Preview Rd 20 Geelong v North Sat July 27 2024 145 pm @ Tassie

[Cataholic]

Yes, I would say it has changed for the better. Give me the highly skilled athletes of today over the cowardice punching behind the play of yesteryear any day

I wasn't referencing the dirty play, but the way they went at the ball direct and hard.

Now we have players prancing around not sure what to do, or how.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

After the diabolical performance against the Bulldogs i think Geelong will get beaten this week , and the definition of insanity is anyone putting serious money on the Cats at the $1.26 on offer

Geel have put in about 4-5 shocking performances this year , most of them at KP - Port , GWS , rICH , WB all those games , parts of those games just totally non competitive , like a racehorse who has got a bit cunning and only trys when it feels like it

You look at NM the last 4 weeks , lost to the Dogs by 3 goals , thats an ok effort , beat the Suns in Melb , got thumped by the Swans who are ladder leaders , then were most competitive against Carlton

Thats got enough form to beat a will they try/wont they try Geelong

Cats wont make the 8 , not that im conerned in the least because a flag was won in 22

However looking at it properly i think in the next half dozen years ( again im not complaining at all ) they will be absolutely dire for Geel , we are heading the way of Rich and West Coast , occupying rung 12 and downwards on the ladder

And when is Scott going to realise that Parfitt is not an AFL standard footballer , what did he call him pre game last year when interviewed on the boundary line , opened his big gobb , didnt actually call him an A Grader , but said he was part of our A Grade midfield mix , honestly Scott his brother and Hinkley , you want to listen to absolute nonsense blue sky hype then lister to those 3

Honestly , ive tipped Geel and by a fair margin when ive thought they would win eg the Hawthorn game , but this week i think Geel will get done and i think the Kangaroos will win by about 3-4 goals

 

[CHAWKTS]

We have reached the point where it would be the next best thing to a miracle if Guth comes back this year and has real impact. The same sort of incredibly unlikely outcome as us making it to the big dance from here, really.

And, unsurprisingly enough, I think the two outcomes (were they to happen) would be quite demonstrably linked.

Ok…so let’s take that unlikely (but fun) scenario one step further (it is much better than the likely reality!!)…that Guthrie is not only back but is a difference maker and therefore in our 22 come GF day… who misses out?

For me it has to be a midfielder otherwise we will over index even though some (including Guthrie) are half back options too. We can’t have Danger, Stewart, Bruhn, Atkins, Bowes, Guthrie rotating through a midfield that also includes Blitz and Holmes options (and frankly Mannagh if needed!). Even at 70-75% game time the maths doesn’t work…unless 2 of them are spending most of the time in the backline…but I have Holmes in the backline mostly and Duncan and 2E look like they are going to hold their spots (against what I thought throughout the year - that one would drop out)

Maybe dropping a forward out (Henry or Rohan frees up a spot) but at this stage I think they are both in the 23 alongside Mannagh come finals time (with one of them sub)

So to me I think either Atkins or Bowes would need to drop out (I would drop 2E out but I just don’t think they will - as he adds a point of difference relative to another MF)…my initial reaction is that Bowes would miss but I wonder whether that is a bias as he has been with us longer? (So I have loved him longer!). I can justify that he adds a point of difference defensively wise?

But then I think of some of our best MF games and it has been when Bowes is playing majority of time inside. (He didn’t against Dogs and it hurt his game and the team). But then (this is circular!) I think that if he isn’t going to really get to rotate through MF (like he couldnt on Saturday as we had too many MF already) then he has proven to not be that effective. With Stewart now seemingly permanent mid (swapping with a Holmes in general play maybe) and Danger and Bruhn really only being able to play MF…we frankly only have room for one more rotating through there (or 2-3 rotating partially between there and half back). If Guth and Holmes are 2 of those partial rotators then I would pick Atkins ahead of Bowes as I think he adapts better to the backline (I think Bowes SHOULD be a better backline player given his skills but he just hasn’t played well unless he is in the MF rotation this year)…

Long stream of consciousness…in the end I find this scenario having Bowes missing out on a GF win!

 

[Kitcat]

After the diabolical performance against the Bulldogs i think Geelong will get beaten this week , and the definition of insanity is anyone putting serious money on the Cats at the $1.26 on offer

Geel have put in about 4-5 shocking performances this year , most of them at KP - Port , GWS , rICH , WB all those games , parts of those games just totally non competitive , like a racehorse who has got a bit cunning and only trys when it feels like it

You look at NM the last 4 weeks , lost to the Dogs by 3 goals , thats an ok effort , beat the Suns in Melb , got thumped by the Swans who are ladder leaders , then were most competitive against Carlton

Thats got enough form to beat a will they try/wont they try Geelong

Cats wont make the 8 , not that im conerned in the least because a flag was won in 22

However looking at it properly i think in the next half dozen years ( again im not complaining at all ) they will be absolutely dire for Geel , we are heading the way of Rich and West Coast , occupying rung 12 and downwards on the ladder

And when is Scott going to realise that Parfitt is not an AFL standard footballer , what did he call him pre game last year when interviewed on the boundary line , opened his big gobb , didnt actually call him an A Grader , but said he was part of our A Grade midfield mix , honestly Scott his brother and Hinkley , you want to listen to absolute nonsense blue sky hype then lister to those 3

Honestly , ive tipped Geel and by a fair margin when ive thought they would win eg the Hawthorn game , but this week i think Geel will get done and i think the Kangaroos will win by about 3-4 goals

Yet after the Collingwood win, the whole world had us as very likely to make the top four.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

they will be absolutely dire for Geel , we are heading the way of Rich and West Coast , occupying rung 12 and downwards on the ladder

No we're not. Not even close.

