Preview Rd 19 Geel V Port Sat July 23 435pm (AEST) @ AO

[Chinacats]

Port have dipped and we should win this. However interstate games are tough. Win this we lock in top 4. Someone to be rested. Smith?

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Naughty naughty.

Where's the lie?

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Port have dipped and we should win this. However interstate games are tough. Win this we lock in top 4. Someone to be rested. Smith?

They gave Melbourne a huge run for their money last week. Port have some very quality players. I still think we win but it could be an arm wrestle more than people think.

 

[MacStradbroke]

"We want to be playing our best footy at the pointy end of the season". Scott has uttered this nonsense in various forms many times over the years. First it's a cliche. Second, wanting is not doing. Third, look at what happens.

I’m curious, what is it that you think he should be saying in these pressers? Or even what is it that you would like to hear?

 

[Frappe]

They gave Melbourne a huge run for their money last week. Port have some very quality players. I still think we win but it could be an arm wrestle more than people think.

It took us over a half to shake them off at home last time.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

It took us over a half to shake them off at home last time.

I think they are actually a very talented list with a crap coach

 

[geelong_crazy26]

I’m curious, what is it that you think he should be saying in these pressers? Or even what is it that you would like to hear?

Henry” look, we have ropes all ready to tie Scott up and throw him into a cabin in the woods come finals. We will be coaching ourselves again come finals just like the boys did in 11.”

 

[Mr Meow]

I think they are actually a very talented list with a crap coach

Their list has been good but not exceptional.

Ken took over a basket case club at the time and has twice been within a kick of taking them to a grand final (being knocked out by dynasty Hawks and Tigers teams). The prelim last year was their first real finals embarrassment and the one that leaves a sour taste. There's been a couple of lean years and then some where they've been thereabouts (5th-8th) but clearly not in contention. He may not be the right man going forward but his record overall hasn't been bad.

 

[BIGANT]

"Injury updates" thread & "Changes vs Geelong" thread on the PA board is absolutely lol....I've gone back atleast 2 days worth and they the supporters are in a world of not happy campers. It's worth reading.

 

[Vdubs]

Clubs with their season on the line, yet containing obvious deficiencies, are actually solid preparation for finals.

Win this week and Geelong would likely put a line through Port's season.

St Kilda are a chance of winning their next two before Geelong play them, but beating them would seriously jeopardize their finals chances given that they finish with Brisbane and Sydney.

Bulldogs will be a big game if they turn up - they and Richmond are the ones who will realistically be battling for 8th.

Gold Coast's season will be done.

West Coast is self explanatory.

We were one lousy minute away from being top spot/minor premiers last year, and we all think we are an improved team.
And Demons are not quite what they were last year.
But I still want to take each game as it comes. Port is a hurdle as they are still with a chance, and are very good at home.
I still believe we are not that good like 07-11 where we could virtually know we would win most games.
OWAAT.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Their list has been good but not exceptional.

Ken took over a basket case club at the time and has twice been within a kick of taking them to a grand final (being knocked out by dynasty Hawks and Tigers teams). The prelim last year was their first real finals embarrassment and the one that leaves a sour taste. There's been a couple of lean years and then some where they've been thereabouts (5th-8th) but clearly not in contention. He may not be the right man going forward but his record overall hasn't been bad.

Don’t rate him. Think he took over a team with a very very good list of young very high draft picks across the board that was coming of age and he took them to a few prelims but also severely underperformed with them dropping the ball heaps of years with average seasons including this one. I do think they could have a few flags under a different coach for their journey.

 

[Mr Meow]

We were one lousy minute away from being top spot/minor premiers last year, and we all think we are an improved team.
And Demons are not quite what they were last year.
But I still want to take each game as it comes. Port is a hurdle as they are still with a chance, and are very good at home.
I still believe we are not that good like 07-11 where we could virtually know we would win most games.
OWAAT.

Yeah, what you're applying there is a coaching/player perspective. Believe it or not, we have no influence with our speculation. How you're talking above is how I think in any team I am personally playing in. I understand it is a protective mechanism to not get your hopes up while considering each game as a 50/50 at best - however it's not really based in logical assessment. Nobody is declaring a certain outcome, merely what is most likely.

