Preview QF1 Geelong v Collingwood Sat Sept 3 2022, 435pm @ MCG

[Farmer2Goggin]

It all comes down to the Finals now - we now see how the revised game plan works when the blowtorch is applied.
We are in great shape and will virtually have a fully fit list to choose from , there are no excuses now - rubber to the road time.

Pies are to be respected but will need to play much better than the weekend - Blues only played one quarter and should have won it.

Selection will be a challenge - I think Menegola and MOC are emergencies with perhaps Zuthrie or Atkins as the Medi sub.
I think Kolo plays as both he and Henry will be required in defence to support SDK , Kolo can also go with De Goey when forward.

We will have learnt a lot from having them kick 9 in a quarter last time , we are a huge chance if we play 4 quarters and continue to torch the opposition off turnover. We just need to be brave with the ball and not go into our shells.............

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

No doubt there's going to be plenty of discussion in the lead up to this but I think our best 22 and the best match ups Vs Collingwood is pretty straight forward. At this stage I've assumed that the players under injury clouds are not in any danger of missing, and have just been managed very conservatively.

Question marks for me (and it might come down to balance / match ups)

-- O'Connor (Can play a lock down role and also mid / back ---- clearly been best 22 in selectors eyes all year)
-- Zuthrie (Been very good in 2nd half of the year, but we might have 1 or 2 too many defenders?)
-- Menegola (The fact he was managed last game suggests the coaches think he's best 22 - his run late on the G might be a factor)
-- Parfitt (Probably locked himself in with his game on the weekend - the coach loves his inside grunt)
-- Miers (Like Parfitt may have locked himself in on the weekend - think he had 11 score involvements?)

B: Bews / De Koning / Henry
HB: Kolo / Stewart / Duncan

C: Smith / Blicavs / Selwood

HF: Close / Cameron / Rohan
F: Stengle / Hawkins / Miers

Foll: Stanley / Dangerfield / C Guthrie

Int: Parfitt / Atkins / Holmes / Tuohy

Med Sub: Zuthrie

Emg: Menegola / Ceglar / O'Connor / Esava

Snap Jumping Jack - that's my 23 as well

 

[Badtemperedbadger]

I will ask a very simple question?
How are people picking Atkins as a possible sub?

All due respect I find this ludicrous, in finals heat I want this beast on the ground not cooling his heels on the bench waiting on a possible injury.

I can see it now 2 minutes left Geelong desperate for a clearance or at least split the difference and the Axe is not even playing.

Surely by now people cannot be underrating his importance?

 

[Mad_Hatter]

I will ask a very simple question?
How are people picking Atkins as a possible sub?

All due respect I find this ludicrous, in finals heat I want this beast on the ground not cooling his heels on the bench waiting on a possible injury.

I can see it now 2 minutes left Geelong desperate for a clearance or at least split the difference and the Axe is not even playing.

Surely by now people cannot be underrating his importance?

Lack of spots probably, in fairness he's been pretty average since that last quarter heroics.
Personally Zuthrie makes more sense but guys are gunna get squeezed and you "could" justify it with Atkins since we have Parfitt back. I'd still have both though.

 

[fpm84]

No doubt there's going to be plenty of discussion in the lead up to this but I think our best 22 and the best match ups Vs Collingwood is pretty straight forward. At this stage I've assumed that the players under injury clouds are not in any danger of missing, and have just been managed very conservatively.

Question marks for me (and it might come down to balance / match ups)

-- O'Connor (Can play a lock down role and also mid / back ---- clearly been best 22 in selectors eyes all year)
-- Zuthrie (Been very good in 2nd half of the year, but we might have 1 or 2 too many defenders?)
-- Menegola (The fact he was managed last game suggests the coaches think he's best 22 - his run late on the G might be a factor)
-- Parfitt (Probably locked himself in with his game on the weekend - the coach loves his inside grunt)
-- Miers (Like Parfitt may have locked himself in on the weekend - think he had 11 score involvements?)

