Preview Round 19: Geelong V Brisbane, Battle of the Cats - Sat 22nd July 4:35pm @ GABBA

[Vdubs]

In a weird way I almost feel like we need to wipe the last 3-4 months of football from our minds.

The ONLY reason that this game, or any game for the rest of the year would hold any fears is if we're 2023 Geelong, not 2022 Geelong.

But what if we aren't? What if this has all been planned and the bravado coming out of the club is legitimate? What if we're heating up when it matters most and we're now our '22 selves?

With a mature list, we know that over the last few years it's never been about playing the whole season. It's been about being the best team in the last two months of the year. That's what wins you premierships, and it's been forced even more this year through injury.

Is that not exactly what we're doing? Maybe a shift of mindset is required from us as supporters, we're looking at the '22 Cats right now, and it's time to bring the swagger and belief back.

time will tell, but many things have been against us, and I would love to see our trump card in JC hit form again.

 

[Turbocat]

time will tell, but many things have been against us, and I would love to see our trump card in JC hit form again.

JC and Hawkins as the left and right bower. ?

 

[Romeoh1]

The afternoon Ablett kicked 14 goals and we lost.

I was there! Fun day.

 

[Will_I_Am]

Woohoo, hopefully my one game I get to attend in person for the year is a good one

 

[allrighty]

Best way to deal with CC is to win the midfield. If the ball doesn't get down to their forward line he's not going to be able to cause much damage.

So taking Atkins out of the guts may be detrimental.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Brisbane should be more concerned with Hawkins, Cameron, Stengle, Close, Henry and Rohan (if he plays) more than we, Cameron.

 

[Generalissimo]

So taking Atkins out of the guts may be detrimental.

No "may" about it. It absolutely would.

 

[D BRIDGE]

Mentioning playing Atkins as a back pocket stopper is funny to me.

The guy is finally finding the form level he got to last year and is one of our better mids.

Ain’t no way we are taking him out of the guts.

 

[Gunf]

Brisbane should be more concerned with Hawkins, Cameron, Stengle, Close, Henry and Rohan (if he plays) more than we, Cameron.

Agreed if the midfield battle is even our forward line is much better.

 

[Grimoz]

Brisbane should be more concerned with Hawkins, Cameron, Stengle, Close, Henry and Rohan (if he plays) more than we, Cameron.

Yep they don't have the backline to contain that number of threats however if our mids cant get it in then it will negate that problem.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Lions losing in that fashion last week might completely destroy them mentally.
They looked absolutely terrified in the final 5 minutes last week. Like deer in headlights stuff.
Sheer panic.
I’m not sure you can turn that around so quickly. It’s ok to say “oh we will just play out the game this time”. A lot of things come into play.
Teams don’t just say “ah we’ll be right, let’s just not go into our shells this time”.
It takes a lot of work to turn around mental demons. Trust me I know.

You have the reigning premiers with a sniff now. They can smell blood. - Confidence>>>>insecurity.
Brisbane will have doubt. Geelong confidence.
Losing the way they did then watching us completely destroy Essendon surely won’t fill them with confidence.

Maybe Brisbane will turn it around. Maybe they can’t.
It seems to me that they do have some kind of mental weakness.
It’s a 50/50 game for mine at the Gabba. A loss wouldn’t surprise me but I highly doubt we get hammered. We just aren’t that type of team.

I would be ecstatic if the Cats won - because then they are right back in flag calculations etc

However you only have to go back a couple of weeks to how Geel played against the Swans at SCG - That type of performance and it will be a very heavy defeat for Geel

Beating NTH Melb and Ess ( who were absolutely pathetic ) ok you take the wins and the 4 pts - but that proves nothing

Its horses for courses for me - its highly unlikely Geel will beat Bris in Qld - however when Geel play Pt Ade - i will be tipping the Cats - because the game is at KP - and i dont rate Port that highly

The Lions at the Gabba - they are like a one day cricket side - they are going to play and go for their shots from the word go - at top pace - and i dont think Geel can handle that - mind you 9 other visiting teams at the Gabba this year havent either

 

[Chinacats]

Best way to deal with CC is to win the midfield. If the ball doesn't get down to their forward line he's not going to be able to cause much damage.

