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

[BIGANT]

Spot on. It's 4 quarters of pressure, or a loss.

Whether we can maintain the rage that long is a question of immense curiosity.

We've had huge variations in our pressure, within a game, from one half to the other. As cats_09 has alluded to before, the difference has been so stark that it has raised the question as to whether its been a deliberate ploy to try different strategies - or is that wishful thinking?

That said, I'm with catempire in believing that this side has lacked the killer instinct needed to create fear. The lack of ruthlessness leaves our opponents believing they're always a chance.

Can we find that instinct if we smell blood in the finals?

Can we find the drive in our minds, the run in our legs, to pressure sides relentlessly over 4 quarters?

We're going to get a solid insight on Thursday night.

What a nervous, exciting wait.

At various times the past 5-6 weeks PA were challenged, in that Carlton headed them by 2-3 gls, the crows headed them by a similar margin and had momentum and freo headed them against the flow of play. The old port would have folded but they rallied. Finals are different and a step up, can they rise ? Of port's midfield I hope the cat's have had one eye open on Wines, he has been one that has lifted when they have needed a physical *kicker I hope it all hasn't been focused on JH-f. Sounds like both sides are going to bring a contested and hard edge from the start (Stewy and Alir spoke)

 

[Art Vandelay_]

11 years ago and we're still going.

 

[Cataholic]

Personally I can see this September shaping as Neale/Hawkins putting us in a no win position.
IMO we will bow out at some point. When that is from W2-4 we will see. But unless we get absolutely spanked in 1-2 losing finals those two will be judged harshly.

Leave Hawkins out and get eliminated while being competitive and the rhetoric will be that we made an error leaving the big guy out. Play them both and the crowded forward line will be the story. Drop Neale and bringing back a cooked Hawkins for the young blood will be the talking point.

When in reality we're likely exiting finals at some point regardless.

If we bow out there will naturally be a good dose of disappointment and a lot of discussion, reflection and disagreement here.

But hopefully we'll have the collective wisdom to remember that we're just keyboard warriors with nowhere near the full cross-section of knowledge, insight, data, medical awareness and expertise that Scott and associates do.

They're driving the train, and we're just passengers going along for the ride.

 

[And_ROOS]

Guthrie growing the hair back? Guaranteed 30 disposal 2 goal game coming up.

 

[cats_09]

Guthrie growing the hair back? Guaranteed 30 disposal 2 goal game coming up.

Get on early for Guthrie as our B&F winner in 2025...

 

[Mr Meow]

Personally I can see this September shaping as Neale/Hawkins putting us in a no win position.
IMO we will bow out at some point. When that is from W2-4 we will see. But unless we get absolutely spanked in 1-2 losing finals those two will be judged harshly.

Leave Hawkins out and get eliminated while being competitive and the rhetoric will be that we made an error leaving the big guy out. Play them both and the crowded forward line will be the story. Drop Neale and bringing back a cooked Hawkins for the young blood will be the talking point.

When in reality we're likely exiting finals at some point regardless.

This just sounds like a narrative you're pushing more than a realistic scenario. At least in terms of Neale actually being blamed if he is quiet and we didn't rush an unfit Hawkins into his place.

 

[dangerwood]

11 years ago and we're still going.

Hopefully in 11 years we're watching highlights of that time Ollie Dempsey kicked 5 in the qualifying final against Port.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

This just sounds like a narrative you're pushing more than a realiatic scenario. At least in terms of Neale actually being blamed if he is quiet and we didn't rush an unfit Hawkins into his place.

Not at all. Been around long enough to know how over reactionary and clickbait worthy our football media have become.

 

[Mr Meow]

Not at all. Been around long enough to know how over reactionary and clickbait worthy our football media have become.

Sorry I thought you meant our board and the general football public more than the media.

"Media talking points" aren't something I get sucked in by and so I rarely speculate on what they might be.

 

[catempire]

Have you got SDK playing? And don’t say as the sub.

I have him… sneaking in the 23.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Neale is up for criticism like everyone else. If he plays from behind and misses easy goals, his age shouldn't matter.
Granted expectations should be modified, as in comparing to Hawks previous (long ago) output, but he's expected to fire and I hope he does. The future is now.

Yeah I'll be disappointed if he plays badly. But I would also like the criticism to be measured against his actual performance.

 

[catempire]

Would be insanity to have a tall as the sub, better to have SDK start and a sub on the bench who is an onballer or a Rohan/Henry type.

If SDK is sub and Miers or Close got injured the team balance would be totally ****ed.

This would be true of a non-versatile tall and/or if you didn’t have another versatile tall in your 23 (ie. Blicavs).

 

[catempire]

Dropping Stanley because of a little rain was worse I think

Don’t. The PTSD is real.