B: Bews / De Koning / Henry
HB: Kolo / Stewart / Duncan

C: Smith / Blicavs / Selwood

HF: Close / Cameron / Rohan
F: Stengle / Hawkins / Miers

Foll: Stanley / Dangerfield / C Guthrie

Int: Parfitt / Atkins / Holmes / Tuohy

Med Sub: Zuthrie

Emg: Menegola / Ceglar / O'Connor / Esava

Nice post, probably my best 23 as well. I'm a little torn on Menegola, he's had such an interrupted season but he has some weapons that are finals-made. From memory he was one of our best in the 2020 GF too. But Zuthrie hasn't put a foot wrong all season and would be unlucky to find his way out of the 22, let alone the 23.

Don't think we've had as much competition for spots and genuine hard luck stories looming since 2011.

 

[And_ROOS]

No doubt there's going to be plenty of discussion in the lead up to this but I think our best 22 and the best match ups Vs Collingwood is pretty straight forward. At this stage I've assumed that the players under injury clouds are not in any danger of missing, and have just been managed very conservatively.

Question marks for me (and it might come down to balance / match ups)

-- O'Connor (Can play a lock down role and also mid / back ---- clearly been best 22 in selectors eyes all year)
-- Zuthrie (Been very good in 2nd half of the year, but we might have 1 or 2 too many defenders?)
-- Menegola (The fact he was managed last game suggests the coaches think he's best 22 - his run late on the G might be a factor)
-- Parfitt (Probably locked himself in with his game on the weekend - the coach loves his inside grunt)
-- Miers (Like Parfitt may have locked himself in on the weekend - think he had 11 score involvements?)

B: Bews / De Koning / Henry
HB: Kolo / Stewart / Duncan

C: Smith / Blicavs / Selwood

HF: Close / Cameron / Rohan
F: Stengle / Hawkins / Miers

Foll: Stanley / Dangerfield / C Guthrie

Int: Parfitt / Atkins / Holmes / Tuohy

Med Sub: Zuthrie

Emg: Menegola / Ceglar / O'Connor / Esava

I have the same line up but I do wonder if we see a mid i.e Parfitt as the sub and Zuthrie on the bench. Theres always the concern that Elliott or DeGoey gets off the chain and they will want the defensive options of swapping Bews/Kolo/Zuthrie on Elliott/DeGoey.

 

[Jumping Jack]

Nice post, probably my best 23 as well. I'm a little torn on Menegola, he's had such an interrupted season but he has some weapons that are finals-made. From memory he was one of our best in the 2020 GF too. But Zuthrie hasn't put a foot wrong all season and would be unlucky to find his way out of the 22, let alone the 23.

Don't think we've had as much competition for spots and genuine hard luck stories looming since 2011.

Yes I don't envy the selectors. Becomes easy to name people who should play - much harder to name those that miss out.

Menegolas point of difference is his running strength and on that basis alone, I only listed him as an emergency based on the amount of footy he's missed this year. Chris Scott has already alluded to there being hard luck stories but did preface that on the fact that there's always an injury / illness to contend with. For me Zuthrie would be the hard luck story if he missed and that's why I squeezed him into the 23 as a sub.

The biggest challenge for me was O'Connor. I've got him as an emergency but I have a feeling he'll play - so based on that I think someone in that side I picked still has to go out. For me Atkins is a lock and I think he'll go straight to De Goey - no way he misses. The performance of Parfitt and Miers in the last few weeks has really given them a headache.

 

[fpm84]

I have the same line up but I do wonder if we see a mid i.e Parfitt as the sub and Zuthrie on the bench. Theres always the concern that Elliott or DeGoey gets off the chain and they will want the defensive options of swapping Bews/Kolo/Zuthrie on Elliott/DeGoey.

Parfitt is starting 18 for mine, has had an excellent season and has been really good since returning from injury. Having one of Parfitt/Atkins in every CB reduces the chances of opposition teams walking it out, too.

 

[#6 Thorp #7 Selwood LOL]

Parfitt is starting 18 for mine, has had an excellent season and has been really good since returning from injury. Having one of Parfitt/Atkins in every CB reduces the chances of opposition teams walking it out, too.

Agreed, and I also think JJ's 23 is the correct one. I wouldn't get too upset if Menegola is the sub, though Zuthrie would be very, very stiff to miss out. MOC is a hard luck story but for me, the easiest to leave out of the Zuth, Gola, MOC trio.

