Preview QF2 Geelong v Port Adelaide Thursday Sept 5 2024 @ AO 7:40 pm

[Footy Smarts]

One of the biggest question marks for me is if the MC will pick Neale over Hawkins. Not convinced they will and I think I’d lean towards Neale after he kicked 1+ goals in every game but I’m not convinced it’s a clear decision.

If Hawk has been training and gotten fit (?) I suspect it will be a big question at the club over the next fortnight.

I'd pick Hawkins over Neale if fit. His movement is so good at creating space for others even if he's not getting it much. But if he's not ready to even have a run in the VFL yet we can't go with him in a final.

We could pick Guthrie or MOC as sub after limited VFL time but you can't do that with Hawk.

 

[numbwombat]

I'd pick Hawkins over Neale if fit. His movement is so good at creating space for others even if he's not getting it much. But if he's not ready to even have a run in the VFL yet we can't go with him in a final.

We could pick Guthrie or MOC as sub after limited VFL time but you can't do that with Hawk.

If he can get fit to a level anything like his start to the season or last year or two, I agree 100% - but that’s the question. Would be a high risk, high reward selection, versus Neale who is likely to compete but whose current ceiling is not so high.

 

[calder_daddy]

I watched the extended highlights of our loss to Port at KP, so you don’t have to.

Rioli absolutely torched us. He and JHF were the main factors in them getting such a big lead. Rioli had absolutely no opponent anywhere near him in any of his first half plays - three goals and set up another to Finlayson. He is their most dangerous forward and we have to treat him as such.

Farrell was important with two big goals from outside 50m at important moments - happy to see him miss this week.

Hawk had 7 touches and just one shot at goal, am confident Neale will provide more than Hawk was at that point.

Jez kicked one and his heat map shows half of his 18 touches were in the defensive half. This was during the ‘roaming Jez’ phase and surely he will play closer to home in the QF.

As others have pointed out, our midfield was completely depleted with Dangerfield and Bruhn missing, Bowes the sub and Stewart yet to move into the middle. Our prime mids in this game were Cam Guth (16 touches), Atkins (16), Blicavs (14), Parfitt (13) and Clark (11). Butters, Wines, JHF and Drew had 25+. On paper it was a miracle we got close in the end. Their midfield should still comfortably beat ours in the QF but we will absolutely be more competitive than we were that night.

Just to clarify Mullin was the sub and did a job on JHF when he came on.

Bowes, 2E and Neale were our emergency’s

 

[calder_daddy]

Qantas and the government are in bed together.

Maybe the government can appoint a administrator to take over like they’re currently doing to my beautiful safe work place

 

[calder_daddy]

I'm a Brad Close fan, but I can't believe his name isn't getting brought up.! Been very poor lately. He needs to get his arse back into gear

We’re besties Foxy but Close has actually been good the past 8 weeks
Can’t agree here unfortunately

 

[fpm84]

Just to clarify Mullin was the sub and did a job on JHF when he came on.

Bowes, 2E and Neale were our emergency’s

You’re correct, I got mixed up with the GWS loss where Bowes was the sub. Another poor selection decision during a period where we were thin in the middle against a very strong midfield.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

One of the biggest question marks for me is if the MC will pick Neale over Hawkins. Not convinced they will and I think I’d lean towards Neale after he kicked 1+ goals in every game but I’m not convinced it’s a clear decision.

If Hawk has been training and gotten fit (?) I suspect it will be a big question at the club over the next fortnight.

I think it's plain as day they won't pick Hawkins. They can't

 

[Cataholic]

Maybe the government can appoint a administrator to take over like they’re currently doing to my beautiful safe work place

I hope it stays safe for you.

 

[calder_daddy]

I hope it stays safe for you.

Got on my marchin shoes
Don’t go into any CBD tomorrow.
Will be huge

 

[numbwombat]

I think it's plain as day they won't pick Hawkins. They can't

Mate I know you love Neale but if Hawkins can make a case that he’s match fit they can and may. I reckon Hawk would need to do a lot of running and proving himself but Stanley’s late-season form makes me wonder what Scotty means by getting the squad right at the right time of year.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Mate I know you love Neale but if Hawkins can make a case that he’s match fit they can and may. I reckon Hawk would need to do a lot of running and proving himself but Stanley’s late-season form makes me wonder what Scotty means by getting the squad right at the right time of year.

Hawk was match fit for months on end earlier in the year and look what happened.

Love Tomahawk and always will, but we're not rushing back a bloke who was in All Australian form here. It wasn't even 'above average' form.

It's like his absence has caused people to forget what a liability he was for an extended period.

Again, love the guy and feel dirty even typing those words about a legend of our club...but let's not revise history here.

