PREGAME: Rd 08 vs Geelong

[At the break of Gawn 4,460]

1 hour ago, jnrmac said:

Handy ins for the Cats. Rohan has won the Kent Kingsley award against us before....

I actually think Scott has made a blunder here. Parfitt has been great for them and no O’Connor clearly means they’re not going to tag Oliver or Petracca. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rohan is the sub.

[Nicko 1,382]

21 minutes ago, At the break of Gawn said:

I actually think Scott has made a blunder here. Parfitt has been great for them and no O’Connor clearly means they’re not going to tag Oliver or Petracca. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rohan is the sub.

A famous cats “late change” coming up…🤷‍♂️

[whatwhat say what 22,783]

No change for us but they’re ‘managing’ O’Connor (who I thought was certain to go to Trac) and Parfitt (who’s been arguably their best mid all year)?!??

Hope we lay the absolutely smack down on em

[Red But Mostly Blue 4,547]

From the game preview on the AFL app…

Melbourne and Geelong have faced each other in “nail-biting finals in… 2021’

2021??! 

125-42? That final? 

😕🤷‍♂️

Edited May 2 by Red But Mostly Blue

[Roost it far 8,310]

1 hour ago, Demon Dynasty said:

Probably a bit of a learning curve for Joey in this position Deever.

Mostly played off a wing or as an outside mid at Casey.

Keep in mind his last game was his first full game for 2024 as well.

Rnds 1, 3, 4 & 5 he was coming on as sub.  Doesn't really allow a player to find the pace and his feet in a match on such limited minutes. 

Reckon he'll improve slowly as he gets more game time in general and more time in this particular role.

He'd want to get a move on though as he'll have Bowey & Salo chomping at his heels in the next few weeks.

I think Woewodin needs to model his game on ANB. He’s not the most talented but I’d bet my last dollar he’s prepared to put the work in to succeed.

Edited May 2 by Roost it far

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

3 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

I think Woewodin needs to model his game on ANB. He’s not the most talented but I’d bet my last dollar he’s prepared to put the work in to succeed.

Yes i suspect he's done that in the last few off seasons Roost.

Looks to be in tip top condition.

[binman 43,189]

1 hour ago, leave it to deever said:

We are lacking in depth to teams like Carlton who have 11 players out and are doing well.

I think we are definitely lacking depth in our midfield and our fwd line is still injury depleted or out in Smith, Bbb ( playing injured possibly, McAdam and Milkshake.

It's subjective isn't it.

Everybody seems to love the giants. Me too.

Consensus seems to be they have a good list.

This is their top 12 rated players in the last 20 matches:

Edited May 2 by binman

[binman 43,189]

And their next 12:

[binman 43,189]

Compare the pair:

[binman 43,189]

[Demon Disciple 12,187]

GWS is flush with scary level talent. They should be making PF’s every year.

[binman 43,189]

5 minutes ago, binman said:

JVR is number 25 with 6.74. Hore then Howes, who is on 6.6.

Jacob Weher is their 25th rated player on 6.5, riccarrdi and Adam Kennedy.

[Jaded No More 68,967]

1 hour ago, Red But Mostly Blue said:

From the game preview on the AFL app…

Melbourne and Geelong have faced each other in “nail-biting finals in… 2021’

2021??! 

125-42? That final? 

😕🤷‍♂️

The only nail biting part of the 2021 final against them was May going off with a hammy 😂

[binman 43,189]

26 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

GWS is flush with scary level talent. They should be making PF’s every year.

Agree.

Ditto dees.

[Adam The God 30,305]

1 hour ago, At the break of Gawn said:

I actually think Scott has made a blunder here. Parfitt has been great for them and no O’Connor clearly means they’re not going to tag Oliver or Petracca. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rohan is the sub.

It means they'll play slingshot, like they do every week.

We just have to make sure we score big from stoppage and neutralise their stoppages. 

[layzie 33,871]

57 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

The only nail biting part of the 2021 final against them was May going off with a hammy 😂

And Lever's little scare. 

And maybe not nail-biting but Max's 5 had me on the edge of my seat with excitement, does that count?

