Preview Rd 13 Cats V Swans Sunday June 9 320pm @ SCG

[Heckler]

This blind faith in the ability of the club, the MC, the coaches is nonsense. They make decisions, some good, some bad. We've been crying out for them to recruit or draft a decent ruckman ever since Brad Ottens left. It's been a major failure of the club. The midfield sucks right at this moment. That's not to say the players aren't trying their best, but they just do not have the talent that several other clubs have. You might be happy that the MC keeps backing the same struggling combination of players, I and others might not. It doesn't mean I should jump ship. However, if I did jump ship it would be to the Good Ship Sydney.

Every AFL club is constantly trying to improve.
Coaches work with the player talent available.
The AFL Draft is a self handicapping system.
Some teams intentionally tank to get talent.
Tanking took Dees and Blues years to rebuild
Cats haven't had early Draft picks for 15 years.
Instead selected high risk picks and traded.
The only other option is player development.
Promising players are elevated to AFL level
Problems arise when player development stalls
Sunk Cost should not dictate future decisions.
Disgruntled outsiders will always call for change
However change is a temporary backward step.
No guarantee change will bring desired success.
Coaches also consider future and present needs.
Outsiders are not privy to a myriad of details.
Potential bad outcomes means best err use caution.
Sometimes doing nothing is the correct decision.
Particularly frustrating if status quo continues.
Only then are hard decisions made and accepted..
Meanwhile, accepting things you cannot change
Is wisdom...Not agreement.

 

[Lana]

Goals from players who rotate through the midfield shows a stark contrast. Sydney 74, Geelong 27

Sydney has midfielders who hurt you in the middle but also on the scoreboard. You can argue the case to exclude Papley playing mainly as a small forward and around stoppages, but Sydney would still more than double Geelong for goals from midfielders.

Sydney:
Heeney 17
Warner 19
Gulden 8
Rowbottom 4
Adams 3
Papley 16
Jordan 5
McInerney 2
Total: 74

Geelong:
Atkins 0
Bruhn 3
Parfitt 1
Blicavs 2
Bowes 5
Clark 2
Duncan 2
Dangerfield 2
Holmes 8
O'Connor 2
Total: 27

I'll take the positive, stop their midfield and their forward line won't save them

 

[cats_09]

Yep. Real shame for Toby that he couldn’t get through training. Just soreness after a few games. Will have to get used to management until he gets a bit more seasoned. He is only 21 which is a baby for ruck, Prob best to throw Reece to the wolves in any event

Sceptical about 2E “injury”. Suspect just a respectful way of not managing him for the 3rd time nor omitting him. So better to have a niggle at training to take him out.

Adding people to 26 will just be about having 3 fit emergencies. Given whole squad in sydney (for vfl) I assume we only hold 1 back for afl. I can already feel the level of excitement in BF when Hardie doesn’t come out for VFL game! And disappointment when realise he is just the holdover?

So the shape of the 23 is becoming clearer with COS and Hardie being two of the three emergencies. I suspect Mannagh will be the other emergency with either Clark or Rohan sub?

Tuohy has already been managed 3 times before the bye - this week make 4 matches he has missed

 

[Mr Meow]

I don't think the Sydney forwards say we're gonna expect you midfielders to pick up the slack and I doubt the Geelong forwards tell their midfielders to leave the goalkicking to the big boys. I think Sydney's midfielders kick goals because the can.

It's natural that their mids take more responsibility for kicking goals given their relative lack of forward line firepower. That's how I see it anyway; no worries if you read things differently.

 

[CHAWKTS]

Tuohy has already been managed 3 times before the bye - this week make 4 matches he has missed

Oh. Did I forget about 1. Reinforces my scepticism about his late injury (on a captains run!) - they just saved him the embarrassment of being managed a 4th time by round 13.

 

[Strange Cat]

It's natural that their mids take more responsibility for kicking goals given their relative lack of forward line firepower. That's how I see it anyway; no worries if you read things differently.

I tend to agree if our defense in on point that’ll go a long way to help but geez it’s going to be a very dire midfield battle sadly

 

[Pure_Ownage]

For team balance I think Neale or Hawkins out with Mannagh as sub is the right call. But if they really rate Neale I can understand them wanting to get games into him.

I would definitely take neale or hawkins out for mannagh you really dont need that many talls at the SCG.

 

[foxdog50]

Conway..... Surely his nickname has to be called " Tampon"

In for 1, out for 3

 

[Strange Cat]

Conway..... Surely his nickname has to be called " Tampon"

In for 1, out for 3

Comes with the territory of young talls.. he will be fine eventually once he strengthens his body

 

[foxdog50]

Comes with the territory of young talls.. he will be fine eventually once he strengthens his body

Iv never seen a tall this long.... and I mean that... yes alot do, but he is way longer..

 

[cats_09]

Oh. Did I forget about 1. Reinforces my scepticism about his late injury (on a captains run!) - they just saved him the embarrassment of being managed a 4th time by round 13.

It's been a weird season for Tuohy in terms of matches played

Played: rounds 1 & 2
Managed: round 3
Played: rounds 4 & 5
Managed: round 6
Played: rounds 7 & 8
Managed: round 9
Emergency: round 10, before being a late in for SDK who was out with hamstring tightness against the Suns
Played: rounds 11 & 12

Now reportedly sore for round 13


He really seems to be sitting in the fringe of selection at times and I do wonder if we had a few less injury issues to the likes of Dangerfield & Guthrie, if he may have found himself a bit more on the outer

 

[Bunnings]

Making Bowes sub after a BOG performance would be a pure shitshow.

