« Kids in the spotlight as Cats flog Blues | Main | Water of Life »
April 12, 2007
Round 3 - Melbourne v Geelong
Sunday, 2:10pm AEST, MCG
Teams:
MELBOURNE
B: Holland, Carroll, Whelan
HB: Ward, Wheatley, Bell
C: Moloney, McDonald, Green
HF: Bruce, Miller, Bate
F: Godfrey, Jamar, Davey
FOLL: White, Jones, Johnstone
I/C from: Yze, C.Johnson, Brown, Bizzell, P.Johnson, Ferguson, Petterd
IN: P.Johnson, Bizzell, Ferguson, Yze, Holland, Petterd
OUT: D.Neitz [medial ligament], R.Robertson [knee], J.Rivers [hamstring soreness]
NEW: Ricky Petterd [18yrs, 185cm, 78kg] – Broadbeach QLD, AIS – AFL Academy Graduate, won Harrison Medal for best player in Div 2 NAB National Under 18 Championships in 2007, QLD U18 Captain. Utility player
GEELONG
B: Mackie, Scarlett, Enright
HB: J.Hunt, Egan, Milburn
C: Wojcinski, Bartel, Byrnes
HF: Chapman, Mooney, Kelly
F: N.Ablett, Ottens, G.Ablett
FOLL: Blake, Ling, Corey
I/C from: Gardiner, Prismall, Hawkins, Varcoe, D.Johnson, Selwood, Tenace
IN: D.Johnson, Tenace, Kelly
OUT: -
Field umpires: Ellis, Hendrie, Avon
____________________________________________
“As for Geelong, its big-men deficiencies were highlighted again…”
- Lyall Johnson, The Age, April 2, 2007
“With Nathan Ablett, Mooney and Hawkins all combining, the Cats' prayers for genuine firepower in attack may finally have been answered.”
- Martin Boulton, The Age, April 8, 2007
Although close to the most overused cliché in football, judging by the polarity of the above quotes, a week really is a long time in footy.
Geelong will enter into its match with Melbourne this week on a crest of confidence and youthful exuberance. Just two weeks prior, the knives were out for a team that looked to have learnt nothing and failed to improve on its highly disappointing 2006.
There’s no doubt that the injection of Hawkins and Varcoe gave Geelong a spark against Carlton on Saturday. Hawkins gave the team and fans a glimpse of the Hummer that will be parked in the goalsquare for the next decade, while Varcoe added a new dimension to a Cats forward line that has looked one-dimensional and unimaginative.
Nathan Ablett has turned a corner. Wayne Carey commented earlier this week that the 21 year old now exhibited a “strut” in his movement around the forward line. That’s called confidence. Plenty of pundits neglect the fact that just four seasons ago, Ablett was running around in the under 18 competition of the Bellarine Football League. But what he lacks in traditional football background, he clearly makes up for in genes.
Looking forward to Sunday, Geelong look to have Melbourne covered in all areas of the ground.
Melbourne, like most teams, will struggle to account for Geelong’s three tall forwards, given adequate supply from the Geelong midfield. The loss of Rivers to a hamstring strain will further magnify the issue. Carroll will probably get Mooney but Ben Holland and Wheatley will have to battle a combination of Nathan Ablett, Ottens and Hawkins.
Through the midfield, Geelong with Bartel, Corey and Chapman probably tips the form scales against McDonald, Jones and Johnstone. Brent Moloney, as always, will be keen to impress against his old side, but Melbourne will need to see improvement from stars Johnstone and Bruce if they are to make a match of it against Geelong.
With Neitz and Robertson on the sidelines, the jobs of the Matthews - Scarlett and Egan - become a whole lot easier. Melbourne will play a resting ruckman up forward but be it White or Jamar, they will need to contend with the in form Egan. With Ben Holland required in defence, someone will be unlucky to be lining up against a rampaging Scarlett fresh from making light work of the reigning Coleman Medallist. Not only will Melbourne need Miller to continue his good form, but they will also look to their midfield to manufacture some extra goals.
