Autopsy Geelong loses to PA in QF2 by about 6 goals.

[STPer18]

And if that eventuates, then what?

That's for the blokes at the club who earn six-figures a year to figure out. But if other Geelong supporters think a straight-sets exit is all fine and dandy then to be frank they're getting what they deserve.

 

[Heckler]

first finals geelong since 2012

2012 smashed by freo in Victoria. our home final
2013 beaten by freo in Geelong. Our home final
2014 smashed by hawthorn.
2016 beat hawthorn by less then a kick after smith missed. Hawthorn were getting smashed by everyone else at the end of that season and we nearly lost.
2017 smashed by richmond by 51 points (we beat richmond comfortably just weeks earlier)
2018 smashed by melbourne from the start.
2019 beaten by Collingwood,
2020 beaten by port.
2021 smashed by port.

It’s so devastating, so unrealistic. You have to call it art.

A Cat has 9 lives... Scott has been killed in 8 first finals...Relax he still has one life left.

 

[TheYid]

I just got out of the hospital with severe pain from a kidney stone.

Last night was way worse.

 

[Live in hope]

Great performance by Port - ceaseless pressure. Did not let Geelong get any semblance of possession game going.

Good
- Henry (together with Cameron, the player ‘revelations’ of our season.). 10 goal loss if Jack wasn’t playing.

• Duncan, Close although both had little impact.
• Smith, Danger and Selwood put in their usual 100% tried but really only limited impact. Later two look banged up.

Bad
(Plenty)

• With exceptions above the team lacked energy and showed no ability to go up a gear.
• MOC injury- really needed an in form tagger and Mark’s as good as gone for the season.
• Possibly the most nervous/awful game by Henderson in Cats colours. Hard pressed to think of a worse performance in final by a Geelong player. (‘95 GF maybe? Where Diesel out marked John Barnes?). Wonder if he was feeling unwell. Been a good player over last two seasons and automatic for next but can’t play like that again.
• Heaps of Geelong play makers could just not get involved. Cuthrie, Menegola stood out. Credit to Port for closing down their space and time
• Rohan. I had him out end of 2020 on finals record alone. Been good this year but geez - yet another no show in a final. Can’t help but think poorly coached as well - Scott should have demanded that he lead out wide (rather than being caught under packs) and if he didn’t then bench him. Play off half back was worth a try, credit to Scott for that.
• Kolo - not our worst but that’s probably best I can say. 3 more years … someone should get fired.
• Dahl - I starting to feel sorry for him, it is embarrassing. Will play next week of course. (Another year on contract? Oh man. ). Although 10% off AFL standard, Jarvis with good tackling, lead up and ability to take a pack mark should have been tried - he’ll probably leave now. Now Evans has recovered should play (but won’t) - at least he can kick.

Ugly

• Horrendous first week finals record - Surely no one cannot say that it is an indictment on Scott and the coaches under his tenure.
• Possession Game plan. Yes it has worked well over last 2 seasons but (predictably) yet again was smashed by a contested/pressure game.
• How shaky the game plan and backline and team looks without T.Stewart.
• Team has looked knackered for a while. The ‘Dad Army’ strategy could see a very humbling finish to this season.
• Dearth of dangerous, goal kicking small forwards. The strategy of covering with Dahl and Higgins has failed.
• The spectre of our list age , with nothing in the ND pick larder or salary cap to address.

Our senior players have lots of pride, guts and experience so we are a good chance to grind out a win next week but to win a GF with current form, fitness and injuries is a Herculean ask.

 

[DangerHere]

That was an insipid performance.

Watching GWS and Sydney, sigh, it would be a bloody good performance to beat one of those teams after our last 4 games

 

[TheYid]

Dropping half the side is not the solution. We don't have much depth at all for quality players. This is because our VFL team hasn't had a full season in two years. This is the current reality. I feel for the players that should have been building and assessed the last two years, but who have shown promise.

Anyway, looks like we will be playing GWS at this stage. They have adopted our game plan (as have most sides) and they will kick our arse royally next week, unless something great happens.

 

[David the Cat]

I just got out of the hospital with severe pain from a kidney stone.

Last night was way worse.

Having experienced that many years ago, I have to say that I don't believe you.

 

[Vdubs]

That's for the blokes at the club who earn six-figures a year to figure out. But if other Geelong supporters think a straight-sets exit is all fine and dandy then to be frank they're getting what they deserve.

