Preview Rd 18 Pies V Cats Fri July 12 2024 740 pm @ MCG

[dazbroncos]

Ahh the Filth.

Their home game at the G so the toothless wonders will be out in force for sure and hardly any Cats supporters will get there with weather, trains, trains not running, roadworks on freeway, accidents and its just too hard sometimes.

So the 23 in the Hoops will have to do it the hard way - and hard it will be as the Pies are hanging onto Top 4 aspirations like us.

Who those 23 will be is anyones guess.
After the VFL only really CLohesy and maybe Hardie would be considered but even they are unlikely.

Figure O Henry gets a full game as he's fully fit by then - but whom goes out?
Clark probably and maybe MOC comes back in to sit on a Daicos but even MOC was pulled after 1/2 time with ice pack on his knee so maybe not.

Do we ruck SDK and BLitz again and hope it keeps working or is Stanley back in the frame. Conway presumably out for the year given he's hot-spotting and boot laiden currently.

Mannagh needs to stay.

Will shall see....

GO Catters

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Up until a month ago I had locked is in for a loss here. Even a week ago we were likely pretty long odds. Today the odds for us are 4c longer than theirs and given the dumb money that follows Collingwood every week I'd say the smartest money has us favourite.

SDK goes in as the form ruck for the first time probably ever.

Our midfield is vastly more mature, going from consistently playing 62% CBAs to players 22 and under for that month of bad games, to that same list of kids making up 25% last weekend.

Forward line is much more effective with Neale and Rohan adding ground level speed and involvement.

It's a big day for my outrageous claim that we will get more from Mannagh in full games than Collingwood gets from Schultz.

 

[dangerwood]

Anyone know what our average age was on the weekend?

 

[MacStradbroke]

Up until a month ago I had locked is in for a loss here. Even a week ago we were likely pretty long odds. Today the odds for us are 4c longer than theirs and given the dumb money that follows Collingwood every week I'd say the smartest money has us favourite.

SDK goes in as the form ruck for the first time probably ever.

Our midfield is vastly more mature, going from consistently playing 62% CBAs to players 22 and under for that month of bad games, to that same list of kids making up 25% last weekend.

Forward line is much more effective with Neale and Rohan adding ground level speed and involvement.

It's a big day for my outrageous claim that we will get more from Mannagh in full games than Collingwood gets from Schultz.

Keen to see how DeKoning performs if Cameron doesn’t get up. Playing with more expectations, I am backing him in to have a big game and put some big numbers up.

Agree re Schultz, been a disaster trade to date for them. Seemed a luxury trade at the time, maybe their list wasn’t quite as good as how well they were playing (and possibly coached). He is still young though (younger than he looks).

Only the one change this week with Knevitt coming in and a change of starting sub.

 

[BotsMaster]

Last time:

AFL Tables - Collingwood v Geelong - Fri, 11-Aug-2023 7:50 PM - Match Stats

 

[Cataholic]

Ahh the Filth.

Their home game at the G so the toothless wonders will be out in force for sure and hardly any Cats supporters will get there with weather, trains, trains not running, roadworks on freeway, accidents and its just too hard sometimes.

So the 23 in the Hoops will have to do it the hard way - and hard it will be as the Pies are hanging onto Top 4 aspirations like us.

Who those 23 will be is anyones guess.
After the VFL only really CLohesy and maybe Hardie would be considered but even they are unlikely.

Figure O Henry gets a full game as he's fully fit by then - but whom goes out?
Clark probably and maybe MOC comes back in to sit on a Daicos but even MOC was pulled after 1/2 time with ice pack on his knee so maybe not.

Do we ruck SDK and BLitz again and hope it keeps working or is Stanley back in the frame. Conway presumably out for the year given he's hot-spotting and boot laiden currently.

Mannagh needs to stay.

Will shall see....

