Preview Rd 10 Geelong v Gold Coast Thu May16 730pm at TIO

[PzBlinky]

We are in strife if Homles doesn't get up for this one.

The leg might be a non-issue though... Not sure.

I think Scott said it was just a kick in the shin. So painful on the night and impacted his running last week, but hopefully heals up pretty quickly.

 

[Chinacats]

No Tommy, Jez & Paddy …. Welcome to the future! I’m excited!
Sometimes fringe / role players stay in their lane when the big dogs are in…. When they’re out it gives them an opportunity to take the stage and show what they’ve got ….. I’m backing them in!

 

[cats_09]

Not sure of the ground dimensions there, but I thought his last 2 MCG games were very good…. His speed and running capacity really evident on the big grounds…

The above is taken from the article below - and it's pretty interesting to look at. You can resort the above chart by the different categories, there's also other charts that plot where the grounds sit in comparison to each other etc

From the SCG to Kardinia Park — do ground sizes contribute to the end result in AFL games?

From big to small and everything in between, the size of an AFL ground impacts the way the game is played and how teams win — right? Well, it's not that simple, writes Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Not sure of the ground dimensions there, but I thought his last 2 MCG games were very good…. His speed and running capacity really evident on the big grounds…

Think the side as a whole with this gameplan suits the MCG rather than KP at this time.

We'll always be good there, just by knowing the ground and having the HFA...but in terms of the actual gameplan it suits wide open space.

 

[ShaunWDT]

I wouldnt be surprised if we give Jeka a game here, in good form and gives us flexibility through the game.

 

[bombersboy]

I think Scott said it was just a kick in the shin. So painful on the night and impacted his running last week, but hopefully heals up pretty quickly.

As long as it is not bone bruising.

 

[Mr Meow]

What do you think is his primary position?

Well the days of single positional players are pretty much over so I was talking about his role.

I consider Knevitt's actual role a mix of midfield/wing rather than being a pure outside player with zero stoppage rotations. So an inside/outside combination like his junior years, where he was recruited as a midfielder.

3 clearances a game for Knevitt this season in the VFL, which is 1 behind pure mids Clark and Stevens; 0.5 behind Clohesy. Hardie is well ahead of all.

In the AFL Knevitt averages 0.6 clearances a game. So he has 5x less clearances per game in the AFL than VFL; with Clark it's only 2x less (2 per game in the AFL). Thus in the AFL so far I think his role has shifted more from his VFL one. I'd be giving him a more even distribution of stoppages and wing play in the 1's until Clark is ready. Why not try it?

 

[Mr Meow]

I think you're caring way too much about possessions. Parfitt's last 2 games have been really poor, getting spread on defensively and lacking cleanness with ball in hand. Blicavs was utterly torched in the middle until he shifted to permanent ruck. I don't care what the stats sheet says, watching the game Clark's midfield efforts were clearly better than both of those on the weekend.

Playing Clark is not about this year. He'll likely be squeezed out come finals though with another 10-12 games maybe he'll have developed enough to keep his spot. But we're in desperate need of quality midfielders and he has quality in spades.

We need to get him up to speed ASAP and dropping him for a player with a fraction of the talent cause they might be a very slight upgrade right now would be the wrong move. Blaming him for the loss on the weekend when he was about the only midfielder that wasn't a witches hat during the first quarter and a half is utterly laughable.

The fact is Clark had 58% game time that was all as a midfielder and he had one clearance. He could've had about 7 or 8 if he was clean in the stoppages but at this stage he runs over or gets knocked off the ball right as you think he's about to collect it. These were the types of Port clearances that then ended in brutal chains against us. All were guilty to a degree and no doubt Clark has a crack but his body size at the moment makes his great pressure efforts redundant - as he bounces off players.

He'll be a player but we need more than 5.5 contested possessions and 2.3 clearances (from full games, excluding sub appearances) a game from our midfield rotations. Bowes is going at 8 contested possessions and 3.6 clearances a game from his full games this season - as a hybrid mid/half back/wingmen. Bruhn as a pure midfielder is a 9 contested possession and 6 clearance a game player on similarly low game time to Clark. And they would want to have better output at their age! Clark will probably smash those numbers by 23. But he's a kid.

 

[Sttew]

Heard Simon Black and some other ex footballer (didn't catch who it was), talking about playing in the heat and humidity.
Seems Clarkson had North train with footballs dipped in detergent. They scoffed at this. The ball isn't the thing that is slippery (unless rain of course), it is the sweat off the players. So the players hands are slippery, not the ball.
They suggested wearing sweatbands on wrists to try to minimise sweat running down arms to hands.

Game is at 7.30pm. Weather forecast in Darwin is low 23 and high 34 between 2.00pm and 3,00pm. Very slight chance of rain and humidity after 7.00pm will be 80%+.

