Preview ‪1st SF - Geelong vs Sydney, Friday 15th September, 7:50pm @ MCG ‬

[CoachEmUpChucky]

21000 tickets left apparently... im surprised that many have been sold.

Very surprised.

 

[darrenmorgan]

Very surprised.

That won't include MCC members (23k) or corporates, series tickets etc so that's 21k left of probably only 60-65k available, which sounds about right. I'd expect a crowd of 60-65k there.

 

[Mr Blicavs]

I agree with you on almost every point. Need S. Selwood to go to Kennedy though. Blicavs has to tag another mid as well. Just not sure which one! Buzza to do the relief rucking.

How I want the team to line up:

IN: Buzza, Menzel, Lang and Cockatoo
OUT: Kolodjashnij (calf), C. Guthrie (calf), Parsons (ankle) and Murdoch (omit)

B: Bews, Lonergan, Henderson
HB: Stewart, Taylor, Tuohy
C: Duncan, Dangerfield, Mackie
HF: Lang, Hawkins, Motlop
F: Cockatoo, Buzza, Menzel
R: Smith, J. Selwood, S. Selwood

Int: Blicavs, Menegola, Parfitt, Z. Guthrie

Emg: Stanley, Murdoch and Thurlow

• Buzza, Lang and Cockatoo all in for their pressure. Just have to roll the dice with Cockatoo. I know it's modern day footy, but just leave him in the pocket to do his thing (chase and crumb goals: something we've been missing all year!)
• Can't take too many guys under injury clouds in to a final, hence dropping Kolodjashnij. We don't really need him in defence, and he's not much of a winger. Similar reason for dropping/resting Parsons and Murdoch (slight injuries in game against Richmond).
• Too many tall guys in the backline = Mackie to the wing ala 2006/2007.
• Lonergan to Franklin, Taylor to Reid, Henderson to Sinclair.
• Hawkins to play more as a CHF again, dragging Grundy away from our goals. Isolate Buzza/Menzel on Melican.
• Need someone in the forward line to play defensively on Rampe and/or Lloyd. Can't let them intercept and run out of our forward line so easily. Can Lang do this? Where's Jarad Rooke?

Don't think we can pull it off, but I'll remain quietly hopeful.

No way Murdoch goes out on the back of one bad game. Motlop goes well before him

 

[RedVest4]

Lol at people thinking Motlop will get dropped

 

[Mahlepi]

That won't include MCC members (23k) or corporates, series tickets etc so that's 21k left of probably only 60-65k available, which sounds about right. I'd expect a crowd of 60-65k there.

expecting 55k

 

[Mr Blicavs]

expecting 55k

55k + MCC?
Otherwise, that's shocking

 

[Willo_]

55k + MCC?
Otherwise, that's shocking

That was what was in the game day guide email thing sent out today.

First time I've ever looked at it, it also tells us our official hashtag..

 

[Mr Blicavs]

That was what was in the game day guide email thing sent out today.

First time I've ever looked at it, it also tells us our official hashtag..

Sounds like the email I got today.
Purchase finals merchandise and get 50% off

Allow 10 days for delivery..........errrr, our season will be over by then

By the way, what's our official hashtag? #sackscott ?

 

[magic_johnson!]

MCC are predicting 65,000 and they're usually pretty good.

 

[BotsMaster]

65K is more than I expected.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

MCC are predicting 65,000 and they're usually pretty good.

Half the MCC wont turn up to a one sided game 55 at best.

 

[frggr]

That's irrelavent.
But if you're there often enough, you should be winning your fair share. We don't, and quite simply it's because we shit ourselves when the heat goes on. And the heat is always on in the finals......hence our record

It's not really irrelevant. If we were favourites in most of them, then losing was a surprise. Therefore, we're still playing our part of "finals footy is meant to bring up some surprises"



But in seriousness, agreed. The player Scott was versus the players he's created are (seemingly) at opposite ends of the spectrum.

 

[Mahlepi]

5

55k + MCC?
Otherwise, that's shocking

55k total
Geelong supporters are meh
Sydney thinking they have it won
MCC meh

 

[Mahlepi]

Its going to rain rain rain on friday
and so
i would bring in thurlow, menzel, cockatoo (if fit), and black
out go parsons, guthrie x2, kolo
if cockatoo is out then lang
cant play too many injured players
black might just be the player we need

 

[Reppie]

Hope we can manage to keep it under a 10 goal loss.
Don't want a three digit loss, but after last weeks effort not so sure.

