Preview Rd 2 Geelong v Carlton Thursday March23 2023, MCG @ 720 pm

[Cataholic]

Their next biggest forward is probably J.Silvagni. Sav has to play on one of the key forwards and the team as a whole have to do their best to limit supply/double team where possible.

Going to be a big test for him.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

I've already marked this down as a loss.

Im a conservative poster - but i think your selling Geelong way way short - maybe saying it as a reverse mock or something

Geel played high quality football to h/time against Coll - it was round 1 - and i can rememember 2-3 or 4 years ago we played a lowly Ade in round 1 in SA and got beat

You look at the opponents in Carlton - i didnt watch the Rich v Carl -game - but ive read quite a few Tiger supporters saying they wernt impressed by the Blues - and they back that up stats wise in that they had 20 more inside 50s - and it was purely a failure to convert that cost them a comfortable win

How Geel played to h/time against Coll would have overwhelmed alot of clubs - the Magpies were tenacious - stayed with us - and then completely over ran us . Injuries and lack of preparation have been blamed - for Geelongs dismal last qtr - the only point i havent factored in - is was their a lack of effort ( seeing they have won the premiership ) which also played a part in Coll kicking the last 8 goals - you will need to see 7-8 games - to see if there is any premiership hangover and a lack of effort

Midfield was poor against Magpies - what id like to see - Dangerfield - id love to see a similar game he played in round 1 last year against Ess - where basically from the word go - he just ripped them to pieces - their team was in total shock at quarter time as to what Danger had done to them . So he is captain - so hopefully he puts in that type of effort against Carlton

I think if Geelong can sustain the effort this week - then i think they will win - i will tip the Cats by 26 points

 

[Cataholic]

Some decent strapping on Hawk's calf, and SDK running / kicking ......

Think both will play .

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

I don't think Esava can take McKay or Curnow if he could I'd agree with you whole heartily.

The MC will back him in for one of those assignments I'd bet - 6 coaches votes probably makes that a lock.
He may have the athleticism to go with CC - will be an interesting watch.

 

[Vdubs]

With the greatest respect, complete and utter codswallop.

hope so
seems to afflict many teams after a somewhat unexpected flag

 

[Cataholic]

hope so
seems to afflict many teams after a somewhat unexpected flag

Unexpected?

I think we won something like 16 games in a row.......

 

[Vdubs]

I didn’t really get a sense of ‘desperation’ from our club last year- just thought as the year evolved, it became clearer and clearer that we were playing good footy and were a real show. During the second half of the season we were pretty convincingly just better than everyone else. Even with the pies- as close as those games were- I always thought we were better than them. Selwood did deserve another flag but I’d have thought every team wants to win the flag every year.
Its a new era now in the post Selwood days and injuries are knocking us, but we should still be thereabouts. I’d be surprised if we drop off much, but if we do, so be it. As a Geelong supporter it’s pretty easy to count one’s blessings.

Watching Tomahawk with Petracca on the Fox show over a year ago- Demons were the reigning premiers and had smashed us in that Prelim, but Tom sat there and said that the club knew that if we played our best, we were good enough to go all the way, and that's what they were setting out to do. It was a strong emphatic statement and I remember the looks on the faces of Petracca and Robbo.
Maybe that would be the same statement this year, but there was a steely determination in the face of what had been said about our team post 22. It was talked about the next day. Recall it well.

 

[Vdubs]

Unexpected?

I think we won something like 16 games in a row.......

Sure, talking about early season 22.

 

[Mr Meow]

hope so
seems to afflict many teams after a somewhat unexpected flag

We made a GF in 2020. The 2021 prelim half the team were shot by illness. We were thereabouts for years and putting the pieces in place (finally all came together last year). Last year it was ours to lose from about round 16. You thought it resembled Doggies '16 or Hawks '08? Bizarre take.

Melbourne peaked too early last year and their deficiencies were revealed, especially once McDonald went down and Fritsch was their only forward who held his form. The players didn't stop trying after round 10.

Back to back is hard but the reality is that the comp is incredibly even these days. And it was already difficult before. That doesn't mean we put things down to complacency if there is turbulence during early season adversity. It's nonsense.

 

[Vdubs]

We made a GF in 2020. The 2021 prelim half the team were shot by illness. We were thereabouts for years and putting the pieces in place (finally all came together last year). Last year it was ours to lose from about round 16. You thought it resembled Doggies '16 or Hawks '08? Bizarre take.

Melbourne peaked too early last year and their deficiencies were revealed, especially once McDonald went down and Fritsch was their only forward who held his form. The players didn't stop trying after round 10.

Back to back is hard but the reality is that the comp is incredibly even these days. And it was already difficult before. That doesn't mean we put things down to complacency if there is turbulence during early season adversity. It's nonsense.

By 2/3 of the season, we were clearly the team to beat; that's not how it started, and we are not starting that well so far. Anyway, I'll say no more about this. Many here still think we can go BTB, and at rd 5 last year, that would not have been at all a talking point. I'm pretty sure the prospect of winning far exceeds the pain of losing, and this drives the players and staff for sure. Not necessarily complacency, it's an other intangible thing that can happen to teams that have had the perfect season.

 

[Lana]

I don't think Esava can take McKay or Curnow if he could I'd agree with you whole heartily.

I don't see any downside to giving him the first go against either of them at this point in the season. Good chance for him to rapidly grow. ultimately team defence will win the day.

 

[catempire]

I don't think Esava can take McKay or Curnow if he could I'd agree with you whole heartily.

He may not be able to beat either but he will have to take one.

 

[you pick one]

He may not be able to beat either but he will have to take one.

If that's the case then I hope he gets McKay who is probably as unreliable as Sav kicking at goal.

