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General Category => Sports => Topic started by: Zzzptm on February 02, 2023, 08:44:41 AM
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Getting ready for the season to kick off. :yes:
17 March - Geelong v Collingwood :drama:
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Yep only 6 weeks away now. Will be some practice matches coming up in the next few weeks
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I heard the Cats dropped Chris Scott and are replacing him with former Denver Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett. Because they like a challenge :)
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I heard the Cats dropped Chris Scott and are replacing him with former Denver Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett. Because they like a challenge :)
Ooooooooooooooh that's a narsty thing to be saying, rumours like that! Boo! Hiss! :redcard: :naughty: :twitch: :zomg:
You made me have to go and Google that just to be sure it was a joke! :D
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Write up in today’s newspaper on who should be Geelongs next Captain
Leading AFL writer Mark Robinson: Patrick Dangerfield should be Geelong’s next captain
Since 2012, the captaincy at the Cattery was never even a thought, but with Joel Selwood now gone, Mark Robinson says the new captain should be just as much of a certainty.
Watching the 2022 grand final twice over summer, there’s a fair argument Patrick Dangerfield should’ve won the Norm Smith Medal.
Watching him play many times over the past decade, there’s even a stronger argument that Dangerfield should be the next captain of Geelong.
Joel Selwood’s replacement will be named in the coming weeks, and although some players will have a say, and some staff, it will be ultimately decided by coach Chris Scott, chief executive Steve Hocking and head of football Simon Lloyd.
It’s a rare event for the Cats.
Every year since 2012, Selwood was automatically captain from the first day he arrived back for pre-season. But without him, the Cats have some thinking to do.
Dangerfield is 32 – 33 in April – and, touch wood, has set his mind on playing for at least another three years.
Captaincy is simply not about you being given the role, it’s about you earning the role.
It’s about performance on the field, and leadership and respect among teammates.
It’s about setting standards behind closed doors, which is always difficult for outsiders to judge, and dealing with corporates, the AFL and the community.
Dangerfield, from afar, ticks all boxes.
On the field, Dangerfield is an inspiring figure. He plays football in a coat of armour, such is his battlefield mentality, and although the body has given him some issues in recent years, this summer he hasn’t missed a training session.
His off-field demeanour and involvement – he is president of the Players Association – adds to his CV. He can lead from the front with a voice and conviction, which itself is a quality not everyone is presented with.
He is primed for the captaincy, if not perfect for it.
All-Australian defender Tom Stewart and Mr Reliable Mark Blicavs are the other two leading candidates. Certainly, the three of them have their quirks.
Stewart is a champion defender and Blicavs is a consistent team-first player, but let’s not beat around the bush: Dangerfield is one of the greats.
We like to think of captains being able to plonk the team on their backs – think Voss, Hird, Carey and Hodge, and in recent years Cotchin and Gawn, and carrying it to victory. By inspiration or brute force. Dangerfield’s done that for a decade without the mantle.
Last year, he was best on ground in the preliminary final and, in this opinion, also in the grand final.
2022 GF: Smith v Dangerfield
Isaac Smith Patrick Dangerfield
Disposals 32 27
Metres gained 772 469
Contested possessions 11 19
Uncontested possessions 21 8
Score involvements 14 13
KFC SuperCoach points 156 133
Not on the day, mind you. Only after watching the game twice more on replay were Dangerfield’s acts more greatly appreciated.
Isaac Smith was the gazelle on the outside and Dangerfield was the lion on the inside.
It really depends how you judge impact. There’s a theory in GFs that an outside player who racks up metres is easy on the eye, and more so when they kick goals, but because it’s a slog in the midfield, where bodies pile on bodies in pursuit of the ball, the firestarters can be undervalued.
In fact, it’s probably underplayed how tough Dangerfield is. He’s played 300-plus games, producing incredible consistency of toughness and commitment. Always, when he gets bashed he gets up, and he never whinges.
Cats great Doug Wade didn’t miss Dangerfield’s efforts last September. “I love Patrick Dangerfield, who to my mind was clearly best on ground in the 2022 grand final,’’ Wade told colleague Jon Anderson on Sunday
Some Geelong officials agree. Although the best-and-fairest votes from each game are never made public by the Cats, it’s believed Smith and Dangerfield couldn’t be separated.
It could be the same with the captaincy: Appoint co-captains.
But if it’s to be one man and you believe in natural-born leaders, then Dangerfield is the obvious selection.
