hurt?
You betcha.

Did the wasted GF appearances hurt?
You betcha.

They were long, dark years, and we were a laughing stock for a long time.

All is forgiven, but can't be forgotten.

I liken it to the phoenix. We were almost gone as a club, but we've risen from the ashes and look where we are now!

Lots of different perspectives.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

For sure.

It must be a heartache being a Saints fan.

On the other hand, my partner has seen 12 premierships. She laughs at our 4.

To be fair, Hawthorn has undeniably been the most successful club over the past 60 years, and the competition isn't even close.

In that time, no other club comes near to matching their achievements. You've essentially aimed for the pinnacle rather than choosing any other club, against whom we would compare much more favorably or even outperform.

It's akin to owning four investment properties and several cars, yet feeling a sense of dissatisfaction because someone up the road has twelve.

Meanwhile, there are clubs down the road on welfare, just trying to stay afloat.

It goes both ways, and we've fared well over the journey. Comparison is the thief of joy, particularly when you're going right to the top.

 

[Cataholic]

To be fair, Hawthorn has undeniably been the most successful club over the past 60 years, and the competition isn't even close.

In that time, no other club comes near to matching their achievements. You've essentially aimed for the pinnacle rather than choosing any other club, against whom we would compare much more favorably or even outperform.

It's akin to owning four investment properties and several cars, yet feeling a sense of dissatisfaction because someone up the road has twelve.

Meanwhile, there are clubs down the road on welfare, just trying to stay afloat.

It goes both ways, and we've fared well over the journey. Comparison is the thief of joy, particularly when you're going right to the top.

Don't disagree.

I'm pretty content really...... it's just that I get a regular reminder of what it's like at the top is all

 

[stefoid]

I tend to agree
A lot of Bulldogs fans think this too

absolutely, but its possible the penny has dropped - he was very close to being booted at the end of last year after no discernable change in the gameplan or results. This has been Bev and Scott (and a few other coaches) for the last 4 years



however, our gameplan both offensively and defensively has changed a lot this year, as well as the players that execute it (walk up starts like Daniel and Macrae have been outed in favour of faster players more capable of running off or pressuring their opponents)

Thats the main reason for our flakiness - a gameplan that should have been bedded down 3+ years ago being belatedly thrown together over the preseason. teething problems.

 

[Tristan34]

Our midfield is in a bit of a rebuild...

 

[Hinkley29]

Don't disagree.

I'm pretty content really...... it's just that I get a regular reminder of what it's like at the top is all

Does that Hawk fan also mention the fact that in the last 20 years they have had at least 7 seasons when they were completely irrelevant and tanking their way to oblivion?

Or that they have finished with single digit wins 8 times in the last 20 seasons?

There are different ways to measure success.

I prefer my club to always strive to be competitive and not shit on their loyal fans that turn up every week.

But hey, that is just me and I understand that there are fans who are happy to sit through lost seasons safe in the knowledge that it will get them high draft picks.

 

[Hinkley29]

To be fair, Hawthorn has undeniably been the most successful club over the past 60 years, and the competition isn't even close.

In that time, no other club comes near to matching their achievements. You've essentially aimed for the pinnacle rather than choosing any other club, against whom we would compare much more favorably or even outperform.

It's akin to owning four investment properties and several cars, yet feeling a sense of dissatisfaction because someone up the road has twelve.

Meanwhile, there are clubs down the road on welfare, just trying to stay afloat.

It goes both ways, and we've fared well over the journey. Comparison is the thief of joy, particularly when you're going right to the top.

To be fair, anything before circa 2004 is pretty much irrelevant.

It is a completely different sport than those days.

The tactics are completely differnet
The number of players in a match are different
The access to talent and players is different
The clubs involved are different
The level of professionalism is different
The media coverage is different
The cost to follow the sport is different
The training methods are different
The size and athleticism of the players is different
Etc
Etc
Etc

If losing a grand final in 1994 still grinds your gears even though you are essentially following a different club and sport now, then that person will never be happy

 

[Cataholic]

Does that Hawk fan also mention the fact that in the last 20 years they have had at least 7 seasons when they were completely irrelevant and tanking their way to oblivion?

