Preview Round 12: Bulldogs vs Cats, Sat 3 June @ 7:25pm - Superhero Stadium

[Munich]

I can understand holding Rohan back with his history. But bring him back we must he's had long enough.

Same with Patrick.

 

[Lana]

As soon as the game has finished thats it - havent listened to any of them for many years - they are paid to say something

End of 2013 PF - straight after the game ( after leading by 20 pts at 3 qtr time - and then Varcoe had the chance from 30 metres to level it up - thus lose 5 pts) King said - oh look the Harlem Globe trotters style of Geel doesnt work ( we lost by 5 pts not 10 goals ) thats when i stopped listening to those media types

They are paid to say something - the best one ive ever heard was a cricket one - Ted Dexter former England Test Captain - he had a newspaper column with an English newspaper - the sports editor came up to him and said - your column/contract is up for renewal at the end of the month - if you dont come up with something senational then its not going to be renewed . Dexters next column - the headline was - " Lenny Pascoe is a Chucker " - ha - and Dexter admitted years later to Pascoe that he just made it up to keep his column .

When coaches are unable to follow the game they eventually get the sack, when players can't keep up they get delisted. Short of being caught with a bag of cocaine in a casino, there is no feedback mechanism to remove a poor performing media personality. Pronounce players' names incorrectly, fail to understand the rules. Make predictions with the precision only a bookie could love. Still around a decade later.

 

[Cataholic]

I can understand holding Rohan back with his history. But bring him back we must he's had long enough.

Same with Patrick.

Well, Scott just spoke about the 'big picture' and this game being no more important than another, and sometimes having to 'protect a player from himself'.

Was asked straight out if he was going to tell Paddy he isn't playing this week, despite Danger thinking he's ready to go. Scott avoided giving a straight answer.

 

[Cataholic]

Scott also said cohesion should slowly return over next month or so as players return, but it's not an immediate payoff.

Also said he didn't know if players returning, and cohesion thereafter, will be too late to save the season.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I come in peace. I think this game will be very close, I may even tip the Cats for a few reasons:

1. Even if we do get a lot of inside 50's, our forwards can't kick a set shot to save their lives. If you have some good rebound from your back 50, you'll rain some goals in.

2. Jeremy Cameron. Jones will play on Hawkins. Cameron will eat Gardner/Bruce for breakfast. This matchup terrifies me.

3. Gary Rohan. Every damn time we play you. Always Rohan.

1. Our defence isn't going to stabs up to the weight of entries you'll generate. Even if you miss some the weight of pressure will come off at some point and you'll find your kicking boots

2. Our forwards are irrelevant. There's no one to kick it to them.

3. Rohan is injured

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Am expecting this to be tough for us to win but don’t think it’ll be the flogging some are predicting. Comon Geelong- let’s give them a run for their money.I’ll be there yelling lots!

The final margins the last couple of weeks being close has been more about our opposition. Dogs won't give us that

 

[CHAWKTS]

Last time:

AFL Tables - Geelong v Western Bulldogs - Sat, 30-Jul-2022 7:25 PM - Match Stats

Absolutely must win this game.

Like the saying.

A broken clock is correct twice a day!

 

[Mr Meow]

The final margins the last couple of weeks being close has been more about our opposition. Dogs won't give us that

Why? Bulldogs have won by more than 20 points thrice this season.

20 points vs Blues, 15 points vs Giants, 5 points vs Tigers and 14 points vs Lions. They've had 3 wins where there was a goal in it in the last quarter against sides outside of the top 8 already.

They've really put a side to the sword twice so far. We might be the third but not because they are a side that always punish teams.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Why? Bulldogs have won by more than 20 points thrice this season.

20 points vs Blues, 15 points vs Giants, 5 points vs Tigers and 14 points vs Lions. They've had 3 wins where there was a goal in it in the last quarter against sides outside of the top 8 already.

They've really put a side to the sword twice so far. We might be the third but not because they are a side that always punish teams.

They are yet to play a side with a midfield as thin as ours this year.

 

[Mr Meow]

1. Our defence isn't going to stabs up to the weight of entries you'll generate. Even if you miss some the weight of pressure will come off at some point and you'll find your kicking boots

2. Our forwards are irrelevant. There's no one to kick it to them.

3. Rohan is injured

Bizarrely the inside 50 count aggregate over the past 3 weeks is 157-152 our way.

However: we are kicking it inside 50 poorly, kicking at goal terribly, letting it waltz out easily and then defending the defensive side of the ground abysmally.

Something we usually excel at, mark inside 50 differential, has completely skewed in the opposite direction. 1v1 and skill wise we are operating like a VFL side.