His injury likely saved him from a Mooney esque conversation taking place.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Mate I know you love Neale but if Hawkins can make a case that he’s match fit they can and may. I reckon Hawk would need to do a lot of running and proving himself but Stanley’s late-season form makes me wonder what Scotty means by getting the squad right at the right time of year.

Nothing to do with liking Neale or not, you just can't take a player into September who hasn't played since mid-June and been unable to run most of that time.

I would also argue Hawkins hasn't played a game that would elevate him above Neale's output since round 3 but that's a side issue

 

[Play it Sam]

Interestingly since Dangerfield came into the side against Carlton, Geelong have been 3rd or 4th in the comp for scoring differential from centre clearances (we were 11th before that).

It is a strength of Port's too who I think rank even higher.

But let's not pretend we are going in with the midfield against them last time: Blicavs, Cam Guthrie, Atkins, O'Connor and Parfitt.

They have their own problems, Rozee hasnt been starring as usual, they have to consider Dixon and Marshall to return, and Narkle. Maybe an each way bet on keeping Sav in, a good plant for us.

Bruhn played a slasher of a game last weekend, best I can remember, was in and under like a terrier. We have also been bolstered by another pressure and tackle terrier in Mannagh. Bowes has hit his straps. Atkins does a wheelbarrow load of work he's never credited for. Don't think Stewart will fall for the tag again, he'll be fit, ready as a rocket and firing.

Together with Danger in finals beast mode, I think the sack Hinkley cry from the cretins might just continue.

 

[supahoops]

I just read a second call for stanley to get dropped in this thread. Whats going on?

Have I entered the twilight zone where we are all subconciously conditioned to think we should play the first final without a ruckman? We have done it four times in the last 10 years and everytime the opposition ruckman destroys us and is best on ground. But because our MC keeps doing it despite it backfiring everytime we now think its the right thing to do?

Stanleys dominant ruck work won us the game against freo at subi. We lose that game if its sdk and blicavs rucking. Against the eagles he was clear second best on ground behind only cameron who kicked 9.

He is quite possibly our most in form player heading into finals. To consider dropping him is twilight zone stuff.

It’s hard for some to accept their whipping boys are rated by the club.

 

[foxdog50]

We’re besties Foxy but Close has actually been good the past 8 weeks
Can’t agree here unfortunately

Besties can agree to disagree , his pass 5 weeks has been very poor. I'm not a stats king but even in fantasy points his pass 4 games are poor

 

[foxdog50]

Gee on the Port board... there alot of calls for Esava to be dropped

 

[calder_daddy]

Besties can agree to disagree , his pass 5 weeks has been very poor. I'm not a stats king but even in fantasy points his pass 4 games are poorView attachment 2092917

Please don’t quote fantasy xx

 

[calder_daddy]

Gee on the Port board... there alot of calls for Esava to be dropped

No take backsies

 

[Pollywaffle]

Gee on the Port board... there alot of calls for Esava to be dropped

He will probably play out of his skin against us next week along with Francis Evans.
They will both then disappear into obscurity next season.

 

[moond0g]

I think it's plain as day they won't pick Hawkins. They can't

I think there’s almost no chance they pick Hawkins against port. You can’t after such a big layoff and considering his so-so form earlier in the year.

But I’m more interested in our next game. If Neale is anonymous against port and we lose, I think there’s some chance they bring back Hawkins for the semi.

 

[catters_28]

I pray Esava plays because you just know he will go to water under the pressure

 

[stac]

I believe the key to stopping Port is to keep Wines quiet
If you look at the port games when he plays well they win when he is kept quiet or not playing they don’t go so well

Wines feeds the ball to the other three

 

[My Tilly]

I think it's plain as day they won't pick Hawkins. They can't

Neale has better stats this season too.
Our forward line is functioning fine.
It's the midfield which gets overpowered halfway through matches.

 

[volcboy]

Really need to win this - don't like the option of coming back to Melbourne to play the winner of Bulldogs vs Hawks. Would love to win this to finish off Ken Hinkley's career for good after his actions at GMHBA after their win this year.

My feeling is that they are a 60-70% chance to win this given their midfield vs ours, but you have to be in it to win it. Don't know what we can do apart from bringing the high pressure that we have at stages through the last few weeks and keep it for 4 quarters. Can't let them get the jump on us like at GMHBA earlier in the year.

Need Bews for Rioli. Can't see space for Hawkins even if fit - our forward line has functioned better with Neale in it. Need Danger and Holmes to have big impacts. Would be good not to let Butters or Horne-Francis off the leash; their other midfielders don't hurt you as much as those two.

Fingers crossed that we find a way.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Hopefully we can kick more than 5 goals against them in a final this time. Last 2 against them we’ve struggled to kick a score.
No goalless quarters please.