GEELONG forward Nathan Ablett’s AFL career is officially over after being delisted by the Cats.
The Cats announced on Tuesday that in addition to the retirement of Ablett and Brent Prismall's trade to Essendon, midfielder Jason Davenport and rookies Liam Bedford and Chris Kangars had also been delisted.
The loss of Ablett, Davenport and Prismall gives the Cats three places to fill on their list while the fourth vacancy will come as a result of defender Matthew Scarlett becoming eligible to be listed as a veteran next season.
Ablett, a member of the Cats’ 2007 grand final win, retired with just 32 games and 46 goals to his name.
Davenport didn’t play a game for the Cats but was a member of Geelong’s 2007 VFL premiership team and won the Cats' VFL best and fairest this year.
Bedford was also a member of the Cats' 2007 VFL premiership team and played one NAB Cup game while Kangars spent just the one season as a rookie.
Meanwhile Brisbane has delisted defender Matthew Moody.
The 2006 NAB Rising Star nominee battled an ongoing groin problem for the past two seasons which restricted him to just nine games, leaving his career total at 34.
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GEELONG midfielder Joel Corey has taken out his second best-and-fairest award with the club.
Corey claimed the 'Carji' Greeves Medal on Thursday night with 591 votes, well ahead of Gary Ablett Jnr (538) with James Bartel (522) third.
Midfielders dominated the count with Cameron Ling finishing fourth with 443 votes while impressive youngster Joel Selwood (439) finished fifth.
Cameron Mooney (423), Corey Enright (417), Andrew Mackie (386), Steve Johnson (384) and Tom Harley (334) completed the top 10.
In other awards, defender Harry Taylor was named best first year player,Steve Johnson (leading goal kicker), Tom Harley (best clubman), Ling (coach's award), Jason Davenport (VFL best & fairest), Tom Harley, David Wojcinski and James Kelly (community champions).
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September 27th 2008 17:20
GEELONG coach Mark Thompson says poor kicking in front of goal was to blame for the Cats' 26-point loss to Hawthorn in Saturday's grand final.
The Cats went inside their forward 50 on 62 occasions to Hawthorn's 43 and won the clearances 41-27 but they failed to make the most of their opportunities in front of goal, booting a wasteful 11.23.
Thompson said the Cats forwards badly let down the work of their defenders and midfielders.
"Our defence was fantastic, our midfield reasonable but to score just 11 goals from 62 opportunities (inside 50) is just not good enough," Thompson said.
"We just didn't make the most of our opportunities."
He also admitted that he felt sorry for Gary Ablett Jnr, who was Geelong’s best with 34 possessions and two goals.
"He (Ablett) just looked like he wanted to win so much, I just wish he'd had a few friends (team-mates) in that frame of mind," Thompson said.
Thompson dismissed suggestions that his side had 'choked' under the pressure of being expected to win successive flags after such a dominant season and vowed his team will hit back hard next season.
"Our guys will bounce back - we're taking it hard and I don't think you'd want us to take it any other way," Thompson said.
"I'm already really determined just to go back and smash them in 2009.”
"The fact is, this group is better than just winning one premiership and that's the challenge now."
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September 26th 2008 06:52
GEELONG coach Mark Thompson says a lack of match fitness cost hard-running defender David Wojincscki a tilt at back-to-back flags.
Wojinscki, who has played just one game since round 15 due to an Achilles injury, will miss Saturday’s grand final against Hawthorn after being forced to make way for Paul Chapman.
The 28-year-old’s hopes of a last-minute reprieve appear to be slim with Thompson saying that the Cats were a 90 per cent chance of starting as selected.
"(We) leave the 10 percent because you've got to leave some chance for people to get sick overnight or a right back," Thompson said.
Thompson said a fit Wojcinski was worthy of being in the Cats' best 22.
"Everyone in the room knows that and everybody that knows Geelong knows that," he said.
Thompson also said Wojinscki took his axing on the chin.
"[Wojcinski took the news] as good as he could of, he turned up today and he's talked to all the boys.
"He really desperately wants the club to win, he's a great Geelong person and as I said he's very unlucky and we all feel for him.
"He knows the club is bigger than the individual and he's still part - not the part that he probably wants - but he's still part of the club."
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September 24th 2008 06:06
GEELONG is ready for anything Hawthorn will throw at them in Saturday’s grand final at the MCG, according to defender Darren Milburn.
Milburn said the Cats won’t be affected by any niggling tactics.
"I think our boys like winning the contested ball, that is all we will be trying to do - go after the footy and try to win that," he said.
