Geelong smash Port: Feel better?

[shanegrambeau]

What a hiding.
Look familiar?
Port Adelaide, 60 points!
I hope Dougal feels better, a little.
One thing we need is flexible game plans.plan B , plan C etc.
Screw that idea about having a game ‘identity’, that commentators can recognize.
The more obvious it is, the more Geelong just hack it.
Gawd, I hate Geelong. Especially more now, since they write Cats after their name.

[Devilhead]

Cats will fall over again come finals as they will struggle with the pressure and pace of finals football

[Cordz2]

I’d like some of what Geelong has been taking recently. They are playing like men possessed. Almost impossible to score against and despite 4-5 pushes in the back a game, Hawkins has Become the monster we all hoped we’d never see. Even Charlie Dixon looked harmless against their team defence. It did settle some of the pain of Monday night. They’ve taken us all by surprise with this sudden surge of near perfect team football.

[kalsaint]

Cats will fall over again come finals as they will struggle with the pressure and pace of finals football

I never get the idea that finals all of a sudden becomes faster more pressure. I reckon the crowds a re bigger so there's more noise, Struggling is only there because the general manhandling of players is let go in finals by umpires and other let offs mean players take advantage of closing the gap to create pressure to quicker players to ensure the ball is moved on quicker. This establishes faster, greater ball movement. Geelong has made an art of this manhandling in the last 2 games. They grizzle a lot in finals when other teams do this to them a lot more in finals.
Smaller crowds this year may show up this. Time will tell.

[The_Dud]

They’re kind of ruining the whole ‘can’t perform with repeated short breaks between games’ thing.

[Devilhead]

Cats will fall over again come finals as they will struggle with the pressure and pace of finals football

I never get the idea that finals all of a sudden becomes faster more pressure. I reckon the crowds a re bigger so there's more noise, Struggling is only there because the general manhandling of players is let go in finals by umpires and other let offs mean players take advantage of closing the gap to create pressure to quicker players to ensure the ball is moved on quicker. This establishes faster, greater ball movement. Geelong has made an art of this manhandling in the last 2 games. They grizzle a lot in finals when other teams do this to them a lot more in finals.
Smaller crowds this year may show up this. Time will tell.

The Port v Tigers game and the Port v Cats game was the absolute definition of chalk and cheese

There was more pressure in open can of sardines than the Cats had to face in their last 2 games

Sorry but not convinced about the Cats at all

[Devilhead]

They’re kind of ruining the whole ‘can’t perform with repeated short breaks between games’ thing.

Not that hard to perform when the other side just don't turn up

Finals is different kettle of piranhas

[samuraisaint]

Big Jake and Bradley Hill were very sick before the match on Monday night apparently.Very ill on the bus from Noosa to the Gabba according to the mail.

I think we'll see a very different Saints on Sunday arvo against the Bombres.

Win that, and we can reload for the final five H&A matches of 2020 with confiidence. The important thing is all about how we respond.

If Ross isn't right, could we bring back Ryan Byrnes for another chance? Could be an opportunity here.

[skeptic]

They’re kind of ruining the whole ‘can’t perform with repeated short breaks between games’ thing.

Don’t agree...

They rested a bunch of players at the right time and have prioritised a lot on post game recovery

IMO they’re preparation at the moment is elite

[goods]

IMO says more about Geelong the past week than St Kilda. Their maturity and strength suits this revised game and the gabba. We need when facing Geelong next without exception ryder and Marsall Zak Jones, fit Ross and Bytel with Steele in the center. Otherwise at the gabba its won at the clearance, all focus is midfield!! This should be our focus.

[Yorkeys]

Not better but sort of confirms feeling Cats were hot, we (and Port) were cold and that Cats get a ride from the umps. The downside for the Cats is the finals are not next week, umpiring ride will stop, Hawkings is a good bump away from have recurring back problems and we have a lot of improvement in us. We learnt a lot from playing them, they learn nothing from 10 goal wins. Taylor looked a bit proppy didn't he. The Cats are now the hunted. We are stealthy under the radar - the experts lauding us was getting a touch uncomfortable. Yeah I suppose I do feel better.

[The Fireman]

nope, just shows how far we have to improve ..Girlong ..atm..are flying..will prob get the flag.


we are improving leaps and bounds..we will catch these handbaggers very soon.