GO Catters

It's vital Geelong wins this, if for no other reason than to aid the survival of dentistry, literacy, and the diversity of the human gene pool.

 

[cats_09]

Anyone know what our average age was on the weekend?

27ish

If you look up Footywire and the match stats it'll tell you average age & games played, plus the breakdown of games

Just not available when on my phone

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Anyone know what our average age was on the weekend?

27 and 4 months

Second oldest 23 on the weekend

 

[FootyIslanders]

As an American I can never figure out why the league doesn't add on a two or three dollar surcharge to every Collingwood "Road" ticket purchased at the MCG for a Geelong home game, and that surcharge goes towards busing all the Geelong fans for free into the city for the match

 

[cats_09]

As an American I can never figure out why the league doesn't add on a two or three dollar surcharge to every Collingwood "Road" ticket purchased at the MCG for a Geelong home game, and that surcharge goes towards busing all the Geelong fans for free into the city for the match

This is a Collingwood home match

 

[CatToTheFuture]

This is a Collingwood home match

We should still demand money from them though. Be rude not to

 

[year of the cat]

We should still demand money from them though. Be rude not to

They’d just steal it back off us before half time

 

[Mr Meow]

27 and 4 months

Second oldest 23 on the weekend

Yep, still old on average as the loss of Selwood, Smith, Hawkins, Stanley, Bews and C.Guthrie has been mostly offset by everyone else being 2 years older than 2022.

I'd say a more accurate way to assess list profile is by separating into age groups. Youngsters, in or entering their prime, and veterans.

2022 grand final

18-22 year olds: 1
23-29 year olds: 13
30+ year olds: 9

2024 (last weekend)

18-22 year olds: 6
23-29 year olds: 10
30+ year olds: 7

It's worth noting that one 26 year old was playing just his 3rd AFL game.

Tuohy and one of Blicavs/Duncan/Rohan could be replaced by Mullin and Conway or Knevitt next season. In 2025 maybe Bruhn has Atkins spot rather than playing alongside him? Those changes would shift the profile further and probably have a more noticeable effect on average age.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

They’d just steal it back off us before half time

A tremendous boon to the stolen car parts market. I assume Collingwood fans all know the cheapest places to source a catalytic converter.

 

[Jumping Jack]

Keen to see how DeKoning performs if Cameron doesn’t get up. Playing with more expectations, I am backing him in to have a big game and put some big numbers up.

Agree re Schultz, been a disaster trade to date for them. Seemed a luxury trade at the time, maybe their list wasn’t quite as good as how well they were playing (and possibly coached). He is still young though (younger than he looks).

Only the one change this week with Knevitt coming in and a change of starting sub.

Is Collingwood's Cameron injured?

 

[STPer18]

Team balance looked really good against the Hawks, barring anyone genuinely needing a week off the only change would be Knevitt having his spot back after picking a rotten time to wake up crook.

 

[fpm84]

Is Collingwood's Cameron injured?

Yes, cleared of broken ribs but reportedly in doubt for Friday. They don't have another fit ruck so will have to play Kreuger or Frampton as ruck if Cameron misses.

 

[Commando]

Perfect time to get Collingwood
They are literally on the ropes we just need to land the punch!

Real opportunity to make a statement and we've been good at the G

What do they say, "it's not who you play but when you play them"

 

[catsfootyfan89]

Bring the same heat and intensity again and this is totally winnable. It'd be great to find a way to beat the Pies this weekend.

 

[Catatak]

Win this one and I’ll be confident in saying we are in with a show. I think the moves Scott has made has assisted every line. I have quite often thought Kolo should be playing on taller opponents and by SDK playing ruck it forces him too. We need him and Henry to stand up on the big forwards. Stewart into the midfield has also meant Zac Touhy has been given a licence to roam and Stewart still gets back to intercept. Our Mid set up is looks so much better with Dtewart and Dekoning in there and I’ve been saying all year, breakeven or just get beat in there and we are extremely dangerous and are hard to beat. Our forward set up is extremely dangerous and I think Neale in creates more grounds balls and less predictability. Clark (was ok and will be a gun in time) straight swap for Knevitt. Keep Henry as sub.