But despite the paper match-ups, Geelong must not treat the upcoming game lightly.
No one could deny Melbourne have made a poor start to season 2007. A defeat at the hands of St Kilda in the season opener and another loss to the up and coming Hawthorn have placed the Demons in a near-desperate situation. The loss of skipper Neitz, Robertson and Rivers have added to their woes and will make kicking a winning score (and defending one) a near impossible task.
But recent encounters between these sides have produced close-run results. Aside from Geelong’s 55 point demolition of Melbourne in the Elimination Final of 2005, the previous three encounters between the teams have produced a draw and two wins to Melbourne – one by six points and one by one point.
The closeness of recent encounters combined with Geelong’s notorious unreliability when it comes to matches they “should” win, is the only uncertainty over the upcoming result.
That said, you can only tip on form and on form alone, Geelong should prevail.
Geelong by 40 points.
Posted by catempire at April 12, 2007 06:42 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://geelongblog.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/34
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Round 3 - Melbourne v Geelong:
» roulette gioca from regles poker holden
[Read More]
Tracked on April 15, 2008 08:16 AM
» casino jackpot online from black jack 21
[Read More]
Tracked on April 15, 2008 08:18 AM
» online casino kostenlos from play poker for fun
[Read More]
Tracked on April 15, 2008 09:56 AM
» sistemas ruleta from application approval card credit instant
[Read More]
Tracked on April 15, 2008 10:11 AM
» card company credit uk from card christian consolidation credit debt
[Read More]
Tracked on April 15, 2008 12:16 PM
» franaise des jeux from casinos en lignes
[Read More]
Tracked on April 15, 2008 12:28 PM
» www casino vacances from jeu flash roulette
[Read More]
Tracked on April 15, 2008 12:35 PM
» cash advance loan from 1100 free nokia ringtones
[Read More]
Tracked on April 19, 2008 12:55 AM
» video poker on line gratis from business card credit small
[Read More]
Tracked on April 19, 2008 01:52 AM
» holdem poker game from loan payday sonic sonic payday loan
[Read More]
Tracked on April 19, 2008 02:26 AM
» acheter un jeu de poker from telecharger poker rng
[Read More]
Tracked on April 19, 2008 03:25 AM
» poker card game from national cash advance
[Read More]
Tracked on April 19, 2008 03:29 AM
» casino online hamburg from deposit bonus casino
[Read More]
Tracked on April 19, 2008 03:30 AM
» fast cash advance payday loan from jeu poker texas
[Read More]
Tracked on April 19, 2008 04:19 AM
» wo poker spielen from streap poker
[Read More]
Tracked on April 19, 2008 05:53 AM
» no fax no credit check cash advance check cash advance advance cash cashing check richmond from inheritance cash advance
[Read More]
Tracked on April 19, 2008 05:56 AM
» juego al instante linea from jugar poker omaha gratis reglas poker omaha
[Read More]
Tracked on April 19, 2008 06:23 AM
» download free kyocera ringtones from no limit texas holdem tournament poker no limit texas holdem
[Read More]
Tracked on April 19, 2008 06:45 AM
» free ringtones maker software from free christian music ringtones free christian nokia ringtones
[Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 12:05 AM
» all payday loan in canada only canada loan manitoba payday winnipeg from online poker gambling
[Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 12:38 AM
» free online poker tightpoker video from online video poker game
[Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 01:18 AM
» online kasinopoker from advance america cash cash cash advance america bank of america cash advance
[Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 01:33 AM
» virtual poker from best card credit interest rate
[Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 02:55 AM
» caribbean poker portales from ampd free mobile ringtones
[Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 03:33 AM
» free 24 ctu ringtones from how to win at poker
[Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 03:38 AM
» 24 ringtones free from jouer texas holdem gratuites
[Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 04:01 AM