It's not fine and dandy, but do you honestly visualise getting up to beat GWS next week?
Or Swans?
If we are out in straight sets, it will be what we deserve, and it will reflect where we are in September 2021.

 

[Shai]

Seen almost every player get bagged by our supporters in this thread (and the game day thread). Henry was named in our bests, not much of an achievement in this game.

His marks were top notch but he also turned it over almost as many times with his kicks which lead directly to Port scoring. Haven't seen anyone remark on that, if you're going to pick sh*t out of our team, be unbiased about it at least.

 

[Sttew]

Isaac?

He was okay, but not up to his usual standard IMO

 

[STPer18]

It's not fine and dandy, but do you honestly visualise getting up to beat GWS next week?
Or Swans?
If we are out in straight sets, it will be what we deserve, and it will reflect where we are in September 2021.

If we play to our potential we should win. We didn't finish a goal after the siren away from top of the ladder for no reason. To believe otherwise is just coping so that if we choke again it can explained away as par for the course.

 

[Vdubs]

If we play to our potential we should win. We didn't finish a goal after the siren away from top of the ladder for no reason. To believe otherwise is just coping so that if we choke again it can explained away as par for the course.

Not so.
I truly believe our last month of form has been below where we were when we were flag favourites.
We are not that team any more. We played to our potential, we are old and tired, and our MVP is missing.
The Saints game- 5 goals to zip...
We have hardly been impressive.
It looks as if we are cooked.
There is no crime or shame in that.
Tigers were as well.
We played in a GF and had a very meagre preseason, and the majority of our core and key players have had too many interruptions.
MOC
Cameron
Danger
Duncan
Guthrie
Tuohy
Stewart
Miers
Simpson
I hate that we lost, and could lose 3 in a row, a rarity for us.
It is embarrassing.
But tbh, I fully expect us to not beat GWS or Sydney next week, and am far from alone.
If I wasn't a Cats fan, objectively looking at us, we are gone. But as a fan, there is that glimmer of hope as we have done it before.

 

[Danger handballs we win]

For whatever it’s worth.. danger is a hall of famer that can’t kick! It’s not the end of the world- he is still a gun but another slight on him is he doesn’t make his team mates better- if he could just be an inside mid and overhead mark around the ground and HUMBLY handball to our runners in Duncan, smith, Parfitt etc he would drag others into the game and the ball would be in safe hands. He plays like the league best and fairest of the u14s who gets 40 and just boots in long

Blitz should not leave the defensive half. We lost Stewart and last night hendo was a liability - I get he has played well during the season but he isn’t up to being one of two key backs against the best without protection we can’t afford him at present

Miers has X factor yes- but strike rate is low and his intimidation factor and attack on the ball makes half back flankers walk like Toby Greene

4

Toby Greene

Age

31

Ht

182cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.7

5star

K

12.5

5star

HB

10.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

3.0

5star

G

1.2

4star

D

17.5

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

8.0

4star

M

4.8

4star

T

1.0

2star

G

2.3

5star

D

26.6

5star

K

12.4

5star

HB

14.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

3.6

5star

G

0.0

1star

.

Higgins hasn’t worked- it happens - no shame there

I would drop hendo, miers, Dahlhaus, Higgins(O’Connor replacement)

Blitz full back full stop.

Bring in Esava(no choice and second ruck) Francis evans, narkle- let him play on self interest and to audition for a better contract when he leaves -could have 25 and kick 2 and Holmes or for definitively minded (zuthrie)


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Kitcat]

Everyone seems to be forgetting our three quarters against Melbourne, just a week ago. We can play like that again and if we do, the opposition will fold, particularly if Cameron gets going. No need to surrender meekly just yet.

 

[Danger handballs we win]

Everyone seems to be forgetting our three quarters against Melbourne, just a week ago. We can play like that again and if we do, the opposition will fold, particularly if Cameron gets going. No need to surrender meekly just yet.

Agree but the meek are amongst us, it’s not a hangable offence but it’s a droppable one, and good luck to them over summer, may they grow and enter 2022 with swagger, but they are droppable at present - I think the w***ery football term is selection Integrity —— those in the wings are just as deserving - no one is entitled to a finals game


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[BennyGan]

I seem to remember Cerra saying something about not wanting to play under Ross Lyon

what young player would lol

 

[Catman]

Seen almost every player get bagged by our supporters in this thread (and the game day thread). Henry was named in our bests, not much of an achievement in this game.

