Round 20 Cats gameday thread

[mpr104]

I think a lot of it was psychological, thgey were under such intense pressure that when they had space they still had the pressure of thinking that someone might be lurking or bearing down on them.

Yep spot on, but they have been playing with lack of confidence and conviction for weeks now.

[ScottH]

Geelong 20.13 133
Sydney 14.10 94

A somewhat better quarter by the Swans but the Cats took the foot off the pedal after destroying the Swans in the 3rd quarter to seal the game.

Outplayed in the ruck, midfield, forward line and back line, the Cats were too damn good and should win the flag this year. There were more ordinary players than good for the Swans and the umpiring didn't do us any favours.

Hall was great with 17 disposals (14 kicks, 3 handballs), 15 marks, kicking 5 goals and 3 behinds although Scarlett was a late omission. Mattner and Kennelly were better players in the backline with 26 and 24 disposals respectively, Buchanan played alright for someone suspended for 2 weeks too many, Bevan played a solid tagging role and very unlucky not to receive a free kick after tackling Ablett. Kirk and B1 got a fair bit of the ball but their impact was more limited when comparing the likes of G. Ablett, Bartel, Corey, Enright, Ling and Selwood. Bird played well for a first year player against a strong outfit.

Goodes did some good things but should've stayed in the forward line throughout the game, Crouch was great until his injury, Fosdike will improve and get more time on the ground along with Malceski, who had a quiet performance.

Disappointments include L. Ablett, Everitt, Jolly, Grundy, McVeigh, ROK and LRT who were all well-beaten and need to lift their game.

Buchanon was out for 4 weeks.

Fosdike was alright, one of the few who wanted to kick it, but his accuracy was a bit wayward.
Everitt had one of his better games I thought, not great, but better than most others.
Ablett was just normal.
Jolly has been quiet for a month now, I wonder whether he is carrying an injury or niggle.
LRT was beaten, but not disgraced, I thought he did some good things tonight.
ROK was on one of the best players in the game in Corey, and was outplayed most of the night.
Crouch was good, one of the few who always straightens up when he gets the ball. Up until the shoulder injury anyway.

Hall BOG. (for us)
Monty was OK in spurts.
Malceski was OK, but saw very little of it. His pass to hall was something to get excited about.
Bird also kicked long to Hall instead of handpassing to a player under pressure.

[i'm-uninformed2]

How good is Bird going to be when he loses the puppy fat

[Legs Akimbo]

It's difficult to know how to treat tonight's loss. Realistically, we were always a long shot (although...gulp...I had a good vibe in the first quarter), and we were not disgraced.

However, if you take the bigger picture, it leaves one to wonder what comes next?

I would like to see Jack and Vesz back in the team and perhaps MOD to make a return.

[sharp9]

Can't agree that Crouch was that great. Got a lot of the ball and didn't use it very well. Those days are over at the top level now. We need to stick by what Roosey said earlier in the season and pick a team full of people who can dispose of the football effectively.

Time to retire Everitt, Crouch, Barry, Fosdike, Mathews.

Time to delist Roberts-Thomson. I'm not kidding. It's over. We MUST have more talented players in the 2s. We MUST. Not to mention more aware, and less prone to giving away stupid and unnecessary frees.

We can only carry one "learning" player at a time and that needs to be Grundy for 2 more games.

If other players improve or are replaced, then Mattner might be OK and stop those pathetic HTB and other assorted brain fades. He's not much of a defender, though, is he? Slow and constantly beaten in one on ones.

I think that Kennelly should bow out now. He is terribly slow and is defending very poorly. He barely wins a one on one at the moment. His dash is gone. He could get it back if he really, really wanted to, but does he? If not, he should retire as he is a shadow of his former great shape.

Ablett is not good enough at the moment.

[ScottH]

It's difficult to know how to treat tonight's loss. Realistically, we were always a long shot (although...gulp...I had a good vibe in the first quarter), and we were not disgraced.

However, if you take the bigger picture, it leaves one to wonder what comes next?

I would like to see Jack and Vesz back in the team and perhaps MOD to make a return.

Hmm, a few 30+ YO's out and some the above plus a bit of new blood and 2009 may be alright.

[Swans500]

[QUOTE=sharp9;404910]



I think that Kennelly should bow out now. He is terribly slow and is defending very poorly. He barely wins a one on one at the moment. His dash is gone. He could get it back if he really, really wanted to, but does he? If not, he should retire as he is a shadow of his former great shape.