Any team can beat any other team on a given day - everyone has gone over that a thousand times. However if Geelong bring their usual level and their opponents also do, the odds are heavily in favour of one of the best performed teams in the comp so far. You could say the same about Melbourne but actually, their form is comparably patchy at this stage.

 

[GeelongFTW]

I still believe we are not that good like 07-11 where we could virtually know we would win most games.

neither is anyone else. Saints 09 or coll 11 would wipe the floor with the rest of the top 4.

 

[Vdubs]

Yeah, what you're applying there is a coaching/player perspective. Believe it or not, we have no influence with our speculation. How you're talking above is how I think in any team I am personally playing in. I understand it is a protective mechanism to not get your hopes up while considering each game as a 50/50 at best - however it's not really based in logical assessment. Nobody is declaring a certain outcome, merely what is most likely.

Any team can beat any other team on a given day - everyone has gone over that a thousand times. However if Geelong bring their usual level and their opponents also do, the odds are heavily in favour of one of the best performed teams in the comp so far. You could say the same about Melbourne but actually, their form is comparably patchy at this stage.

Of course.
I have zero belief in astrology, but am a late September birth, and often find myself trying to be a balancer. Librans apparently are indecisive and continually weigh things up, fwiw.
In these cases, I am just reactive to posts that have us down as near certain winner.

 

[Vdubs]

Our future opponents outside of the eight are inconsistent. It is much better to be playing them than say Lions or Freo away, or Pies at the G.

Probably, but the team seems to be able to focus better on real challengers; I am happy when we are the hunters, and really work hard on opposition team strengths, and hopefully, Port is respected this week.
I need not worry, because we know the coach and team are not afflicted with my anxiety about our fate, nor are they afflicted with arrogance or over-confidence. Try telling me that though.

 

[Vdubs]

Some just don't like to be positive and prefer to look in the rear vision mirror. I think they're scared of getting their hopes up. I kind of get it in a way, but following this sport is like a rollercoaster ride...you've just got to embrace it, ride the bumps and enjoy all the wins along the way. I have loved the last couple of months..I went to the Carlton game and just loved being there to see a great win. The Richmond game was a classic, if you didn't enjoy that you might as well give it up. Others will remain firmly focussed on finals and won't enjoy the wins along the way..it's a flag or bust for many and it's a bit sad they can't relax and enjoy some fantasic H&A wins against quality opposition.

I'm really looking forward to this weeks game against Port and riding all the bumps over four quarters in what's another challenging game, but others in their mind will only accept a 30+ point win and even if we win by 100, they'll just say "but we need to do it in finals" and they won't derive any enjoyment at all regardless of the outcome.

You are spot-on, very logical, and it would be great for some of us (like me) to be less emotionally invested in these games.

 

[Play it Sam]

"Injury updates" thread & "Changes vs Geelong" thread on the PA board is absolutely lol....I've gone back atleast 2 days worth and they the supporters are in a world of not happy campers. It's worth reading.

Best was going to shoot Kenny's dog.
A slight step up from keying cars in the parking areas.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

What I am finding interesting is the league wide acknowledgement of how influential and talented mark blicavs

46

Mark Blicavs

Age

33

Ht

198cm

Wt

101kg

Pos.

M/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.5

4star

K

6.6

3star

HB

7.9

5star

M

4.1

4star

T

4.2

5star

CL

1.7

4star

D

11.1

3star

K

7.1

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

1.9

3star

CL

0.1

2star

D

8.6

3star

K

2.0

1star

HB

6.6

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.6

4star

CL

2.0

4star

is from opposition fans.

I have heard multiple times now fans saying they need to send a “tagger” to run all day with blicavs..

Our negating tagger being tagged himself? He must really bother opposition each week to be getting such comments

 

[BIGANT]

Best was going to shoot Kenny's dog.
A slight step up from keying cars in the parking areas.

It's gold isn't it

 

[00VicWard001]

Tuohy and now Henry are informing the world that the Cats can go to another level and be better in the finals. This is the sort of talk Scott used to go in for and probably still does.

And it's true we can and do go to another level in the finals, usually a lower one. Talk is cheap.

My point is the Cats should just focus on winning the next game; "going to another level' several weeks hence is at this stage wishful thinking. They may "have more improvement" in them - todays' Age - according to Henry; but it's far easier to utter the words than to do the deed.