Or that they have finished with single digit wins 8 times in the last 20 seasons?

There are different ways to measure success.

I prefer my club to always strive to be competitive and not shit on their loyal fans that turn up every week.

But hey, that is just me and I understand that there are fans who are happy to sit through lost seasons safe in the knowledge that it will get them high draft picks.

Umm......like most men I choose my words and battles very, very carefully with the Mrs, so......no

 

[And_ROOS]

To be fair, anything before circa 2004 is pretty much irrelevant.

It is a completely different sport than those days.

The tactics are completely differnet
The number of players in a match are different
The access to talent and players is different
The clubs involved are different
The level of professionalism is different
The media coverage is different
The cost to follow the sport is different
The training methods are different
The size and athleticism of the players is different
Etc
Etc
Etc

If losing a grand final in 1994 still grinds your gears even though you are essentially following a different club and sport now, then that person will never be happy

To be fair 92/94 grind my gears because we had to play a state team, and 95 grinds my gears because the Blue Baggers were the Paper Baggers.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

You've been banging this drum for a month now. Henry and Kolo are our KPDs.

They are ill equipped to handle the no1 kpf.

 

[Footy Smarts]

They are ill equipped to handle the no1 kpf.

We won a premiership with Henry taking the number 1 key forward most of the time in the back half of the year. I hear the bloke he dominated in the GF went alright.

 

[Lana]

They are ill equipped to handle the no1 kpf.

What is our pathway to victory?

 

[Footy Smarts]

What is our pathway to victory?

The weekend might've been a reality check but SDK and Stewart into the middle actually made us look really dangerous at times in recent weeks compared to the rabble we were before that. And nothing from our defence has suggested we're overwhelmed without SDK and Stewart down there.

It's still a hail Mary that we could nab a flag but I think it's absolutely our best chance and I'm interested to see how it plays out.

 

[ShaunWDT]

The weekend might've been a reality check but SDK and Stewart into the middle actually made us look really dangerous at times in recent weeks compared to the rabble we were before that. And nothing from our defence has suggested we're overwhelmed without SDK and Stewart down there.

It's still a hail Mary that we could nab a flag but I think it's absolutely our best chance and I'm interested to see how it plays out.

I just dont think it will hold up against the top echelon, Blues and Dogs in recent weeks have shown how easily you can get on top of us and the opposition will only get stronger the deeper into finals you go.

I'm very much in the we arent that good camp though, and think good sides are going to prove that once we get into finals.

 

[Footy Smarts]

I just dont think it will hold up against the top echelon, Blues and Dogs in recent weeks have shown how easily you can get on top of us and the opposition will only get stronger the deeper into finals you go.

I'm very much in the we arent that good camp though, and think good sides are going to prove that once we get into finals.

That's probably right. But the Blues game still had Stewart down back, Danger struggling first up from a spell and SDK playing his first game in the ruck and looking a bit shell shocked. The next 3 weeks were very promising.

There just seems no point in going back to Stanley or pushing Stewart out of midfield. I think this is clearly our best structure so give it a crack and see where we get. If that's getting bundled out pretty quick in finals so be it.

 

[ShaunWDT]

That's probably right. But the Blues game still had Stewart down back, Danger struggling first up from a spell and SDK playing his first game in the ruck and looking a bit shell shocked. The next 3 weeks were very promising.

There just seems no point in going back to Stanley or pushing Stewart out of midfield. I think this is clearly our best structure so give it a crack and see where we get. If that's getting bundled out pretty quick in finals so be it.

I think it should be dependent on who we are playing, and is probably why Scott keeps talking up that they'll use Rhys at some stage, in particular matchups we really need SDK down back if we want to actually compete, even this week North have 3 key forwards over 198cm plus a dangerous Zurhaar and Curtis its a huge ask to expect Henry and Kolo to do it themselves, punching above their weight classes.

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

That's probably right. But the Blues game still had Stewart down back, Danger struggling first up from a spell and SDK playing his first game in the ruck and looking a bit shell shocked. The next 3 weeks were very promising.

There just seems no point in going back to Stanley or pushing Stewart out of midfield. I think this is clearly our best structure so give it a crack and see where we get. If that's getting bundled out pretty quick in finals so be it.

