Review Rd 21 Cats stone Crows by 5 points

[CatToTheFuture]

I know that was a gag, but honestly, it wasn’t that bad.

Yeah we let go of the rope for 15 minutes after the Jezza non-free, but we did dominate much of the game before that, and fought back for a win. It’s not like we fell over the line, we had the match back on our terms.

We did win clearances a bit which was refreshing.

Worth the watch to see Lawson kick his first goal

 

[bombersboy]

I am still yet to be convinced. Has time on his side and you'd hope a decent 2025 is around the corner. But he is sitting at 7 goals from the 5 games Hawkins has missed injured.

I'm with you. Neale took a couple of really strong contested marks (one for the goal he kicked and one on the wing) but then he throws in about 20 no contest your honour efforts. He is going to frustrate me no end. I would take Hawk back for finals in a heartbeat.

 

[RegHickeyStand]

We just don't have the talent or know-how to challenge the best sides this year. Still, positives would be the performances of some of the younger/newer players and giving them some finals exposure would be nice though it's likely on the losing end.

Hopefully SDK is okay. If that's an ACL, it's a worse consequence than a lost game for the football club.

The best side just got thrashed by over a hundred points today. The formerly second side just got beat by the Colliwobles. This is the most mediocre season I can remember. We are a chance. Weird as that is.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

The way Hawkins was playing Neale brings more to the team. It's easy to forget how poorly Hawkins was playing. Happy to let the coaches decide.

I'm with you. Neale took a couple of really strong contested marks (one for the goal he kicked and one on the wing but then he throws in about 20 no contest your honour efforts. He is going to frustrate me no end. I would take Hawk back for finals in a heartbeat.

This is why they're paid big bucks and we're not.
So much potential for the Neale/Hawkins decision to blow up in the coaches faces.

Play both and structure goes back to the dross when we were losing games.
Pick Hawkins and he does nothing and we shouldn't have brought him back.
But leave him out and Neale doesn't fire a shot and we've retired a club great for it...

Good luck MC.

 

[CHAWKTS]

Thought it may have got a mention in here, but thought Bowes coming on to play on Dawson was a turning point in the game at the start of the last. Dawson went behind the ball in third and turned the game for them, don’t reckon he touched it in the last (got hurt too which helped).

Same as last week with LDU. In the second half. Bowes is becoming a good shut down but still get some possesions going the other way.

 

[And_ROOS]

Croms have been weird this year and the Crom fan I know said this year they have had so many "what if" matches and this was another. We dominated early, they should have been put to the sword, they took the lead and couldn't finish out the game. He told me thats the story of their season.
Against us in Geelong, the Lions at the Gabba, against the Tigers at Adelaide Oval, against the Pies at the MCG, the draw with the Lions earlier in the year, the loss to the Bombers at AO, the loss to the Suns.

Their whole season is filled with near misses.

Its why even when they took the lead I was pretty confident because they just can't shut out games or give that final push. They won their Grand Final against the Paer earlier in the season and might do it in 2 weeks time when they play Port again, but what are the odds they have a heroic loss to the Bulldogs at home next week.

 

[Cursed Cat]

Croms have been weird this year and the Crom fan I know said this year they have had so many "what if" matches and this was another. We dominated early, they should have been put to the sword, they took the lead and couldn't finish out the game. He told me thats the story of their season.
Against us in Geelong, the Lions at the Gabba, against the Tigers at Adelaide Oval, against the Pies at the MCG, the draw with the Lions earlier in the year, the loss to the Bombers at AO, the loss to the Suns.

Their whole season is filled with near misses.

Its why even when they took the lead I was pretty confident because they just can't shut out games or give that final push. They won their Grand Final against the Paer earlier in the season and might do it in 2 weeks time when they play Port again, but what are the odds they have a heroic loss to the Bulldogs at home next week.

Bloody Croms pushed us hard. Paer in good touch this evening too.












Sorry And_ROOS couldn't resist.

 

[Heckler]

Growing Pains

Most teams need to be Switched On to play well
Play awesome one week, struggle the next week.
They are able lift against a tough opponent
Special efforts that can't be sustained every week

Up and coming teams rely on playing the Hunter Role
As they ascend things flip: They become the hunted
They can no longer catch top teams by surprise
Their game plan is studied carefully and negated
Their stars players are tagged or double teamed

Cats have a tendency to Cat Nap during the game
Relaxing when they believe the game is under control
They lose momentum when opposition lifts intensity
Relying on their superstars to regain momentum
Eventually the baton will be passed to young stars
They will learn to overcome tags and rough tactics
New leaders and team motivators will emerge.
Is no way around this... they must go through it

Good teams are able to go up a gear when needed
Great teams can sustain a high performance level

We judge players harshly because we saw greatness

 

[Biggy_Boy]

The best side just got thrashed by over a hundred points today. The formerly second side just got beat by the Colliwobles. This is the most mediocre season I can remember. We are a chance. Weird as that is.

