Another key player down

[tiredcat]

I knew that would get your attention





Geelong's Shannon Byrnes set to miss Western Bulldogs clash

Scott Gullan | May 18, 2009 12:00am
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• HE BATTLED hard to get back into the side and is in career-best form, but a hamstring injury looks set to sideline Geelong goalsneak Shannon Byrnes.

The 2007 premiership rover, who started the season in the VFL, has been in stellar form and was again one of the Cats' best against North Melbourne on Saturday, kicking three goals before feeling tightness in his hamstring late in the game.
Byrnes will have a scan today but is unlikely to play in Friday night's blockbuster against the Western Bulldogs.
Defender Darren Milburn is also set to miss because of an ankle injury that forced him from the ground in the opening quarter against the Roos.
Gary Ablett (groin) and Paul Chapman are set to return for the Etihad Stadium clash with the Bulldogs.
Ablett has missed the past two games but ran strongly at the weekend, while Chapman was a late withdrawal against the Roos because of back soreness.
Bulldogs forward Robert Murphy will definitely miss Friday night's game, although his hamstring injury is not as serious as first thought.




Maybe a good chance to try Djerkurra

 

[Cohzee]

Bloody glad we have Ablett and Chapman coming back in!

 

[Selective Retention]

With Mooney out we need Gamble a lot more than we do djerker.

 

[Whispers]

Out: Byrnes, Milburn, Mooney

In: Ablett, Chapman, ?????

Could be open for a few positions... David Johnson, Djerrkura (finally!), Hogan, Gamble. Maybe not Gamble because Geelong is already too tall for the Doggies and won't play Lonergan down back. If Lonergan is to play it will be in the forward line, which I think will be the case. So, based on that theory, David Johnson back in the side.

Ideally, Lonergan will be dropped with Johnson in and Djerrkura to make his debut.

 

[Selective Retention]

The forward line might be tall enough but is it good enough? I personally don't trust Hawkins and Lonergan to kick us a score. Gamble provides the extra insurance as a medium marking target.

 

[kicksome]

The forward line might be tall enough but is it good enough? I personally don't trust Hawkins and Lonergan to kick us a score. Gamble provides the extra insurance as a medium marking target.

you sir are a smart man.
I dont trust lonergan in the forward line as far as i can throw him. Keep him down back.

 

[witsend]

The forward line might be tall enough but is it good enough? I personally don't trust Hawkins and Lonergan to kick us a score. Gamble provides the extra insurance as a medium marking target.

I see your point but Stevie J, Chapman, Ablett and Stokes ought to jag a few.
Get 4-5 from Tomahawk and Lonners and you're there.
I'd bring in D. Johnson as a tough small running defender for all those Bulldog small forwards.

 

[Selective Retention]

Most of our scoring power usually comes from our smalls but it is in the tight games where you need the talls to stand up. The doggies haven't been in great form but they are one of a select few that could beat us if it clicks for them.

 

[tiredcat]

David Johnson would be a good match for Aker. I think he has done it before with success

 

[OldStyle2007]

Let's not make the same mistakes as last year. I hope they can start getting some games into Djerka and Hogan and Gamble

Credit to DJ and Byrnes but they are not the future

If we can't get some games into the youth now we'll have another Prismall situation on our hands and then when a few players retire or go to the Gold Coast we will have no-one to step up

 

[Nankervis brothers]

Let's not make the same mistakes as last year. I hope they can start getting some games into Djerka and Hogan and Gamble

Credit to DJ and Byrnes but they are not the future

If we can't get some games into the youth now we'll have another Prismall situation on our hands and then when a few players retire or go to the Gold Coast we will have no-one to step up

I agree with your sentiment, but am not sure this weekend is the time to debut players (Hogan and Djerka, for example). The Dogs are a serious outfit, and I would rather see more experienced guys fill the gaps left from injury/suspension. Perhaps D.Johnson in to replace Milburn and Lonergan going forward (even though this isn't his better suit)? Can Chapman stay foward and "play tall" to cover Mooney, or is that a stretch?

