Jabba73
Hall of Famer
V 
Recent History:
R19, 2017, Geelong 18.15 (123) d Carlton 8.10 (58) at Etihad Stadium
R10, 2016, Carlton 16.8 (104) d Geelong 12.13 (85) at Etihad Stadium
R8, 2015, Geelong 22.8 (140) d Carlton 9.9 (63) at Etihad Stadium
R21, 2014, Geelong 11.16 (82) d Carlton 11.10 (76) at Etihad Stadium
R12, 2014, Geelong 16.11 (107) d Carlton 15.12 (102) at Etihad Stadium
R3, 2013, Geelong 18.11 (119) d Carlton 15.13 (103) at Etihad Stadium
GF, 1995, Carlton 21.15 (141) d Geelong 11.14 (80) at MCG
Likely line-ups:
GEELONG CATS
B Tom Stewart, Harry Taylor, Jake Kolodjashnij
HB Zach Tuohy, Mark Blicavs, Jed Bews
C Mitch Duncan, Joel Selwood, Jordan Cunico
HF Sam Menegola, Stewart Crameri, George Horlin-Smith
F James Parsons, Tom Hawkins, Cory Gregson
FOL Zac Smith, Patrick Dangerfield, Gary Ablett
I/C Tim Kelly, Jordan Murdoch, Jack Henry, Jackson Thurlow
CARLTON
B Aaron Mullett, Sam Rowe, Dale Thomas
HB Jacob Weitering, Liam Jones, Kade Simpson
C Lochie O'Brien, Marc Murphy, Sam Kerridge
HF Jarrod Garlett, Charlie Curnow, Darcy Lang
F Sam Petrevski-Seton, Harry McKay, Paddy Dow
FOL Matthew Kreuzer, Patrick Cripps, Zac Fisher
I/C Ed Curnow, Jed Lamb, Matthew Wright, Lachie Plowman
EMG Nick Graham, Cameron O'Shea, Patrick Kerr, Jack Silvagni
Umpires: Steve Hocking, Gerard Whateley, Chris Scott
4th Umpire: Jeff Gleeson QC
Depleted backlines:
Both teams are missing key players from their preferred backlines. Cats have Henderson and ….. nope, just Henderson missing from their line-up, while the Blues preferred defensive line is missing Doc, Marchbank, Weitering, Byrne, ASOS, Williamson and possibly Touhy. Collar-jazz-knee and Blicavs have been given the task of minding the opposition best forwards, with surprisingly good results so far this season and they have welcomed the reliable Harry Taylor back from injury. It is a pity that Lachie Henderson cannot get out on the park for this match, the Blues look a much better line up if he was playing.
Zac looks like he has put on 20 kgs since he went to the Cattery, not sure if it the hoops on the jumper or they are still trying to find a really solid back pocket since Josh Hunt retired. Either way, he has proved more than handy for a side lacking attacking flair from defence.
The makeshift defence at Carlton has been spectacular, and sometimes spectacularly bad when we have played loose and the midfield has been beaten. Rowe will get first crack at Hawkins while expecting Jones to line up on the resting ruckman when he is not being beaten up by Kreuzer in the middle. Plowman to Many-a-goaler, hope he returns to last seasons form.
Midfield:
This is where the battle begins and can be lost. The Cats may well back themselves in to win the ball first and simply pack their midfield with Brownlow vote magnet Patrick Dangerfield, Free kick magnet Joel Selwood and the criminally underrated Mitch Duncan going head to head with Cripps, Curnow and Kennedy. The one area this can be nullified is through the ruck contest with Rhys Stanley or Zac Smith being a weakness for the Cats when required to be the main man in the middle and Kreuzer playing at near career best form.
The second coming of G Ablett has not been the making of the Cats that many hoped, and at the risk of being crucified, would suggest that however many pieces of silver they are paying him to resurrect his standing at the Cattery, it is too much for what they are getting. Maybe someone misunderstood profitable as prophet-able. At least it will make his presence more palatable at the celebration of the trinity of bi-annual flags they won in the noughties when he knew what team first meant. Maybe he can rise again as a small forward.
Cripps is having a huge influence on our ability to win the ball and score, expecting Scott Selwood to be given first crack at Cripps if he gets off the leash. Curnow of the Ed variety will be given the job on Captain Selwood, maybe we can cut Ed off at the knees to avoid giving away free kicks for high tackles. That would also keep Selwood to under 20 possessions, a massive win for us.
After the starting team, the Cats still have bigger bodies to throw into the contest, Carlton has a fleet of light and skilled players which may get brushed aside too easily if it becomes a slugfest. Mature age recruit Tim Kelly has been a revelation this season, the only worry for the Cats is he has postponed talks of a new contract to concentrate on his footy. That never ends well.
The Cats will need to find a match up for Zac Fisher, the number one rated teenager in the AFL. If Dow, Fisher and SPS find plenty of it, the Cats do not run well enough both ways to get it back.
Forward lines:
The Blues have suffered the loss of the number one Ruck/forward in the game in Levi Casboult, forcing us to expose our kids to the best defenders. Pat Kerr made his well-deserved debut against the downhill skiers in place of Charlie Curnow, will be interesting to see if he can hold his spot.
Harry McKay was lethal in his first game when both Levi and Charlie took the attention of the defenders away from him. Got a couple of late goals to spare his blushes when Charlie was missing and did well enough while Levi was away for the first time against *. Getting the attention of Harry Taylor will be a good test, hopefully McKay can keep him accountable and stop him zoning off. Wright needs to stay busy and Lamb may get the job on Jed Bews to curb his run.
Esava Ratugolea has provided some much needed X-factor and flair for the Cats in the absence of Menzel, Varcoe, Motlop etc. Hawkins is fast becoming a liability, so will probably kick a bag against us. Other than those two, there are a few bit players rotating through and Dangerfield has been sacrificed to provide some structure and a target. Seems a waste of Brownlow winning talent to leave him forward, which is why Crameri is still listed as an AFL footballer. Workman like rather than lethal is how to describe the Cats forward line and their multitude of inadequacies are partially hidden by a dominant midfield.
Summary:
Games have been relatively even contests between these two clubs since 2013, however since the Cats poached two of our (at the time) better defenders, they are starting to get ahead again and had a big win in our last meeting. Our clubs have swapped a few players recently and if the Cats hadn’t got in the ear of Henderson, we would probably still be using him as a whipping boy. Touhy is the main reason they get any attack from their defence and is in pretty good form, would be nice (but unlikely) for him to have one of his wtf games this week. Apologies to Guthrie if he plays, still can’t get out of the habit of booing that number every time it goes near the ball, expect the Geelong faithful to provide the same courtesy to Lang in his first game against his old side. Looks like Billie Smedts is destined to play for our other side in the foreseeable future and it is unlikely that raises the ire of either set of supporters.
Cats will cop a lot of flack for meekly succumbing to * in the battle of the Substance Cup, named after Mark “Bomber” Thompson who supplied both clubs with plenty of highs (and a few lows). Expect them to come out firing and looking to bully their lighter, younger opposition and the umpiring fraternity. Blues would be hurting after giving the Dees their first 100 point win in 14 years. Both have plenty to prove to their supporters.
We can assume any free kick to Hawkins will cause Geelong Players Association President Patrick Dangerfield to point out the manifestly inadequate penalty, ensuring a subsequent 50 metre reduction in the distance to goal. This will likely result in Tommy winning back-to-back “Spud who played well against us” awards. It wont only be our players throwing up after the match if that happens.
Crowd is a factor at “Geelong Must Have Ball Always” stadium, so expecting the Cats to sneak home by 23+ points in a ducking close encounter.
