Autopsy Lions prevail by 10

[Mad_Hatter]

The narrative all year is Scott is the best coach in the business and Fagan was a tactical hack and it would be embarrassing….. well…… what now geniuses ?

Still stands, regardless of the vitriol or strawman bs you want to peddle.
The best still get beaten...
We lost Holmes, our midfield were beaten by a better group of players, it happens.
Not much the MC could do in that situation, Stewart wasn't playing well so that change wouldn't have worked, and no King didn't help.
Even then, being beaten wildly through the middle and in transition, and facing some injury issues, we were in front with 2 minutes to go against last years Grand Finalist who easily could be looking at back to back, and the team most around the place considered the best team in the comp. While relying on sub 30 game players as some of our key players.
But go off champ?

 

[aristocat]

The fact that we were in front with 2 minutes to go makes this one sting even the day after. Would’ve much preferred a 60 point loss.

We were written off earlier in the year, sure, but we got so close and made some really basic errors during the game which will probably fill a multitude of players with regret (see: S Neale dropped sitters, Stanley poster, Stengle misses, and various dropped uncontested marks/poor turnovers).

Sad that the season has now come to an end but we move forward!

 

[Chinacats]

If we had Hawkins, Guthrie, SDK, Touhy, Rohan we would’ve won….. we are the best team in it and it’s our dynasty going forward!
The other teams are never good enough to beat our Geelong. Never!

 

[Munich]

God big O is a weird looking unit.

 

[Chinacats]

Still stands, regardless of the vitriol or strawman bs you want to peddle.
The best still get beaten...
We lost Holmes, our midfield were beaten by a better group of players, it happens.
Not much the MC could do in that situation, Stewart wasn't playing well so that change wouldn't have worked, and no King didn't help.
Even then, being beaten wildly through the middle and in transition, and facing some injury issues, we were in front with 2 minutes to go against last years Grand Finalist who easily could be looking at back to back, and the team most around the place considered the best team in the comp. While relying on sub 30 game players as some of our key players.
But go off champ?

Most cat fans on here preferred to play Brisbane before GWS and suggested we should be shorter odds in the betting…. Week off , playing in Melbourne, best coach…. And lost . A failed season in the words of Sam Mitchell!

 

[cats_09]

 

[MacStradbroke]

Yep, as unfair as it can feel to point out individuals: if Stengle and Mannagh replicated their average 2024 performance (for decision making, composure and execution) then we'd very likely have won by a couple of goals.

They were two of the best small forwards in the comp over the past 3 months (for Stengle the whole season) but they were outperformed by Brisbane's smalls when it came to decisive moments.

Yeah thought Stengle played his worst game for the club unfortunately (or close to it), Mannagh I thought was good, especially early, but his lack of composure early in the third was horrible footy. Had team mates running beside him and went the hero play, that was the turning point for me, I think we go close to five goals up with that. Never mind, still a great season, unearthed a few gems. Future looks bright.

 

[joe444]

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Was listening to Triple M at the ground and they all thought the free against Stewart to Lohmann in the first quarter was one of the worst frees of the year. It wasn’t late, it wasn’t high… the umpire paid it because he thought it looked too aggressive. Whichever umpire that was should not be allowed to umpire the GF next week.

Non of those umpires should umpire another final ever again.
It’s was laughable how shit they were.

 

[cats_09]

If we had Hawkins, Guthrie, SDK, Touhy, Rohan we would’ve won….. we are the best team in it and it’s our dynasty going forward!
The other teams are never good enough to beat our Geelong. Never!

Are you just here to troll & bait for engagement?

 

[Tony Barber]

Shorter preseason theory and tougher fixtures next year too…. Start planning for 26! Cull needed now!

So you're going the full on sook?
Nice work.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Not sure that was the case. Their foward line got fed so much more than ours and yet we nearly pinched it.

It was the midfield that lost it. Holmes going down did not help

I think the midfield is why the defence got exposed so i think it's both

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Are you just here to troll & bait for engagement?

Reckon he's getting a kick out of finding himself in oppo board mentions

 

[Catsace]

Yes but we are not teaching players to protect themselves we are rewarding them for letting their head hit the ground for a free when they could be bracing themselves (see mcluggage). Its becoming soccer levels of staging (which is why that game is crap) and we need to put some onus back on the player being tackled. If they dont a whole generation of fans like me will simply leave the game and go watch other sports instead.

Agree. It's incongruous that a tackle like Danger's.....i mean what choice now does a player have, just allow the opponent to stream away?? It was a massive effort to tackle him and it was hardly dangerous at all. Perhaps going back to a tackle like Aaron Hamill on a then young Jay Shultz in 2004 when he was pummeled into the Telstra Dome surface and knocked out, that was dangerous. But this is a PF, Danger's tackle was inspirational, our 34 y/o skipper leading by example....and it's a free against!!

Footy has many aspects that are dangerous and require courage, and indeed a knowledge and acceptance that you might get hurt. Removing a player's ability to attempt to run down a player like Danger did, I mean where does it lead? It really was a huge balloon prick to Geelong's momentum, the natural euphoria of a play well done, and for the Cats fans who in unison go into a cry of 'WTF?'.

Perhaps Duncan should have just fallen forward in his late game tackle and flopped his head into the turf and lolled his tongue out.....i mean it's a degree of luck how the player falls or lands, especially when the effort to catch him is so strenuous and quick. And particularly for Geelong, as we seem to be a side that will often 'tackle', yet the player being tackled is either given an aeon to dispose of the ball, or it's reefed, flung, hoicked or otherwise literally thrown out and no call is made for illegal disposal or even a ball-up. I still recall the Kolo tackle on Curnow in the goal square when we played the Blues 2nd time 'round, he held him for at least two seconds, no call is made, and upon being spun around Curnow just drops the ball and kicks the goal. Had he been allowed to dump him, that doesn't happen. It sucks to be frank.