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It's a no-brainer for me, Dangerfield is 100% my choice for captain, if anyone's asking! :)
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I like following Riles Macca, and he's essentially saying with 3 of his predictions that Gold Coast is set to have a breakout year in 2023 and make it to the finals. I'd love to see a bit of a Cinderella story with GC fighting its way out of the basement and into the top 8, but I'm also cognizant that only 8 teams can make top 8... so what teams are poised to fall out of finals contention?
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I think Fremantle might be the most vulnerable to drop out from last year. Don’t think they’ve improved their list at all and have actually lost a bit of depth on their playing stock. They still play a bit of an outdated style of footy where they move the ball slower and more methodical which can be predictable and is susceptible to high pressure from the opposition. I think the way in which they lost the Semi final to Collingwood last year was quite telling and showed just how far off they were against the better teams.
I’ve got a big watch on Sydney too. They’re still a young developing side and will be interesting to see how they come back mentally after that demoralising GF loss.
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If Swans can get some early momentum, I think they'll have the amnesia they need to get over their loss. Freo starts off against St. Kilda, so rational minds have them getting that first win. But how they play against other teams in contention for the top 8 will be telling.
I think the Bulldogs are shaky and maybe also Richmond. Richmond can be good, but can they be good enough for the top 8 or will they land in the middle again this year?
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Hard to get a gauge on the dogs, they’ve recruited a couple of key forwards and a couple of defenders which they desperately needed and suddenly they have some depth at both ends of the ground. Their midfield is fairly stacked but losing Dunkley to Brisbane will hurt. The most telling thing will be if Beveridge will change their game plan. He’s been there nearly 10 years now and his style of coaching is apparently wearing on the players. Maybe his messaging isn’t cutting through like it use to.
As for Richmond. I’m expecting them to be big contenders this season. The recruitment of Hopper and Taranto is huge for them and they are extremely well coached. I think injuries will have a say as to where they finish in the top 8. Lynch, Grimes and Nankervis who have an injury history the last few years are the 3 they can least afford to lose.
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Honestly, I don't see why Geelong doesn't just pull up their socks and do it all over again. :smug: On an AFL Discord channel I joined, lots of touts going to Brisbane... but isn't that how 2022 was supposed to play out, as Brisbane's year? Other than a back-to-back is rare, I don't see a weakness in Geelong. Everyone expects them to be in the top 4 and those top 4 teams have quite a lot to do about who gets to win the GF.
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2023 Predictions
18 AFL creators speaking from their heads and their hearts on where they think their teams will land.
Essendon's guy gave me the biggest laugh, won't spoil it here. :D
MAJOR hedge from the Geelong fan, but a back to back is so hard to claim. Strong team, absolutely. Second GF? Ooooooooooooooh, so hard to claim!
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Cats had a strong 85 point win over the hapless hawks today in their first hit out of the year. The three new recruits looked impressive, especially Tanner Bruhn. Can see all three of them in the team for rd 1. Only downside was Jack Henry injuring the same foot that kept out for 8 weeks last year.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/876662/henry-boots-four-as-red-hot-cats-feast-on-vulnerable-hawks
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And with Hawkins and Rohan sitting out the dance at Hawthorn, it's good to see the Cats with sufficient depth to produce a massive thrashing like that. I'm not going to be in the face of other fans, but I'll say it to friendly folks here - I do fully expect Geelong to be in the top 4. I even expect that if things hold steady for them, they've got enough gas in the tank to make #1 and to take another GF. They continue to play with convincing excellence. I'm 100% stoked for their chances.
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So this was announced to the members this evening
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:yes:
And the whole vibe in that meeting room, talk about positive energy! Cats 2023 are going to be great to watch!
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Just... a few... more... days!
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The Hoops Show YouTube channel is hosting a free 2023 tipping competition, I've signed on, as top prize is a Geelong shop gift certificate!
www.footytips.com.au/comps/TheHoopsShow2023
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With the season start just 7 days away now, something to get you pumped and in the mood
Relentless: Geelong's decade-long journey to a flag…
https://www.afl.com.au/news/881040/watch-relentless-the-inside-story-of-geelong-s-gf-glory
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I think I got some dust specks in my eye as I watched that!
Nice how the Es in "RELENTLESS" were done up to look like the hoops on the Geelong jerseys. :smug:
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Yeah same. There was another doco that aired on the fox footy channel during the weak called “The Greatest Team of All” which was an hour long and documented the season up the winning the GF. If you can track it down give it a watch.
