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August 30, 2005
Finals: Day Two
Seeing we have hit the business end of the season we here at geelongblog.com thought it was about time we got back on the old news horse.
Demon losses a spur for Cats
GEELONG will be spurred by its two losses to Melbourne this year — one a heart-breaking theft, the other a thrashing — as as it prepares for its elimination final against the Demons.The Cats could also bolster their line-up with the return of Josh Hunt, who had an emergency appendectomy 10 days ago, and David Johnson (hamstring), while coach Mark Thompson anticipates the return of Corey Enright (A/C joint) should the Cats survive the cut-throat final and play in the second week.
Thompson said the losses to Melbourne had stung the Cats, having lost by a point in round 20 at Skilled Stadium, which infuriated Thompson, and by eight goals in round three at the MCG.
"They smashed us the first time we played them and they stole the game off us the second time so they've beaten us twice this year and it should make for an interesting game. We want to do well next week. We want to win a final," he said.
Thompson believes the experience gained from last year's finals campaign — thrashed by Port Adelaide, beating Essendon, and narrowly losing to the Brisbane Lions — will prove of great value to his side as it enters the finals without the form that carried the Cats there last year.
The Cats have won only two of their past six games. Last year, they entered the finals on the back of seven wins in their last eight games. "Even though we haven't got the momentum that we did last year, we've got the experience from last year, which I think is probably more important," Thompson said.
Dees injury therapy up in the air
FLOWERS blooming, Mad Monday drinking marathons . . . and hyperbaric chamber treatment. Hey, it must be finals time.Even wounded Melbourne skipper David Neitz could muse over the oxygen technique to fast-track the healing process.
The Demons will consider sending Neitz to one of the chambers in a bid to recover from an aggravated knee injury and lead them in their elimination final against Geelong at the MCG on Saturday.
"The club is investigating the hyperbaric chamber, whether that will have an effect on this type of injury. If it will, I'll be in there and just do whatever has to be done," Neitz said yesterday. "We haven't brought that topic up until this week, it is a bit like that this time of the year."
Collingwood captain Nathan Buckley headed for the chamber after tendon surgery early this season and even steeplechaser Liquid Lunch spent time in the expensive equipment at Flemington before winning the Grand National in July.
Neitz put on his bravest face yesterday, convinced he had only tweaked the strained posterior cruciate ligament that has dogged him for the past month.
"It has pulled up reasonably well this morning. I suppose it was a test getting out of bed and seeing how it felt. But it actually felt quite good, so I'm pretty hopeful for the weekend," he said.
"I'll have to wait to see what the coach is thinking. But at the moment it actually feels a lot better than I thought it would.
"It's finals footy, so you have to be pretty well right. The intensity level lifts higher, so I guess that's the decision that I've got to make during the week as to how good it is and needs to be."
As Neitz talked up his chances at the Junction Oval, recovering teammates Cameron Bruce (knee) and Brad Miller (quad) were among only a handful of players to venture out for a light run. Neitz said Bruce and Miller, late withdrawals against Essendon on Sunday, were certain to return.
He said Melbourne's three-game winning run to qualify for the finals had created an "exciting" atmosphere around the club, especially compared to last season's negative approach in the wake of five successive losses.
"Jared Rivers played really well for Sandringham and Clint Bizzell as well. Mark Jamar also played really well for Sandringham, so there's a number of guys who can come in and there's quite a few options," he said.
GFC:
Painful memory drives Cats
Geelong will use its heart-wrenching one-point loss to Melbourne at Skilled Stadium in round 20 as both a learning tool and motivational spur for Saturday's elimination final between the clubs at the MCG.The Demons snapped a losing streak at the venue stretching back to 1988, after reeling in a 34-point second-quarter deficit to triumph by just one point and keep their finals hopes alive after a run of seven straight defeats this season.
Geelong coach Mark Thompson said the review of the match the following week was "pretty interesting" because the Cats should not given up such a big lead, particularly with so much at stake for their season.
