Preview AFL Round 9 - West Coast v Geelong, Domain Stadium, 4:40PM Sunday 31 May

[Jon Douglas]

I think this is the biggest game we will have played this season. We have not beat anyone really and this is our chance and it is away. They are playing well and it will take a seriously committed team to beat them.

I suspect we will take in the same side as against Carlton - and they will lose Yeo and their team will stay the same except for his loss.

The odds see us pretty much outsiders in this game and if we can win and then beat Melb. the following week the finals are again on the table for us in 2015.

These games require good coaching and a very committed team to win. Of course we can win but I would think from the form we have seen it will be hard for us to win. But we have the backline to limit their scoring, the forward line to hurt them but I am unsure we have the midfield to close them down. Blitz, Stanley, Selwood, SJ and Caddy will need big games - and Motlop will need to run all day - back as well as forwards and have 6 tackles - if we are to win IMO.

 

[catman54]

Again I reckon we are right in this game, WCE have not played (read beaten) any top sides so far this year. They have played mostly bottom-middle teams, I know we have only four wins but we've lost to the best, they are yet to play them.

 

[BlightysCats]

Yes they do

No they don't. It's funny how you only ever hear the loses say the umpires affected the outcome of a game, it's 1950s stuff that supporters like to use as an excuse when they can't handle a loss.

 

[Hello Kitty]

Forgive me if this was mentioned previously.
"Geelong midfielder Jimmy Bartel has been diagnosed with an infection in his left knee and will be in hospital for the next two days."
“Jimmy experienced some soreness in his knee on Friday and the medical staff took quick action and identified the issue,” Geelong’s general manager of football Steve Hocking said."
http://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/2015-05-25/bartel-in-hospital

 

[BlightysCats]

Forgive me if this was mentioned previously.
"Geelong midfielder Jimmy Bartel has been diagnosed with an infection in his left knee and will be in hospital for the next two days."
“Jimmy experienced some soreness in his knee on Friday and the medical staff took quick action and identified the issue,” Geelong’s general manager of football Steve Hocking said."
http://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/2015-05-25/bartel-in-hospital

Time to buy a nurses uniform Squishy?

 

[inbetween]

Yeo's gone
Your odds of winning went up. He's worth probably 2 goals for our team.

 

[ep2018]

Again I reckon we are right in this game, WCE have not played (read beaten) any top sides so far this year. They have played mostly bottom-middle teams, I know we have only four wins but we've lost to the best, they are yet to play them.

GWS are going pretty well last I checked

 

[ep2018]

I still rate your team ridiculously high, I reckon finals are well and truly on the cards for the team who wins on Sunday.

 

[BlightysCats]

Again I reckon we are right in this game, WCE have not played (read beaten) any top sides so far this year. They have played mostly bottom-middle teams, I know we have only four wins but we've lost to the best, they are yet to play them.

I agree we're right in this game but West Coast have beaten GWS and we have lost to North Melbourne who I don't think are anything special.

 

[SleazySimon]

No they don't. It's funny how you only ever hear the loses say the umpires affected the outcome of a game, it's 1950s stuff that supporters like to use as an excuse when they can't handle a loss.

I was at the game and saw the whole thing for myself, what were you doing? The free kick count was 28 to 12 Norths way so the facts and evidence suggest that its not just another gripe about umpires. It really did have an affect on the outcome of the match.

 

[BlightysCats]

I was at the game and saw the whole thing for myself, what were you doing? The free kick count was 28 to 12 Norths way so the facts and evidence suggest that its not just another gripe about umpires. It really did have an affect on the outcome of the match.

Some of the free kicks against us were a bit stiff maybe 3/4 but we tackled clumsily and North deserved most of them, and it certainly wasn't the reason we lost.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Slightly confident about Sunday. I'm not sold on the Eagles just yet. The love for Wellingham is a little premature. We just don't travel well it seems these days though. If we get control of the midfield in and under and don't let the Eagles collection of seagulls on the outside get the ball we'll go all right.