Btw I haven’t forgotten about that thing I promised you Z. I like to take my time with these things to get it right. Just ask Vyn. I have most of it but there’s some other things I’d like to add.
Hopping to get down to the Cattery in the next couple of weeks to finish it off.
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Ah, you spoil me, Jack! First getting me into footy and now this! :)
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Was an absolute thriller to kick off the season. Both teams still don’t know how to win the close games Lmao
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Was an absolute thriller to kick off the season. Both teams still don’t know how to win the close games Lmao
Watch them both miss the finals by half a game. :smug:
Great ending to that match.
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Not too worried about that first up game. Collingwoods system stood up in the end. Our inside 50 entires weren’t clean enough in the last qtr and we struggled to move the ball out of the back half and invited the pressure. Looked a bit underdone with match fitness. Midfield got beat in the end.
Also losing our best defender Stewart in the first qtr to a knee injury didn’t help either and our 2nd best defender Dekonning looked sore throughout the game after twisting his knee. Hopefully he’ll be right for next week, gonna need him.
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Injuries are troubling, but both teams played a massive match, it was a tale of two halves there. Both these teams showed they're ready to pick up from where they left off last year. Best match of the year thus far, even though our Cats took an L.
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Just heard Stewart may be out only for 4 weeks, good news on his recovery.
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Meanwhile, a feisty Carlton side gave Geelong a hole to climb out of and they got close to the top, but came up short. Jezza scored a great 6 goals, but the Cats' defense couldn't do enough to limit Carlton's scoring.
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Time to sound the alarm bells in Geelong, 0-3 start! Premiership hangover or not enough training, letting up on the pedal?
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^All that.Plus the Selwood effect. They look rudderless. Could be one of the biggest premiership hangovers in history. Hard to watch atm.
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My tipping's in a shambles, what with Geelong on a bender and St. Kilda, Essendon, and Norf *actually winning!* So glad I'm not putting money on these outcomes.
I'm going with my heart this week and tipping Geelong to win vs the Hawks. They need to pull up out of this spiral, I think this is the game they get some resolve. Also, it's the HAWKS, ffs.
Wondering if St. Kilda has enough in the tank to get back to the GF after almost 60 years or if they'll revert to form by mid-season and implode.
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Brisbane woke up right as Collingwood's defense went to sleep. Charlie Cameron smashed out a mess of goals, Brisbane got an important win there. Picked Crows to win, but not unhappy to see them take a loss. :smug:
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Brisbane are a different team at home. Good to see Collingwood brought back down to earth. Media hasn’t shut up about them in the first 3 weeks of the season. Tipping has been a nightmare this season. Cats better win this week.
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Geelong preseason ended after the first half against Hawthorn. Second half team were totally different from the lads that played the other 3.5 games. THAT was the team that put on a scoring clinic in the GF. 5/9 this week in my tips.
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Yeah that was the Geelong that won 16 in a row last year. Hopefully that’s the catalyst to kick start their 2023 campaign. Jezza was magnificent! Him running straight into the umpire and shirt fronting him after kicking his 7th goal was hilarious. Glad neither was injured.
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Here it is
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I saw that, it was a great sports moment!
Looking at the current top 8, I'm noticing that teams with 2-2 records reach from 6th to 11th. Quite the pack, there.
In terms of quality victories against current top 8 teams, I find the following:
Saints def Essendon
Carlton no top 8 opponents, best is win over #9 North Melbourne
Melbourne def Brisbane and Sydney
Essendon no wins, loss to St. Kilda
Collingwood's got no top 8 wins, best is def #10 Port, has a loss to Brisbane
Sydney no top 8 wins, loss to Melbourne, narrow loss to #10 Port
Adelaide has no top 8 wins or losses, has defeated #10 Port, also loss to spoon-hunters GWS Giants, but that was week 1
Brisbane lost to Melbourne and #10 Port, but has beaten #11 Bulldogs and has big win over Collingwood.
In terms of quality, Melbourne and Brisbane have the best performance against like top-ranked teams and Port Adelaide has had the next best record in terms of beating the top 8 teams. Those stand out as the top three teams in terms of quality wins.
St. Kilda has a "put up or shut up" schedule this week and the next, facing Collingwood then Carlton. Even one win against those 2 and they can be taken seriously. 2 wins, they're legit. 2 losses, and they're a paper tiger.
