TonyK
CibbuanoMatch Preview: Geelong v Melbourne
August 26th 2006 00:07
GEELONG V MELBOURNE
WHERE & WHEN: Skilled Stadium, 2:10pm AEST, Saturday 26 August
TV & RADIO: Channel 10 (Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Brisbane), 3AW, Triple M, K-Rock
HEAD TO HEAD: Geelong 116, Melbourne 83, Draws 1
LAST TIME: Melbourne 13.9 (87) d Geelong 11.15 (81), round six, 2006, at the MCG
TAB SPORTSBET: Geelong $1.72, Melbourne $2.00
Geelong were very impressive in their 27-point victory over the Swans at Skilled Stadium last Saturday.
However, while the result kept Geelong's slim finals hopes alive it only served to highlight how disappointing the Cats season has been, with the club more than capable of serving it up to any side in the competition on its day.
The Cats will be without forward Cameron Mooney, who this week was suspended for the fourth time this season- an AFL record.
Mooney has to do something to control his anger management issues and hopefully the counselling the club has forced him to undertake during the summer will do the trick.
The troubled forward is very important to their structure, and provides them with a consistent target up forward in a forward line that like the club has promised so much but delivered little.
Nathan Ablett comes back into the side this week to offer some firepower up forward in Mooney's absence, and needs to make every post a winner today against Melbourne as the club looks towards 2007.
The Cats are still an outside mathematical chance to make the finals this year on the back of the Western Bulldogs 50-point loss to St Kilda at the Telstra Dome last night.
However, they need to win today and handsomely against Hawthorn next week, and bank on the Dogs losing to Essendon- a probable but highly unlikely scenario.
While the Cats are looking towards next season, Melbourne has more than one eye on the finals after keeping their slim top four chances alive with a comprehensive 50-point win over the Kangaroos at the MCG last Sunday.
This result is somewhat misleading, and things could have been a lot worse for the Dees had the Roos kicked straight and skipper David Neitz and excitement machine Aaron Davey come to the party with 12 goals between them.
Melbourne have some injury concerns of their own going into today's game, with a cloud hanging over Neitz who is suffering from a hip flexor injury.
Expect the Melbourne star to miss as the club doesn't want to risk such an important player in their set-up two weeks out from the finals.
Impressive youngster Matthew Bate will also be sidelined for at least two weeks after brusing his knee in the dieing stages of last weekend's clash.
In some good news for the Dees, they welcome back hardman Byron Pickett from a hamstring injury.
Melbourne showed against the Roos last Sunday that when they play as a team they are equal to any side in the competition and represent a real danger come finals time.
With Travis Johnstone, Russell Robertson and Davey will have been better for the run last week and will gain much needed match fitness in the lead-up to the finals.
Today represent's a must-win game for Melbourne, with a match-up with the Crows at AAMI Stadium in round 22, the Dees need to win today to keep their top four chances alive and assert themselves as a genuine contender for the flag.
With so much on the line and key players coming back from injury at the right time of the year, you would expect the Demons to have too much class for the Cats and runaway with a comfortable win. Melbourne by 37 points.
GEELONG
B: Harley, Scarlett, J.Hunt
HB: D.Johnson, Milburn, Egan
C: Enright, G.Ablett, Rooke
HF: Mackie, N.Ablett, S.Johnson
F: Bartel, Ottens, Chapman
FOLL: King, Ling, Corey
I/C: Tenace, Wojcinski, Lonergan, Prismall
EMG: Kelly, Kingsley, Gamble
IN: N.Ablett, Wojcinski
OUT: Mooney (suspension), Byrnes
MELBOURNE
B: Whelan, Carroll, Holland
HB: Bruce, Rivers, Ward
C: Green, McLean, Johnstone
HF: Yze, Miller, Pickett
F: Robertson, Neitz, Davey
FOLL: White, Jones, McDonald
I/C: Bartram, Godfrey, Jamar, Bell
EMG: Motlop, Smith, Sylvia
IN: Pickett
OUT: Bate (bruised knee)
Field umpires: Ellis, Meredith, Wenn
WHERE & WHEN: Skilled Stadium, 2:10pm AEST, Saturday 26 August
TV & RADIO: Channel 10 (Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Brisbane), 3AW, Triple M, K-Rock
HEAD TO HEAD: Geelong 116, Melbourne 83, Draws 1
LAST TIME: Melbourne 13.9 (87) d Geelong 11.15 (81), round six, 2006, at the MCG
TAB SPORTSBET: Geelong $1.72, Melbourne $2.00
Geelong were very impressive in their 27-point victory over the Swans at Skilled Stadium last Saturday.
