TonyK
CibbuanoRound eleven preview: West Coast v Geelong
June 6th 2009 15:32
VENUE and TIME: Subiaco Oval, Sunday 7 June, 4.40pm (AEST)
HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 39, West Coast 21, Geelong 17, Draws 1
LAST TIME: Geelong 24.20 (164) def West Coast 10.5 (65), Round 22 2008 at Skilled Stadium
RECENT HISTORY: Geelong has won its past three against West Coast, including a 135-point demolition of the Eagles in round 13 last year at Subiaco Oval - their biggest-ever loss at home.
FORM: Geelong maintained its unbeaten start to the season with a 64-point win over Essendon at Etihad Stadium last Sunday. The final margin flattered the Bombers as the Cats took their foot off the pedal in the final stanza after booting 17 goals to five in the first three quarters. West Coast has lost its past three to Sydney, Collingwood and Carlton to slump to 13th place on the AFL ladder with a 3-7 win-loss record.
MEDICAL ROOM: West Coast welcomes back midfielder Matt Priddis from a groin strain but will be without veteran David Wirrpanda (hamstring). Ashley Hansen (groin) and Brent Staker (hand) are unavailable while rugged utility Beau Waters (dislocated elbow) won‘t play again in 2009. For the Cats, star forward Paul Chapman, Tom Lonergan and Ryan Gamble return from injury but Harry Taylor and skipper Tom Harley will miss with ankle and hamstring injuries respectively. Joel Corey, who was a late withdrawal from the clash against the Bombers with a foot injury remains on the sidelines while ruckman Brad Ottens (knee) is sidelined for a further three to four weeks. Matthew Egan (foot), Josh Hunt (knee) and youngster Mitch Brown (broken leg) are out for the season.
KEY MATCH-UPS: Cameron Ling vs. Matt Priddis
With star midfielder Daniel Kerr out of the side due to suspension the Eagles will need Priddis to win a lot of the football at the stoppages to help get them going otherwise they will struggle to be competitive.
Priddis faces a tough afternoon at the office with Ling, who kept Jobe Watson relatively quiet last weekend, to be his likely opponent.
Not only does Ling quell the influence of his opponents but he also has the ability to hurt them - in the round 22 clash between these two sides last year he collected a game-high 34 possessions in a performance that earned him the three Brownlow medal votes.
It is vital for the Eagles that Priddis works hard both ways.
Adam Selwood vs. Gary Ablett
The last time these two sides met at Subiaco Oval Ablett starred with a game-high 37 possessions, two goals and five inside 50’s.
The classy Geelong midfielder cuts sides up with his ability to break the lines, kick goals and set up scoring opportunities for his teammates.
He will need to be contained if the Eagles are going to have any hope of even getting close to the unbeaten Cats.
Selwood is West Coast’s number one tagger and looms as the obvious candidate to run with Ablett in what shapes as being a pivotal duel.
Ablett can’t be completely stopped, therefore Selwood needs to be proactive and win his own football at the stoppages and try and hurt him going the other way.
Andrew Mackie vs. Mark LeCras
LeCras has been his side’s most consistent so far in 2009, booting 26 goals in nine games.
With Ben McKinley not in the same sort of form as he was last year and Josh Kennedy not a big goal-kicker, it is hard to see where the Eagles will get enough goals from to be competitive if LeCras is kept quiet.
Despite standing at just 182cm, LeCras is very good overhead so you would expect someone like Mackie, who is capable of matching him in the air and also mobile enough to go with him when the football hit’s the deck, to line-up on the dangerous West Coast forward.
In their three wins this season the Eagles were long and direct with their use of the football - they will need to do the same on Sunday if LeCras is going to have any chance of having an impact.
Shannon Hurn vs. Steve Johnson
Johnson continued his brilliant start to the season with six goals against the Bombers, taking his season tally to 32 goals.
The 2007 Norm Smith medallist is in All-Australian form and would fancy his chances of kicking another bag against an Eagles side that allowed the Blues to have 31 scoring shots last weekend.
