Changes V Sydney

[The Casey Cat]

As a long time Cats fan I feel we need to approach this game with the attitude that we have the minor premiership wrapped up and we should start tapering for finals.

Hmmmn. Nahhh. Been too bloody long since Cats won in Sydney plus I am flying over for it !!! No mercy.

 

[candiehappy]

So who would you play on the Davey/Motlop/Didaks of the competition?

a traffic policeman?

 

[ant0s]

Hmmmn. Nahhh. Been too bloody long since Cats won in Sydney plus I am flying over for it !!! No mercy.

15 min drive for some...

 

[madcat001]

Here's the article that was on the Geelong website ahead of Friday nights game.

GEELONG star Gary Ablett is rated a “90 per cent chance” of taking the field against Melbourne at the MCG on Friday night.

Cats coach Mark Thompson said despite his team taking on the bottom-of-the-ladder Demons this week, there was still plenty to be gained by playing his champion midfielder, who appears to have overcome an ankle injury.

Ablett rolled his right ankle in Geelong’s round 15 win over Fremantle and hasn’t played since, but Thompson said he was keen to get his mercurial ballwinner back into the fray.

“I’d think there’s a bit of value in Gary playing … one (reason) is he’s missed three [matches],” Thompson said.

Thompson said Ablett, who was an almost-unbackable Brownlow medal favourite before the injury, has since been joined on the first line of betting by teammate and 2007 winner Jimmy Bartel.

The coach said Ablett had ticked most of the boxes needed to satisfy the Cats’ medical staff.

“He trained last night [Tuesday] and got through with the group, so that’s a real positive, and he’s pulled up well this morning,” he said.

“So he’s got a bit more training to do tomorrow morning. He’s probably about a 90 per cent chance [to play].

“Something would have to happen tomorrow at training, he’d have to change direction or land on it and pull up sore for him not to play.”

The news isn’t as good for Paul Chapman or David Wojcinski, despite both showing significant signs of improvement.

Wojcinski has missed three matches with an achilles injury and his lay-off is set to continue.

“He’ll probably miss one more and play the following week,” Thompson said.

“This week it’s shown a lot of improvement but up until then it hadn’t really improved at all, so we’re pretty optimistic he’ll play next week.”

Chapman was seen on Skilled Stadium running at good pace on Wednesday and even kicking for goal from mid-range.

“Chappy’s going to play next week,” Thompson said.

The coach said impressive youngsters such as Jason Davenport and Simon Hogan had been “in and around the mark” this season and could still hope to earn a senior debut this year should the Cats require replacements in coming weeks.

 

[Ricketts]

In - Milburn , Out - *someone rested*
and if available...
In - Chapman , Out - Byrnes

 

[CF]

As a long time Cats fan I feel we need to approach this game with the attitude that we have the minor premiership wrapped up and we should start tapering for finals.

If WE didn't show the bottom side any mercy why would you think WE'D show Sydney any?

 

[.Shotties.]

If WE didn't show the bottom side any mercy why would you think WE'D show Sydney any?

Because I clearly made the joke too subtle.

 

[CF]

me too it seems

 

[The Casey Cat]

15 min drive for some...

Enjoy the one time of the year you can say it.

 

[ant0s]

Enjoy the one time of the year you can say it.

Hahahaha yes indeed

 

[stephen22]

what are the chances of chapman playing do you think?
is it true that mark thompson said that he would play this week?

 

[Motormouse]

what are the chances of chapman playing do you think?
is it true that mark thompson said that he would play this week?

See post #29 this thread

 

[madcat001]

see the post at the bottom of page 2.

 

[a.f.k.a.y.o.p.]

WE still owe Sydney for 2005, so i dont think WE would ever show any leniency to Sydney in Sydney..........or should ever show any...........

 

[.Shotties.]

WE still owe Sydney for 2005, so i dont think WE would ever show any leniency to Sydney in Sydney..........or should ever show any...........

C'moooooooooooon. Hold off for another year.

 

[whoknows]

This is way too hard. Obviously Chapman & Milburn have to play if not injured, but who do you drop if you want to get game-time into the young'ns.

I'd drop Byrnes for Chapman. Straight swap ().
Drop Gamble for Milburn. Hate to do it, but Dasher has played forward a bit this year, so can switch there if needed.

Feeling pretty confident to tell the truth, Hall will get his usual Scarlett-ising, and Goodes usually has his hands full with Ling/Mackie IIRC.

Then again, considering the Telstra Stadium surface, i don't want any of them going.

 

[madcat001]

In: Chapman, Milburn
Out: Byrnes, Gamble

Could be a number of possibilities to go out for Milburn, including: Gamble, Lonergan, Hunt, Taylor, Prismall is also down the pecking order a fair way, but he played a great game on friday night. I'd say Gamble is most likely to get the chop, but I am somehow hoping to see him back for finals, even though that means injury/suspension to someone else :/ Such a difficult time for the selectors. Bet they are counting themselves lucky Wojcinski is still a week or two away.

 

[jim boy]

If there is one thing about this match that worries me, it is the ground surface. The AFL say it is ok now, but I think we should be conservative. I'd seriously consider resting Ottens considering he has had ankle problems this year and maybe SJ as well. Ablett needs the run, so he shouldn't be left out.

 

[rizzo]

Given the shit surface up there, i would be happy to see geelong rest everyone who has even the smallest injury concern.

 

[Exhale You]

I'd seriously consider resting Ottens considering he has had ankle problems this year

Normally i'd be all for that, but i don't think it's necessary now.

Brad still needs to gain some 'football fitness', whilst Mark Blake's excellent form has allowed us to limit Brad to about 50% gametime (it was closer to 70% last year).

I'm happy for them to be conservative with him this week, perhaps limiting him to 40% gametime, but i'd rather not rest him.

 

[Ninty]

see the post at the bottom of page 2.

I only have one page.

IN Milburn OUT Byrnes

 

[FoxC]

We don't want to lose anyone to injuries now due to the crappy surface. I'd be happy to see Tenace, Davenport, West, Mumford, D Johnson etc. in while some of our best 22 are rested. GAblett can resume his run next week.

 

[madcat001]

We don't want to lose anyone to injuries now due to the crappy surface. I'd be happy to see Tenace, Davenport, West, Mumford, D Johnson etc. in while some of our best 22 are rested. GAblett can resume his run next week.

stupid stupid stupid. flirting with form, also gazza needs as many minutes as he can get to be ready and dominating come finals time. aside from that, we'd lose.

 

[FoxC]

stupid stupid stupid. flirting with form, also gazza needs as many minutes as he can get to be ready and dominating come finals time. aside from that, we'd lose.

We had Ling and Selwood out in round 21 against Port last year (Bartel not counted). Gaz just came back from an ankle injury so it's not unreasonable to rest him on a crappy surface. We can also get some valuable game time into the likes of Varcoe before the finals.

I'd rather we lose a meaningless game than sustain injuries to our players at this time of year.

 

[.Shotties.]

I'd rather we lose a meaningless game than sustain injuries to our players at this time of year.

Agreed.