However, while the result kept Geelong's slim finals hopes alive it only served to highlight how disappointing the Cats season has been, with the club more than capable of serving it up to any side in the competition on its day.
The Cats will be without forward Cameron Mooney, who this week was suspended for the fourth time this season- an AFL record.
Mooney has to do something to control his anger management issues and hopefully the counselling the club has forced him to undertake during the summer will do the trick.
The troubled forward is very important to their structure, and provides them with a consistent target up forward in a forward line that like the club has promised so much but delivered little.
Nathan Ablett comes back into the side this week to offer some firepower up forward in Mooney's absence, and needs to make every post a winner today against Melbourne as the club looks towards 2007.
The Cats are still an outside mathematical chance to make the finals this year on the back of the Western Bulldogs 50-point loss to St Kilda at the Telstra Dome last night.
However, they need to win today and handsomely against Hawthorn next week, and bank on the Dogs losing to Essendon- a probable but highly unlikely scenario.
While the Cats are looking towards next season, Melbourne has more than one eye on the finals after keeping their slim top four chances alive with a comprehensive 50-point win over the Kangaroos at the MCG last Sunday.
This result is somewhat misleading, and things could have been a lot worse for the Dees had the Roos kicked straight and skipper David Neitz and excitement machine Aaron Davey come to the party with 12 goals between them.
Melbourne have some injury concerns of their own going into today's game, with a cloud hanging over Neitz who is suffering from a hip flexor injury.
Expect the Melbourne star to miss as the club doesn't want to risk such an important player in their set-up two weeks out from the finals.
Impressive youngster Matthew Bate will also be sidelined for at least two weeks after brusing his knee in the dieing stages of last weekend's clash.
In some good news for the Dees, they welcome back hardman Byron Pickett from a hamstring injury.
Melbourne showed against the Roos last Sunday that when they play as a team they are equal to any side in the competition and represent a real danger come finals time.
With Travis Johnstone, Russell Robertson and Davey will have been better for the run last week and will gain much needed match fitness in the lead-up to the finals.
Today represent's a must-win game for Melbourne, with a match-up with the Crows at AAMI Stadium in round 22, the Dees need to win today to keep their top four chances alive and assert themselves as a genuine contender for the flag.
With so much on the line and key players coming back from injury at the right time of the year, you would expect the Demons to have too much class for the Cats and runaway with a comfortable win. Melbourne by 37 points.
GEELONG
B: Harley, Scarlett, J.Hunt
HB: D.Johnson, Milburn, Egan
C: Enright, G.Ablett, Rooke
HF: Mackie, N.Ablett, S.Johnson
F: Bartel, Ottens, Chapman
FOLL: King, Ling, Corey
I/C: Tenace, Wojcinski, Lonergan, Prismall
EMG: Kelly, Kingsley, Gamble
IN: N.Ablett, Wojcinski
OUT: Mooney (suspension), Byrnes
MELBOURNE
B: Whelan, Carroll, Holland
HB: Bruce, Rivers, Ward
C: Green, McLean, Johnstone
HF: Yze, Miller, Pickett
F: Robertson, Neitz, Davey
FOLL: White, Jones, McDonald
I/C: Bartram, Godfrey, Jamar, Bell
EMG: Motlop, Smith, Sylvia
IN: Pickett
OUT: Bate (bruised knee)
Field umpires: Ellis, Meredith, Wenn
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