By contrast, average humidity in Geelong today is 71% with humidity of about 90% at 7.00pm. So the big difference will be the temperature - 13 in Geelong at night -v- 23 in Darwin.

Upshot, if this game was being played in March I'd think the heat and humidity would be a bigger factor, but we are entering the Dry season in Darwin

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

So how is Knevitt meant to get a game? He was in the VFL team of the year in 2023 wasn't he? You'd think they'd at least try him once this year and let Clark play VFL. Knevitt is reaching a stage where it's just not going to happen for him at Geelong if he's not given chances in his primary position.

I think he comes in for Dempsey when he needs a spell.
Knevitt looks suited for the hard running wing role and is also very handy above his head.
Not quite like for like but close - don't think he has the intensity to play mid at this stage.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Game is at 7.30pm. Weather forecast in Darwin is low 23 and high 34 between 2.00pm and 3,00pm. Very slight chance of rain and humidity after 7.00pm will be 80%+.

By contrast, average humidity in Geelong today is 71% with humidity of about 90% at 7.00pm. So the big difference will be the temperature - 13 in Geelong at night -v- 23 in Darwin.

Upshot, if this game was being played in March I'd think the heat and humidity would be a bigger factor, but we are entering the Dry season in Darwin

It's still going to be 29 degrees with a 5% chance of rain

 

[Jirik13]

Game is at 7.30pm. Weather forecast in Darwin is low 23 and high 34 between 2.00pm and 3,00pm. Very slight chance of rain and humidity after 7.00pm will be 80%+.

By contrast, average humidity in Geelong today is 71% with humidity of about 90% at 7.00pm. So the big difference will be the temperature - 13 in Geelong at night -v- 23 in Darwin.

Upshot, if this game was being played in March I'd think the heat and humidity would be a bigger factor, but we are entering the Dry season in Darwin

Start of the game temperature 30, end of the game 28. Humidity will go up during the game, ending up in 80%+. Last quarter is a torture.

 

[TheYid]

My two cents-

Clark needs a rest. Lots of energy and a good developing defensive side but he's not hurting the opposition.
C Guthrie needs to get back into the midfield properly. Collecting loose possessions with low impact isn't going much good for the side.

Atkins is our best mid right now. Been watching a trend over the last few games- when he starts at a centre clearance, we tend to stop the ball going the other way. He also led us in getting it out of there last week. Don't do this nonsense of dropping him, Bruhn and Parfitt into defense after the bounce. Let those dudes stay on the ball.

We need Bowes and Bruhn back to get that mid balance again

Stanley is currently really bad. The fact that we only have one proper ruck alternative has been the bane of our existence for years.

Mullin is a forming up to be a gun. He's way too good for the 2s (absolutely starred two weeks ago) and is just now starting to look like an AFL player.

Hawkins....well, we love him, don't we? But he's getting well beaten now. We all know he's really there to take their best defender, because they know he can still turn a game if you give him a chance. But it's time to play Neale, at least this week.

So here's my weak attempt at the meat tray:

Outs: Stanley (omitted, er..."managed"), Hawkins, Clark, Duncan (all managed), Cameron (conc)
Ins: Bowes, Bruhn (if possible), Neale, Mannagh, Clohesy (or Hardie).

Sub: Dempsey

 

[standupand]

Start of the game temperature 30, end of the game 28. Humidity will go up during the game, ending in 80%+. Last quarter is a torture.

Almost dangerously hot. Would be equivalent to playing in 40 plus degrees in Geelong.

 

[Interdimensional Bigfoot]

My two cents-

Clark needs a rest. Lots of energy and a good developing defensive side but he's not hurting the opposition.
C Guthrie needs to get back into the midfield properly. Collecting loose possessions with low impact isn't going much good for the side.

Atkins is our best mid right now. Been watching a trend over the last few games- when he starts at a centre clearance, we tend to stop the ball going the other way. He also led us in getting it out of there last week. Don't do this nonsense of dropping him, Bruhn and Parfitt into defense after the bounce. Let those dudes stay on the ball.

We need Bowes and Bruhn back to get that mid balance again

Stanley is currently really bad. The fact that we only have one proper ruck alternative has been the bane of our existence for years.

Mullin is a forming up to be a gun. He's way too good for the 2s (absolutely starred two weeks ago) and is just now starting to look like an AFL player.

Hawkins....well, we love him, don't we? But he's getting well beaten now. We all know he's really there to take their best defender, because they know he can still turn a game if you give him a chance. But it's time to play Neale, at least this week.

So here's my weak attempt at the meat tray:

Outs: Stanley (omitted, er..."managed"), Hawkins, Clark, Duncan (all managed), Cameron (conc)
Ins: Bowes, Bruhn (if possible), Neale, Mannagh, Clohesy (or Hardie).

