« Cats claim TRUenergy VFL premiership | Main | The King of the Castle »
September 28, 2007
GRAND FINAL PREVIEW
Geelong v Port Adelaide
MCG, Saturday 2:30pm
Teams
Geelong
Backs: Harley Scarlett Hunt
Half-backs: Mackie Milburn Wojcinski
Centres: Corey Bartel Enright
Half-forwards: S Johnson Mooney Selwood
Forwards: Chapman N Ablett Stokes
Followers: Ottens Ling Rover: G Ablett
Interchange: King Byrnes Kelly Rooke
Emergencies: Varcoe Blake Prismall
In: King
Out: Blake
Port Adelaide
Backs: Pettigrew Thurstans Surjan
Half-backs: Cassisi Chaplin P Burgoyne
Centres: Salopek K Cornes Rodan
Half-forwards: Motlop Tredrea Pearce
Forwards: Lade Westhoff Ebert
Followers: Brogan C Cornes Rover: S Burgoyne
Interchange: Boak Symes Logan Wakelin
Emergencies: Carlile Bentley Lonie
In: Symes
Out: Wilson (Achilles)
Umpires
McInerney, McLaren, McBurney
Past five
R21 2007 Port Adelaide 16.10 (106) d Geelong 15.11 (101) Skilled Stadium
R9 2007 Geelong 16.20 (116) d Port Adelaide 8.12 (60) AAMI Stadium
R15 2006 Geelong 9.14 (68) d Port Adelaide 8.10 (58) Skilled Stadium
R16 2005 Geelong 18.18 (126) d Port Adelaide 7.5 (47) Skilled Stadium
R5 2005 Geelong 15.9 (99) d Port Adelaide 15.5 (95) AAMI Stadium
Betting
Geelong $1.40, Port Adelaide $2.80
_________________________________
Well, this is it. There’s not need to build it up any more than it has been. This is Geelong’s greatest shot at breaking its 44-year premiership drought in two generations of Abletts.
The list of accolades to date – Minor premiers, Brownlow medallist, nine All-Australians, the Rising Star, the VFL Premiership, AFL MVP player and coach – although impressive, will all be forgotten if the biggest prize of them all, is not held high by Tom Harley and Mark Thompson on Saturday afternoon.
Geelong enters the game as warm favourites, although you wouldn’t know it by watching the media coverage this week.
Mark Williams has taken every opportunity to talk up his team as what he says, is a more experienced, faster, stronger (and your writer is certainly starting to think, “higher”) unit.
It’s common practice for Choco to take a mouthy approach to the build up to a big game. He did it before the sides met in round 21 and there’s little doubt he’d be under the illusion that it worked.
But the media, Williams and the many-headed have quickly forgotten the circumstances in which that game was played. Bartel pulled out of the game with appendicitis, Cameron Ling with a hamstring and Joel Selwood, perhaps at the peak of his season’s form, was rested in line with Bomber’s policy of pacing first year players.
Injuries and omissions aside, with seconds to play, the Cats snatched the lead in what was nearly an unlikely victory. The win for the Power was anything but convincing.
But to give credit where credit is due, Port have earned the right to take on the Cats for the flag. They finished in second place on the ladder after home and away matches ahead of others including West Coast, Collingwood and North Melbourne. They won both their finals including their preliminary final against the Kangaroos convincingly.
The upside for Port is twofold. Around half their side, as well as their coach, know how to win a flag. It was only 3 years ago that they upset the more fancied Brisbane juggernaut. Secondly, Port have premiership-calibre players. Cornes, Burgoyne, Cornes, Burgoyne and Lade, in particular. These are players whose names when uttered in 20 years time, will not sound odd with the words “double…” or “triple…”- “…premiership player” in front of them.
But they come up against a team unparalleled in its decoration this season. A team that, if it wins tomorrow, will be seen as a modern great. Arrogance on Port’s part at this time is wholly misplaced.
Port have openly said they will try to run Geelong “off their legs”.
The beauty of Geelong this season is an ability to win a lock-down or win a shoot-out. It is the hallmark of a great team. An open, free-flowing, run-‘til-you-drop game will hold no fear for the Cats. They’ve prided themselves on their fitness and put faith in their hard work.
Port managed to shut down the corridor in the round 21 encounter. They will try to do so again tomorrow. But they can’t have it both ways. Shutting down the corridor takes great discipline and application. Midfielders, wingers and flankers must zone off their man and occupy space in the centre square when not in possession of the ball. Their opponents get pushed wide, in front and behind the ball. After a turnover, there’s no room to run. They will get the ball in the corridor but Geelong will already have numbers back. Bombing the ball into Geelong’s defence spells death, so accomplished are Harley, Scarlett and Milburn at marking and spoiling.
Geelong dealt with the best lock-down team going around last week. Geelong is the best shoot-out team. Either way, Port has a hell of a job on its hands.
We cannot forget that Geelong are warm favourites for a reason. Highest scoring team for the season. Lowest points conceded. A streak of fifteen wins broken only by a meaningless and narrow loss while undermanned. Finishing the home and away season with a strong win interstate. A belting of the fourth placed Roos by even more than Port won by. And finally, getting over a most determined Collingwood outfit who, if they had won, would have just about been favourites in this Grand final.
At 5:30pm on Saturday afternoon, the football world will be collectively nod and with a slap of palm to forehead say, “That’s why Geelong were the best team all season. What was I thinking?”
Geelong look like a premiership team already. Tomorrow will confirm it.
GEELONG BY 27 POINTS
Posted by catempire at September 28, 2007 03:56 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://geelongblog.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/96
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference GRAND FINAL PREVIEW:
» Soldier s percocet addiction. from Percocet.
Neo percocet. Buy percocet online. Is darvocet stronger than percocet. Long term use of percocet. Percocet withdrawal. [Read More]
Tracked on April 17, 2008 05:53 AM
» Herbal viagra. from Viagra prescription price.
Over the counter viagra. Generic viagra. Viagra for order lamisil viagra. Buy viagra in canada. Viagra hgh. Viagra sale. Viagra without a prescription. Herbal viagra. [Read More]
Tracked on April 17, 2008 06:37 AM
» Cheap phentermine online. from Cheap phentermine.
Cheap phentermine. Cheap phentermine buy online. Buy prozac phentermine online free shipping cheap. Buy cheap phentermine. Cheap phentermine diet pill. [Read More]
Tracked on April 27, 2008 07:03 PM