Preview 2nd Prelim Final Geelong v Brisbane Sat Sept 21 2024 515pm @ MCG

[CatTricks]

You must not have seen Duncan actually getting crucified, for two imperfect kicks and losing a single 50/50 contest for the game.

Note that there was no comment on the many effective disposals and contests he still had in the first half. He even got the ball to ground from a marking contest in forward 50 for Ollie Henry to get an easy crumbing goal. He was the one who started looking for Humphries to involve him in the first half. 15 effective disposals in a final is very good. If you take him out, more attention can be paid to stopping Zuthrie and Humphries.

I was happy with Mullin too. Completely different role so we’re comparing apples and organges.

Duncan is well and truly finished. Hopefully he or the club can recognise that and make the appropriate decision at seasons end.

 

[Mr Meow]

Duncan is well and truly finished. Hopefully he or the club can recognise that and make the appropriate decision at seasons end.

Based on a few so-so moments and 15 good ones? He played better than he had in a month. In a final.

19 disposals, just 1 turnover, 5 score involvements, 4 intercepts, 4 rebound 50s, 3 inside 50s and 5 tackles isn’t going to get you dropped as a back flanker. It wasn’t as if the forwards he played on had any impact whatsoever either. Was in the top 25% of players on the ground for pressure acts too.

 

[supahoops]

Tuohy the luxury.

Stewart has been playing midfield for 2 months. If it’s like for like they have to trim the midfield rotation. Duncan hasn’t been playing any midfield minutes.

Zuthrie has taken smalls throughout the year and can do so again if needed to.

If it came down to Tuohy or Duncan as Sub who do you take..?

 

[Munich]

If it came down to Tuohy or Duncan as Sub who do you take..?

I'd take Tuohy

 

[cats_09]

If it came down to Tuohy or Duncan as Sub who do you take..?

Tuohy - offers a bit more versatility than Duncan

Plus Duncan has shown he looks better when he can work into the match rather than coming on as an impact player

 

[Mr Meow]

If it came down to Tuohy or Duncan as Sub who do you take..?

Firstly I’m not changing the defensive structure I had Thursday night. That is our perfect set up.

FB: Bews Henry Kolo
HB: Humphries Blicavs Zuthrie (Duncan)

Three genuine rebounding back flankers. A few intercepting and 1v1 defensive specialists.

If for some reason I want to throw my successful structure out, I will take the best performer of the season, with the most finals minutes in the bank, as the sub. For Duncan vs Tuohy, that leaves me with Duncan.

 

[Mr Meow]

Tuohy - offers a bit more versatility than Duncan

Plus Duncan has shown he looks better when he can work into the match rather than coming on as an impact player

Duncan played half back, wing and half forward on the weekend. It was apparent from starting CB position and post stoppage at different points.

 

[Reg Hickey]

It's just so unbelievable that we're in a prelim with the ins/outs from the last side that went into Sep. How?!

Yeah I think it's fair to say that we're not the most impressive side left in it on paper. But we're probably the best coached, and when we put it together like we did against Port, we're very, very hard to beat.

With both the PF and the GF (if we make it) at the 'G, likely against interstate sides, we're as good a chance as anyone from here.

 

[Reg Hickey]

Based on a few so-so moments and 15 good ones? He played better than he had in a month. In a final.

19 disposals, just 1 turnover, 5 score involvements, 4 intercepts, 4 rebound 50s, 3 inside 50s and 5 tackles isn’t going to get you dropped as a back flanker. It wasn’t as if the forwards he played on had any impact whatsoever either. Was in the top 25% of players on the ground for pressure acts too.

I thought Duncan was solid on Thursday. Along with just about everyone in the hoops. Will deservedly keep his spot.

But does he have another season left in him? I'm not sure he does. He's been a brilliant servant of the club for many years, my daughter's favourite player, but even she would admit that he struggled at different times this year. And that's likely to only get worse with another preseason and a few more games under his belt. If he does play on, I suspect he won't play many games next year.

 

[Mr Meow]

Yeah I think it's fair to say that we're not the most impressive side left in it on paper. But we're probably the best coached, and when we put it together like we did against Port, we're very, very hard to beat.