Sub: Dempsey

Atkins is our best mid.

 

[Tuggacat]

I watched that game and thought he was good. But he was still playing mainly wing with maybe a quarter as a genuine inside mid. Same with his games against Box Hill and the Northern Bullants.

I quite like him as a player and think he's been stiff not getting games but if he plays AFL it'll be as a winger where he can use his marking and running power not as an inside mid.

If only he could hold his marks. Dropped more than he marked last AFL appearance.

 

[Tuggacat]

Almost dangerously hot. Would be equivalent to playing in 40 plus degrees in Geelong.

GC have a huge advantage in this one having played in Darwin last Week. I expect they stayed in Darwin? Even if they didn’t they will handle the conditions way better than us.

 

[BotsMaster]

OMG! I'd totally forgotten Ceglar

We need him more than ever

 

[cats_09]

No mention of Neale or Conway as part of the injury report

Geelong Cats GMHBA Health Update – Round 10

Player	Injury	Timeline
Tanner Bruhn	Shoulder	Test
Jeremy Cameron	Concussion	1 week
Tom Hawkins	Managed	1 week
Oli Wiltshire	Thumb	1 week
Mitch Edwards	Back	1-2 weeks
Patrick Dangerfield	Hamstring	2-4 weeks

 

[Nick23]

Made the trip up here for the game and heading to Open Training shortly.
Will be interesting to see who makes an appearance. Have seen quite a few Suns players out and about over the past few days so they are well acclimatised.
Will be a very tough game, if we are down by 5 goals or so early it may come down to just minimising damage

 

[Johanpetro]

Made the trip up here for the game and heading to Open Training shortly.
Will be interesting to see who makes an appearance. Have seen quite a few Suns players out and about over the past few days so they are well acclimatised.
Will be a very tough game, if we are down by 5 goals or so early it may come down to just minimising damage

Any updates will be greatly appreciated ie: if Neale, Bruhn, Conway etc are on the track

 

[Mr Meow]

5 changes is a lot but some fresh legs up there will be useful:

Out: Cameron, Stanley, Hawkins, Duncan, Clark
In: Neale, Conway, Tuohy, Bowes, Bruhn

FB: J.Henry SDK Z.Guthrie
HB: Stewart Kolo Holmes

C: Dempsey Bruhn Blicavs
FOL: Conway Bowes C.Guthrie

HF: Close O.Henry Miers
FF: Rohan Neale Stengle

IC: Atkins Parfitt Tuohy Mullin MOC(sub)

I want to squeeze Mannagh in but I feel like resting Duncan, along with 3 other veterans, will have them prioritising Tuohy as a utility option. Tuohy can shift to the backline if we roll Mullin through the guts (maybe on Rowell?), otherwise he can play on the wing (as would MOC from sub). By the same token I'd be happy for Mannagh to come in and some other shuffling of the team be undertaken.

Blicavs as support ruck when he's not on the wing.

It would be quite a young line up by our standards but 3 of the veterans being rested seems automatic and Duncan is 50/50.

 

[Turbocat]

Does Knevitt's marking ability give him an edge in selection this week? Time for him to push in. Run forward and take a mark or two and kick a goal..could make a difference in the NT slipslop.

Mannagh has a mature body. We picked him to play …well time to walk it..

Hardie has improved a bit this year. he would be desperate for a chance ..as he probably knows he need to show what he can do.

Clark need to just build up the game tally … the quicker we get him to 30 to 40 games the better. Get him used to the level as only then we will find out what he can offer. The side step last week is just a hint of what he might offer.

Unless Dempsey needs a rest I keep him rolling too. Another who will have his ups and downs.Just roll with the mistakes and get him to 30 to 40 as quick as possible.

Give Mullin a full game and tell him to sit on Rowell. If he can do a reasonable quell job on him , he has just found a role to get a regular selection.


Really ..Im not fussed who we pick … lets roll a few non knowns thru .. even if it means we keep a couple of older guys up our sleeve. The Giants game now becomes critical…home game V a very good side.

 

[Turbocat]

No mention of Neale or Conway as part of the injury report

Geelong Cats GMHBA Health Update – Round 10

Player	Injury	Timeline
Tanner Bruhn	Shoulder	Test
Jeremy Cameron	Concussion	1 week
Tom Hawkins	Managed	1 week
Oli Wiltshire	Thumb	1 week
Mitch Edwards	Back	1-2 weeks
Patrick Dangerfield	Hamstring	2-4 weeks

I wonder if Edwards is actually training. Backs can be debilitating.

 

[Turbocat]

Start of the game temperature 30, end of the game 28. Humidity will go up during the game, ending in 80%+. Last quarter is a torture.

If they had push Tas to have a stadium with a roof … id say NT will have to look at something similar if they are serious about having regular games up there .. in a week in ..week out fixture.