Hurn has the ability to match Johnson when is in the forward line and also when he pushes into the midfield, so you would expect the 21-year-old to be given first crack at the classy Geelong star.
The Eagles will need Hurn to be switched on defensively for the full four quarters and not give Johnson any time or space in which to work in as he is capable of turning a game on its head with a quick burst of brilliance - highlighted by his four goals in the third term against the Dons.
VERDICT: West Coast was competitive in patches against Carlton last weekend but they let themselves down repeatedly with their use of the football going forward. The Eagles are one of the least-skilled sides in the AFL and will be punished on the rebound by a red-hot Geelong side that will put the result beyond doubt with a 10 to 15 minute burst of sublime football. Cats by 51 points.
WEST COAST v GEELONG
West Coast
B: Mark Nicoski, Darren Glass, Shannon Hurn
HB: Andrew Embley, Eric Mackenzie, Adam Selwood
C: Matt Rosa, Tom Swift, Tyson Stenglein
HF: Jamie McNamara, Josh Kennedy, Scott Selwood
F: Ben McKinley, Quinten Lynch, Mark LeCras
Foll: Dean Cox, Chris Masten, Brad Ebert
I/C: Mitch Brown, Adam Hunter, Matt Spangher, Matt Priddis
Emg: Chad Fletcher, Tim Houlihan, Mark Seaby
In: Priddis, Spangher
Out: Daniel Kerr (susp), David Wirrpanda (hamstring)
Geelong
B: Darren Milburn, Matthew Scarlett, Andrew Mackie
HB: Corey Enright, Tom Lonergan, James Kelly
C: Steve Johnson, Gary Ablett, Travis Varcoe
HF: Jimmy Bartel, Tom Hawkins, Mathew Stokes
F: Paul Chapman, Cameron Mooney, Shannon Byrnes
Foll: Mark Blake, Joel Selwood, Cameron Ling
I/C: Ryan Gamble, Shane Mumford, David Wojcinski, Nathan Djerrkura
Emg: David Johnson, Max Rooke, Joel Corey
In: Lonergan, Stokes, Gamble, Chapman
Out: Harry Taylor (ankle), Tom Harley (hamstring), Max Rooke, David Johnson
HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 39, West Coast 21, Geelong 17, Draws 1
LAST TIME: Geelong 24.20 (164) def West Coast 10.5 (65), Round 22 2008 at Skilled Stadium
RECENT HISTORY: Geelong has won its past three against West Coast, including a 135-point demolition of the Eagles in round 13 last year at Subiaco Oval - their biggest-ever loss at home.
FORM: Geelong maintained its unbeaten start to the season with a 64-point win over Essendon at Etihad Stadium last Sunday. The final margin flattered the Bombers as the Cats took their foot off the pedal in the final stanza after booting 17 goals to five in the first three quarters. West Coast has lost its past three to Sydney, Collingwood and Carlton to slump to 13th place on the AFL ladder with a 3-7 win-loss record.
MEDICAL ROOM: West Coast welcomes back midfielder Matt Priddis from a groin strain but will be without veteran David Wirrpanda (hamstring). Ashley Hansen (groin) and Brent Staker (hand) are unavailable while rugged utility Beau Waters (dislocated elbow) won‘t play again in 2009. For the Cats, star forward Paul Chapman, Tom Lonergan and Ryan Gamble return from injury but Harry Taylor and skipper Tom Harley will miss with ankle and hamstring injuries respectively. Joel Corey, who was a late withdrawal from the clash against the Bombers with a foot injury remains on the sidelines while ruckman Brad Ottens (knee) is sidelined for a further three to four weeks. Matthew Egan (foot), Josh Hunt (knee) and youngster Mitch Brown (broken leg) are out for the season.
KEY MATCH-UPS: Cameron Ling vs. Matt Priddis
With star midfielder Daniel Kerr out of the side due to suspension the Eagles will need Priddis to win a lot of the football at the stoppages to help get them going otherwise they will struggle to be competitive.
Priddis faces a tough afternoon at the office with Ling, who kept Jobe Watson relatively quiet last weekend, to be his likely opponent.