 

[Duskfire]

Feel a bit sorry for Brynes; he really is career best form, no matter what the naysayers say. How many times has he strung together three great games before? not often

Definetly should bring Gamble in. He is a talent just waiting to happen, has played reasonably well in almost every football game he has been involved in. Give him a bit of a chance. Not to mention if I recall of the top of my head he kicked three or four goals against the Bulldogs last time he played against them.

 

[worthogs]

Feel a bit sorry for Brynes; he really is career best form, no matter what the naysayers say. How many times has he strung together three great games before? not often

Definetly should bring Gamble in. He is a talent just waiting to happen, has played reasonably well in almost every football game he has been involved in. Give him a bit of a chance. Not to mention if I recall of the top of my head he kicked three or four goals against the Bulldogs last time he played against them.

Gamble does give us a bit of vertical options. Not many of our Forwards get off the ground, then again I guess its the way we play

 

[darrenmorgan]

yep, good chance to get gamble in, lay down the law and say 'this is what we want" and see how he responds. the forward line has been functioning really well this year, and another marking option could just top it off.

 

[darren forssman]

The 2007 premiership rover

rover???

 

[TMS]

Geelong Cats nursing injuries and a suspension
May 20th, 2009

PAUL Chapman is no certainty to face the Western Bulldogs this Friday night, while Geelong will also go into the preliminary final re-match without key forward Cameron Mooney.

Despite assurances that Chapman would be right to play this week after being late withdrawal with back tightness against North Melbourne, his selection this week remains up in the air. The 27-year-old will need to pass a fitness test later this week before being cleared to play. Given his history of soft-tissue injuries over the past couple of years, and the Cats' careful approach to injuries, it might yet err on the side of caution with Chapman.

Mooney yesterday accepted a one-match ban for striking North Melbourne's Scott Thompson during last week's 70-point win, ruling him out of the blockbuster. The incident from Saturday's game was deemed by the AFL match review panel to be reckless conduct, low impact and high, drawing 125 demerit points. Even if the Cats had elected to contest the charge and have the contact downgraded to negligent, a 40 per cent points loading because of a poor record would still have meant Mooney missed a week.

The Cats also confirmed yesterday that Shannon Byrnes would miss the Dogs' clash with hamstring tightness. It would be bitter news for the speedster to swallow, after playing some the best footy of his career in recent weeks. Defender Darren Milburn will miss one week, while ruckman Brad Ottens is two to three weeks off returning from a knee injury.

Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade yesterday confirmed Shaun Higgins would return after two weeks out with a groin injury, while there is doubt over defender Ryan Hargrave (thigh), who will need to pass a fitness test.

"Shaun is available, Hargrave we're still not sure, he was just jogging laps before but we're reasonably confident he'll be able to play," Eade he said.
"Robert (Murphy) is out and it looks as though Andrejs Everitt will miss with a foot problem, and Dylan Addison has a bit of a sore knee."

Eade said his team would carry the heartache of last year's 29-point preliminary final loss to the Cats into this week's game.

"We take the fact that we lost and we were very disappointed from it," he said.

"The way the players were gutted by the loss and from the effort they put in, there were some really positive bits out of that game.

"We just weren't able to take our chances. If we had been able to kick straight, you never know about the result, but certainly we would have been a lot closer.

"We've got to bring the same intensity we had that night. That's been missing a little bit at times so far this year."

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2009/05/20/71655_gfc.html

We could definitely do with Chapman this Friday night, really hope he's fit to play. Even still - win, lose or draw the media (and opposition supporters) will probably overlook our injuries because apparently they've all happened to lesser-known, easily replaceable Cats.

 

[Claude Balls]

Some people seem to think that adding Gamble to the team is a straightforward improvement to the forward line, in terms of output...

In the context of Mooney being out that's probably true, but in general I'm not so sure his inclusion in a pocket is necessarily a positive any more. I feel that Hawkins has really developed his nous for leading and how to work within the structure of the entire forward line, and that Gamble would clutter his space and potentially be a counterproductive presence, given that he is predominatly a leading forward.

I'm not saying Gamble can't work his way back into the team, and strictly speaking the more goal kicking options the better - but his inclusion will require some thought and strategy, and perhaps even a different role further up the field or something.