We could potentially have a couple of years out of the finals, that's well within the realms of possibility.

Jumping to the extreme of the second worst side since Fitzroy...that's not even pessimism - it's just delusion.

You do realise there's a middle ground right? We're not a premiership side, but we're not that bad either.

 

[kickazz]

Yet after the Collingwood win, the whole world had us as very likely to make the top four.

Number one rule of footy punditry is to overreact after every single round.

 

[cats_09]

Yet after the Collingwood win, the whole world had us as very likely to make the top four.

And we're still likely to make the top 4

 

[dont stop me meow]

However looking at it properly i think in the next half dozen years ( again im not complaining at all ) they will be absolutely dire for Geel , we are heading the way of Rich and West Coast , occupying rung 12 and downwards on the ladder

Sorry... based on what reasoning exactly?

 

[cats_09]

Sorry... based on what reasoning exactly?

That we lost last weekend, so therefore we're doomed for foreseeable future...

 

[Jeff76]

I think we need to drop one of our forwards for Neale to come back in, im keen for Henry to play some VFL as he’s been pretty crap this year. I’d go with Neale for Henry and Bruhn for Knevitt, if Atkins is fit he comes in for 2E. Cats to win but not by much. 16pts


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[The_Koulouriotis_Fan]

Some Geelong supporters after a loss

 

[Vdubs]

I swear Guthrie has been listed as 3 weeks for 2 months now

Cameron Groundhog Day Guthrie?

 

[calder_daddy]

Cameron Groundhog Day Guthrie?

Sadly it looks likely

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Some Geelong supporters after a loss

I truly fear the day that we may actually be bad for some on here, and they'll realise how good we had it.

We're a side in transition, with almost the entire list either too old or too young...and yet we're going to make the eight, and potentially top 4.

We would have every right to be terrible this year with the majority of our quality players at either end of the age spectrum, and yet the club is still finding a way.

As supporters, we should be grateful that our 'rebuilding' years still have us watching the games every week, and knowing we're a big chance to win.

That's incredibly rare.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I truly fear the day that we may actually be bad for some on here, and they'll realise how good we had it.

We're a side in transition, with almost the entire list either too old or too young...and yet we're going to make the eight, and potentially top 4.

We would have every right to be terrible this year with the majority of our quality players at either end of the age spectrum, and yet the club is still finding a way.

As supporters, we should be grateful that our 'rebuilding' years still have us watching the games every week, and knowing we're a big chance to win.

That's incredibly rare.

It might settle them out. Make them feel validated

 

[calder_daddy]

I truly fear the day that we may actually be bad for some on here, and they'll realise how good we had it.

We're a side in transition, with almost the entire list either too old or too young...and yet we're going to make the eight, and potentially top 4.

We would have every right to be terrible this year with the majority of our quality players at either end of the age spectrum, and yet the club is still finding a way.

As supporters, we should be grateful that our 'rebuilding' years still have us watching the games every week, and knowing we're a big chance to win.

That's incredibly rare.

Even more incredible people can’t blame our home games for making top 4 as we have lost 3 at home so far

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Even more incredible people can’t blame our home games for making top 4 as we have lost 3 at home so far

Yep, or the over reliance on senior players.

Selwood, Smith, & Menegola are all long gone. Stanley, Bews, Hawkins, & Guthrie have been non factors, while Rohan, Duncan, & Tuohy sit on the fringes.

PFD, Stewart, & Cameron are still immensely important...but that's the same for every side. We're hardly any different to anyone else anymore.

 

[Vdubs]

Sadly it looks likely

Agree it's sad- his best is exactly what we lack

 

[catempire]

I would blame them for not getting front position and not bringing the ball to ground though.

You do have to move on though

The worst culprit is our best player. If he couldn’t get it right we shouldn’t be holding Henry and others to that standard.

