Demon17

I agree. Smiths size and speed was defintiely good for Rohan , and Smith is arguably a better player anyway than Rohan. Hibberd probably has better defensive nous but is he fit enough. Could have been worse news.

My mistake. You're absolutely correct Lucifer. All non-port Power fans, i.e the rest of Adelaide will want to see maximum pain. That only happens if they meet the Dees in the GF. This weekend will lull Port into a false sense of security.

Up to now I hadn't considered this weekend from a Port perspective. Never a truer word spoken. All of Adelaide will be on the Cats this Friday. As I think David King said sagely for once this year - you're going to have to get past Melbourne to win the flag in 2021.

At a neutral business meeting I attended yesterday, someone summed up the mood of the room by saying at the end of football chat "...ABG..." It stood for Anyone But Geelong. My motto now till midnight Friday.

If we can make it past Friday, then with the weeks bye, the tiredness factor goes away and teams will be equal. We have 2 games up our sleeve at Optus. They have none (might be a 1 percenter) It will get down to talent and prelim injuries. I just want to see the AA bench again for the last 10 minutes of the game this week.

Great research that fills me with confidence. Something has to. But your point that the cats are not close to the quality of the outliers is valid. If anything, the Dees quality and talent is more a match to those earlier chamion teams.

Or 5 out of the last 6 as losses. I noted in another post that as a sample of Prelim performances, in the immediate last 6 years prior to introduction of the pre-finalsbye, as in this years structure, 11 of those 12 PF's were won by the QF winning teams. i.e. this year Dees and Port. The mighty Threepeat hawks the only team to buck this trend

And for fun I just looked at the previous 2 years, 2009, 2008. Same result. All big PF wins for the earlier QF winners So that makes 8 years and 14 out of 15. I rest my case.

I have been searching for a sign in the histroy books on Prelim finals stats and a possible trend. Contrary to what Gerard Whately said on SEN this morning about the past few years when the pre-finals bye was introduced in 2016, the results from Qualifying Finalks then the perfomance of those winners in the subsequent Prelim show no material trend. But, given no Pre finals bye this year, rendering recent history meaningless, I thought it prudent to look at the 6 years prior to the bye. 2010 to 2015. Yes I know there are many variables . Someone else can model those. But, in the 12 qualifying finals in this period the results are in the Dees and Port's favour -big time. 11 times the QF winner won their PF 2 weeks later . (only one QF loser made it to the GF in those 6 years - the mighty hawks in 2015 (going on to win the GF) Of those 11 winners, 7 were blow out wins, and 4 were close (less than 2 goals - but wins nevertheless.) Another way to look at it, only once in 6 years (or 12 PF's) did a QF loser get back to the PF via a semi and win. Clarksons Threepeat team. We ain't facing that standard team this week. Nor the master coach.

I listened to King also. I wonder which game he was watching on Round 23 and was so contradictory. Just needed to say something . Ypu could feel Gerard not being on the same page. Earlier on SEN with Tim and Garry, Kane Cornes was way more realistic and analytical . Thinks it will be hard, but how can the Cats possibly navigate through the dees defence Hardly anyone else has figured it out and thinks its the difference.

Great piece marty . Well said. But Max also has that well deserved Kiwi superiority/high self esteeem complex.

Theyv'e won only a single Prelim out of their last 6. It won't be Selwood letting them down, he's a proven leader who gives all he can, its against their bottom 6 where our bottom 6 (whoever they are, because I don't think we have any in the definiton of the term) will will bring home the bacon.

Dees forward line is the sum of parts - not just two very good players that can both be stopped. Cats small forwards can't hold a candle to our team forward defence and scoring capacity. Not forgetting Ed Langdon - highest scoring wingman this year in the AFL

The team isn't the problem. Do you think Oliver and Gawn and Viney and their mates will stand for a poor showing against the cats? Not likely. We are the issue here. But then I saw Jimmy Stynes cross over the mark in 1987 right in front of me at Waverley.

You missed my point. I agree its a great effort to be up so long, but the home ground is 115 metres wide for gawds sake. Thats a huge disadvantage to a visiting team, when all other grounds are much wider with wider pockets. Geelong have mastered this issue . They train on such a narrow space etc. Other teams advantage is primarily one of crowd support and umpiring decision affirmation. Not one of geometry which has a tangible impact. The win/loss prelim ratio is an issue. Ignore it and it will keep happening. What's the point if the ojective is a flag .

He played in our last Prelim. Final victory over the cats in 1954, his 19the game , at the age of 18 Year 203 days (and kicked a goal). Youngest player on the field that day. Thanks for everything Ron, we love you, and get ready to unfurl the flag next March.

Love him or hate him, Kane Cornes today is correctly mounting the campaign against Selwoods hit on Friday night, exactly the same as Toby Greenes, yet no sanction. Will umpires be Selwood conscious now next week and not pay ducking frees to him? Id' like to think so. I just hope we have Razor Ray and team.

It was never going to happen, as the east boundary of the ground abuts Moorabool st. so can't be widened in that direction without a full stadium and surface re-alignment and re-build. And although the Cats have sucked huge capital out of geelong at the expense of other amenities over the year, to rebuild stadiums for what is maybe 9 games a year and setting up an elitist precinct for limited Geelong rank and file patronage (which is actually what has happened - try paying for a seat in the stadium or using the so-called 'community' facilities), there was never the huge amounts needed to do it properly.

Lost 5 prelims out of the last 6 under Scott. Finsish top 4 due to Kardinia park advantage in H and A. Then deep finals gets them in the end.

Only half this current best 22 played in that game in 2018. Do you think Bowey, Rivers, Langdon, May, Lever,Fritsch, Jackson, Jordan, Sparrow, Brwon, Pickett, Petty, will care. These guys will write their own history on Friday and beyond. .

On the contrary. Its a big ask for the oldest team in the comp to beat the youngest, hungriest and most AA team, away from home when they couldn't do it at home only 3 weeks ago after Dees giving them a 7 goal start. And barely performing against a banged up star-less, heroic and no forward structure GWS 2 days ago And having won only 1 game in the month of August , and that by barely 2 goals against the 10th placed saints. Does this help? because its reality for the cats where I stand.

I may be wrong but pleased we don't face dogs midfield till gf. Cats have a couple of potent forwards yes. But dees have appropriate AA defenders. Plus others. Cats midfield is manageable. Happier port have dogs.

Not really. What I do know is that razor ray and his boys can book themselves in for the gf. That crew tonight were appalling. They'd be swabbed if they were horses.

Could be this DD36 Petty and ratagolea are same height, harry a fraction lighter, but far better footballer Smith has the tank to run with Cameron up the ground which is his speciality, just needs to be careful he's not turned inside out with Cameron running back to Goal. Completly takes Rohan out of the equation, whom l Lever can handle whilst doing his intercepts.

Stat of the Day. And who was the youngest player in the team? An the youngest on the field?? Answer: Ronald Dale Barassi, 18 years 203 days (and he kicked a goal.) In his 19th game no less.