[goods]

Not better but sort of confirms feeling Cats were hot, we (and Port) were cold and that Cats get a ride from the umps. The downside for the Cats is the finals are not next week, umpiring ride will stop, Hawkings is a good bump away from have recurring back problems and we have a lot of improvement in us. We learnt a lot from playing them, they learn nothing from 10 goal wins. Taylor looked a bit proppy didn't he. The Cats are now the hunted. We are stealthy under the radar - the experts lauding us was getting a touch uncomfortable. Yeah I suppose I do feel better.

Sould re repay their coach and Hawkins as a target with the blessings Chris and the lions imposed on Nick's shoulder injury 13 years ago.

[Secret Kiel]

In hindsight it is clear a few on here got big heads after the win against Port.

[Toy Saint]

Big Jake and Bradley Hill were very sick before the match on Monday night apparently.Very ill on the bus from Noosa to the Gabba according to the mail.

I think we'll see a very different Saints on Sunday arvo against the Bombres.

Win that, and we can reload for the final five H&A matches of 2020 with confiidence. The important thing is all about how we respond.

If Ross isn't right, could we bring back Ryan Byrnes for another chance? Could be an opportunity here.

If they were sick they should not have played. A healthy Marsh and Savage would be a lot better than a sick Hill and Jake. If true, terrible decision by the match committee.

[Secret Kiel]

Big Jake and Bradley Hill were very sick before the match on Monday night apparently.Very ill on the bus from Noosa to the Gabba according to the mail.

I think we'll see a very different Saints on Sunday arvo against the Bombres.

Win that, and we can reload for the final five H&A matches of 2020 with confiidence. The important thing is all about how we respond.

If Ross isn't right, could we bring back Ryan Byrnes for another chance? Could be an opportunity here.

If they were sick they should not have played. A healthy Marsh and Savage would be a lot better than a sick Hill and Jake. If true, terrible decision by the match committee.

Not necessarily, the Asterisk cup has challenges that are mostly being kept from the footy fans, the AFL's PR machine is to be commended for maintaining the illusion of normalcy. Suffice to say the selection process is impossible at the moment due to there being any AFL ready players to pick from each week.

A sick experienced AFL player is better than an inexperienced player who can't play in competition at the feeder level to prepare for the elite standard. It's that simple and is another reason why results are compromised.

[The_Dud]

Big Jake and Bradley Hill were very sick before the match on Monday night apparently.Very ill on the bus from Noosa to the Gabba according to the mail.

I think we'll see a very different Saints on Sunday arvo against the Bombres.

Win that, and we can reload for the final five H&A matches of 2020 with confiidence. The important thing is all about how we respond.

If Ross isn't right, could we bring back Ryan Byrnes for another chance? Could be an opportunity here.

If they were sick they should not have played. A healthy Marsh and Savage would be a lot better than a sick Hill and Jake. If true, terrible decision by the match committee.

Not necessarily, the Asterisk cup has challenges that are mostly being kept from the footy fans, the AFL's PR machine is to be commended for maintaining the illusion of normalcy. Suffice to say the selection process is impossible at the moment due to there being any AFL ready players to pick from each week.

A sick experienced AFL player is better than an inexperienced player who can't play in competition at the feeder level to prepare for the elite standard. It's that simple and is another reason why results are compromised.

Another swing and a miss!

Bytel‘s (you know the guy you guaranteed wouldn’t get a game) game against Geelong was better than any game Ross has played this season. Seemed pretty ready to everyone else but you.

Also, King says hi

[perfectionist]

I never get the idea that finals all of a sudden becomes faster more pressure...

Dunno about all finals, but close GFs have a quantum increase in pressure which we saw in 1966, 1971, 1997, 2009 and 2010 (1).

[saynta]

nope, just shows how far we have to improve ..Girlong ..atm..are flying..will prob get the flag.


we are improving leaps and bounds..we will catch these handbaggers very soon.

Makes one wonder what they are on. Would not be the first time either.

[Saintmatt]

They’re kind of ruining the whole ‘can’t perform with repeated short breaks between games’ thing.

I think there's 3 parts to this: -

1. The battle hardened bodies seem to be standing up well to the repeated breaks:
2. The sides that have been relatively stable for a longer period pre-Covid - personnel-wise - and know their systems and plans back the front and better placed to play well as all teams can't train-in much new 'content' in between games; and
3. The sides that are in the mix with something to aspire to will play better - irrespective of the length of break - against sides that are just playing out time in 2020

Just my 2-bob's worth anyway

[Sanctorum]

They’re kind of ruining the whole ‘can’t perform with repeated short breaks between games’ thing.