 

[catempire]

After the diabolical performance against the Bulldogs i think Geelong will get beaten this week , and the definition of insanity is anyone putting serious money on the Cats at the $1.26 on offer

Geel have put in about 4-5 shocking performances this year , most of them at KP - Port , GWS , rICH , WB all those games , parts of those games just totally non competitive , like a racehorse who has got a bit cunning and only trys when it feels like it

You look at NM the last 4 weeks , lost to the Dogs by 3 goals , thats an ok effort , beat the Suns in Melb , got thumped by the Swans who are ladder leaders , then were most competitive against Carlton

Thats got enough form to beat a will they try/wont they try Geelong

Cats wont make the 8 , not that im conerned in the least because a flag was won in 22

However looking at it properly i think in the next half dozen years ( again im not complaining at all ) they will be absolutely dire for Geel , we are heading the way of Rich and West Coast , occupying rung 12 and downwards on the ladder

And when is Scott going to realise that Parfitt is not an AFL standard footballer , what did he call him pre game last year when interviewed on the boundary line , opened his big gobb , didnt actually call him an A Grader , but said he was part of our A Grade midfield mix , honestly Scott his brother and Hinkley , you want to listen to absolute nonsense blue sky hype then lister to those 3

Honestly , ive tipped Geel and by a fair margin when ive thought they would win eg the Hawthorn game , but this week i think Geel will get done and i think the Kangaroos will win by about 3-4 goals

Please let me take your money

 

[Vdubs]

Ok…so let’s take that unlikely (but fun) scenario one step further (it is much better than the likely reality!!)…that Guthrie is not only back but is a difference maker and therefore in our 22 come GF day… who misses out?

For me it has to be a midfielder otherwise we will over index even though some (including Guthrie) are half back options too. We can’t have Danger, Stewart, Bruhn, Atkins, Bowes, Guthrie rotating through a midfield that also includes Blitz and Holmes options (and frankly Mannagh if needed!). Even at 70-75% game time the maths doesn’t work…unless 2 of them are spending most of the time in the backline…but I have Holmes in the backline mostly and Duncan and 2E look like they are going to hold their spots (against what I thought throughout the year - that one would drop out)

Maybe dropping a forward out (Henry or Rohan frees up a spot) but at this stage I think they are both in the 23 alongside Mannagh come finals time (with one of them sub)

So to me I think either Atkins or Bowes would need to drop out (I would drop 2E out but I just don’t think they will - as he adds a point of difference relative to another MF)…my initial reaction is that Bowes would miss but I wonder whether that is a bias as he has been with us longer? (So I have loved him longer!). I can justify that he adds a point of difference defensively wise?

But then I think of some of our best MF games and it has been when Bowes is playing majority of time inside. (He didn’t against Dogs and it hurt his game and the team). But then (this is circular!) I think that if he isn’t going to really get to rotate through MF (like he couldnt on Saturday as we had too many MF already) then he has proven to not be that effective. With Stewart now seemingly permanent mid (swapping with a Holmes in general play maybe) and Danger and Bruhn really only being able to play MF…we frankly only have room for one more rotating through there (or 2-3 rotating partially between there and half back). If Guth and Holmes are 2 of those partial rotators then I would pick Atkins ahead of Bowes as I think he adapts better to the backline (I think Bowes SHOULD be a better backline player given his skills but he just hasn’t played well unless he is in the MF rotation this year)…

Long stream of consciousness…in the end I find this scenario having Bowes missing out on a GF win!

I lost you after that comment.
GF is so unlikely with our list and deficiencies.
I'm looking forward to a next win.
And fwiw, if CGuthrie ever gets fit and in form, he is IN.
Does not matter for who, but sadly, BOTH scenarios are very remote and hopeful at best.
I am rapt that people still think it's possible, a GF with us in it, that is.

 

[The_Koulouriotis_Fan]

Even more incredible people can’t blame our home games for making top 4 as we have lost 3 at home so far

Annoyingly it appears that the narrative is that we’ve lost the home ground advantage that helped us secure top 4 all those years, when really this should just prove that for all those years we were just a damn good side and would win anywhere. I mean 2020 also showed that but haters still want to blame our ‘cheat’ ground.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Please let me take your money

On the Geel ground where Footscray have won only a handfull of times since World War 1 , the Scrays had 30 scoring shots to our paltry 13

A 47 pt winning margin , if they had kicked reasonably accurately it would have been an 87 pt margin

That was a horrendous game by Geel , and i think the Cats are on the slippery dip .

 

[Footy Smarts]

On the Geel ground where Footscray have won only a handfull of times since World War 1 , the Scrays had 30 scoring shots to our paltry 13

A 47 pt winning margin , if they had kicked reasonably accurately it would have been an 87 pt margin

That was a horrendous game by Geel , and i think the Cats are on the slippery dip .

It was a bad game. No doubt.

But it's always interesting to see what posters like yourself who are convinced it's all doom and gloom were thinking around early 2022. Fingers crossed your predictions of impending doom are as wrong this time.

 

[CHAWKTS]

I lost you after that comment.
GF is so unlikely with our list and deficiencies.
I'm looking forward to a next win.
And fwiw, if CGuthrie ever gets fit and in form, he is IN.
Does not matter for who, but sadly, BOTH scenarios are very remote and hopeful at best.
I am rapt that people still think it's possible, a GF with us in it, that is.

Ha. I was replying to a “dream scenario” that both Guthrie was back in career best form and therefore we made the GF.

Obviously I dont think it was based on what people think would happen…but I wanted to run with it as it was a positive distraction from the reality…

Led me in that (unlikely scenario) to ponder who would be unlucky on that day