 

[Mr Meow]

I love how the focus is on Sav (voted equal second best on ground) being a liability this week and not on the experienced midfield that got smoked against the Pies. Whipping boy mentality at its finest. I've been one of Dangerfield's biggest defenders but he needs to lift. Cam and Blitz as well. Those are the 3 that immediately need to respond.

 

[BotsMaster]

We will brain them

The blues will be trying to copy coll tactics , I’m very confident they won’t be able to apply the same pressure or keep it up for the entire game

But they will try to overrun us butnim
Sure the club will plan for this

They won't be playing the slow, side to side football they played last week?

 

[Cataholic]

I love how the focus is on Sav (voted equal second best on ground) being a liability this week and not on the experienced midfield that got smoked against the Pies. Whipping boy mentality at its finest. I've been one of Dangerfield's biggest defenders but he needs to lift. Cam and Blitz as well. Those are the 3 that immediately need to respond.

Agreed.

We can't function properly with those 3 missing as they were last week.

Somewhat a natural fascination with Sav I reckon. Fighting for his career, trying to find his place in the backline, it's make or break for him, and all brought into sharp focus with the injuries to Henry, Kolo, SDK and Stewart. Naturally people are curious and worried about his progress......

But, as you say, our biggest issue (?....been just one game) was / is the lack of form the midfielders you mentioned brought to last week's game. That continues and we have bigger issues than Sav......though their poor form will put Sav under more pressure as the ball flies into their F50.

That said, I reckon they'll all be better for the run and we'll see a significant improvement. Having full rotations throughout the game will assist our efforts to run it out too.

 

[cats_09]

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

Smith knows what’s up. Even if we go 0-2, no panic stations, build into the season, string some wins together, and then keep building and building.

I remember thinking after round 9 having just lost to the saints and being 5-4 “Gee we’re pretty average I don’t think we’re in the mix this year”, especially as the Dees were 9-0 and looked unbeatable.

 

[Romeoh1]

Yes, the boys tried their guts out for all of those "almost" years - it wasn't that they finally decided they wanted it. There were key personnel changes, a number who displayed individual improvement and then tinkering to the game plan/tactics that complemented those things. It's lazy to say hunger or motivation is lacking after a flag. Every sportsperson always talks about success driving hunger even more. Things just don't always go to plan. Our fitness is probably sub optimal at this stage and we've been decimated in that rock solid base of defence. We won't always play well regardless. The overreaction by a few to one loss against a team playing that well, given our current issues, is frankly staggering.

Yep- agree with all this!

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Yes, the boys tried their guts out for all of those "almost" years - it wasn't that they finally decided they wanted it. There were key personnel changes, a number who displayed individual improvement and then tinkering to the game plan/tactics that complemented those things. It's lazy to say hunger or motivation is lacking after a flag. Every sportsperson always talks about success driving hunger even more. Things just don't always go to plan. Our fitness is probably sub optimal at this stage and we've been decimated in that rock solid base of defence. We won't always play well regardless. The overreaction by a few to one loss against a team playing that well, given our current issues, is frankly staggering.

It reminds me of that old Mick Malthouse interview, where he gets asked "Did your boys come to play today?"

Mick, rightly, dismissed it immediately and said of course they did.

As you say, hunger is going to be the least of our issues.

If you look at any premiership team ever, and their documentary, books etc post premiership, no player has ever said "Yeah, we finally just pulled our fingers out and tried for once, that was the difference".

Effort is one of the only things you can never question at a football club, particularly a great one like ours.

 

[Bunnings]

After hearing what Cameron said on that podcast sounds like the grog was flowing until mid Feb, no shock some looked lethargic… might take another month to get that all out of their system

 

[Pure_Ownage]

What a weird statement. This is how 98% of the people on this forum feel and how 100% of the people at the club think.

If they play, they are good to go. If they are injured and a week off would give them significant benefit/decrease risk of further injury then that's what will happen.

If Stengle and SDK play we aren't rolling the dice to give us a chance at 1-1. It's preposterous to think that they are being assessed in these terms.

The key point is the bit you mentioned about risk of further injury.
We played hawkins through the whole finals laat year with a significant injury so there are clearly circumstances where we will put players out there not 100 % fit.
The criteria seems to be we will only do it where a weeks rest wont help (ie hawkins was going to need surgery either then or years end rest wouldnt have done much) and where our medicos have decided playing doesnt significantly increase the chances of making the injury worse.

If de koning fits both of those criteria he will play even though he isnt 100 % fit (if hes likely to make it a lot worse then i agree we wont play him) and de koning at 80 % fit is still significantly better than any other option we have in his position anyway.

 

[curnow inferno]

Any update from jezza? I am really hoping the best day of his life comes tomorrow

 

[D BRIDGE]

Any update from jezza? I am really hoping the best day of his life comes tomorrow

Can't go B2B in R2.

 

[D BRIDGE]

If de koning fits both of those criteria he will play even though he isnt 100 % fit (if hes likely to make it a lot worse then i agree we wont play him) and de koning at 80 % fit is still significantly better than any other option we have in his position anyway.

For me it's not about will it get worse... It's more will he get better if he takes time off (because we will never play him if it could get worse).

If he is 80% and playing keeps him at 80%... Does giving him a week or two off get him back to near 100%? (only people inside the club know)

I just can't see the club risking him at any point in the year.

We will want players primed when it counts (danger style from last year)... But then I do think maybe they think he could not be 80% and still help the team for a few weeks without doing any damage and then give him time off when Kolo/Stewart comes back and he could then rest up and get primed.

So many ways it could go.

All I really know is I want SDK playing at his absolute best when it really counts.

If he does play though he would not want to be laboring because McKay works up the ground very hard and Curnow is very agile inside 50... Either one is going to be a handful... especially if SDK is carrying something.