 

[Mr Meow]

They are yet to play a side with a midfield as thin as ours this year.

Fair enough. I'm just saying they're not really a side that dishes out beltings routinely. Even against pretty poor sides, which on current form, we are.

 

[Finknottle]

Backline this week?
Kolodjashnij SDK Cuthrie
Mullin Jenry Stewart

Interchange:
O'Connor, Tuohy

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Bizarrely the inside 50 count aggregate over the past 3 weeks is 157-152 our way.

However: we are kicking it inside 50 poorly, kicking at goal terribly, letting it waltz out easily and then defending the defensive side of the ground abysmally.

Something we usually excel at, mark inside 50 differential, has completely skewed in the opposite direction. 1v1 and skill wise we are operating like a VFL side.

Yeah, the numbers are definitely one thing but 1 quality unpressured entry is worth 10 hack kicks to a contest

 

[cats_09]

Backline this week?
Kolodjashnij SDK Cuthrie
Mullin Jenry Stewart

Interchange:
O'Connor, Tuohy

Z. Guthrie?

 

[Mr Meow]

Yeah, the numbers are definitely one thing but 1 quality unpressured entry is worth 10 hack kicks to a contest

It's also a bit of a taboo subject but our defenders are not really stopping, intercepting or rebounding either - with maybe one or two exceptions per game. In the air and on the ground ball in defensive 50 we have been worse than in many years.

Still, 24 shots at goal probably should have been enough. 13.11 wins the game by 8 points. An inopportune time to become terribly inefficient over the past 4 weeks.

 

[Mr Meow]

Geelong 32.37 vs opposition 44.25 the past 3 weeks. Equal scoring shots, believe it or not. Until that efficiency differential improves we will keep dropping games. If the script gets flipped on that one metric, we may even win games playing quite poorly.

 

[Finknottle]

Centreline and Mids?:
iSmith Atkins Knevitt
Ruck: Ceglar Blicavs Bruhn(inj?)/Willis

Interchange: Miers, Ollie D

Depends if Danger plays of course

 

[DV2000]

Paddy can take the week off and the Bye.
We've got bigger fish to fry and I'd prefer him to be tickety-boo come September.

2-3 weeks ago I would have completely agreed with this, but even making the top 8 is now in serious jeopardy. This is now a must-win clash.

 

[foxdog50]

Any chance last weeks Darwin game has some sort of effect on the dogs this week? Was a pretty taxing game.

No way... There AFL footballers and they are Professional athletes with the best dieting staff, best doctors, best recovery facilities... No excuses for any club to use a statement's like that anymore..

 

[CatToTheFuture]

It's also a bit of a taboo subject but our defenders are not really stopping, intercepting or rebounding either - with maybe one or two exceptions per game. In the air and on the ground ball in defensive 50 we have been worse than in many years.

Still, 24 shots at goal probably should have been enough. 13.11 wins the game by 8 points. An inopportune time to become terribly inefficient over the past 4 weeks.

Yeah it's hard to judge how much blame to throw at the defenders. Could they be better? Yes. But they could be worse.

Either way they're not the problem

 

[Munich]

Scott also said cohesion should slowly return over next month or so as players return, but it's not an immediate payoff.

Also said he didn't know if players returning, and cohesion thereafter, will be too late to save the season.

Did he also say he won't be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

I always liked that line.

 

[Cataholic]

Did he also say he won't be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

I always liked that line.

No, not tonight.

Maybe next week.

 

[Mr Meow]

Yeah it's hard to judge how much blame to throw at the defenders. Could they be better? Yes. But they could be worse.

Either way they're not the problem

Kind of disagree that the problem is one dimensional. Our defenders playing better and forwards converting could well easily have snatched us one or two of the last three games. Just watching the games - the efforts of our defenders have been VFL standard, and these are AFL standard players as opposed to the midfield. So yeah, it's a problem.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

1. Our defence isn't going to stabs up to the weight of entries you'll generate. Even if you miss some the weight of pressure will come off at some point and you'll find your kicking boots

2. Our forwards are irrelevant. There's no one to kick it to them.

3. Rohan is injured

The forwards are only irrelevant if the supply is bad if it is good enough we will win the game. The challenge is how do we win the midfield.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Kind of disagree that the problem is one dimensional. Our defenders playing better and forwards converting could well easily have snatched us one or two of the last three games. Just watching the games - the efforts of our defenders have been VFL standard, and these are AFL standard players as opposed to the midfield. So yeah, it's a problem.

They could have snatched wins sure, but they'd be papering over the cracks.