It's a fair point, but as shocking as tonight's PA/Syd result was in terms of the margin, the Swans haven't really been the best or performing to their ladder position for about a month now. Form for a lot of sides has fluctuated, including ourselves, but this is now the point when you want to be on the upwards trend. Adelaide have been fairly consistently poor for the whole year, which is why they've never been in the frame for a finals berth, unlike the majority of the competition, so the close shave with them was a bit disappointing. If we were serious, this kind of encounter should have been checked off as an easy win. But I don't think we're in that conversation.

Lose to Fremantle and St. Kilda and we might not even make finals.

I'd say the true top 4 in terms of performance and likelihood of doing anything in September would be Lions, Bulldogs, Freo and Power. Hawks could slip into that 4th spot of true contenders, depending on their next two performances.

 

[frggr]

Saw this posted elsewhere and thought it was interesting:

Fun game for stats:

• Ben Keayes had 3 clearances, 4 tackles and 5 inside 50s in the third quarter. That has only even been achieved in a single quarter 5 times in the AFL (since 2000). Most recently by Harley Reid a few months ago.
  • The last Crows player to do that (or better) in a quarter was Simon Goodwin
    Simon Goodwin

    Age

    48

    Ht

    185cm

    Wt

    86kg

    Pos.

    Def

    Career

    Season

    Last 5

    D

    20.9

    5star

    K

    12.1

    4star

    HB

    8.8

    5star

    M

    4.0

    4star

    T

    2.5

    4star

    No current season stats available

    D

    9.4

    3star

    K

    7.2

    3star

    HB

    2.2

    2star

    M

    3.0

    3star

    T

    2.2

    4star

    , who had 6 clearances, 6 inside 50s and 4 tackles (along with 15 disposals and 6 contested possessions), back in 2001.
• Tanner Bruhn received 5 free kicks in the third quarter. A player has received 5+ frees in a quarter only 7 times since 2000, most recently before today by Harley Reid about 10 weeks ago (also against the Crows).
  • It's never been achieved by a Geelong player.
  • Also his 6 in the match was the most by a Geelong player since Danger got 6 against the Hawks in 2020.
• With his fourth goal of the day, Jeremy Cameron
  5

  Jeremy Cameron

  Age

  31

  Ht

  196cm

  Wt

  94kg

  Pos.

  Fwd

  Career

  Season

  Last 5

  D

  12.5

  3star

  K

  9.0

  3star

  HB

  3.4

  3star

  M

  5.4

  5star

  T

  1.6

  4star

  G

  2.6

  5star

  D

  10.0

  3star

  K

  7.1

  3star

  HB

  2.9

  2star

  M

  4.6

  4star

  T

  2.0

  3star

  G

  1.9

  5star

  D

  8.2

  2star

  K

  5.0

  2star

  HB

  3.2

  3star

  M

  4.6

  5star

  T

  2.4

  4star

  G

  2.0

  5star

  brought up 200 goals wearing the hoops. He's just the 38th player in Geelong history to do that (led, of course, by Gary Ablett Snr with 1,021).
• He also brought up 500 career points scored at Kardinia Park, becoming just the 32nd player in V/AFL history to reach that milestone. Still a little way to go to catch Doug Wade's 2,694 points.
• And Cameron's 6.1 (37) was the most points scored by a Geelong player this year (pipping his 6.0 earlier in the year against the Kangaroos).
• From the 20 min mark of Q3 to the 8 min mark of Q4, the Crows had 8 consecutive shots at goal. That's the most Geelong has conceded this year.
  • Then a bit later (10-27 mins in Q4), the Cats had 10 consecutive shots at goal...
• The Cats had 53 clearances for the match, which is the most they've had in a match since 2022, when they had 54 against the Dees. The clearance differential of +20 was their biggest this year (and the biggest at Kardinia Park since 2019).

• 
  
  
  To absolutely kill clearances and almost get done is uh....well.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Saw this posted elsewhere and thought it was interesting:

• Then a bit later (10-27 mins in Q4), the Cats had 10 consecutive shots at goal...