 

[rocker_oz33]

I'm watching the replay as I often miss stuff when at the game.

That Stewart bump free was diabolical. And Blitz saying "that was a bad call", no shit!

Of course it was that 22 umpire.

Ump 22 is one of the worst umps in the league.
Big pounce your hair getting wet pretty boy.

 

[Munich]

Damn Bazlenka was there yesterday as well, looked to be in a similar area to the Geelong boys .

I only saw SdK and 2E.

 

[Chinacats]

Are you just here to troll & bait for engagement?

What are you taking about? Is Longmire the best coach in the AFL was a legitimate question and talk about the game last night are all legitimate points. Time for the Zebras to see different perspectives…..
stop being sensitive and insular….

 

[Baudolino]

Do people genuinely believe there was nothing the Scott or the Match Committee could have done last night to win us that game? That we had no strings to pull or ways we couldn't have given ourselves a better chance? Yes, the Holmes injury made things tough, but we're the Geelong Football Club, how many times over the years has Chris Scott

Chris Scott

Age

48

Ht

182cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.2

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.4

3star

manufactured against the odds wins for us in situations where things looked stacked against us? Did we apply a "oh well, not much the MC could have done here" to those games? Why be accepting of poor outcomes just because the positive outcome would have been difficult to accomplish?

If any other club had just lost a home preliminary final against an interstate team we'd be calling it a choke. When the situations were reversed in 2020 and we beat Brisbane at the Gabba during that Prelim, I remember people using that word to describe them. In fact, not just any "people". Posters on this forum. Supporters of this club. I doubt any Cats fans would have had any reservations applying that word to them. Why should we get a pass now that we've failed at the same hurdle with the exact same home ground advantage?

No one is saying that Scott is anything other than a great coach or that the club hasn't been amazingly successful over the past two decades. But it's possible to believe both those things while still acknowledging that losing 6 out of your last 8 preliminary finals, including 2 out of your last 3 home preliminary finals, is worthy of criticism.

 

[Generalissimo]

Agree. It's incongruous that a tackle like Danger's.....i mean what choice now does a player have, just allow the opponent to stream away?? It was a massive effort to tackle him and it was hardly dangerous at all. Perhaps going back to a tackle like Aaron Hamill on a then young Jay Shultz in 2004 when he was pummeled into the Telstra Dome surface and knocked out, that was dangerous. But this is a PF, Danger's tackle was inspirational, our 34 y/o skipper leading by example....and it's a free against!!

I can 100% guarantee that if it had been an identical tackle by McCluggage on Danger it would have been holding the ball, and rightly so.

 

[rocker_oz33]

I think the midfield is why the defence got exposed so i think it's both

They seem to find space and the free man a bit too easy.
Having Joe in the ruck who can launch it 60m .

The lack of run from us was telling in the last the backs were able to get some good turnovers .
What could of been in that last Q esp at the last 10 mins .
Was a short Q too.

 

[Cataholic]

Are you just here to troll & bait for engagement?

I think the posting history answers that.

 

[rocker_oz33]

Think the game time was an absolute winner though
Bring on twilight GF in 2025!

Didn't might it .
Didn't get home to late .

 

[allrighty]

Strangely I am quite relaxed today.

With our clear weaknesses and no Holmes, a few down, outcoached and outplayed, under 3 mins to go we were in front.

What a great year for a great Club. We have unearthed some gems and got them invaluable experience.

Whilst I don't really care much I want the Lions to get up for one reason - Papley.

 

[rocker_oz33]

The last Q seemed short .
Would of time pressure on the cats boys .

 

[Tony Barber]

Do people genuinely believe there was nothing the Scott or the Match Committee could have done last night to win us that game? That we had no strings to pull or ways we couldn't have given ourselves a better chance? Yes, the Holmes injury made things tough, but we're the Geelong Football Club, how many times over the years has Chris Scott manufactured against the odds wins for us in situations where things looked stacked against us? Did we apply a "oh well, not much the MC could have done here" to those games? Why be accepting of poor outcomes just because the positive outcome would have been difficult to accomplish?

If any other club had just lost a home preliminary final against an interstate team we'd be calling it a choke. When the situations were reversed in 2020 and we beat Brisbane at the Gabba during that Prelim, I remember people using that word to describe them. I doubt any Cats fans would have had any reservations applied that word to them Why should we get a pass now that we've failed at the same hurdle with the exact same home ground advantage?

No one is saying that Scott is anything other than a great coach or that the club hasn't been amazingly successful over the past two decades. But it's possible to believe both those things while still acknowledging that losing 6 out of your last 8 preliminary finals, including 2 out of your last 3 home preliminary finals, is worthy of criticism.

What's happened to you recently? You used to be a positive poster.

I couldn't identify any levers that could have been pulled.
It was pretty obvious in the 3rd quarter that Brisbane were getting to contests in greater numbers than us. It was a red flag for me.

Our younger players just weren't running.
Position changes would have done bugger all.

I was surprised that we let them walk through the middle.
Maybe we could have pulled that lever and shut down the middle at all costs.

I watched a lot of analysis of the Brisbane vs GWS game.
GWS shut Brisbane down through the middle in the first half. And then Brisbane found a way through.

The same thing happened last night.