His own players not passing the ball to him also helps as he then sooks it up! Whinged against Dees the other night because ball wasn’t kicked to him … yet when he gets the ball he never passes it off! Wouldn’t worry about country road boy too much! McCarthy either for that matter… not sure he has had a kick all year actually.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

I would be ecstatic if the Cats won - because then they are right back in flag calculations etc

However you only have to go back a couple of weeks to how Geel played against the Swans at SCG - That type of performance and it will be a very heavy defeat for Geel

Beating NTH Melb and Ess ( who were absolutely pathetic ) ok you take the wins and the 4 pts - but that proves nothing

Its horses for courses for me - its highly unlikely Geel will beat Bris in Qld - however when Geel play Pt Ade - i will be tipping the Cats - because the game is at KP - and i dont rate Port that highly

The Lions at the Gabba - they are like a one day cricket side - they are going to play and go for their shots from the word go - at top pace - and i dont think Geel can handle that - mind you 9 other visiting teams at the Gabba this year havent either

I've just passed your post on to Chris Scott. They're doing the theme parks on the Gold coast instead.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Yep they don't have the backline to contain that number of threats however if our mids cant get it in then it will negate that problem.

I actually rate Payne higher than I rate Andrews.

It'll be our smaller forwards who will cause the most issues imo. Henry, Stengle, Close and Miers ... And Rohan if he gets up.

Brisbane just simply don't have the defence capable of stopping them.

I agree with what you're saying, I just thought I'd repeat it.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

I've just passed your post on to Chris Scott. They're doing the theme parks on the Gold coast instead.

I dont understand your post at all

Especially because earlier in the year - you tipped the Cats to lose to Carlton and incredibly to Haw

However its not ok to say that it is highly unlikely that Geel will beat the team who are currently 3rd on the ladder and unbeaten at home this season

 

[allrighty]

Mentioning playing Atkins as a back pocket stopper is funny to me.

The guy is finally finding the form level he got to last year and is one of our better mids.

Ain’t no way we are taking him out of the guts.

Go see my TA thread. I am a huge fan of the guy, and as you say he is getting into peak form, maybe better than ever. Leave him in the guts and deal with CC another way.

 

[allrighty]

Beating NTH Melb and Ess ( who were absolutely pathetic ) ok you take the wins and the 4 pts - but that proves nothing

Yes. But they were not allowed to get flow or if they got the ball they were p p p pressured.

That was the main takeaway for me. Team beast mode was engaged.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

I dont understand your post at all

Especially because earlier in the year - you tipped the Cats to lose to Carlton and incredibly to Haw

However its not ok to say that it is highly unlikely that Geel will beat the team who are currently 3rd on the ladder and unbeaten at home this season

Back then half our side was missing.

There's a big difference in saying we'll lose this by 10 goals.

 

[catsfootyfan89]

Mentioning playing Atkins as a back pocket stopper is funny to me.

The guy is finally finding the form level he got to last year and is one of our better mids.

Ain’t no way we are taking him out of the guts.

With no Guthrie, he's easily our most important player in there. I'm sure some eyebrows will be rising thinking of Dangerfield, but Atkins will play far more minutes than him before the end of the year. If we're to go all the way, we probably can't do it without Atkins.

 

[Play it Sam]

I would be ecstatic if the Cats won - because then they are right back in flag calculations etc

However you only have to go back a couple of weeks to how Geel played against the Swans at SCG - That type of performance and it will be a very heavy defeat for Geel

Beating NTH Melb and Ess ( who were absolutely pathetic ) ok you take the wins and the 4 pts - but that proves nothing

Its horses for courses for me - its highly unlikely Geel will beat Bris in Qld - however when Geel play Pt Ade - i will be tipping the Cats - because the game is at KP - and i dont rate Port that highly

The Lions at the Gabba - they are like a one day cricket side - they are going to play and go for their shots from the word go - at top pace - and i dont think Geel can handle that - mind you 9 other visiting teams at the Gabba this year havent either

At the risk of sounding like a broken record.....Who? Who have they beaten at home recently?

HOME they've bashed West Coast and Essendone, well pantsed Richmond Gold Coast and Carlton, fell in against Sydney.