With both the PF and the GF (if we make it) at the 'G, likely against interstate sides, we're as good a chance as anyone from here.

Unlike our 2016-2020 sides this squad is more suited to finals than H&A. Number one team in chaos ball situations according to however CD assesses that (what happens after ground balls offensively and defensively was a big part of it I believe). Finals are usually chaos ball with the victor usually being the side that runs the swarm effectively.

 

[Chinacats]

Based on a few so-so moments and 15 good ones? He played better than he had in a month. In a final.

19 disposals, just 1 turnover, 5 score involvements, 4 intercepts, 4 rebound 50s, 3 inside 50s and 5 tackles isn’t going to get you dropped as a back flanker. It wasn’t as if the forwards he played on had any impact whatsoever either. Was in the top 25% of players on the ground for pressure acts too.

Guthrie to replace Duncan on your closer analysis? Seems not…?

 

[cats_09]

 

[cats_09]

I thought Duncan was solid on Thursday. Along with just about everyone in the hoops. Will deservedly keep his spot.

But does he have another season left in him? I'm not sure he does. He's been a brilliant servant of the club for many years, my daughter's favourite player, but even she would admit that he struggled at different times this year. And that's likely to only get worse with another preseason and a few more games under his belt. If he does play on, I suspect he won't play many games next year.

He may have another 5 games or so left in him...

 

[Mr Meow]

I thought Duncan was solid on Thursday. Along with just about everyone in the hoops. Will deservedly keep his spot.

But does he have another season left in him? I'm not sure he does. He's been a brilliant servant of the club for many years, my daughter's favourite player, but even she would admit that he struggled at different times this year. And that's likely to only get worse with another preseason and a few more games under his belt. If he does play on, I suspect he won't play many games next year.

I’m not too sure about 2025. H
Duncan has struggled at times but the only time it was an extended form rut was the final month of H&A. Prior to that you’d get your dodgy moment or poor 5 minute patch with ball in hand (which the microscope was put on) and then he’d recover to produce a decent overall game.

Because he looks like he is just hanging on at times when he runs around, it’s easy to lose track of his actual output. People probably find his stats such as high numbers of effective disposals to be baffling. He’s starting to use the release handball to players like Humphries more, so seems aware he won’t have time and space to execute kicks as often. I think it’s working (for now). I’d rather delist when it’s clearly not working.

 

[Chinacats]

It's just so unbelievable that we're in a prelim with the ins/outs from the last side that went into Sep. How?!

Why unbelievable? It’s building the winning formula…. I like the No name brand , but buy in to the team ethos of hunt, pressure, tackle and to have a youthful dog hunger . It’s not about names… Hawkins & Guthrie & Stewart are names, but I would prefer Humphries, Mannagh, Dempsey & Bruhn…..
remember Grant Thomas said tigers list was worst ever to win a premiership, but in hindsight not really.
Look at hawks no name kids, they’ll be champions of their club. They are not duds it’s just the football world don’t know their talents yet.
If they want it then take it!

 

[Mr Meow]

Guthrie to replace Duncan on your closer analysis? Seems not…?

Not even a tiny chance. Guthrie looked slower among VFL players than Duncan did among AFL ones. Cam had a handful of decent moments but if you put him inside Duncan’s body and he had that game against Port, “cooked” would have been shouted an extra 100 times than already happened.

 

[Lana]

Based on a few so-so moments and 15 good ones? He played better than he had in a month. In a final.

19 disposals, just 1 turnover, 5 score involvements, 4 intercepts, 4 rebound 50s, 3 inside 50s and 5 tackles isn’t going to get you dropped as a back flanker. It wasn’t as if the forwards he played on had any impact whatsoever either. Was in the top 25% of players on the ground for pressure acts too.

In 63% gametime

 

[cats_09]

Guthrie to replace Duncan on your closer analysis? Seems not…?

This year or next year?