What an incredibly frustrating period. And it really felt like one of those situations where one team would have the ball locked in their forward half for a prolonged stretch of time with little result, only for the opposition to eventually rebound for a quick goal. Thankfully Lawson managed to release the pressure.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

To absolutely kill clearances and almost get done is uh....well.

Concerning.

We usually get beaten in clearances.
If we get done at it next week, and we will, I fear what Freo will do to us.

 

[Cats_R_Cool_4_Ever]

Highlights of the match, Jezza kicking a bag of 6 and Humphries goal to seal the deal along with Jezza.

Highlights during halftime break, dad and I getting on the big screens for the first time.

 

[juzcat]

Cast a dispersion?

Some Harry Potter arrangement?

Sent from my SM-S928B using Tapatalk

 

[catsfootyfan89]

It might not mean a lot in the grand scheme of things, but did anyone else notice that every single one of Jeremy Cameron

5

Jeremy Cameron

Age

31

Ht

196cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.5

3star

K

9.0

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

5.4

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

2.6

5star

D

10.0

3star

K

7.1

3star

HB

2.9

2star

M

4.6

4star

T

2.0

3star

G

1.9

5star

D

8.2

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

3.2

3star

M

4.6

5star

T

2.4

4star

G

2.0

5star

's goals was downright insulting to Adelaide? The guy is addicted to party tricks. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it must be so deflating to the opposition.

 

[dazbroncos]

Cast a dispersion?

Was it a mute point lol. The AI needs better training

GO Catters

 

[Catatak]

I know this might be more of a casual fan's take but give me that kind of win over a 60 point flogging. I like seeing the team do well obviously but when we pull through in a tight one, every goal and good thing a player does feels so much more impactful.
Like imagine Humphries kicked his first against NM compared to the ripper one he produced tonight, its still good but its definitely not the same.

Yep. Agree and as a supporter at the ground it was great. Pure stats wise I’d rather see us winning clearances and contested ball at the moment and we did Our backline doesn’t usually get beaten that easily

 

[catstorm]

I would love to hear the AFLs justification for that no free to Cameron. It was a 12 point swing and changed the momentum of the game.

Umpires have simply got to be better, it’s just not good enough.

 

[Seeds]

Well you'd wanna watch again, because he did it multiple times in the 1st half.

Nearly took MOTY twice (and ensured no easy Crows marks in the process).

Twice (and one he completely missed so doesnt count). A player like him should be bringing it to ground 10 times a game like rohan does. Henry can only compete when he gets a run and jump at it. If he is the guy in front or he is blocked from a leap he is useless in a pack situation.

 

[Ricky Vaughn]

Results yesterday mean finishing top 4 in entirely in our hands, which is good. Not sure we’re playing well enough to beat Freo.

 

[mcwilrob]

I would love to hear the AFLs justification for that no free to Cameron. It was a 12 point swing and changed the momentum of the game.

Umpires have simply got to be better, it’s just not good enough.

Totally agree - regardless of which team benefits - if many of us were as incompetent at our jobs as some of the umpiring we're seeing, we wouldn't be gainfully employed for long...

 

[mcwilrob]

Results yesterday mean finishing top 4 in entirely in our hands, which is good. Not sure we’re playing well enough to beat Freo.

Totally expect Freo to pull our pants down if they play anything near where they are capable. IMHO they need to be quite a bit "off" and the Cats really "on" for that result to go our way (which would be good for us, obviously).

 

[Seeds]

This is why they're paid big bucks and we're not.
So much potential for the Neale/Hawkins decision to blow up in the coaches faces.

Play both and structure goes back to the dross when we were losing games.
Pick Hawkins and he does nothing and we shouldn't have brought him back.
But leave him out and Neale doesn't fire a shot and we've retired a club great for it...

Good luck MC.

Could just play both instead of ollie henry. 7 touches, 2 marks and 1 goal. Does hawkins offer more then that?

 

[catters05]

Totally expect Freo to pull our pants down if they play anything near where they are capable. IMHO they need to be quite a bit "off" and the Cats really "on" for that result to go our way (which would be good for us, obviously).

They always play well against the Cats, would be nice to beat them at Optus.

 

[Cataholic]

Could just play both instead of ollie henry. 7 touches, 2 marks and 1 goal. Does hawkins offer more then that?

No.

Hawkins is as mobile as a garage slab now, and the lay off won't do him any good. Not a criticism - Father Time has caught up with him big time is all.

Ollie is still learning and has potential.

Sure, Hawkins has experience, but his body can't do what his mind tells it to do anymore.