» texas holdem tournament strategy free texas holdem tournament from play baccarat online
[Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 04:04 AM
» maquinas poker from omaha poker rule
[Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 04:39 AM
» application bank card credit from texas hold em texas hold em instructions
[Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 04:41 AM
» no bank statement payday loan from 100 free mobile ringtones virgin
[Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 05:09 AM
» partie de poker gratuites from advance cash loan payday software
[Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 09:40 PM
» card credit debt off pay ways from deuces wild video poker
As far as advance cash on line deuces wild video poker [Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 10:20 PM
» bonus für party poker from como jugar ruleta
[Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 10:59 PM
» jeu java from video poker strategy
[Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 11:42 PM
» bonos poquer from free casino game free casino game no download free online casino game no download
[Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 11:51 PM
» casino internacional linea from bwin poker
[Read More]
Tracked on April 20, 2008 11:59 PM
» virtual casinos from online casino und poker portal
[Read More]
Tracked on April 21, 2008 12:45 AM
» world championship poker from bwin poker
[Read More]
Tracked on April 21, 2008 01:03 AM
» cash advance loan from best online poker
[Read More]
Tracked on April 21, 2008 02:45 AM
» advance cash loan payday software from jouer roulette
[Read More]
Tracked on April 21, 2008 02:48 AM
» advance cash loan overnight overnight cash advance advance cash overnight from download free cell ringtones
[Read More]
Tracked on April 21, 2008 03:20 AM
» cash loan payday til from free casino bonus
[Read More]
Tracked on April 21, 2008 03:45 AM
» payday us fast cash loan fast cash payday loan from roulette spielregel
[Read More]
Tracked on April 21, 2008 03:47 AM
» descargar juegos de casino gratis from des jeux de casino
[Read More]
Tracked on April 21, 2008 07:36 PM
» siti poker online from tornei di poker gratis
[Read More]
Tracked on April 22, 2008 12:05 AM
» 7 card stud low from giocare online
[Read More]
Tracked on April 22, 2008 12:26 AM
» bank card credit one online from juego instantaneo portal internet
[Read More]
Tracked on April 22, 2008 07:11 PM
» free online texas holdem game from internet casino gambling online
[Read More]
Tracked on April 22, 2008 07:28 PM
» reglas poker from strep poker
[Read More]
Tracked on April 22, 2008 07:43 PM
» 7 card stud games from poker texas holdem gratis
[Read More]
Tracked on April 22, 2008 08:37 PM
» deutsche online poker from sichere online spiele
[Read More]
Tracked on April 22, 2008 08:44 PM
» nextel mp3 ringtones from play roulette online free free online roulette roulette game free online
[Read More]
Tracked on April 22, 2008 08:58 PM
» gioco video poker from best online casino fastest payouts best casino
[Read More]
Tracked on April 22, 2008 09:18 PM
» slots en ligne from ganar premio portal web
[Read More]
Tracked on April 22, 2008 09:36 PM
» online betting from poker chips online
[Read More]
Tracked on April 22, 2008 10:00 PM
» maquina tragaperras portal web from yahoo mobile ringtones mobile ringtones yahoo
[Read More]
Tracked on April 22, 2008 10:23 PM
» download free ringtones suncom from poker software free poker software
[Read More]
Tracked on April 22, 2008 10:57 PM
» texas holdem regel from pai gow poker web
[Read More]
Tracked on April 22, 2008 11:58 PM
» online casino mit bonus from best craps online
[Read More]
Tracked on April 23, 2008 12:02 AM
» free samsung ringtones free download ringtones samsung e715 from online casino poker tournament
[Read More]
Tracked on April 23, 2008 12:21 AM
» cingular polyphonic ringtones cingular info polyphonic remember ringtones from mp3 ringtones maker
[Read More]
Tracked on April 23, 2008 12:38 AM
» complimentary music ringtones from hot new ringtones
[Read More]
Tracked on April 23, 2008 06:23 PM
» streap poker online from gioco poker per pc
[Read More]
Tracked on April 23, 2008 09:46 PM
» jeux casino machines a sous from video poker games
[Read More]
Tracked on April 23, 2008 10:12 PM