Port's had the toughest schedule thus far, only top 8 opponents - I think they're set to rise up as some of the other teams in there on the backs of wins against weak teams are set to tumble when they run into quality opponents.
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Got a hall pass from the missus to listen in on the Geelong - West Coast game that will start Saturday at 10:10PM my time. :smug: Very much looking forward to being able to follow along live without it wrecking my sleep schedule. :D
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Geelong is SMASHING IT at the Adelaide Oval right now. Had a slow, ugly start, then remembered half way through the first quarter that they were a good team. :smug:
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Thank you Cats, I'm now 5/7 on my tips for the week. Great victory over WC, very convincing form and lots of unselfish play, that's the Geelong way!
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Took the foot off in the 2nd half after leading by 77 points early in the 3rd. Huge bummer losing Stengle to a fractured forearm and Stanley a fractured eye socket for the next 4-6 weeks. In particular Stengle is a big loss.
Did you catch this one Z? Jack Riewoldt ended up with 8 staples in the head, bandaged him up and came straight back on the ground and proceeded to kick 4 goals.
So much blood so quickly
https://youtu.be/KZf9c4_OrkE
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I was following on the radio, so didn't have any visuals other than what the announcers had.
Tell you what, though, that Carlton team needs to figure out how to win and fast, or it's going to fall out of the top 8. As for Geelong, they need to show the fire they displayed against WC and Hawthorn against a top team, or they're only good enough to beat the bad. I think that they can, though, and this coming match against the Swans will prove that point.
In slightly related news, I am considering a trip to Melbourne maybe next year or the year following... maybe in a July timeframe... needs to coincide with a Geelong game... :smug: I've got enough air miles accrued to cover the airfare for me and the missus and hotel points to get a Hilton or Marriott-owned room in Melbourne. Planned expenses would be local transportation, dining, and... footy tickets! :D
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Grand Final replay last night! That's the Geelong I like to see! The same Geelong side that plowed under two bottom-tier teams just plowed under a top-tier team. This is the Geelong that was supposed to have shown up in their first 3 games.
Outstanding midfield work and going for the contested marks truly paid off with a 93-point margin of victory that had to be harrowing for the Swans.
Geelong now sit at #7 on the ladder. Melbourne and Adelaide right behind the Cats, each yet to play and, frankly, each expected to win their matches. They'll all be 3-3 after that and while Melbourne might get a high enough % to bump ahead of Geelong, I don't think the Crows will. That has Geelong smashing into the top 8 in convincing style, looks like last year when they got all their losses out early and then Just. Started. Winning.
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Just got home from the game. What a beautiful thing it was seeing the unfurling of the 2022 premiership flag before the game in front of the packed faithful. Then the game started and the cats went straight for the throat from opening bounce and never let up for the entire game handing the Swans their biggest defeat in 25 years and maybe a trip to therapy.
Yep the midfield was outstanding Z, their pressure around the ball and tackling was at its brilliant best, it really did look like men against boys at times with the Cats bigger stronger bodies.
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Swans only scored 3 behinds in the entire second half! Hawkins alone accounted for as much scoring as all of Sydney, I believe.
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This coming episode of 60 minutes in the USA is going to air a story on AFL and Mason Cox.
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Oh really? Innnnnnteresting!
In other news, St. Kilda decided I didn't need to be 9/9 this week on my tipping, losing a back-and-forth match with up-and-coming Port Adelaide. The door's open for Collingwood to take the top of ladder spot if they defeat Adelaide, which I expect them to do.
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Both Collingwood and Adelaide looked inaccurate and sloppy in their match, which Collingwood managed to save by one point. Cats continue to dominate, with a win over Essendon. To Essendon's credit, it was around 30 points, so not a major blowout like the other Geelong wins. :smug:
I was 6/9 on this week because Sydney lost by a point to GWS and Richmond's in a much worse slump than I imagined.
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60 minutes story below. It’s funny to me and a little disconcerting that if an Aussie makes it in the NFL or NBA everyone in Australia knows about it and is quite proud about it, but an American makes it in our a National game, which is an extraordinary feat in itself, most Americans wouldn't even know or care let alone know what Australian rules football is
https://www.cbs.com/shows/video/KI8e3wZ57MDj2IgdyNQGH3JrG_8e8rNY/
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Yeah, Americans tend to have blinders on when it comes to international sport, outside of high-profile soccer games in the top tier leagues in England, Germany, Spain, France, and Italy, with England on top. Mexican soccer has a hefty following from people with ties to the nation, and we're aware that there are some Canadian teams involved in Hockey, Basketball, and Baseball. But Canadian Football? Isn't that where US players go because they can't hack it in the NFL?
