Preview Round 18 - Essendon Bombers vs Geelong Cats - Saturday, July 15th - 7:25 pm - GMHBA Stadium

[Pweter]

It was said in a way that made it sound like a minor inconvenience… but then again we’ve been taken down that path before.

Didn't Guelfi last season have "hamstring awareness" that turned into 8 weeks?

 

[Vander18]

The game will come down to the midfield matchups. No one was thinking we had great matchups for the Crows either .

Midfield is always a big part of it - the level of pressure we bring there makes a big difference to what defenders can do. BUT….defenders still have to be able to get the job done. I am confident our mids will bring it, less confident our defenders might not struggle a bit.

Must say - I never had any great concerns re the Crows forwards. Always thought the match ups looked ok.

Some of this is a historical wariness - we have been Geelongs bunnies for a fair while now. Hopefully things have changed.

 

[Vander18]

The thing about Geelong is we don't match up well with them across the field, Hawkins and Cameron are superstars so very few can match them in the comp but its been that way for years.

Danger usually dismantles us because we have no one around the ball that goes as hard as him, selwood used to be the difference there too.
They are a bigger team, our tackling is normally horrible against them.

We transition really well, will that work at different ground?

I don't expect much coming up against this mob, but hey there was that time years ago when Watson was out and was it Welsh stood up? Did a number on Scarlett?
Maybe if we are missing Rids, Phillips and some others the youth will step up and announce themselves.

All very true.

We have been their bunnies for a long time.

 

[eth-dog]

I still think Scott's not too keen on the younger guys, especially with KPFs. I think we'll just go:
Lav on Hawkins
BZT on Cameron
Kelly on Rohan

I do hope Baldwin gets a call up though, otherwise you'd think he's probably gone end of the year (this is assuming Rids is out this week).

Like he's the logical in. They don't like Kelly playing on mediums or talls. If he's in he'll play KPP

 

[moruyatom]

Even though Ridley is cleared. I don’t think he’ll get up, even Redman is a watch at this stage.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Yoda_]

Midfield is always a big part of it - the level of pressure we bring there makes a big difference to what defenders can do. BUT….defenders still have to be able to get the job done. I am confident our mids will bring it, less confident our defenders might not struggle a bit.

Must say - I never had any great concerns re the Crows forwards. Always thought the match ups looked ok.

Some of this is a historical wariness - we have been Geelongs bunnies for a fair while now. Hopefully things have changed.

Adelaide had scored the most points of any team before the round. Still sit second comfortably behind Brisbane. Not bad for a team who was in the 8 but not near the real pointy end

 

[Yoda_]

Game has stars all over the park. The Cats forwards have been stated but they have there own concerns for our forwards imho.

De Koning on Wright could be a win for us. Langford HAS to do a job on Stewart. Weidemann simply needs to compete for us to be a chance.

Martin on a wing is a plus for us, the injuries and outs for us are unfortunately a huge loss. Expect Ridley to miss, Redman 50/50 which I would be inclined to rest. Chalk this down as a L and go in against the Dogs the following Friday night.

 

[Vander18]

Adelaide had scored the most points of any team before the round. Still sit second comfortably behind Brisbane. Not bad for a team who was in the 8 but not near the real pointy end

Match ups are a funny thing though - some teams match up well with others and ladder and stats go out the window!

I wasn’t super confident we’d beat Adelaide but I never looked at the line up and thought “shit, we just can’t cover this guy or that guy.” I do feel a little like that with Geelong (as noted, some of that is PTSD from last however many years).

 

[dank420_]

Chalk this down as a L

You'd have to think the coaches planned this at the start of the season anyway. Coupled with the injuries and maybe the Philips suspension, we get to see Bryan, Baldwin and Cox play.

 

[Yoda_]

Match ups are a funny thing though - some teams match up well with others and ladder and stats go out the window!

I wasn’t super confident we’d beat Adelaide but I never looked at the line up and thought “s**t, we just can’t cover this guy or that guy.” I do feel a little like that with Geelong (as noted, some of that is PTSD from last however many years).

The guys I was wary on (Rankine, Rachelle, Fogarty) are super reliant on the midfield winning it, we matched up well inside with them so just needed to pressure the ball carrier to have a chance.

fyi, we only had to wait 5 years to beat Cats the last time. Do need to go back to 1990 for last time we beat Geelong at Kardinia Park though

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Boo ...get stuffed. Only 26,000 capacity and G vacant...