"We always try to back ourselves and it will be no different on the weekend."
Milburn also dismissed suggestions that the game will be a repeat of the fiery 1989 grand final between the two clubs.
"I think it will be a pretty fiery first five minutes or so but then it will be just a normal game," he said.
"You can't read too much into what happened 20 years ago - it's different footy now to what it was then."
Despite going into the grand final as heavy favourites, Milburn does not believe there as much pressure on the club heading into this year’s grand final as they was last year against Port Adelaide when Geelong was attempting to end a 44 year premiership drought.
"There is probably less pressure from outside (the club) but we are going to still have the pressure we put on ourselves but hopefully we can deal with that and we get the win we want."
"(But) I am just as confident as last year - we have been playing some pretty good football and there is no reason why we shouldn't go into the game confident."
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September 23rd 2008 05:16
GEELONG coach Mark Thompson is confident that Paul Chapman will prove his fitness for Saturday’s grand final against Hawthorn.
Speaking at Skilled Stadium on Tuesday, Thompson said that Chapman, who has been sidelined since the opening week of the finals with a hamstring strain, simply needs to get through the club's main training session on Wednesday.
Thompson refused to reveal which player is most likely to drop out of the side but said he has already effectively decided who it would be.
"There's only one," Thompson said.
"He would have some idea and everybody knows where they are going."
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September 22nd 2008 09:59
GEELONG skipper Tom Harley says any attempt by Hawthorn to rough-up the Cats in Saturday’s grand final will most like backfire.
When asked how the Cats would respond if the Hawks got physical, Harley said: "We think we're a pretty level-headed sort of group and pretty experienced and … physically I think we can handle that".
"It's happened a lot this year, and I'm not sure that the results have necessarily gone the way of the clubs that have tried that."
"We've got some competitive players and hard players that like to play the game hard and tough but also fair."
"I wouldn't have thought that too many of them would be taking a backward step."
Harley also said the Cats would not be targeting the injured ribs of Hawthorn vice-captain Luke Hodge.
“I would not have thought so. He is going to have a Hawthorn jumper on like 21 other blokes out there,” he said.
“They are the opposition and you go out there to play them hard and fair and play the ball.”
Meanwhile, Harley dismissed suggestions that Geelong’s edge in finals experience would give it a significant advantage.
"We went into the Grand Final last year without any grand-final experience, and it didn't seem to deter us too much," he said.
"I think it's a little bit overrated, perhaps."
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September 19th 2008 22:40
GEELONG coach Mark Thompson has declared small forward Travis Varcoe a certain starter for next Saturday’s Grand Final.
With forward Paul Chapman rated a 90 per cent chance by Thompson to return from a hamstring injury, the 20-year-old had been considered the player most likely to make way.
But Thompson said Varcoe, who collected 18 possessions and booted one goal in the Cats’ 29-point win over the Western Bulldogs in the first preliminary final at the MCG on Friday night, had done enough to retain his place in the side.
"Travis Varcoe is in the team. He hasn't played himself out. That was the best game he's played," said Thompson.
"I don't mean to be smarty but I was very happy with his game."
"I'll state it publicly. If he stays fit and doesn't get a virus he'll play next week."
Thompson also suggested that hard-running defender David Wojcinski and midfielder James Kelly, who both had 18 possessions in their first match back from injury, would remain in the side.
"Wojcinski did enough, kicked a goal and won enough of the ball to say he'd probably stay in," he said.
"And good to have Kelly back. Glad that he's got the run and Wojcinski's got the run they needed before the Grand Final."
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September 19th 2008 13:06
GEELONG is one win away from securing back-to-back premierships after defeating the Western Bulldogs by 29 points in the first preliminary final at the MCG on Friday night.
The Cats were challenged all night by the brave Bulldogs, eventually prevailing 12.11 (83) to 7.12 (54)
The Dogs had their chances to win the match but they failed to make the most of their opportunities front of goal, booting a wasteful 2.7 in the second half.
James Bartel and Joel Selwood were valuable contributors in the middle for Geelong with 27 and 24 possessions respectively while Andrew Mackie was damaging off half-back with a team-high 30 disposals.
Joel Corey was influential with 28 touches while Cameron Ling did a superb blanketing job on Adam Cooney, restricting the Bulldogs star to just 16 possessions.
For the Bulldogs, Daniel Cross (32 possessions) tried hard all night while Lindsay Gilbee generated plenty of run from defence with 25 disposals.
