Preview AFL Round 14 - Gold Coast v Geelong, Metricon Stadium, 4:40PM Saturday 21 June

[year of the cat]

Rivers on Dixon concerns me, he's giving up 8cm. And he's no slouch at ground level for his size.

I'm not sure we have the ideal matchups. One of our tall defenders will be conceding height regardless of which matchup we go with.

 

[Teriyakicat]

Slightly mötley but more like the backstreet boys, apart from the bald guy.

haha- yeah, Gaz could be the blond bloke from MC if Gaz wore a wig but there's absolutely no resemblance whatsoever to any of the other members. I actually just was going to comment that they're a motley mob- but then thought I'd make it punny...

 

[Teriyakicat]

We should be worried about their pace, but if Harry doesn't play that could be another concern. He hasn't been playing the best so far this year, but, he still takes either the best or next best forward.

What I like about last week is that some of our runners got some form

Might have been why the MC brought in both Smedts and Mots after very limited VFL time- i.e. with a view to this particular game?

 

[Teriyakicat]

SO which ruckman do we go with? Experience and around the ground work from Hamish or the big bodied possibly better tapwork of Simpson? I think the MC might go with Hamish- he should be pretty fresh after his rest. What are the rucks like at GCFC? They're only young blokes, aren't they?

 

[Partridge]

SO which ruckman do we go with? Experience and around the ground work from Hamish or the big bodied possibly better tapwork of Simpson? I think the MC might go with Hamish- he should be pretty fresh after his rest. What are the rucks like at GCFC? They're only young blokes, aren't they?

My only pre-requisite is if they don't pick both, then the other plays VFL to at least get gametime. Management of their workload is prudent, but they still need to maintain fitness and form. Not sure you'd want to drop Simpson after a game where he wins 52 hitouts.

 

[TheJimmyCartel]

My only pre-requisite is if they don't pick both, then the other plays VFL to at least get gametime. Management of their workload is prudent, but they still need to maintain fitness and form. Not sure you'd want to drop Simpson after a game where he wins 52 hitouts.

Totally agree. It may over stating the impact but I feel like going with the two ruckmen vs one could be the difference between us having a win or getting totally towelled up.

If they play two, I assume we wouldn't be seeing Kersten either.

 

[goyoucatters]

I can't see how the two ruckmen strategy is going to hold up across the season. For me, neither of them offers enough around the ground to justify losing this much mobility from the line-up.

If we end up having to play the two of them throughout the remainder of the season (simply because neither of them can get through a game 'on their own'), I think that says we're toast.

If one can't get the job done (with a chop-out from Blitz et al), I see the better teams carving us up incessantly on the outside.

 

[Teriyakicat]

My only pre-requisite is if they don't pick both, then the other plays VFL to at least get gametime. Management of their workload is prudent, but they still need to maintain fitness and form. Not sure you'd want to drop Simpson after a game where he wins 52 hitouts.

Unless you "rest" him the VFL where the pace isn't as intense?

 

[Partridge]

Unless you "rest" him the VFL where the pace isn't as intense?

He deserves to keep his spot right now. So the options are if you don't want both play McIntosh there, and if you do want both play Blicavs there. Net result needs to be 2 ruckmen and no more.

 

[meto]

He deserves to keep his spot right now. So the options are if you don't want both play McIntosh there, and if you do want both play Blicavs there. Net result needs to be 2 ruckmen and no more.

I think Simpson should get the nod again this week, his form is good so I see no need to replace him with HMac against the Suns. Blicav's does well as a second ruck and can be used virtually anywhere, especially in defence against the to tall forwards.
Hopefully this also gives us opportunity to showcase Kersten, that's if we don't have to find a space forward for resting big HMac.

 

[TheJaegerBomb]

Matchups?

Lonergan - Lynch
Rivers - Dixon
Taylor - Day

Guthrie - Ablett

Bartel - Swallow (defensive forward role - Swallow has provided a lot of run from the back half this year and needs to be made accountable)

Any others we need to be particularly concerned about?

Swallow has played midfield the whole year.

 

[Turbocat]

My only pre-requisite is if they don't pick both, then the other plays VFL to at least get gametime. Management of their workload is prudent, but they still need to maintain fitness and form. Not sure you'd want to drop Simpson after a game where he wins 52 hitouts.

Slightly disagree with that. Id say for both managing load almost comes before form. Listening to comments by some Cats interviewed , its sounds like Hamc already is trained on a streamlined schedule. So a VFL game every now and then may be prudent but if they could regularly train and play every second week , that may be the best out come. Its how they handle pitcher in baseball dont they? Not sure... but a fresh ruck playing for 3/4s ...worth exploring and monitoring

 

[year of the cat]

Swallow has played midfield the whole year.

Not in a couple of games earlier in the year that I saw. Was dominant from half back when GC were playing very well. Apologies if he has moved since then.