 

[hokee]

No way Murdoch goes out on the back of one bad game. Motlop goes well before him

Murda deserves another chance. He's been ok all along this year except for his goal kicking. Cocky won't play. He's not fit. It's a cut throat final and we cannot carry players who are not 100%. Agree the outs of Parsons, Guth and Kolo. Ins should be Lang, Menz and Buz

 

[hokee]

Lol at people thinking Motlop will get dropped

Love to see that but won't happen.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Might be a good omen for Friday night - and considering its Andrew Mackies last game - and 2 of the Swans stars are now Franklin and Kennedy

I can remember in that fantastic 11 straight wins against the Hawks - there was one game - where in the last qtr ( because of injuries ) Mackie was playing full back on Franklin - and with about 3-4 minutes to go ( scores either level or less than a kick in it ) a very young Josh Kennedy ( then playing for Hawthorn )- got the ball 40 metres from goal - handpassed to Franklin on the run ( looked a certain Hawthorn goal ) and Mackie put a sensational tackle on Franklin - who was caught holding the ball

Id love someone to put the vision of that up - might be a good luck charm - seeing its Mackies last game - and that Franklin and Kennedy are now playing for the Swans

 

[David the Cat]

I remember us losing a final to the Bombers by 76 points....from there we made the GF.....

We will test them at the very least.

 

[Biscut]

Might be a good omen for Friday night - and considering its Andrew Mackies last game - and 2 of the Swans stars are now Franklin and Kennedy

I can remember in that fantastic 11 straight wins against the Hawks - there was one game - where in the last qtr ( because of injuries ) Mackie was playing full back on Franklin - and with about 3-4 minutes to go ( scores either level or less than a kick in it ) a very young Josh Kennedy ( then playing for Hawthorn )- got the ball 40 metres from goal - handpassed to Franklin on the run ( looked a certain Hawthorn goal ) and Mackie put a sensational tackle on Franklin - who was caught holding the ball

Id love someone to put the vision of that up - might be a good luck charm - seeing its Mackies last game - and that Franklin and Kennedy are now playing for the Swans

I was also at that game! Without a doubt one of the greatest things Mac has ever done on a footy field. We were down by plenty at 3/4 time, got back into the game and Mac iced him. If I remember correctly Jim bob kicked a point for the win??

 

[Moley Russels Wart]

We have to play Cocky. It'll be 7 weeks on from a minor hamstring injury. He's got to be right to go by now. If he pings it again so be it but he's too important to us to leave out because of the risk of injury. So I'd go Cockatoo and Menzel for Parsons and C Guthrie.

If Selwood struggled to pick up the pace of the game after 4 weeks out, how would cocky go after 7, facing the hottest of all fires in Sydney's pressure? I like him too and we need his type, but it might just be setting him up to fail.

 

[Moley Russels Wart]

That was what was in the game day guide email thing sent out today.

First time I've ever looked at it, it also tells us our official hashtag..

The suspense is killing me! WHAT'S THE HASHTAG??!!

 

[Sammy1992]

PS - It's says 2 weeks for Cockatoos injury on the AFL website? I honestly don't think he will play though he has been out for what 6 weeks now?

I agree with what everyone is saying about Motlop. He needs to be used as a forward not a midfielder. Motlop doesn't have that quick thinking ability and inside game to be an a grade genuine midfielder. There are countless times where he is slow to react and gets caught etc.

He needs to be playing half forward and allow him to be creative and I guess do his own thing. Sometimes he does things that makes us roll our eyes, but there is other times where he can honestly be such a X factor FOR THE cats where he can be influential as Dangerfield and Joel Selwood.
I don't think Motlop is suited to a midfielder, or any specific role. He is a creative player, that plays on instincts and he should be placed on half forward flank/ pocket to allow him to use his strength which is instincts/ creativity. In a midfield role he can't play to these strengths. We could see 30 disposals and 3 goals from him on Friday, or we could see 9 disposals and 1 point, I guess the frustrating thing is he isn't consistent enough.
That's the player he is and I guess it's worth having a guy like that in the team.

If you talk about Sydney, we could say their Motlop use to be someone like Jetta when he use to play for them. That bloke could do things not many AFL players could ever dream of, but he only did it once in a while.
Even Stevje Jay was similar to Motlop, he did his own thing and could turn a game on his own boot. He didn't really like any specific roles given to him and played just on instincts. Every Geelong best and fairest count he came like 10th, probably because he could be a little selfish at times and never stuck to what the coaches said. But his influence and impact on games was unbelievable at times.

Lastly the changes I would make this week:

Out: Cam Guthrie( injured), Kolodjashnij( omitted), Zach Guthrie( omitted),
In: Thurlow( Better kick and player than kolo) Menzel, Lang ( replace Guthrie as a mid)

 

[Vdubs]

I remember us losing a final to the Bombers by 76 points....from there we made the GF.....

We will test them at the very least.

We played the Bombers again 2w later in 89, and at one stage in the last Q, 106 points up, eventually won by 94. Biggest turnaround seen. GAS and Buddha simply superb. Sadly this year, our 2 best- Danger and Joel appear cooked.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

We played the Bombers again 2w later in 89, and at one stage in the last Q, 106 points up, eventually won by 94. Biggest turnaround seen. GAS and Buddha simply superb. Sadly this year, our 2 best- Danger and Joel are cooked.

Have you got inside info on Danger - or is that an outside observation ( considering your knowledge of different injuries etc )