The Dogs led by 11 points at the 20-minute mark of the first term after Jason Akermanis slotted one home from an acute angle in the left pocket but the Cats piled on three goals in a five-minute burst to take a six-point lead into the first change.
The Cats took control of the midfield in the second term and kicked three goals to one to extend their advantage to 21 points at the main break,
The Bulldogs got themselves back into the contest in the third term by applying immense pressure all over the ground and winning the contested football.
Two goals in three minutes from Jarrod Harbrow reduced the deficit to just 15 points and the Dogs should have been closer but they failed to convert in front of goal with Nathan Eagleton, Mitch Hahn and Will Minson all missing gettable opportunities.
The Dogs were made to pay for their wastefulness with Cameron Mooney kicking truly to give the Cats a handy 18-point break heading into the final change.
Matthew Boyd and Minson both missed early shots before Max Rooke kicked a controversial goal at the 11-minute mark.
Rooke crashed into Bulldogs skipper Brad Johnson, spilling the ball free, then received a handball from Tom Lonergan before snapping truly from 20 metres out to give the Cats a 22-point lead.
Despite the fact that Johnson was left writhing in pain at centre half-back, the umpire ruled that he had not been unfairly impeded by Rooke in the marking contest.
Steve Johnson then put the result well and truly beyond doubt with the last goal of the match at the 22-minute mark.
GEELONG: 5.3, 8.8, 10.9, 12.11 (83)
WESTERN BULLDOGS: 4.3, 5.5, 7.9, 7.12 (54)
GOALS: Geelong: S.Johnson 2, Rooke 2, Bartel, Harley, Varcoe, Wojcinski, Ottens, Stokes, Mooney, Lonergan
Western Bulldogs: Higgins 2, Harbrow 2, Eagleton, Johnson, Akermanis
BEST: Geelong: Mackie, Ling, Harley, Corey, Selwood, Bartel
Western Bulldogs: Cross, Harbrow, Gilbee, Hargrave, Lake, Murphy, Callan
INJURIES: Geelong: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Giansiracusa (elbow)
REPORTS: Hill (Western Bulldogs) by umpire Vozzo in the third quarter for making head-high contact with Mackie
CHANGES: Nil
UMPIRES: Vozzo, McBurney, Ryan
CROWD: 70,140 at the MCG
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September 17th 2008 01:21
GEELONG forward Paul Chapman will miss Friday night’s preliminary final against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG with a hamstring injury.
Chapman requires another week to overcome a hamstring strain sustained in the Cats' qualifying final win over St Kilda last Sunday week.
Scans did not reveal a tear but the club has opted not to risk Chapman given his history of soft-tussue injuries.
Meanwhile, midfielder James Kelly, who hasn’t played since round 20 because of a quad injury faces a fitness test.
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September 15th 2008 06:49
GEELONG coach Mark Thompson believes his side is better prepared for Friday night’s preliminary final against the Western Bulldogs than they were for last year’s preliminary final against Collingwood.
Thompson said he went too easy on the Cats in the week immediately following last year's big qualifying final win over North Melbourne.
"We were all about recovery, and this time around we recovered them post-game but we've actually lifted the intensity a bit more than we did last year," he said.
"This week we're in game mode and we came back yesterday and trained and we're in a normal preparation week now."
Thompson also said the experience gained during last year's premiership campaign would prove to be invaluable.
"This time last year going into a preliminary final there was a lot of unanswered questions and, sure, there's a lot of unanswered questions now," he said.
"But we're feeling that we've been and lived through that experience and we're better for it and that's probably the only advantage we have going into this week.
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September 15th 2008 05:02
GEELONG forward Paul Chapman is no certainty to play in Friday night’s first preliminary final against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG, according to coach Mark Thompson.
Chapman has been under a cloud since retiring to the bench early with hamstring soreness in the Cats' qualifying-final win over St Kilda last Sunday week.
Thompson said Chapman will need to take part in Tuesday's closed training session at Skilled Stadium and complete Thursday's open session to be considered for selection.
"He trained really well yesterday, he trained hard, fast and kicked the ball and ran at top speed," Thompson said.
"He's got a few boxes to tick yet, but he's certainly on his way."
Thompson said the club won’t be taking any risks with Chapman.
"We have to make the right decision for sure," Thompson said.
"He had an injury about five weeks ago and it's not that he's torn anything now but it's in the same area."
"We have to make a responsible decision that we put a team out there that can play four quarters of footy and we don't want to be a player down at quarter time."
Thompson also said that midfielder James Kelly was a '95 percent' chance of playing after having missed three matches with a quad injury.
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