Might as well rest him too cos they are resting the skipper (allegedly)

 

[Johanpetro]

Comes with the territory of young talls.. he will be fine eventually once he strengthens his body

I’m in the minority who hates that idea of continually resting him cos he’s “young and tall”. It’s dumb. Look at Sam Darcy, he’s younger than Conway and just as lanky and he’s a legit game changer for them. At what point does Toby become not young anymore and tall and strong enough to play a few games of bloody football in a row? He’s 21 not 15

 

[goyoucatters]

I’m in the minority who hates that idea of continually resting him cos he’s “young and tall”. It’s dumb. Look at Sam Darcy, he’s younger than Conway and just as lanky and he’s a legit game changer for them. At what point does Toby become not young anymore and tall and strong enough to play a few games of bloody football in a row? He’s 21 not 15

I don't really disagree with you. But I gather they weren't just resting him for the sake of it this week. Seems like they were keen to play him again (given he was named) and that he's actually felt a niggle in training. With the bye next week, he was about to get a rest, anyway. Surely no need to manage him here, with a fortnight off just around the corner.

So I figure (sadly) his absence this weekend was not through an abundance of caution but actually as a result of not being in good enough shape to get through the game. And if that's true, it seems like there could be further worries on the durability front for Toby.

 

[Strange Cat]

I’m in the minority who hates that idea of continually resting him cos he’s “young and tall”. It’s dumb. Look at Sam Darcy, he’s younger than Conway and just as lanky and he’s a legit game changer for them. At what point does Toby become not young anymore and tall and strong enough to play a few games of bloody football in a row? He’s 21 not 15

Yes they should ignore all medical advice and just tell him to harden up because other players can keep playing

Try and read your posts before sending them next time

 

[Johanpetro]

Yes they should ignore all medical advice and just tell him to harden up because other players can keep playing

Try and read your posts before sending them next time

It’s Geelong it’s nothing to do with medical advice they are always super conservative to a fault. You really reckon the bloke can’t play a couple of games of footy in a row you’re kidding yourself pal

 

[Strange Cat]

It’s Geelong it’s nothing to do with medical advice they are always super conservative to a fault. You really reckon the bloke can’t play a couple of games of footy in a row you’re kidding yourself pal

Hip soreness but yeah let’s run our best ruck prospect in the last 15 years into the ground because you can’t handle that he needs to rest

Ok pal

 

[Footy Smarts]

It’s Geelong it’s nothing to do with medical advice they are always super conservative to a fault. You really reckon the bloke can’t play a couple of games of footy in a row you’re kidding yourself pal

What are you talking about? He's just played 3 consecutive AFL games.

 

[Johanpetro]

Hip soreness but yeah let’s run our best ruck prospect in the last 15 years into the ground because you can’t handle that he needs to rest

Ok pal

I’m not even talking about this week champ. Scott has come out and said he will be rested continuously. Also spare me “run into the ground”… acting like he needs to be wrapped in cotton wool. As i said he’s literally 21 years old you’re acting like he’s a 60kg under 15s kid

 

[Strange Cat]

I’m not even talking about this week champ. Scott has come out and said he will be rested continuously. Also spare me “run into the ground”… acting like he needs to be wrapped in cotton wool. As i said he’s literally 21 years old you’re acting like he’s a 60kg under 15s kid

Clearly you know more than the conditioning and medical team so put in your resume to the club …champ

 

[cats_09]

I’m in the minority who hates that idea of continually resting him cos he’s “young and tall”. It’s dumb. Look at Sam Darcy, he’s younger than Conway and just as lanky and he’s a legit game changer for them. At what point does Toby become not young anymore and tall and strong enough to play a few games of bloody football in a row? He’s 21 not 15

Sam is only couple of months younger than Toby - 19 July 2003 compared with 24 April 2003, plus he is a different style of player

Sam has also had his own injury concerns over the early stages of his career

• A foot stress fracture kept him out of the first half of the 22 season
• Last year he dealt with a hole in his lung, a fractured jaw when playing VFL and his season was over early after what initially appeared a cork quad against Sydney in his return match turned out to be a burst blood vessel which required hospitalisation

BUT, across those first couple of seasons he was still able to play 7 senior matches

At the same role, Conway has battled his own injury concerns - he played the 13 VFL games across his first couple of seasons with us but 10 of those games were in year 1. We can see the club trying to build him up so that he can push through for longer periods at a time

But comparing a young, developing KPF who occasionally pinch hits in the ruck to a young developing ruck who on the odd occasion gets a run up forward, isn't really an equal comparison

 

[cats_09]

Hip soreness but yeah let’s run our best ruck prospect in the last 15 years into the ground because you can’t handle that he needs to rest

Ok pal

It's also the second report of hip soreness this season - so with the bye next week, seems to make total sense to give him a two week break now

 

[standupand]

I’m not even talking about this week champ. Scott has come out and said he will be rested continuously. Also spare me “run into the ground”… acting like he needs to be wrapped in cotton wool. As i said he’s literally 21 years old you’re acting like he’s a 60kg under 15s kid

Max Gawn took 5 years to get to 25 Afl games.
It's a punishing position and it takes time for young rucks to develop a body that can withstand the rigors of going up against more mature and more solid players.
Conway will be a star for a lot longer if he can manage this period of his career right.

 

[catempire]

Bowes or O’Connor will be Sub

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

I’m in the minority who hates that idea of continually resting him cos he’s “young and tall”. It’s dumb. Look at Sam Darcy, he’s younger than Conway and just as lanky and he’s a legit game changer for them. At what point does Toby become not young anymore and tall and strong enough to play a few games of bloody football in a row? He’s 21 not 15

Darcy is huge for the Dogs. One of their most important players already.
He’s a gun.