Preview Rd 22 - Geelong V Saints - Sat Aug 14 2021- 435 pm @ GMHBA

[Cataholic]

Surely the most likely scenario in all of this is that Port will sh*t the bed against the Bulldogs in the last round, and thus we just take care of what we can control which is how we approach each game

Port have such a poor record against top 8 teams that one should think the Bulldogs will be favorites in the last round

We had the opportunity to do just that in the last game, but failed to turn up with the right attitude and suffucient desperation to win.

Hopefully they've learned from that, and crack in far more earnestly from now on.

 

[costanza23]

Meat tray:
IN: O'Connor, Cameron, Evans, Henderson, Smith and Simpson
OUT: Narkle (omit), Rohan (hip), Close (managed), Kreuger (omit), Tuohy (hamstring) and Holmes (omit)

Tried like for like as close as possible.
Need Atkins and Miers back in R23 for a run before finals.
Agree we must win this game, and rest Selwood and Hawkins for R23.

R22 team:
B: Bews, Henderson, Kolodjashnij
HB: Stewart, Henry, Z. Guthrie
C: C. Guthrie, Dangerfield, Menegola
HF: Higgins, Ratugolea, Smith
F: Evans, Hawkins, Cameron
R: Stanley, Selwood, Parfitt

Int: Blicavs, O'Connor, Dahlhaus, Clark
Sub: Simpson

Finals Week 1
B: Bews, Henderson, Kolodjashnij
HB: Stewart, Henry, Tuohy
C: C. Guthrie, Dangerfield, Menegola
HF: Duncan, Cameron, Smith
F: Miers, Hawkins, Rohan
R: Stanley, Selwood, Parfitt

Int: Blicavs, O'Connor, Close, Atkins
Sub: Simpson
Emg: Ratugolea, Higgins, Z. Guthrie

 

[Spearman]

My view is what we've seen from him the past few weeks is actually just him managing his own workload through games. Without some injury holding him back, it's hard to otherwise explain his drop in form. He's just too good not to be comprehensively beating the opponents he's come up against. So I'd be surprised to see him miss games through being managed this late in the season.

That's possible to an extent. watching the replay he didn't seem to be hindered too much in his running. He didn't seem to roam the field as much though. He also didn't seem to bend over to gather the ball much, but then the ball wasn't withing his grasp very much either.

 

[TEDDY24INC]

If there was a slim hope of allowing some sort of crowd at this weekends game it is probably gone now with the announcement of one Covid case in Geelong. May well mean no crowd next week either.

That case was in isolation the whole time, it should have absolutely no bearing on anything, but with this state gov I’m sure it is likely used as justification for something

 

[standupand]

That's possible to an extent. watching the replay he didn't seem to be hindered too much in his running. He didn't seem to roam the field as much though. He also didn't seem to bend over to gather the ball much, but then the ball wasn't withing his grasp very much either.

Yeah, I didn't see him getting up the field much and his usual clever running patterns on the lead or doubling back weren't there. I'm hoping he's just conserving some energy for the finals tilt, rather than being actually hindered by something. That said, it wasn't easy for any of the key forwards with north and gws flooding our f50.

 

[JohnZ]

When are they announcing date and time, anyone know?

Fox Footy is reporting Saturday 4.35pm. It'll deffo be Saturday that's for sure.

 

[cats_09]

 

[Vdubs]

I think the no crowds must have an affect - Swans have been going fantastic - but when they played Premiership/Outstanding football demolishing W/Coast at KP - there was 10000 supporters their cheering them on - plenty of red/white scarves - the old Sth Melb supporters cheering them on

I know they are professional and well paid - but with no crowd - especially if you got behind - you could easily say to hell with this ( i could ) youd be as flat as a half opened can of coke on a Sunday morning .

that sounds relevant to our game as well

 

[Pollywaffle]

that sounds relevant to our game as well

Might explain last game, as GWS used to playing with no crowd anyway

 

[allrighty]

Difference between our teams our captain dates a school teacher their players date the students.

Was happening 40 years ago srsly

 

[allrighty]

hello Ryan...

Fancy playing the Gf on your home ground, hardly fair is it?