Agree - definitely give it a crack.
I'd also only play one of OH or Rohan - can't afford 2 sub 10 possession players for 1 or 2 goals which is what they seem to aggregate when both play.
Neale has to play - I think Hawk has run out of time to come back and make an impact.
I suspect we may be one tall KPF short at the end of the day but COS is too young and not sure if Jeka would be any good - sacrifice Blitz as a utility and put him in defence?
All 5 games ahead are virtually finals so let's see what we've got in the tank.

 

[And_ROOS]

We won a premiership with Henry taking the number 1 key forward most of the time in the back half of the year. I hear the bloke he dominated in the GF went alright.

SDK was on Franklin first quarter when the heat was in the game and he typically took the oppositions biggest key forward, who was often their best key forward.
Henry went onto Franklin 2nd quarter onwards when the game was dead.

 

[bombersboy]

There is a reason why GC and GWS for their picks don't go anywhere. Why Port struggles against teams in the top 8. At this level every club with a fit list is full of talent, is easy to be considered an A-grader these days just accumulate the ball, the teams you list are full of those types of players. It the margins that get you. We own the margins, we have a wider squad then any other. Out of the bog that KP became and into the wings of the MCG we'll show it.

Hawkins is already gone, Guthrie is already gone, we've accomplished what we have without them. A bunch of others of yester years as well. It is not that we lost them, we never had them to begin with. We are where we are with our broken Vets. We have the best small forward group in the competition, we have the best ball users by foot on the outside. Ahead of the ball we have plenty of run. This type of talent is overlooked for conventional inside ball users and KPF.

Football is a game of phases and spacing. You can be deficient in all but one but if you trap the game there then you win.
Every year we have something we're better then every other club. Every year Scott is laser focused on getting us there and keeping us there for as long as possible. Clubs that are more generalist or more follow the leader-esque, fall into the trap. We won our first 7 games on teams trying to be 2023 Collingwood. We got our mojo back later in the year, when we had a synergy between what we were trying to do and what players we had in the 22. Our challenge is getting the ball in a closed situation, we don't win the contest we don't intercept, that's fine we don't need to win these areas as long as we're not beaten too bad we'll win it with efficiency.

Don't agree that Guthrie is done yet. He could have a couple of good years ahead of him if he gets his body right.

 

[Footy Smarts]

SDK was on Franklin first quarter when the heat was in the game.

Not true. I just watched the first bit of the game and Henry is alongside him.

 

[Lana]

Don't agree that Guthrie is done yet. He could have a couple of good years ahead of him if he gets his body right.

He has missed near two straight years of AFL football and hasn't looked half the player he was. If he wasn't contracted for next year he'd be retiring.

 

[Cataholic]

Credit where it's due.

Cameron has owned this game as probably his worst, and certainly for the Cats.

Hopefully he knuckles down now.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

There just seems no point in going back to Stanley or pushing Stewart out of midfield. I think this is clearly our best structure so give it a crack and see where we get. If that's getting bundled out pretty quick in finals so be it.

Geel have to make the finals 1st and i am far from convinced about that - given how tight the ladder is this year

Carlton currently 2nd with 48 pts and 9th 10th and 11th Dogs Dees and Hawks with 40 pts

Any team drop a couple in a row and they are out on their ear

And the bizarre thing for Geel this year is their form at KP has bar a couple of games been terrible/non competitive - this year their hasnt been a 3-4 goal home ground advantage , more like a 3-4 goal disadvantage

There might be a few Geel supporters a little bit gun shy from now on whinging constantly year in year out , oh why dont we get 11 home games in Geelong , this is most most unfair , well after watching the 1st half against Port , the 1st 2.5 qtrs against GWS ( and the 2nd qtr in that game they could have kicked 10 goals to 1 thats how dominating it was ) the 1st half against the current wooden spoon fave in Rich , and now the absolute debacle against the Bulldogs , well i want to watch Geel play anywhere bar KP , because some of the performances their have been putrid

 

[Pure_Ownage]

What is our pathway to victory?

Improving our midfield group or trading in an appropriate level big bodied kpd.

 

[Lana]

Improving our midfield group or trading in an appropriate level big bodied kpd.

This year isn't over