Yeah yeah, you tell them exactly how they should think and behave and speak.

Or you could stop projecting your own worries onto a football team that is completely disassociated with you beyond your enjoyment/lack of enjoyment from their performances.

 

[BIGANT]

If rookie ruckman for PA B Teakle is rushed back into there side after time out with a broken collar bone....who takes Dixon likely to spend more time at chf ? And who will take the resting ruckman in Teakle and likely Finlayson ?
Having Stewy out for this last game before he returns might hurt us with being one tall down ?
In what could be a major reshuffle PA are also looking at bringing in Lachie Jones *as a pressure fwd & a major risk selection in Fantasia straight back after being out all season with soft tissue injuries. Dursma, Dumont and Burgoyne who were all travelling emg's to Alice last w/e will be in the mix also. This is Port's last roll of the dice **unless side's above them keep losing - as they still have side's above them to play before finishing with the showdown.

 

[Sire of Claude]

VicWard uses the word "projecting". It was Freud who first wrote about projection in this sense. Interesting because if VW read the 'The Pyschopathology of Everyday Life' he'd see what I'm getting at.

A couple of years ago we finished top of the ladder and on the eve of the finals Scott said, "I think we'll be even better next year." Why was it necessary to say such a thing at that time? It just signalled the message: I'm nor sure how we got here and I'm not sure we can win the flag. And nor did we.

Further, i never get why some posters employ such a nasty tone when responding to the observations of other Cats supporters. We all follow the same team do we not? By definition a forum like this is an invitation for the expression of opinion and it is my considered opinion that the kind of talk I have cited is futile and unproductive - demonstrably so in the case of our team in recent years.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

VicWard uses the word "projecting". It was Freud who first wrote about projection in this sense. Interesting because if VW read the 'The Pyschopathology of Everyday Life' he'd see what I'm getting at.

A couple of years ago we finished top of the ladder and on the eve of the finals Scott said, "I think we'll be even better next year." Why was it necessary to say such a thing at that time? It just signalled the message: I'm nor sure how we got here and I'm not sure we can win the flag. And nor did we.

Further, i never get why some posters employ such a nasty tone when responding to the observations of other Cats supporters. We all follow the same team do we not? By definition a forum like this is an invitation for the expression of opinion and it is my considered opinion that the kind of talk I have cited is futile and unproductive - demonstrably so in the case of our team in recent years.

I've got my own opinions on his most recent remarks and when I heard them I thought he's feeling a bit of pressure to deliver this year.

 

[jim boy]

If we have to lose one more match this year, I'd like it to be this one - always have had a soft spot for Kenny.

However I suspect this is more likely to be a 'coach-killer' match

 

[Kobe Gryant]

'We're taking it one week at a time.'

Or 'Every game is a danger game'.

Or even 'We'll just worry about the process and let the results look after themselves'.

See? All of those empty platitudes make you feel so much better about how switched on and 'different' the team is this year.

The idea that any of the public utterances made by anyone associated with the club make any real difference to the performance of the team on the field has always seemed like complete nonsense to me. The outrage about 'It's kind of "mission accomplished" a little bit' (Scott's actual words on the night) is totally out of proportion to what effect it would have actually had on the outcome of any subsequent Cats game in that finals series.

And, given the consistent messaging from those who fume at every loose phrase they hear coming from someone down at the club is that 'actions speak louder than words', you'd have to wonder why they think any of it matters. It's entirely logically inconsistent to say that the words don't count for anything and then bleat about them as if they carry some weight in determining whether we're going to be a chance in any upcoming matches.

Not only that, but it's been well documented by past players that Scott will actively BS his way through press conferences and then address the players with his actual thoughts. Stevie J has a great chapter in his book about it.

During 2011 Scott was doing exactly what he always does. All the cliches in full effect. It's an even competition, Collingwood are the benchmark, our best footy is good enough etc. Like a politician he'd say a lot without ever actually saying anything.

As soon as he got the players afterwards it was the complete opposite. Full of bravado and belief in the players.

He's got the media wrapped around his finger and it's great to see. Especially opposed to someone like Bevo who breaks down at the slightest criticism or inquiry (FWIW I do like Bevo, but this place would be in shambles if someone like him was our coach)