 

[year of the cat]

I have him… sneaking in the 23.

Confucius say that man that sits on fence only ends up with sore bottom.

 

[catempire]

Confucius say that man that sits on fence only ends up with sore bottom.

As I said the other day, I don’t see who DK pushes out of the 22.

 

[Heckler]

Cats, last two first halves, had elite pressure
Problem was the pressure drop in 2nd half
Last time v Power the opposite occurred
No pressure first half : Elite pressure 2nd half
Maintaining elite pressure for 4Q is the key
Part of the pressure lift was Mullin tag on JHF
He may be raw but showed can handle the pace
Duncan has slowed and has been off the pace

Power came to play and dominated clearances
Cats undermanned mid's were ineffective early
This time Cats will be better prepared from go.

Return of SDK sees Blitz's role questioned.
His move to defense has settled the back six.
SDK presents an opportunity to go forward.
Given a task to prevent Aliir intercepting
Scott needs to try fix the intercept problem.

 

[year of the cat]

As I said the other day, I don’t see who DK pushes out of the 22.

Tuohy is the most likely for mine.

 

[catempire]

Tuohy is the most likely for mine.

Yeah maybe.

 

[Vdubs]

Personally I can see this September shaping as Neale/Hawkins putting us in a no win position.
IMO we will bow out at some point. When that is from W2-4 we will see. But unless we get absolutely spanked in 1-2 losing finals those two will be judged harshly.

Leave Hawkins out and get eliminated while being competitive and the rhetoric will be that we made an error leaving the big guy out. Play them both and the crowded forward line will be the story. Drop Neale and bringing back a cooked Hawkins for the young blood will be the talking point.

When in reality we're likely exiting finals at some point regardless.

Let's hope that Hawk directly tutors and helps motivate Neale into at least 1 breakout game, during this finals season, as did Mooney for Hawkins in 2011. Hawkins will not play AFL again, almost certainly, in any case. Cooked.

 

[Vdubs]

Guthrie growing the hair back? Guaranteed 30 disposal 2 goal game coming up.

VFL should have a good win.
Please don't get my hopes up

 

[Vdubs]

I personally cannot wait for the autopsy thread where the deficiencies of a team of 23 are placed squarely on the shoulders of a 22 year old KP forward.

Sounds like something I can easily wait for.
Many "experts" have already labelled us as the worst of the top 8 teams, so even if we got out in 2, it was expected.
Neale has some deficiencies, and may never be a great replacement for Hawkins, but really, he can never b e replaced with ease, a generational player.
That said, he has looked cooked all year. Mentoring and tutoring is not to be scoffed at.

 

[Mr Meow]

Sounds like something I can easily wait for.
Many "experts" have already labelled us as the worst of the top 8 teams, so even if we got out in 2, it was expected.
Neale has major deficiencies, and may never be a great replacement for Hawkins, but really, he can never b e replaced with ease, a generational player.
That said, he has looked cooked all year. Mentoring and tutoring is not to be scoffed at.

GWS and Geelong face little external pressure compared to most top 4 teams over the years. Internal pressure of course is huge for any football club.

Sydney were almost unbackable flag favourites midway through the season. It is seen as a weak field they have to overcome and there have been those 3 grand final losses in a row since their last success. Like it or not, that adds pressure when they are the premiership favourites.

Port wouldn't face too much pressure except for the whole Hinkley saga that creates huge mania in their finals. Plus a really embarrassing straight sets exit last year, with a list where their A grade talent is in or approaching its prime.

Of course they both have home finals too.

GWS and Geelong were written off mid year with their awful prolonged slumps. Finals were in question but a bunch of other teams fell over to let them fall into the top 4. They're the dark horses of the finals outside of Carlton, given the huge hype for Brisbane, Hawthorn and Footscray even in those lower positions.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Sounds like something I can easily wait for.
Many "experts" have already labelled us as the worst of the top 8 teams, so even if we got out in 2, it was expected.
Neale has major deficiencies, and may never be a great replacement for Hawkins, but really, he can never b e replaced with ease, a generational player.
That said, he has looked cooked all year. Mentoring and tutoring is not to be scoffed at.

Neale has deficiencies and may never make it but he has shown gradual and consistent improvement on them. He won't be the reason we lose.

 

[catempire]

Sounds like something I can easily wait for.
Many "experts" have already labelled us as the worst of the top 8 teams, so even if we got out in 2, it was expected.
Neale has major deficiencies, and may never be a great replacement for Hawkins, but really, he can never b e replaced with ease, a generational player.
That said, he has looked cooked all year. Mentoring and tutoring is not to be scoffed at.

What would you say his “major” deficiencies are?

 

[Interdimensional Bigfoot]

I was just coming to post these

His hair is coming back