 

[And_ROOS]

Parfitt is starting 18 for mine, has had an excellent season and has been really good since returning from injury. Having one of Parfitt/Atkins in every CB reduces the chances of opposition teams walking it out, too.

I agree, I just worry that we are going to see a Scotty first final selection madness.

Can't see us not having Parfitt and Atkins in the team.

 

[Badtemperedbadger]

Lack of spots probably, in fairness he's been pretty average since that last quarter heroics.
Personally Zuthrie makes more sense but guys are gunna get squeezed and you "could" justify it with Atkins since we have Parfitt back. I'd still have both though.

Fair enough,
I must judge by different metrics but a guy who is leading total tackles by the length of the straight, third in contested possessions, still manages to be in the top 13 for score involvement, sixth in disposals and I won’t go on.

As the great Wes Hall was heard to say to the umpire following three plumb lbw appeals, before cartwheeling all stumps to various parts of the ground. “ Geez that must have been close”

 

[fpm84]

Agreed, and I also think JJ's 23 is the correct one. I wouldn't get too upset if Menegola is the sub, though Zuthrie would be very, very stiff to miss out. MOC is a hard luck story but for me, the easiest to leave out of the Zuth, Gola, MOC trio.

Yep, I agree with all of that. That said, I watched the roaming Tuohy video from post-WCE game, and he interviewed MOC who seemed very secure about his spot in the side in comparison to someone like Esava who basically said he's on stand by in case someone gets injured.

 

[#6 Thorp #7 Selwood LOL]

Yep, I agree with all of that. That said, I watched the roaming Tuohy video from post-WCE game, and he interviewed MOC who seemed very secure about his spot in the side in comparison to someone like Esava who basically said he's on stand by in case someone gets injured.

We probably won't win or lose the game based on who is the 22nd or 23rd picked (well, unless they throw Higgins in there...), so I'm prepared to back the coaches taking a "horses for courses" approach and if that leads to MOC in, I'm ok with it. Given injuries and matchups, all of those ~25 "best 22" guys may well get a chance this September.

 

[Jumping Jack]

We probably won't win or lose the game based on who is the 22nd or 23rd picked (well, unless they throw Higgins in there...), so I'm prepared to back the coaches taking a "horses for courses" approach and if that leads to MOC in, I'm ok with it. Given injuries and matchups, all of those ~25 "best 22" guys may well get a chance this September.

Higgins has conceded it's unlikely he'll play. The last chunk of footy he missed put paid to any last ditch run at securing a spot in the best 22. Dahl is much closer as was evident by his last outing a few weeks ago - it's horses for courses but I think Miers, Close, Atkins or Parfitt are the only spots he's really eyeing off. Again similar to Higgins, and I think he knows he's likely played his last game in the hoops.

I think the big difference for Geelong this year (compared to the last 4-5) is the squad depth. We at least have some capable soldiers in reserve if needed.

Esava
Ceglar
Higgins
Dahl
Menegola (although I think he's closer than the rest and might even play QF)

As others have rightly pointed out (including the media), this is our best chance for a long time and we go into the QF with a healthy list / a deep list / and playing very good footy that stacks up in finals. What happens from here is up to the club and the players.

 

[D BRIDGE]

I don't know why I don't know this, maybe because I don't go to the games live.

What actual position does Touhy play?

Is he starting in the back 6, manning up a forward after a goal when on the ground?

He has almost always been a backman I guess that can attack and also rotate through the wing.

 

[kickazz]

We just need to be brave with the ball and not go into our shells.............

This, along with no Q3 St Kilda / Q4 Hawthorn centre square brain melts and we should win comfortably.

 

[bulletproof]

I don't know why I don't know this, maybe because I don't go to the games live.

What actual position does Touhy play?

Is he starting in the back 6, manning up a forward after a goal when on the ground?

He has almost always been a backman I guess that can attack and also rotate through the wing.

I think wing would be the closest position. Isaac Smith and Duncan also move around between wing, mid and back. I think it is a deliberate tactic that unsettles teams. Isaac has been playing a little more forward late in the year.