 

[Heckler]

Surely the most likely scenario in all of this is that Port will sh*t the bed against the Bulldogs in the last round, and thus we just take care of what we can control which is how we approach each game

Port have such a poor record against top 8 teams that one should think the Bulldogs will be favorites in the last round

True... I expect Bulldogs to win against Power.
Then if Cats defeat Melbourne... we play them again the following week
If Cats lose to Melbourne...We play Bulldogs in first final.

 

[Vdubs]

True... I expect Bulldogs to win against Power.
Then if Cats defeat Melbourne... we play them again the following week
If Cats lose to Melbourne...We play Bulldogs in first final.

Provided we beat St. Kilda...no point jumping too far ahead. Only the Demons have top 4 GUARANTEED.

 

[lewdogs]

Confirmed that there'll be no crowd apparently.

I'm bummed as I'm regional and was hoping to be able to get to the game

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Confirmed that there'll be no crowd apparently.

I'm bummed as I'm regional and was hoping to be able to get to the game

Bugger

 

[krided]

Confirmed that there'll be no crowd apparently.

I'm bummed as I'm regional and was hoping to be able to get to the game

Go to the nearest KP pub, that's what I did when we played dogs.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Go to the nearest KP pub, that's what I did when we played dogs.

That might be a good idea.

 

[CoolCat75]

For the meat tray:

OUT : Krueger, Tuohy, Rohan, Holmes
INT : Hendo, O'Connor, Cameron, Smith

 

[Tony Barber]

Last week's loss wasn't the end of the world. The guys had an off night. It happens. Get over it.

Obviously, we'll hopefully be seeing Smith, Henderson, OConnor, Jezza, and Atkins back for this game.

Out should be from Clark, Narkle, Kreuger, Holmes, Tuohy (inj), Rohan (inj) and possibly giving another senior player a rest week before the finals.

Last week wasn't 'an off night'.
Did you not see the north game? Both games were pretty much identical. No forward pressure. No pressure on any ball carrier or contest.

North just aren't good enough.
The saints would have beaten us in both games.

If it was round 10 I wouldn't be concerned. But we now have a huge problem in finding form with a bunch of unfit players due back.
Huge, huge problems. We should be $12 for the flag.

 

[CATatonic10]

Last week wasn't 'an off night'.
Did you not see the north game? Both games were pretty much identical. No forward pressure. No pressure on any ball carrier or contest.

North just aren't good enough.
The saints would have beaten us in both games.

If it was round 10 I wouldn't be concerned. But we now have a huge problem in finding form with a bunch of unfit players due back.
Huge, huge problems. We should be $12 for the flag.

Let the pessimism rollllll in.. May as well microwave the membership cards now, get ahead of the crowd lol.

It didn't look that way to me, looked like a team missing a few key structural players due back soon + attempting to conserve their energy/bodies for finals, which as we all know, can come back to bite you in the a$#. Let's wait and see, if they're flat again this week then I'm firmly with you in the "out of form" camp, but for now it seems a little knee jerk, considering we went 11 out of 12 before Friday night, and thumped some pretty good teams during that glorious run.

 

[JohnZ]

Last week wasn't 'an off night'.

Cameron and Smith back will make a huge difference. Not too concerned until we heck it up in week 1 of the finals. Inevitably lose that game then I'll know we're no chance of snatching the flag this year.

 

[bulletproof]

What is going on with game time?

Maybe the AFL is going to surprise us and we are just going straight to finals next week.

That would be fine by me.

 

[goyoucatters]

What is going on with game time?

Maybe the AFL is going to surprise us and we are just going straight to finals next week.

That would be fine by me.

Mitch Duncan says hi...

 

[Kitcat]

With all these injuries, and Hawkins, Close and others looking tired, the pre finals bye may be just what we need for once.

 

[foxdog50]

I can't believe on the Geelong Cats Podcast, would simply rather have Esava as our ruck over Stanley if Cameron is fit to play... Stanley last 4 or so weeks in the ruck has been good, Esava in my eye isn't definitely not our no 1 ruck, his only a pinch hitter ruck at best