His marks were top notch but he also turned it over almost as many times with his kicks which lead directly to Port scoring. Haven't seen anyone remark on that, if you're going to pick sh*t out of our team, be unbiased about it at least.

What are you on about? 80% efficiency and just two clangers. 11 intercepts and 9 marks.

I can forgive two dodgy disposals for the amount of goals he most likely saved. It was ugly with him, it would have been horrific without him.

 

[foxdog50]

Kind of obvious that the only couple of guys who played a decent game (Henry, Close) are the same two who have been given games week-in, week-out since they started. While Close still has a way to go, Henry is the only obvious future A-grader we have on the list. There may be other kids who will make it, but they just haven't been given the run of games (if any) to show what they've got.

We picked injured players last night - not just guys carrying niggles and soreness - but obvious sick and injured players.

We picked guys out-of-form, more in hope than belief.

The game-plan we have had now for years is centered around our tired, old men who will - like all of us - re-kindle the spark now and then. But without the strength, joy and vitality of youth around, well...you get last night.

All because the list doesn't bat deep...and that rests with hands-in-the-pocket Scott, who was, if I remember correctly, originally picked to transition the oldies out of the side without us crashing.

Don't really care what happens next week...a win is hoped, but very doubtful. It's what is on Steve Hocking's mind that's of interest. Just hope he's willing to give it a shake. The Hoops need it.

I'm not being a smart arse, who do you call the injured players

 

[foodles05]

you can literally make those same excuses for every club. Excuses are easy to find. I mean look at Port . Theyre basically finals flops, so losing to them is not something that can be easily justified. Many Port fans think Hinkley is not a good coach too. If you have 7 attempts from a top 4 finish in the last 9 years then you should be nutting at least one cup. Yes there are better teams, dynasties, injuries.. form peaks, luck and whatever else. However just one in 7.. And you're fond of making excuses before the game is even played! then if we lose you try to justify the loss by pointing out reasons as to why it was expected that we lost. Port are no world beaters....We should be winning these games and we should have found a way to peak in finals after all these years, and addressed already the systemic issues around game plan, personnel etc... as to why we are 1-8 in first finals...1-8 is inexcusable that simply just doesn't cut it. So lets get back to a no excuses approach and get the cup.

So you don't understand the difference between excuses and reasons?

 

[Vdubs]

Everyone seems to be forgetting our three quarters against Melbourne, just a week ago. We can play like that again and if we do, the opposition will fold, particularly if Cameron gets going. No need to surrender meekly just yet.

We remember our 3 quarters against Melbourne - Demons won 3 quarters.
We really only won the second quarter, albeit an 8 goal quarter.
How often can we do that- an 8 goal burst?
We only kicked 4 goals in 3 quarters, including nil in the last.

 

[Cataholic]

I just got out of the hospital with severe pain from a kidney stone.

Last night was way worse.

Get better quick!

 

[Kitcat]

We remember our 3 quarters against Melbourne - Demons won 3 quarters.
We really only won the second quarter, albeit an 8 goal quarter.
How often can we do that- an 8 goal burst?
We only kicked 4 goals in 3 quarters, including nil in the last.

We were 6 goals up at three quarter time against the eventual top of the ladder team and you knock it? I will take that same lead next week at 3/4 time against the Giants if offered.

 

[STPer18]

GWS came to a complete stop in the last quarter. Over to you Geelong.

 

[Vdubs]

We were 6 goals up at three quarter time against the eventual top of the ladder team and you knock it? I will take that same lead next week at 3/4 time against the Giants if offered.

NO, I was referring to your comment about our 3 quarters. And truth is , we can not win a final with one quarter of good footy.
If we do, come back and tell me I am incorrect. I'd love that.

 

[danster168]

That's charitable of you, but at this stage it doesn't really feel like we're contenders. Making up the numbers, just like every season. Good enough to get there, never good enough to put the foot down when it counts. We may win the semi, possibly the prelim, but we're not kidding ourselves. This team just isn't built for the hard stuff. Never has been, never will be. My hope is that the club puts its head down and commits to doing it the hard way - the long way - rebuild, start from scratch, and start building towards a tougher, more galvanised group of players that don't just front up for a paycheck in their twilight years.

You're playing a gws team that could quite possibly be without toby greene so you've basically been gifted a spot in the prelim. The loser of bris/melb has to play probably the dogs who are a 4 goal better team than gws. Geelong are totally fine