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June 03, 2007
Round 10 Preview
St Kilda v Geelong
Telstra Dome
5.10pm Sunday
Teams
ST KILDA
B: Blake, Hudghton, L.Fisher
HB: Attard, S.Fisher, Baker
C: Gilbert, Ball, Gram
HF: Montagna, Riewoldt, Fiora
F: Milne, Gehrig, Koschitzke
FOLL: Rix, Hayes, Dal Santo
I/C: Armitage, Birss, X.Clarke, Gwilt
EM: R.Clarke, Thompson, Voss
IN: Gram, Hudghton, Montagna, X.Clarke
OUT: M.Clarke (inj), Harvey (hamstring), McQualter, Voss
GEELONG
B: Mackie, Scarlett, Enright
HB: Rooke, Egan, Milburn
C: Wojcinski, Bartel, Kelly
HF: Chapman, N.Ablett, S.Johnson
F: G.Ablett, Mooney, Varcoe
FOLL: Ottens, Corey, Ling
I/C: Blake, Tenace, Stokes, Harley
EM: Hunt, Selwood, Hawkins
IN: Harley, Chapman
OUT: Hunt, Selwood
Field umpires
Ryan, Ellis, Pannell
Past 5
R19 2006 St Kilda 15.13 (103) d Geelong 11.14 (80) Telstra Dome
R7 2006 Geelong 12.10 (82) d St Kilda 9.10 (64) Telstra Dome
R19 2005 St Kilda 13.18 (96) d Geelong 8.7 (55) Telstra Dome
R7 2005 Geelong 18.11 (119) d St Kilda 15.11 (101) Telstra Dome
R18 2004 Geelong 15.11 (101) d St Kilda 15.4 (94) Skilled Stadium
Betting
St Kilda $3.50, Geelong $1.27
For the past four seasons, Geelong and St Kilda have shared a mini-rivalry borne of a desire to lay claim to the title of most talented young Victorian team. While the rivalry still simmers, both clubs have underachieved during that period.
Such has been the eveness between the teams, that since 2004, they have played each other twice per year and have looked back at the end of each season with won one match each on the board.
But the teams go into this match on very different footing.
Geelong is in some of the best form the club has seen in the past four seasons. A crushing win over Richmond was followed by impressive performances against the Eagles, Fremantle and the Power. The Cats' attacking and running game is the talk of the AFL. Now second in the Premiership betting, Geelong will quickly become the hunted.
St Kilda, on the other hand, can hardly string two consistent performances together. After consecutive wins against Carlton and St Kilda one might have been forgiven for thinking the Saints were on the finals charge again. But losses to Hawthorn and Fremantle since have cast a pall over St Kilda's season. St Kilda will need to win Seven or eight matches our of their last 13 to threaten the final eight.
For St Kilda to trouble Geelong in this match they must find a way to counter Geelong's dominant game plan. The Cats have mastered the ability to score from their clearances, leading the league in this regard. While Steven Baker has taken Gary Ablett in the past, the Saints may look to him to negate one of Joel Corey or Jimmy Bartel who are leading the way as clearance kings.
Look for St Kilda to press significant numbers back behind the ball. This is a gameplan that has troubled Geelong in the past and is perhaps the only way St Kilda could come away with the points here. But the way Geelong has been moving the ball this season – with blistering pace, long kicking and movement through the corridor – the flood may not be enough for St Kilda to win. Expect Geelong to relish a return to the enclosed Telstra Dome and the fast track that it brings.
Cameron Ling will again get a big job on one of St Kilda's prime movers. Nick Dal Santo has been in hot form recently and could be ruing the close checking that Ling will no doubt pay him. Max Rooke may get one of Ball or Hayes should they see too much of it early.
There doesn't seem to be any good reason to pick against the Cats this week. They are in hot form and come up against an indifferent Saints outfit. In the past, Geelong may have dropped a match such as this, but for some reason, the Cats haven't looked like dropping “matches like this” lately. Why should they start now?
Geelong by 36 points.
Posted by catempire at June 3, 2007 11:20 AM
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