[Gawndy the Great 9,011]

2 hours ago, binman said:

Compare the pair:

Our top end Is slightly better bu my their talent bats deeper. 

[The Swimming Dee 1,904]

4 hours ago, Jaded No More said:

Every single time. The absolute biggest spud. Hopefully Howes can nullify him. 

Rohan is not a spud. You don’t play close to 200 games if you are a spud

[WERRIDEE 5,479]

Possible lineup

B: Lever, May, McVee

HB: Rivers, McDonald, Petty

C: Langdon, Petracca, Windsor

HF: Chandler, Turner, Neal-Bullen

F: Fritsch, van Rooyen, Pickett

FOLL: Gawn, Oliver, Viney

IC: Howes, Sparrow, Laurie, Billings

SUB: Woewodin 

[JJR 681]

Mainly everybody thinks Geelong will be too good for us....I'm gonna chuck a sneaky $50 on the dees for 30+ 🤣 

Edited May 2 by JJR

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,865]

6 hours ago, The Swimming Dee said:

Rohan is not a spud. You don’t play close to 200 games if you are a spud

Agreed.

He’s had some terrible grand finals but it’s one of footy’s greatest myths to suggest that  Gary Rohan is a poor footballer.

He’s often kicked multiple goals against us.

[Juicebox 628]

10 hours ago, Demon Dynasty said:

Parfit is a fringe player at the mogs.

He was competing for the same spot as Narkle for a while.  Gave the nod to Parfit but took them a few seasons which tells you roughly where Parfit's at imv.

For the cats so far this year, Parfitt is:

- 1st tackles (ave 6.8)

- 2nd clearances (ave 5.2)

- 1st contested possessions (ave 9.3)

 

Geelong actually run pretty thin in the guts and Parfitt out is significant. Personally I don’t think our midfield has fired as a collective all season. Sure we’ve had cameos that’s help us get us over the line. But satday night I wanna see us flex in the midfield and dominate this one start to finish. A 50+ point win. Don’t “manage” your guys against us you arrogant [censored]. [censored] I hate Geelong. 

[Engorged Onion 10,223]

I get it's hard to conceptualise how brutual and taxing the game is on the body until you've done it yourself.

It's such an odd thing to personalise Parfitt's (or anyone's) 'management' as a statement of arrogance as opposed to 'literal' management of his fatigue and loading for a competition whereby most athletes will be running effectively 30-40km weekly, plus all the intense contact that comes weekly, and still having to put in those km's - and then doing it  8 months of the year...

Here's the thing: managing players is a crucial strategy in today's elite sports.

Squad Rotation: Teams have a larger pool of talented players than just the starting 22. This allows coaches to rotate players to prevent fatigue and injuries.

Match-Specific Strategies: Every opponent presents a different challenge. Coaches might choose players who have a specific skillset that directly counters the strengths of the team they're facing.

 

Injury Management: Even minor niggles can be a concern for elite athletes. A player might be listed as "managed" to avoid aggravating a slight injury and ensure they're fit for important games later in the season.

 

That said, it's also fair to acknowledge the complexities involved. Without being privy to the inner workings of a team, it's difficult to definitively judge the motivations behind a player's "management."

 

There could be a genuine need to manage fatigue or a niggling injury, or perhaps there's a tactical consideration at play. Ultimately, the goal should be to maximize the team's success while prioritising player well-being.

 

Open communication between coaches, players, and the public can help foster trust and understanding in these situations and, the reality is, is that that information is rarely for public consumption.

 

Edited May 2 by Engorged Onion

[picket fence 17,182]

On 28/04/2024 at 16:56, picket fence said:

So he's due and sinks 5 for them and that great pretender Garry Rownot comes in for Danger and kicks a lazy 4 as well! I CAN JUST SEE IT🤯

Um first prophesy gets up Rownot in!

[Deemania since 56 6,662]

12 hours ago, leave it to deever said:

 

Maybe he could put some pressure on Sparrow when either of those two come back.

Sparrow is due for a big game - he has the attributes, maybe he has been lacking some fitness recently. He is really an asset coming forward from the midfield area - even shooting at goal, on the run from just outside the 50m arc.