 

[costanza23]

What I reckon:

IN: McIntosh, Rivers, Johnson, Kersten and Christensen
OUT: Kelly (rest), Taylor (knee), Horlin-Smith (back), Walker (omit) and Lang (leg/rest)

B: Smedts, Lonergan, Blicavs
HB: Mackie, Rivers, Enright
C: Varcoe, Bartel, Stokes
HF: Duncan, Hawkins, Motlop
F: Murdoch, Kersten, Selwood
R: McIntosh, Johnson, Guthrie

Int: Stringer, Hartman, Simpson
Sub: Christensen

Emg: Walker, Hunt and Caddy

I think Doc Larkins might be right, don't think Harry will play for a couple of weeks. Not a bad thing; allows Blitz to play down back more. Was pretty obvious in Scott's press conference after the Saints game that he wants Kersten in now.

GHS probably won't fly up with a bad back, and I know it's a big game, but we might rest a player that hasn't missed a game yet this year (Kelly, Selwood, Bartel, Murdoch, Duncan). Lang was limping a fair bit in the last few minutes of the Saints game and while waiting for a centre bounce on the wing, grabbed at his bad leg a couple of times. Might be nothing as well.

 

[TheJaegerBomb]

Not in a couple of games earlier in the year that I saw. Was dominant from half back when GC were playing very well. Apologies if he has moved since then.

Don't remember that but okay.

 

[vinum coupe]

My go at the meat tray, and this is purely based on deciding that the MC are stubborn with the rucks and have no idea what to do at CHF.

In, HMac, Kersten, Christensen.
Out, Taylor, Walker, GHS.

 

[catempire]

My go at the meat tray, and this is purely based on deciding that the MC are stubborn with the rucks and have no idea what to do at CHF.

In, HMac, Kersten, Christensen.
Out, Taylor, Walker, GHS.

You'll be vego this week. No Johnson or Rivers.

 

[vinum coupe]

Oh #$%^

 

[vinum coupe]

Second go.
On the premise that the MC are not stubborn and have some idea about CHF

In, SJ, Rivers, Christensen.
Out, Taylor, Lang, GHS.

Lang, Hmac, Kersten, Caddy to cook in the VFL.

Note: I'd actually like Kersten in too for Stringer.

 

[year of the cat]

Second go.
On the premise that the MC are not stubborn and have some idea about CHF

In, SJ, Rivers, Christensen.
Out, Taylor, Lang, GHS.

Lang, Hmac, Kersten, Caddy to cook in the VFL.

Note: I'd actually like Kersten in too for Stringer.

With regard to Hmac and Kersten, normally it's only Mitch Brown that's in the team for that short a time

 

[Turbocat]

Don't remember that but okay.

Is Martin going to play?

 

[TheJaegerBomb]

Is Martin going to play?

Very good chance. More likely than not I would think. Club has been hyping up the rumours.

 

[Turbocat]

There are so many potential changes this week its almost a "just wait and see" cause they cant pull 5 late changes

Lang , Cant see how it happens but considering he only got 1/2 of footy be nice to see Lang get another week
Kersten must play soon , and if not this week do we risk picking him when his form has tapered?
Christensen is best 22 , probably best 15 is more apt as our lat 7 seem to float. He is a lock..back in.
Rivers has played like id hoped he would we recruiting him , he comes back in.
There seems a fair majority of obsevers that prefer Hmac , even if we decide to rotate one in . one out its Hmacs turn.
SJ , another that is best 15 , hopefully a week off and he comes back fresh and in form

And outside that..worth consideration
Bews did little wrong to my mind. May have started to tire but so what. He is young and looks a good option in the BP , nice blend of attack and shut down.
Caddy , still a week away but will come back probably next week
Stringer
Hartman
Jansen
and id be disappointed if Walker got dropped.

The list is starting to look healthier which is good to see. I wonder if we will keep the 6 day turn around coming next week in mind.

 

[you pick one]

My shot for the sausages.
In....Johnson,Rivers,Kersten.
Out ..Taylor knee,GHS back,Lang omitted.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Gotta make sure we recover dat percentage! Mission almost accomplished.

With all due respect...why?

Is there a realistic scenario possible now, where we go past Sydney, Port Adelaide, Hawthorn or Fremantle on percentage, but aren't ahead on wins? I don't think there is. We are roughly the equivalent of 300-450 points behind Hawthorn, Sydney and Port Adelaide now. We're 100 points behind Fremantle and if we have a look at their upcoming games, it's hard to see us making much ground on them. Therefore, I wouldn't normally do this, but right now, I'd actually be advocating the team to take the foot off the pedal in the last 15 minutes of games that we have put out of reach, if it means we're a chance to be 5% fresher the following week. We have to get more premiership points than those teams, because, as far as I'm concerned, we've got no chance of catching them on percentage (except for the ones that we still have to play, if we beat them by 20-odd goals).

And that's even without considering that our 'reward' for having such an awesome percentage might be a trip to Adelaide or Perth for a qualifying final, rather than finishing one spot lower and perhaps taking on Hawthorn at the MCG. Or, if we look at it the other way, we could finish second and get Port Adelaide at the MCG, or we could push for first and get a Hawthorn on their home ground for that final. It all depends on where the teams around us finish.