I have said this for months....he does not really want to be here. Always going on about returning to his real passion back in Ireland....

[ScottH]

I thought Kennelly was one of our best tonight.

[SassySwan]

[QUOTE=Swans500;404912]

I think that Kennelly should bow out now. He is terribly slow and is defending very poorly. He barely wins a one on one at the moment. His dash is gone. He could get it back if he really, really wanted to, but does he? If not, he should retire as he is a shadow of his former great shape.

I have said this for months....he does not really want to be here. Always going on about returning to his real passion back in Ireland....

Put Him on a Plane and Send Him Home!!!

[Swans500]

Yes...I AM feeling bitter tonight, clutching at straws and looking for things to blame.....but...Tadgh has has 2 GFs and a Flag....only hangin' in for the money before getting back to the amateurs at home!!!!

[hammo]

What a depressing match to watch. And if ever there was a reality check for the shambolic team in red and white then that was it. The Swans talked up a good game during the week so there is no point now saying we were beaten by a classier team. Time for Roos to admit we're not good enough and do something about it.

Geelong's skills, pace and positioning put us to shame tonight. The days of relying on guts and determination to win games is over. The game has passed Sydney by. Players who offer little more than 'they try hard' (Ablett, LRT) have to be dropped for those who have skill and pace.

From my perspective our best were Hall, Jude Bolton, Bird, Bevan and McVeigh.

The Goodes' at full forward experiment came crashing back to earth but it wasn't Adam's fault. A combination of Geelong's pressure in midfield and dumb execution by Sydney undermined his efforts.

[ScottH]

While feel bitter, we played the team that is a mile better than most other teams, and you can't blame Tadhg, there were a lot worse on the ground than him.

[Swans500]

While feel bitter, we played the team that is a mile better than most other teams, and you can't blame Tadhg, there were a lot worse on the ground than him.

That is true....but someone mentioned the Kennelly subject and it has been on my mind a while.

He is rarely the worst but, still, a shadow of what he was since the string of injuries.;

[anniswan]

Just hand the cup to Geelong now. Game Over!

[Nico]

Slaughtered out of the middle AGAIN. Geelong get all their players off the square in there real quick and have the uncanny knack of picking out the loose ball. Our players coming off the square just did not stick with their man all night.

What amazed me about Geelong is their abilty to win the second ball from a contest whether it be centre bounce or around the ground, and what is so obvious is they are quick to every contest and spread so quick.

I thought Bevan played a good game. As I saw it he was on Johnson for the first half and then Ablett for much of the second. No doubt beat Johnson and curbed Ablett.

Scott, I cannot agree on Fosdike. He got kicks late in the game but on a number of occasions didn't chase and didn't push back. Thought he was a genuine passenger. In the 3rd Q at a crucial time Bevan burst off half back, Fosdike was the second in the handpass chain and went backwards and put us under so much pressure for a turnover goal. Bevan would have to have been spewing watching the ball coming back his way. Was crap footy.

How does Ablett get a game ahead of Jack. A shocking selection. Jack would have had much more impact. Then again anything is better than nil. Anus horribilus.

Did I see someone say Kirk wasn't that good. Now let me think. Yes was on Selwood who had no influence. Kirk was terrific and ran off Selwood all night.

Fair dinkum fancy bagging Mattner - he and Kennelly gave us great run out of defence, problem was we stuffed up with too many handballs through the middle ie.they created the play and space.

Hall and Kennelly very good.
Serviceable were - J Bolton, Bird, Crouch, Buchanan, Moore.
Thought Craig Bolton was pretty good.
LRT - why would you have him run through the centre for a handball, he just turns it back over quite rythmically. Twice for 2 goals.
Grundy is a worry, he doesn't think ahead of the game and kicks too often to an unmarked opposition player. Gets it enough but....

Disappointing - Goodes, McVeigh (proved again a waste of time as a tagger)
Malceski, Jolly, Everitt, ROK (getting done on the tag too often) Richards (mistakes and slow)
Side - didn't make the contests near enough.

Beaten by a better side but we didn't help ourselves by over possessing through the midfield when it was obvious Hall, one out was the option. He had 13 marks, most contested, he should have had 25 if they didn't over possess. And they somehow forgot that Goodes was up there too.

People will say an honourable loss, it should have been more honourable.