 

[Spearman]

So two freakin weeks to stew about the game, selections, etc. I hate byes any time, but if we win and then another two weeks. Just has to be reorganized.
I wonder if, between all the cinderella pie pieces, anyone will bring up the pointlessness of winning the H/A season for GFC. I mean in a rational meaningful way. For example, will a finished KP be used as a QF location and why/why not. Just bringing up the various issues like forcing Cats fans to travel on a weekday night (I know not this year). The media is fairly silent on these. I'd like to see them discussed. They've got a couple weeks to do it.
I know the AFL cherish there revenue from big Melbourne clubs first, the corporate sponsors perks, and MCC. But let them make the statement unequivocally that they in effect don't care about the fans per se.
OTOH, I' do want to thank them for making a good decision this year. Hopefully based on the fans best interests.
In short, use the weeks to talk about real issues and not just fluff. Fans, at the game experiences, transportation, prices etc.

 

[fpm84]

I think wing would be the closest position. Isaac Smith and Duncan also move around between wing, mid and back. I think it is a deliberate tactic that unsettles teams. Isaac has been playing a little more forward late in the year.

I noticed that Isaac started the majority of centre bounces inside forward 50 on Saturday - don't think I saw him start on the wing once. Definitely unsettling teams by moving things around.

 

[Gazzathegoat]

Changes from our last encounter with Collingwood (Round 3)

Out: Higgins, Ratugolea, Dahlhaus (Sub)

In: Rohan, Miers, O'Connor (Sub?)

 

[Kobe Gryant]

This.

More than likely we will win contested possession, Collingwood tend to lose that anyway. So we need to put whatever dominance we have, whenever we have it, on the score board. Particularly early. Collingwood's game against Melbourne was a case in point.

We don't want to get caught in a 'rabbit in the headlights' situation in the last Q, where we lose our nerve in the face of a hostile crowd, Collingwood's deserved confidence, and our own final's demons. I'm not necessarily saying we would go to water in that scenario, but for my own personal well being, I'd prefer not to test it out, given what we've all watched in the last 10 years.

Honestly I wouldn't hate that scenario. It would be a nice change of pace from the last decade to actually be in the game in the last quarter.

In all seriousness if we come out at our best we'll be need to capitalise. 5 goals won't be enough for this mob, they have an unreal sense of self belief.

Need to put this one to bed early.

 

[Jumping Jack]

It's worth a trip over to the Pies board if you want some comic relief.

-- Apparently Cameron has done his hammy and won't play. I must have missed that report in the media that he'd "done" his hammy.
-- Stanley and Ceglar will both play in the QF
-- The AFL only scheduled the game on the Saturday arvo to give Cameron's hammy time to re-attach itself
-- We're too old
-- We've had a soft draw
-- Nathan Krueger will come in and play and be the messiah
-- Pies will control the ticket allocation by going in with the code "Cats" to buy tickets once their allocation is filled

The meth lab is seriously cranked right up and it's nearly 2 weeks before the game.

 

[Drunkcat]

People talking about Atkins being in bad form, or could the club have told him to back off, and save for the finals?

 

[STPer18]

It's worth a trip over to the Pies board if you want some comic relief.

-- Apparently Cameron has done his hammy and won't play. I must have missed that report in the media that he'd "done" his hammy.
-- Stanley and Ceglar will both play in the QF
-- The AFL only scheduled the game on the Saturday arvo to give Cameron's hammy time to re-attach itself
-- We're too old
-- We've had a soft draw
-- Nathan Krueger will come in and play and be the messiah
-- Pies will control the ticket allocation by going in with the code "Cats" to buy tickets once their allocation is filled

The meth lab is seriously cranked right up and it's nearly 2 weeks before the game.

Supporters of the 'big 4' probably all buy their tinfoil at the same place. Great for a laugh in moderate doses.

 

[Jumping Jack]

People talking about Atkins being in bad form, or could the club have told him to back off, and save for the finals?

Nah he's a lock. Will benefit from only playing a half on the weekend, and also a good break before the QF. Was looking a bit tired to me so smart move by the club to get a rest into him. No way he's not playing - has been one of the big reasons we've played the way we have in the second half of the year.

I think the club has been wanting him and Parfitt up around the ball to give us that really hard inside grunt heading into finals ....... Danger, Guthrie, Holmes and Smith giving us some great outside run. Blicavs and Selwood the icing on the cake. Do we have the best midfield > no - do we have the most balanced (and possibly the deepest) > yes and I think it's one of our strengths.