Not only does Ling quell the influence of his opponents but he also has the ability to hurt them - in the round 22 clash between these two sides last year he collected a game-high 34 possessions in a performance that earned him the three Brownlow medal votes.
It is vital for the Eagles that Priddis works hard both ways.
Adam Selwood vs. Gary Ablett
The last time these two sides met at Subiaco Oval Ablett starred with a game-high 37 possessions, two goals and five inside 50’s.
The classy Geelong midfielder cuts sides up with his ability to break the lines, kick goals and set up scoring opportunities for his teammates.
He will need to be contained if the Eagles are going to have any hope of even getting close to the unbeaten Cats.
Selwood is West Coast’s number one tagger and looms as the obvious candidate to run with Ablett in what shapes as being a pivotal duel.
Ablett can’t be completely stopped, therefore Selwood needs to be proactive and win his own football at the stoppages and try and hurt him going the other way.
Andrew Mackie vs. Mark LeCras
LeCras has been his side’s most consistent so far in 2009, booting 26 goals in nine games.
With Ben McKinley not in the same sort of form as he was last year and Josh Kennedy not a big goal-kicker, it is hard to see where the Eagles will get enough goals from to be competitive if LeCras is kept quiet.
Despite standing at just 182cm, LeCras is very good overhead so you would expect someone like Mackie, who is capable of matching him in the air and also mobile enough to go with him when the football hit’s the deck, to line-up on the dangerous West Coast forward.
In their three wins this season the Eagles were long and direct with their use of the football - they will need to do the same on Sunday if LeCras is going to have any chance of having an impact.
Shannon Hurn vs. Steve Johnson
Johnson continued his brilliant start to the season with six goals against the Bombers, taking his season tally to 32 goals.
The 2007 Norm Smith medallist is in All-Australian form and would fancy his chances of kicking another bag against an Eagles side that allowed the Blues to have 31 scoring shots last weekend.
Hurn has the ability to match Johnson when is in the forward line and also when he pushes into the midfield, so you would expect the 21-year-old to be given first crack at the classy Geelong star.
The Eagles will need Hurn to be switched on defensively for the full four quarters and not give Johnson any time or space in which to work in as he is capable of turning a game on its head with a quick burst of brilliance - highlighted by his four goals in the third term against the Dons.
VERDICT: West Coast was competitive in patches against Carlton last weekend but they let themselves down repeatedly with their use of the football going forward. The Eagles are one of the least-skilled sides in the AFL and will be punished on the rebound by a red-hot Geelong side that will put the result beyond doubt with a 10 to 15 minute burst of sublime football. Cats by 51 points.
WEST COAST v GEELONG
West Coast
B: Mark Nicoski, Darren Glass, Shannon Hurn
HB: Andrew Embley, Eric Mackenzie, Adam Selwood
C: Matt Rosa, Tom Swift, Tyson Stenglein
HF: Jamie McNamara, Josh Kennedy, Scott Selwood
F: Ben McKinley, Quinten Lynch, Mark LeCras
Foll: Dean Cox, Chris Masten, Brad Ebert
I/C: Mitch Brown, Adam Hunter, Matt Spangher, Matt Priddis
Emg: Chad Fletcher, Tim Houlihan, Mark Seaby
In: Priddis, Spangher
Out: Daniel Kerr (susp), David Wirrpanda (hamstring)
Geelong
B: Darren Milburn, Matthew Scarlett, Andrew Mackie
HB: Corey Enright, Tom Lonergan, James Kelly
C: Steve Johnson, Gary Ablett, Travis Varcoe
HF: Jimmy Bartel, Tom Hawkins, Mathew Stokes
F: Paul Chapman, Cameron Mooney, Shannon Byrnes
Foll: Mark Blake, Joel Selwood, Cameron Ling
I/C: Ryan Gamble, Shane Mumford, David Wojcinski, Nathan Djerrkura
Emg: David Johnson, Max Rooke, Joel Corey
In: Lonergan, Stokes, Gamble, Chapman
Out: Harry Taylor (ankle), Tom Harley (hamstring), Max Rooke, David Johnson
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