Phillips ban adds to Dons’ ruck woes; AFL won’t shift blockbuster to MCG; ACL heartbreak for ’Roos defender

The Bombers and Cats will clash in arguably the game of the round on Saturday night, but GMHBA’s delayed rebuild means attendance will be far less than what it could have been had it been held at the MCG. And, grim news for Kangaroos recruit Griffin Logue.

www.theage.com.au

 

[andleanback]

I’m actually really excited to see Bryan get the responsibility of the no1 ruck.

 

[andleanback]

Smokey but if Ridley is out then bring in cox to play on jezza. Has the tank and athleticism to go with him. Know his VFL form hasn’t been stunning but could be a good way to get him firing.

I don’t reckon that will happen though, likely Laverde will go to jezza and bzt gets Hawkins.

Wouldn’t mind seeing weed take Hawkins and bzt jezza. Then put 2mp chf and Langford FF.

Redman on Jezza if he wants to push up the ground

 

[eth-dog]

Flip out.

 

[Keystone agony]

I’m actually really excited to see Bryan get the responsibility of the no1 ruck.

With adversity comes opportunity

He can play, hes just not big enough yet

Tough ask against some mature rucks who are all 30 (Stanley, Blics, Tomahawk)

 

[andleanback]

With adversity comes opportunity

He can play, hes just not big enough yet

Tough ask against some mature rucks who are all 30 (Stanley, Blics, Tomahawk)

Yep and he knows he gets the responsibility
He’s not going to play minimum time and get subbed

 

[ghostdog]

for whatever reason, Weideman always plays well against us, so you'd be mad to drop him. In fact if you're the betting type, put $$ on him kicking more goals than 2MP.

Is Draper back for this one?

No onions this weekend then.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Phillips was always getting a week for that. The minute I saw it I put a line through him. Easiest report the MRO ever laid, wouldn't have given it more than a moments thought

 

[Yoda_]

Outs; Ridley (injured, knee), Phillips (suspension)

Ins; Baldwin, Bryan

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Out: Phillips (suspension) Ridley (inj)

In: Bryan and Cox

Snelling to sub. Shiel to play a full game.

 

[MiguelM]

Boo ...get stuffed. Only 26,000 capacity and G vacant...

Phillips ban adds to Dons’ ruck woes; AFL won’t shift blockbuster to MCG; ACL heartbreak for ’Roos defender

The Bombers and Cats will clash in arguably the game of the round on Saturday night, but GMHBA’s delayed rebuild means attendance will be far less than what it could have been had it been held at the MCG. And, grim news for Kangaroos recruit Griffin Logue.

www.theage.com.au

Ridiculous.

Had flashbacks to lockdown watching the Cats v Roos with the empty stand. Ch7 might need to dust off the crowd noise tape!

 

[kleanr]

Boo ...get stuffed. Only 26,000 capacity and G vacant...

Phillips ban adds to Dons’ ruck woes; AFL won’t shift blockbuster to MCG; ACL heartbreak for ’Roos defender

The Bombers and Cats will clash in arguably the game of the round on Saturday night, but GMHBA’s delayed rebuild means attendance will be far less than what it could have been had it been held at the MCG. And, grim news for Kangaroos recruit Griffin Logue.

www.theage.com.au

it's absolute BS this game is played on a suburban training ground that's under major renovations.
I was online at 10am, pumped in 3 member barcodes..."sorry, no allocation remaining". absolute inequality and a huge benefit this mob has that no other AFL club has, playing 8-9 games a year on a ground they train exclusively on and have nearly no opposition supporters in
GAGF GFC!!!

 

[Call Me Cake]

We played them there back in 2021. We kicked the first four goals then they kicked the next 8 and that was pretty much it for the game

So basically like all our games V the Cats?

 

[eth-dog]

Geelong are not a Melbourne side. They are not based here.

Freo and West Coast are based in Perth. Both play at Perth Stadium
Adelaide and Port are based in Adelaide. Both play at AO
Gold Coast aren't based in Brisbane. Should they have to play their home games at the Gabba?

Geelong playing their home games in Geelong is what should happen. The fact it isn't 11 games there is the issue.

 

[yodellinhank]

Geelong are not a Melbourne side. They are not based here.

Freo and West Coast are based in Perth. Both play at Perth Stadium
Adelaide and Port are based in Adelaide. Both play at AO
Gold Coast aren't based in Brisbane. Should they have to play their home games at the Gabba?

Geelong playing their home games in Geelong is what should happen. The fact it isn't 11 games there is the issue.

The fact there isn't a stadium in geelong that can host AFL games without locking supporters out of the ground is the issue.