 

[MacStradbroke]

Is Collingwood's Cameron injured?

Yeah as mentioned above Cameron is doubtful. Massive out for them if he does miss. Who’s left for them, Krueger or Frampton?

 

[allrighty]

Perfect time to get Collingwood
They are literally on the ropes we just need to land the punch!

Real opportunity to make a statement and we've been good at the G

What do they say, "it's not who you play but when you play them"

I understand Mihocek is out and he normally goes well against us. And I read some article that said McRae is being outcoached. Both good signs for us.

We are up and about again and they are struggling again. Time to strike hard on the MCG which we like to play.

And OT I see 18thmond are cellar dwellers where they belong.

 

[Catsace]

Certainly the Pies have a few regulars out at this point, Cox, Elliott, maybe Cameron if he's doubtful and Mihocek will be missing too, I think he copped an injury on the weekend. But the Pies remain dangerous, as they have this pressure and run-ball sort of style that when on is a bit like the Tigers of their successful era. They have a bunch of role players, bordering on almost 'nobodies' who can still bob up and score. McCreery for one, Crisp somehow emerged last week as a goalkicker with three, and I still have nightmares over the unheralded Frampton who in Rd 1 2021 was a forward-line force pretending to be Wayne Carey with 8 marks and kicking 2.2 for the Crows as they upset Geelong. And of course they have a pair of Daicoses who can make magic, although perhaps to help mozz the Pies a bit I'll make Nick the supercoach skipper, as he's been a bit off with his disposal efficiency in recent games.

I do feel that Geelong has regained some belief and confidence, and if Cameron is out for the Pies he might actually be the more accomplished ruckman on the ground. Paradoxically if Stanley was to be rucking he'd probably find a way to make whatever the Pies have (Kruger/Frampton) look like Polly Farmer for a game, and speaking of former Cat Kruger, he's been having more impact for the pies recently, in fairness to him he's had a bad run with injuries in his career so far for both teams.

But it's time we put the foot down, it's also a bit of a trend with Cats/Pies games that sides tend to not have too many wins in a row over each other, they won both games last year so it's time this season. Last year in Rd 1 we started amazing hot with 16.1 to about 11.9, before they kicked the last 8 goals of the game and we wound up with 16.7, and the latter game we led handsomely for most of the first half match before the Pies came out with a big 40 minutes of footy that crunched us before a late rally saw us 8 points shy. But their game style relies on pressure and running, but I feel with a few vital parts missing we can overcome this, having Mannagh emulate his 14 tackles again would be fighting fire with fire. And a fit and relatively fresh Danger is a huge weapon for us too.

Let's get it done, Catters and that will entrench us in the 8, and make the Pie's hold in there tenuous at best.

 

[Munich]

We will win this.

 

[moond0g]

Win this one and I’ll be confident in saying we are in with a show. I think the moves Scott has made has assisted every line. I have quite often thought Kolo should be playing on taller opponents and by SDK playing ruck it forces him too. We need him and Henry to stand up on the big forwards. Stewart into the midfield has also meant Zac Touhy has been given a licence to roam and Stewart still gets back to intercept. Our Mid set up is looks so much better with Dtewart and Dekoning in there and I’ve been saying all year, breakeven or just get beat in there and we are extremely dangerous and are hard to beat. Our forward set up is extremely dangerous and I think Neale in creates more grounds balls and less predictability. Clark (was ok and will be a gun in time) straight swap for Knevitt. Keep Henry as sub.

I agree, except for the very tall 200cm+ types (McKay, King bros., Daniher etc.). As much as it's probably still an overall win for us that Mihocek is out, I think he's almost the perfect opponent for Kolo.