"We showed them (the players) how Melbourne got on top of us and how we let them back in and gave the game to them," Thompson said on Tuesday.
"They shouldn't forget those things. We'll probably address it again this week. Our pre-match stuff is done on Wednesdays so that will be done tomorrow and we'll certainly get through that and try and avoid letting that happen again."
Thompson admitted it was one of the Cats' worst defeats of the season.
"The circumstances were bad. We were pretty desperate for a win. We were back at our home ground.
"Teams shouldn't lose from that position and we just let it slip so easily. In that regard it was an emotional loss for a lot of people around the club."
Geelong skipper Steven King, who didn't play against the Dees three weeks ago due to a finger injury, said the club had responded well from that disappointing result.
"It was a bit of a wake-up call for us as well. I think the way the team has bounced back from that has been a real positive.
"I obviously didn't play but the boys were shattered. The Monday was pretty uncomfortable. It wasn't a great day to rock up to work but that's the way it goes. But the way the boys handled it is a credit to themselves."
Geelong bounced back from that defeat by smashing the top-of-the-table West Coast Eagles by 77 points, in one of three consecutive games for the Cats at Skilled Stadium to end the home-and-away season.
Thompson said the ferocious, hard-tackling game shown by the Cats against the Eagles was the sort of form they need to take into the finals.
"It was just enormous - fantastic to watch, fantastic to be part of. Fingers crossed, it's the one we want to bring out to the game."
Thompson admitted the Cats aren't playing as well entering the finals, compared to this time last year, and their topsy-turvy form was a worry.
"It is a concern because we haven't really had the solid performances on the ground but some of our good performances have been fantastic. That's the sort of team that hopefully we put out on the weekend - the team that does really well, that attacks the ball hard, that tackles hard, that puts enormous defensive pressure on, that plays with run and flair and takes them on and uses the ball through the middle of the ground. That's the team that we want to bring to the MCG on Saturday.
"I’m sure that there's been a lot of teams that haven't had great momentum towards the end of the year but performed particularly well.
"I'm hoping that we get to the game and everybody knows that this could be the last game for the year."
Egan eyes finals
Geelong defender Matt Egan is eyeing his first finals campaign after playing a key role in defence in the Cats' one-point win over Richmond on Sunday.Egan has been one of the Cats' great success stories this season, playing 13 games, including the last 10 of the regular season to secure his spot in a backline which features names like Harley, Mooney and Scarlett.
He proved his value when Tom Harley was sidelined in the latter part of the year, and the Cats have kept the faith with him since Harley returned in round 21.
"It's been pretty consistent I think. I haven't done anything major but sort of holding my spot and trying to beat my man," he said. "I think if you're out there you've got to think you can beat anyone you're playing on."
Egan admits that confidence is helped by the fact he is supported by an All Australian full back, plus a backline that has built a reputation as one of the best in the competition.
"At the start of the game when you look around and there's Tom Harley, Darren Milburn and Matt Scarlett, all very experienced players. I feel lucky to be down there."
Egan believes the Cats can play a major role in September action after securing a final at the MCG against Melbourne.
"We've won our last two games, which is good. It's good momentum going into the finals. If we can keep the winning streak going then we'll do well."
The prospect of playing his first final looms large for the 22-year-old, and he says he will draw on the experiences of his teammates last year to help him prepare.
"I can't wait, with the big crowd. It will be awesome," he said. "I'll be getting all the information I can off the more experienced players. I can't wait."
Injury List
GEELONG
Brad Ottens (groin) season
Tim Callan (shoulder) season
Tom Lonergan (hamstring) 1 week
Matthew McCarthy (shoulder) 1 week
David Wojcinski (knee) season
Corey Enright (shoulder) 2-4 weeks
MELBOURNE
David Neitz (knee) test
Brent Moloney (hip) test
Cameron Bruce (knee) test
Brad Miller (thigh) test
Phil Read (hip) test
Daniel Bell (ankle) test
Colin Sylvia (shoulder) season
Posted by Sammy D at August 30, 2005 06:57 PM