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Norf's coach steps down... massive losing season coupled with lingering troubles from Hawthorn made it impossible to keep going in the role. Real shame for the hapless club.
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He’s stepped down for mental health reasons with the ongoing stress from the Hawthorn racism saga that still has no end in sight and also his football team is struggling. Funnily, Brisbane coach Chris Fagan who is also embroiled in the Hawthorn saga has no such issues as his team is flying right now.
Another danger game for the Cats Z. A trip to Perth is never easy and the Dockers have found a bit of form in recent weeks, meanwhile the Cats injuries continue to mount, this week losing Ollie Henry(ruptured testicle :o ), Mitch Duncan(Hamstring) and young gun Jhye Clark(navicular). They do get 3 premiership players back in Jack Henry, Stengle and Close. Still missing quite a few though.
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Not having Dangerfield in mid-field is the biggest concern. He's the machine that feeds goal-generators Cameron and Hawkins. If the rest of the midfield can step up to that level collectively, I think they can win on the road against the Dockers. If this was a game in Adelaide or the Gabba vs Brisbane, no way at this time. Adelaide teams are strong, especially at home, as Melbourne just learned. I think Geelong can get it done on the road - they have to win to stay relevant in GF discussions, and they've got the emotional reserves necessary for a "dig deep" effort.
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Yep, the defence is mostly intact and as long as we have Cameron and Hawkins up front we’re always a chance. Just need that young midfield to step up. Could be their coming of age if they can.
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I'm thinking that would have been a point of emphasis in team activities this week. Danger won't be there forever, lads! Get up and do the job he's doing!
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Hardwick exits Richmond, that team just got a more difficult slog ahead of itself. Meanwhile, WC put up as much fight as a cup of warm jelly. At least Norf are showing some spirit, but WC just hung back and practically begged for the Wooden Spoon in that last game.
Geelong not getting it done in midfield is really concerning. I still think they can tip the Giants this week, but lose to Bulldogs the next. When Danger gets back, they'll be in the hunt for the flag, but not likely in the top 4.
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They’ve lost another midfielder with Holmes now going down with a knee injury for 3-4 weeks. Can’t take a trick atm. Hopefully we’ll have DeKoning, Rohan and Henry back this week but the midfield is as light on as I’ve ever seen it at Geelong in the 50 years I’ve been following them.
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If the midfielders can get their act together vs. GWS, then there's some hope to keep things close with the Bulldogs.
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Agh, no hope and the only tip I picked that held true was Essendon beating WC. Upsets up and down the line in footy, especially hard to see GWS beat the Cats in the Cattery.
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The game had an upset vibe about it all week. GWS had beaten us the previous 2 times down there and it was Toby Greene’s 200th so they were always gonna be fired up for that, their club had made a big deal of it in the lead up. Couple that with the players we had out and it had upset written all over it. 10 minutes in I knew we were in trouble.
We are struggling to defend ball movement while struggling to move the ball with any flow ourselves. We had to fight and scrounge for every goal we kicked yesterday while GWS were able to go from end to end with ease. They opened us up a lot of times and had us for leg speed which is another major concern. We could’ve pinched it in the end but for some costly mistakes at crucial times in that last 10 minutes. Our season is teetering on the edge at the moment, Essendon and Fremantle have now gone past us in the top 8 and with a really tough stretch of games coming up the next 4 games will determine if we play finals or not.
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It's the midfield, they need it so the whole thing doesn't breakdown if Danger's not in.
My tipping was 3/9 this week, did not see Adelaide doing well vs the Lions, but there they are.
Season shaping up to be Collingwood's to lose at this point.
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They are playing like they did at the start of the season even when they did have a midfield. I have no doubt the midfield is a part of the problem and having so many inexperienced players in the team but a lot of it is system based too. Scott was totally outcoached on Saturday, GWS went in with a plan and executed it well. Our ball movement/defending ball movement is an issue and defending ground balls in our defensive 50 is a major issue as well. Our defenders are all at sea when the ball hits the ground inside D50. Very tough stretch of games coming up. I think the plan would be to at least be 9/8 at rd 17 and hopefully have all our players back to have a serious crack at winning it from outside the top 4.