Definitely not beaten a a team like the one that is now nearing the full and enhanced complement from their reigning premiership

The team that demolished them last year. Book it Danno.

 

[Section 5]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record.....Who? Who have they beaten at home recently?

HOME they've bashed West Coast and Essendone, well pantsed Richmond Gold Coast and Carlton, fell in against Sydney.

Definitely not beaten a a team like the one that is now nearing the full and enhanced complement from their reigning premiership

The team that demolished them last year. Book it Danno.

It should be a good contest. Weather predicted to be fine maximum of 22C.

The Blues game was an away game.
And you forgot about wins over the Demons and Pies.
Edit: I know you said recently but i think those two wins are relevant.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

In a weird way I almost feel like we need to wipe the last 3-4 months of football from our minds.

The ONLY reason that this game, or any game for the rest of the year would hold any fears is if we're 2023 Geelong, not 2022 Geelong.

But what if we aren't? What if this has all been planned and the bravado coming out of the club is legitimate? What if we're heating up when it matters most and we're now our '22 selves?

With a mature list, we know that over the last few years it's never been about playing the whole season. It's been about being the best team in the last two months of the year. That's what wins you premierships, and it's been forced even more this year through injury.

Is that not exactly what we're doing? Maybe a shift of mindset is required from us as supporters, we're looking at the '22 Cats right now, and it's time to bring the swagger and belief back.

That's why the next month is important and we'll find out if our best is good enough. We play all 3 of the top 3 teams and teams that are considered the best in the comp.

If we win the Lions game, I think we're as good as the top 3. If we beat Pies at the G, then I think we can win the flag (I think we'll beat Port at KP either way).

If we lose 2 or more of those games, then we probably aren't good enough to go the whole way and we'll be bottom half of the 8 trying to win 4 on the trot with an interstate game there at some point.

 

[Mr Meow]

They are a better team than then, better depth. Dunkley and their 2 F-S 's really help, they are quick. That 2/3 quarter onslaught v Demons was indicative of what they can do, and they'll be stung this week after letting that lead go.
Their HGA may not be as big as ours is, but both teams sit at about 175% home, v 105% away.
All I hope is we are not humiliated. I love CS , but I don't like comments about us being the danger.

Scott's comments are simply a way of telling the footy world "don't count us out just yet" - but ultimately they won't affect our players either way. I honestly believe the Port game came too soon - Dangerfield, Duncan and Holmes first game up, then no Stanley - and our midfielders copped knocks that made them redundant for the rest of the match. I'm expecting 4 quarters like the first 1.5 of that game this time. Brisbane may well still edge us but we'll make them earn it.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record.....Who? Who have they beaten at home recently?

HOME they've bashed West Coast and Essendone, well pantsed Richmond Gold Coast and Carlton, fell in against Sydney.

Definitely not beaten a a team like the one that is now nearing the full and enhanced complement from their reigning premiership

The team that demolished them last year. Book it Danno.

Very early season victories vs Collingwood and Melbourne. The Collingwood one is the big trophy - but results in the first two weeks are hard to use as indicators. Take the Demons outside of Melbourne this year and they've often looked terrible - without sizable injury lists - so it's not quite the scalp folks think it is.

This would be their biggest scalp for the year all things considered. Reigning premier with close to their best side back and having found a bit of form.

 

[Play it Sam]

With no Guthrie, he's easily our most important player in there. I'm sure some eyebrows will be rising thinking of Dangerfield, but Atkins will play far more minutes than him before the end of the year. If we're to go all the way, we probably can't do it without Atkins.

Last week from the centre bounce: Atkins-Stanley- Hawk. (missed the goal but still so smooth/efficient) and something we may need to depend on if Danger's neck and knee injuries are worse than what's been let on.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record.....Who? Who have they beaten at home recently?

HOME they've bashed West Coast and Essendone, well pantsed Richmond Gold Coast and Carlton, fell in against Sydney.

Definitely not beaten a a team like the one that is now nearing the full and enhanced complement from their reigning premiership

The team that demolished them last year. Book it Danno.

Look this is my last post on it - i will just look forward to the game - and hopefully Gary Rohan is in the Cats team - because he is a very important player and he is exciting to watch in full flight

But i wonder how many posters would tip Geelong - if they were standing in front of the firing squad with their life riding on it