Ding ding for round 2 of Selwood on Selwood too.

 

[Teriyakicat]

Yeo's gone
Your odds of winning went up. He's worth probably 2 goals for our team.

I'd rather we beat you when he was playing- none of this 'we were undermanned' stuff.

 

[Teriyakicat]

Slightly confident about Sunday. I'm not sold on the Eagles just yet. The love for Wellingham is a little premature. We just don't travel well it seems these days though. If we get control of the midfield in and under and don't let the Eagles collection of seagulls on the outside get the ball we'll go all right.

Ding ding for round 2 of Selwood on Selwood too.

I'm so glad that Big Brother Adam is no longer playing

 

[inbetween]

I'd rather we beat you when he was playing- none of this 'we were undermanned' stuff.

Oh trust me I'd rather he play too. Only interested in getting the win and not the bragging rights or excuses though

 

[Teriyakicat]

Oh trust me I'd rather he play too. Only interested in getting the win and not the bragging rights or excuses though

He's really come of age this year, hasn't he? Is it a new position for him? (sorry- I don't follow opposition players at all but have read a little of how well he's been playing lately- hard to avoid, since it takes over most of the footy pages in The West every day!)

 

[BlightysCats]

Oh trust me I'd rather he play too. Only interested in getting the win and not the bragging rights or excuses though

I think both teams have enough injuries to make excuses if we want to. The Eagles whole backline is out and two of our best three midfielders/players are.

 

[CharacterFirst]

I don't see this game as 50/50.

Its 80/20 their way.

 

[inbetween]

I think both teams have enough injuries to make excuses if we want to. The Eagles whole backline is out and two of our best three midfielders/players are.

Yep, in some ways injuries have been a blessing for us. Gives some younger players an opportunity.
Will be interested to see how our game plan stacks up against a hardened veteran side like Geelong (though i'll admit i don't know how many younger players your team will be playing).

 

[steady2]

I'm so glad that Big Brother Adam is no longer playing

Yeah I would hate to see him try and take out little brother and get hurt again, nearly had to cart him off the ground last time.

 

[Jon Douglas]

Yep, in some ways injuries have been a blessing for us. Gives some younger players an opportunity.
Will be interested to see how our game plan stacks up against a hardened veteran side like Geelong (though i'll admit i don't know how many younger players your team will be playing).

If we take the same team in this week as last - we will have a significant number of players under 100 games and quite a few under 50 games.

We have gained some experience back with Stokes and Mackie.

Still you would think that Stanley, Gregson, Murdoch, Blitz, Lang, Bews, Guthrie and Kersten will all improve with another 20-30 senior games. And I think Motlop and SJ are not having their best year - and both need be serious contributors if we are to get up in this one.

 

[David the Cat]

I was at the game and saw the whole thing for myself, what were you doing? The free kick count was 28 to 12 Norths way so the facts and evidence suggest that its not just another gripe about umpires. It really did have an affect on the outcome of the match.

It was 28-9 at one stage…..and 19 of the 28 Frees against Geelong were from Mollison……

I rarely….very rarely….comment on umpires, but this was a terrible performance by him….even some North posters commented that North got "the rub of the green"…..

 

[BlightysCats]

It was 28-9 at one stage…..and 19 of the 28 Frees against Geelong were from Mollison……

I rarely….very rarely….comment on umpires, but this was a terrible performance by him….even some North posters commented that North got "the rub of the green"…..

Yeah but it's not the reason we lost. It was our usual second half fadeout and lack of pressure mixed with some really bad turnovers and C.Scott's usual lack of tactical nouse that lost us the game. North scored about 3 easy goals over the back against us in that last quarter, their forward line was always open because they set up that way and ours was always crowded because we, for some reason, set up that way. That's why we lost.

 

[steve hucka]

I think with Yeo out and Sheed not getting up it's tipped in your favour

 

[Moggy]

I think with Yeo out and Sheed not getting up it's tipped in your favour

Oh no, you don't!