I tipped 4 this week. Adelaide gave me the 4.
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I think hoping for a winning season is not impossible, but with strength showing in Freo and the Dons, getting into the top 8 is going to be dependent on Geelong getting their system together, for sure. They need to play a better brand of footy.
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Dees are reverting to the median, as well. They're doing damn all against Carlton, when they should be lighting up the boards. They've lost to mid-tier teams recently and I think they're lining up to get gutted by Collingwood next week.
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Dees are reverting to the median, as well. They're doing damn all against Carlton, when they should be lighting up the boards. They've lost to mid-tier teams recently and I think they're lining up to get gutted by Collingwood next week.
I don’t think they can win the premiership. It’s Collingwood's to lose. Just a matter of who they’ll play and getting it right on the day.
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That sound you hear is me this morning singing the Geelong fight song. Great win over the Bulldogs, fun match to watch, and nice to see that midfield getting sorted.
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Fantastic tough backs to the wall win. The sort of win that builds belief and confidence.
Hopefully the Cats can get on a roll from here. With Danger, Duncan, Holmes and Stanley to return after the bye week I’m suddenly feeling good about the Cats again. Their best form is still ahead of them where’s maybe a lot of the other clubs near the top of the ladder have peaked a bit early. Here’s hoping anyway.
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8 games this week, and I'm expecting the following...
Swans def Saints - St. Kilda just couldn't get it together of late, after such a promising start. Wait, I've been following footy for this my 3rd year and I *KNOW* I've already said that before!
Bulldogs def by Power - Port seems to be the one team that hasn't agreed to let Collingwood just have it this year.
Hawks def Lions - calling an upset here, thinking the Hawks get another W amid cries of "Gabba Merchants!"
Crows def Eagles - it's West Coast, y'all. These guys have made the strongest case for getting the Wooden Spoon this year.
Dockers def Tigers - Home game for Freo, and their brand of footy is convincing.
Roos vs Giants - SOMEONE has to win this game. Head says GWS, heart says Roos, especially after they really gave it everything against the Dons.
Blues def by Bombers - Essendon ascendant and Damo's advice "I'll never tip Carlton again" sounds good to me.
Demons def by Magpies - Carlton was pitiful in its last game and the Dees were barely better. Collingwood's driving a steamroller to the GF and the Dees right now will put up as much resistance to that drive as would a plastic grocery bag on the road.
So, in Geelong's bye week, I'm looking to cheer for the Roos. :D
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Well, that Swans-Saints game was awful. St. Kilda couldn't get it together, but the Swans couldn't get it together even more. How exactly did the Swans get to the GF last year?
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I did say before the season started there was a question mark over the swans and if a young side like them could bounce back mentally from such a demoralising GF loss last year.
I tipped the Saints but it was a very ordinary game. Most sides would’ve beaten either team tonight.
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They just don't seem to be able to get it together. At least Geelong's had the excuse about injuries of late. But, even then, the team found a way to win vs Western Bulldogs.
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Woke up to see that Collingwood lost ugly to Melbourne.
:smug:
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So looks like we’ve lost Dangerfield again for 3-4 weeks. To give you and idea just how tough that guy is, he received a heavy knock in the back/kidney region early in the 2nd quarter and looked in some distress, takes a lot for him to show any pain so was kinda worrying at the time, but he soldiered on and played out the game despite being in obvious discomfort. He went to the hospital straight after the game in an ambulance and turned out he had cracked ribs and a collapsed lung.
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Yeah, I thought that the Cats hadn't gotten any big injuries in that game and then "Dangerfield Out with Collapsed Lung" shows up in the news... oh man, I hope he recovers fully and quickly.
In the meantime, I think the Cats may be best served by getting some younger players out there and exposed to the action. Make the second half of the season a bit of a tune-up so they can be up for a GF run next year.
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Dempsey starred in the VFL so he might come back in after some consistent form. Another that caught the eye was our mid season draftee Mitch Hardie. Had 21 disposals, 8 tackles and some goal assists in the VFL.
Dangerfield is saying he wants to play next week lmao. He had to drive the 8hrs back from Adelaide to Geelong as he was prevented from flying back with the team with the lung issue.
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Sorry, Danger. You'll have to sit out a week, at least with a COLLAPSED LUNG.
"It was only partially collapsed!"