I think there's 3 parts to this: -

1. The battle hardened bodies seem to be standing up well to the repeated breaks:
2. The sides that have been relatively stable for a longer period pre-Covid - personnel-wise - and know their systems and plans back the front and better placed to play well as all teams can't train-in much new 'content' in between games; and
3. The sides that are in the mix with something to aspire to will play better - irrespective of the length of break - against sides that are just playing out time in 2020

Just my 2-bob's worth anyway

So true Saintmatt, like it or not. there's no doubt that Geelong are currently in premiership form, and they had these 2 big wins without Gazza. If they keep this up I can't see anyone beating them, with the Brisbane Lions and WCE about the only ones likely to cause an upset.

At the start of the season I thought that Geelong may struggle because of their ageing list but in reality it is the experience of their big stars and their exceptional ball movement that is devastating the opposition. We might not like Chris Scott but he is a bloody good coach and gets the best out of his players with a sound game plan.

[sunsaint]

They’re kind of ruining the whole ‘can’t perform with repeated short breaks between games’ thing.

Not that hard to perform when the other side just don't turn up

Finals is different kettle of piranhas

Port game and our game played out very similar
Low scoring first half then explode

Finals are a pressure boiler and they seem to be absorbing the opposition resistance in the first two quarters and then breaking them

On a bigger note did carlisle run pretty boy into form...

[samuraisaint]

Big Jake and Bradley Hill were very sick before the match on Monday night apparently.Very ill on the bus from Noosa to the Gabba according to the mail.

I think we'll see a very different Saints on Sunday arvo against the Bombres.

Win that, and we can reload for the final five H&A matches of 2020 with confiidence. The important thing is all about how we respond.

If Ross isn't right, could we bring back Ryan Byrnes for another chance? Could be an opportunity here.

If they were sick they should not have played. A healthy Marsh and Savage would be a lot better than a sick Hill and Jake. If true, terrible decision by the match committee.

Not necessarily, the Asterisk cup has challenges that are mostly being kept from the footy fans, the AFL's PR machine is to be commended for maintaining the illusion of normalcy. Suffice to say the selection process is impossible at the moment due to there being any AFL ready players to pick from each week.

A sick experienced AFL player is better than an inexperienced player who can't play in competition at the feeder level to prepare for the elite standard. It's that simple and is another reason why results are compromised.

Easier said than done - imagine what would have happened had we dropped Carlisle and Hill at the last minute after resting Ryder and Jones, on top of having Hannebury, Ross and Dunstan all unavailable through injury.

Shortened quarters or no, Ratten is no fool, he knows we would have lost that game by 100 points +.

[Cordz2]

In hindsight it is clear a few on here got big heads after the win against Port.

Enlighten us with your extraordinary foresight, legend.

[samuraisaint]

Big Jake and Bradley Hill were very sick before the match on Monday night apparently.Very ill on the bus from Noosa to the Gabba according to the mail.

I think we'll see a very different Saints on Sunday arvo against the Bombres.

Win that, and we can reload for the final five H&A matches of 2020 with confiidence. The important thing is all about how we respond.

If Ross isn't right, could we bring back Ryan Byrnes for another chance? Could be an opportunity here.

If they were sick they should not have played. A healthy Marsh and Savage would be a lot better than a sick Hill and Jake. If true, terrible decision by the match committee.

Not necessarily, the Asterisk cup has challenges that are mostly being kept from the footy fans, the AFL's PR machine is to be commended for maintaining the illusion of normalcy. Suffice to say the selection process is impossible at the moment due to there being any AFL ready players to pick from each week.

A sick experienced AFL player is better than an inexperienced player who can't play in competition at the feeder level to prepare for the elite standard. It's that simple and is another reason why results are compromised.

If I could like this post twice I would.

If Hill and Carlisle hadn't played we would have gone down by 17 goals not by nearly ten.

Ratten knows that the match tomorrow against Essendon is the most important match we have until we play Melbourne in Alice Springs. Geelong are hard to beat, Essendon are gettable but if we go in tired they'll beat us. That's why he rested players against the Cats and that's why he gave Ross another week to get 100% right.

We beat Essendon tomorrow and it is an eight point match. After they drew with the Suns they effectively may have taken two sides out of the running for the finals this season.

And especially after GWS were thrashed by Sydney it looks more and more like our position in the Top Eight will be safe should we win tomorrow. Win tomorrow at the Gabba and we remove the threat of them taking our place.

And then hopefully repeat the dose in a couple of weeks against Melbourne, which is another eight point match for us.