If he gets a clear run at it over summer, I could see Cam stepping into that type of role next season

As for this season, it was good to see Guthrie get a run on Saturday but from my perspective, he'd be nothing more than break glass for finals. The class is there & could see he knew what he wanted to do, but he also looked like someone who hadn't played in 115 days

On paper he probably presents as a better option than a few who played last Thursday, but the game isn't played on paper and I think it would be a big risk to bring him in for finals & expect him to pick up the speed of the game

I feel like the Guthrie situation is similar to Hawkins/Neale one:

• we know what we're currently getting from Neale. And while we know what Hawkins was capable of, it's not really something we've seen this year and do we take the risk in the hope of him turning back the clock
• similar with Guthrie in that we know what he was capable of back in 22, but it's something we've barely seen for 2 seasons. So, do we take the risk on him being able to pull something out, or do we back in those who we know and what we've being getting from them?

 

[Chinacats]

I think the talk and debate that will happen about Hawkins & Guthrie should be in favor of youth and the teams form without them. We don’t want to look in the rear view mirror and give them games based on that. I’m saying no to them, Duncan needs o word in his ear about training standards or he could go too.
Speed & youth will get this done.

 

[Chinacats]

This year or next year?

If he gets a clear run at it over summer, I could see Cam stepping into that type of role next season

As for this season, it was good to see Guthrie get a run on Saturday but from my perspective, he'd be nothing more than break glass for finals. The class is there & could see he knew what he wanted to do, but he also looked like someone who hadn't played in 115 days

On paper he probably presents as a better option than a few who played last Thursday, but the game isn't played on paper and I think it would be a big risk to bring him in for finals & expect him to pick up the speed of the game

I feel like the Guthrie situation is similar to Hawkins/Neale one:

• we know what we're currently getting from Neale. And while we know what Hawkins was capable of, it's not really something we've seen this year and do we take the risk in the hope of him turning back the clock
• similar with Guthrie in that we know what he was capable of back in 22, but it's something we've barely seen for 2 seasons. So, do we take the risk on him being able to pull something out, or do we back in those who we know and what we've being getting from them?

Back in the now and the results they’re producing. I’m a no to Guthrie and Hawkins.

 

[Mr Meow]

I think the talk and debate that will happen about Hawkins & Guthrie should be in favor of youth and the teams form without them. We don’t want to look in the rear view mirror and give them games based on that. I’m saying no to them, Duncan needs o word in his ear about training standards or he could go too.
Speed & youth will get this done.

I'd love to hear your intel on Duncan's declining training standards as it's the first I'm hearing there's an issue.

 

[D BRIDGE]

I feel like the Guthrie situation is similar to Hawkins/Neale one:

I feel it's a little more like the Otten "2 weeks" situation.

Where the player is clearly good enough "if" fit enough.

I don't think Hawkins has it in him anymore. He looked completely cooked the moment we played Adelaide in R3 and has never looked anything but cooked since then.

Neale offers more now, and I don't think any amount of time will have Hawkins ahead of Neale anymore.

Guthrie is absolutely ahead of some guys on the current team though. But is Guthrie fit enough? That is the question.

I do think us winning the first final and Guthrie getting an extra 2 weeks of training gives him playing a pulse... Hawk is no shot.

 

[iameviljez]

Duncan played half back, wing and half forward on the weekend. It was apparent from starting CB position and post stoppage at different points.

Yeah, but Tuohy can play everywhere on the ground bar the ruck.

Duncan can't play from either fifty, he doesn't offer the marking ability of Tuohy. I'd trust Tuohy to lock down a forward if Henry, Kolo or Zuthrie went down. Duncan is still really between the arcs.

Anyway, they'll both play in the Prelim.

 

[iameviljez]

This year or next year?

If he gets a clear run at it over summer, I could see Cam stepping into that type of role next season

Completely agree. Cam is class, but will have lost a yard over the last two years. Would be great off half-back or a back pocket, and did play his first few years there.

 

[Chinacats]

I'd love to hear your intel on Duncan's declining training standards as it's the first I'm hearing there's an issue.

Probably trains great, but get him on edge. Same with Bews, SDK , touhy and a few more. Get them hungry. Holmes & O. Henry missed cups in the last two years… they should be training the house down and letting their teammates know the pain of missing out on a cup. Let’s rev them all up ! Can’t be satisfied with a demolition of putrid pretender Port.
Harder game is coming.