Oh, only partial? Then get in there, digger!
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Interview with Danger this morning.
https://dcs.megaphone.fm/NTETP4033980153.mp3?key=e40b53b3da8aae5e991161832f86bd61&request_event_id=e6b9a60e-f20f-448a-b662-2b17ee6e5c94&source=3
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Just driving back from Geelong in the pouring rain but it was so worth it. What a fantastic gutsy win by the Cats, especially after losing Jezza in the first qtr when he was brutally knocked out by Gary Rohan in friendly fire.
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Yeah, that was hard to watch. Never good to see any player going off the field on a cart.
Their 3rd Quarter was also hard to watch, with the Dees pulling ahead and me thinking "Oh no not another disaster second quarter"... but Rohan! WOW! What a way to step up and turn things around! That was a tough scrap, and an important win for the Cats. They may have had an on/off season so far, but they're at .500 right now. That's better than Sydney, Freo, and Carlton, all having an off/off season from the looks of things.
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Jezza all good, back on the farm resting up, well sorta
https://instagram.com/stories/jezzacameron/3131207862540685376?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
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Always good to hear of recovery. :)
Pardon me while I hum the Geelong song and everyone else thinks it's music from Bizet's Carmen... :smug:
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31.19(205)... a LOT of frustration just left the Swans. Sure, it all got transferred to West Coast...
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Such a huge bonus for teams that are playing West Coast atm and if you get to play them twice it’s a straight up rort. What a blight on the competition they are. Sydney gained 15% points with that win which will be crucial come the end of the H&A season with lots of teams potentially locked on the same amount of wins.
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Collingwood got another squeak-by win, grrrrrr!
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Sydney tied with Geelong.
:twitch:
Tied.
:doh:
Either Sydney's doing much, much better than earlier in the year, or Geelong's still got a stack of problems it's got to get sorted to stick with its current top 8 ranking. Looking at the accuracy of the shots, but for a few pole hits, this game would have been Sydney's, so I'm going with the "stack o' problems" as my answer to the question. Sydney's got a lot to sort out, but at least they didn't get blown away again. Their GF hangover looks to be over, good for them.
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Absolutely atrocious game of football. Sydney should’ve put us away in the first half but their poor kicking for goal kept us in it. We made the necessary adjustments in the 2nd half were on top of them for most of the 2nd half. We had our chances to go 14 points up in the last 10 minutes but continually butchered our inside 50 entries and and shots on goal. We were still 7 points up with 4 minutes to go but then Sydney dominated the last 4 minutes and should’ve won the game in the end. Lucky to escape with a draw in the end but not a game I ever wanna watch again. Our older players have really struggled the last 2 weeks. Isaac Smith has looked every bit age and a lot of other players look a shadow of last year.
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Yeah, it's time to let go of past glories and get the new kids ramped up.
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Waking up to see the Cats dominated at the Cattery... good... Expected out of 10, actually...
... and then come to find that *Carlton* beat *Port*... BY 50??? and the Crows lost at home??? Am I in some kind of parallel universe? :D
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Just got home from the Cattery. Was not expecting that but not at all surprised. Seen many a team go down there in hot form and cop a whipping. Cats seem to be building nicely. This is the time of year you want to be getting close to your best footy.
Where’s Port are showing signs that they might’ve peaked a bit early. I actually tipped Carlton.
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I tipped falls for St. Kilda, Bulldogs, and Essendon and Geelong to be in 5th. If Geelong wants to hold that spot, it must beat the Lions at the Gabba next week. I sure hope the Cats are now in consistent form and able to get the job done. Would be luverly for them to go on to the final and Collingwood to make an early exit. :)
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Well all righty, Cats in 5th, like I called it... now to beat Brisbie at home and show the rest of the top 4 that they're next. :D
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Carlton only bloody went and BEAT COLLINGWOOD!!!
:applause:
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Yeah even though Carlton have temporarily knocked the Cats out of the eight, it was still very satisfying to see Collingwood lose. I’m off to the Cattery today.
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Oh such a disappointment... *to Freo!*
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Was very disappointing. Season looks cooked. Too many injuries, inconsistent form and a lack of hunger from a playing group that has been up for the last 10 or so years smashing themselves to achieve the ultimate glory which they finally did last year. Now we lose Hawkins and Blicavs to hamstrings.
What a round of upsets though. Every team beat the team above them on the ladder except Hawthorn. Crazy!
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I was 3/9 on my tips for the week and moved *up* in the overall rankings. Wet Toast finally getting its second win was likely unforeseen by millions. :smug:
It's quite possible that the 1-8 we seen now are what goes into finals, with Geelong, Sydney, and Richmond making up 9-11 on the ladder.
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Did all right in my tipping last 2 weeks, but I am still left hoping for Geelong. Win this game and the next and they have a good chance to place in the top 8. I don't have any realistic expectation of a flag this year, but getting into the top 8 would be good enough after the season of injury the Cats have had.
Rough as the Cats have had it, it's nothing compared to the crater where Wet Toast has impacted in their fall from being top 8 contenders.
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Well, that was a tough weekend. Geelong is out of the finals. I don't think they need to rip and replace across the board - this isn't Norf or Wet Toast - but they need to figure out how to get all the pieces back together in a way that gets them back into finals contention. Midfield's where they suffered most this year, hoping they can get the solution for that area and come crashing back in 2024.
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Brisbane to face Collingwood in the GF. I will be cheering for Brisbie to win this one.
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Really hoping for a Lions win tomorrow. I could not deal with a Collingwood win.
Also really hoping Kiss goes down well tomorrow as they are the main act in the GF entertainment. The media and public can be brutal on the GF entertainment as what happened to Meat Loaf in 2011 which sadly forever destroyed his reputation and legacy in Australia.
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I think Kiss will deport themselves well. I'm assuming Thayer is still playing lead with them? In any event, they've always been a tightly run ship and I cannot imagine that they, especially Gene, would half-ass it either performance-wise or gear-wise knowing this will pretty much define their legacy in Australia. I actually remember the fallout from that Meat Loaf performance at the GF back then.
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No doubt they’re professional enough to deal with it but they are playing during the day which does limit the Kiss impact somewhat and the sound can be notoriously bad for rock bands playing in the round at the GF.
A certain demographic is already ridiculing the decision to choose Kiss to play but the reality of the situation is that they weren’t actively sought out by the AFL. They couldn’t get a couple of the big name international acts they wanted and Aussie band Crowded House pulled out a month ago. Kiss’s Australian promoter then offered Kiss up as they are playing a one off show in Sydney next week and said Kiss were prepared to come here a week earlier to play the GF ahead of their Sydney show so the AFL took them up on their offer.
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Didn't watch the match, but a four point game on a 90 score seems like it was well matched. I did read where a lot of folks thought Kiss was impressive, while others felt they were lip-synching and too old to be playing.
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Yeah the GF was a tightly contested affair for the whole game and unfortunately Collingwood was on the right side of the score when the final siren sounded. There was a highly controversial advantage payed to Brisbane which wasn’t an advantage to them at all and should’ve been called back for the Brisbane player to take his free kick within 60m from goal with just over a minute remaining.
As for Kiss, as a spectacle they were great and put on an awesome show that has been met with overwhelming positivity but there was some obvious playback going on to those in the know but I’m not all surprised as it seems to be the norm with these big sporting events these days like the Super Bowl etc.
Full performance
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Thanks for posting that video - I think Kiss did a fine job. The crowd sure seemed to be into it!
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For some reason the YouTube video doesn’t have the intro which was epic!
Can see it here
https://fb.watch/nsXkvirhJN/
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An AFL Discord I'm on had loads of kids going "What's a KISS and what are they doing at a GF?" I told them to just watch and enjoy. :smug:
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AFLW news - Geelong just beat Richmond, always good to type that out, and their % keeps them at the top of the other 5-4 teams. They are 7th on the ladder, go Lady Cats! One in Hoops!
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Good dominant win but the girls team has been a little disappointing this season. Started the season really well but fell away in the 2nd half. They are much better than their ladder position suggests. Should not have dropped games to Essendon and Collingwood. I think they’re the best team in the bottom half of the top 8 and can beat anyone on their day if they play to their potential except maybe Melbourne.
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I'm hoping they get back to form and do well in the finals.
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The lady cats are doing a smashing job in the finals, taking out former premiers Melbourne in a hard-fought match. Geelong ran up a lead in the first 3 quarters, but Melbourne came back hard in the 4th, getting to within one goal. Defense in AFL doesn't always make it to the highlights reels, so it's great to see the struggles in the last two minutes of the game:
Sweet to see the Cats advance in the finals!
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Sad to see their run end... but Norf might actually pull it off to beat Brisbane!