Preview Geelong. Grand Final. You know when. You know where.

[3KZ is Football]

He's the perfect sub..

Under the circumstances. Also, our midfield is going really well. If he hadn’t been injured and missed a lot of football, you wouldn’t consider it.

 

[3KZ is Football]

The good news for me is, if every second message in here disagrees about what to do with Lachie, then hopefully Chris Scott couldn't be certain what we were going to do during prep either haha

 

[McIvor]

 

[McIvor]

 

[Gadzorks]

View attachment 2438518

Couple of happy go lucky blokes there. Clearly have a fun time.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

If it ain't broke..

Geelong are better than Collingwood and Gold Coast

 

[3KZ is Football]

Geelong are better than Collingwood and Gold Coast

So are we. Head to Head score card this year: Lions 2 Wins - Cats 1 Win

 

[Schmicko]

Fairly sure we decided whatever it is we're doing earlier in the week and we've been well on top of his capacity to play effectively.

The one thing that really gets under my skin with the Geelong taggers is that they basically block and harass illegally at every stoppage or centre bounce so that someone like Danger comes in full steam whilst our guys are being restrained.
Hopefully we've brought this to the attention of the ump honchos but I wouldn't be holding my breath. They got away with it incessantly against Hawthorn which helped Danger no end.

1000%

 

[3KZ is Football]

It’s GAME DAY!

 

[BangyBangy]

It’s GAME DAY!

Giddyup

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Bruce getting first crack in best 22 is a fair approach in my view. He came on and played a really good game. Same with Marshall.

If we make Neale unavailable, it'll be tunstill. Tunstill will be sub for sure and Bruce will play the full game. I think we are implementing the same plan either way, just the name Neale is getting us a bit worked up.

I like Bruce and he played well last week when he came on for Bez.
But he hasn't been best 22 all year and probably not even best 23 if Bez is playing.
So I don't see how he's suddenly in our best 22 for the GF.

If my captain and champion player is fit to be selected for the Grand Final, he's not warming the bench in the sub vest.
I'm not going to be shocked if Lachie Neale is in our best players.
The guy is a gun and consumate professional.

 

[Hellobill]

is there as organised walk from fed square to the G today ? I remember seeing it last year but can't find anything here about it this year.

 

[BangyBangy]

I like Bruce and he played well last week when he came on for Bez.
But he hasn't been best 22 all year and probably not even best 23 if Bez is playing.
So I don't see how he's suddenly in our best 22 for the GF.

If my captain and champion player is fit to be selected for the Grand Final, he's not warming the bench in the sub vest.
I'm not going to be shocked if Lachie Neale is in our best players.
The guy is a gun and consumate professional.

I get it. So in this situation we keep Bruce as the sub for a situation where someone is injured. It's not tactical at all, because everyone who is in the starting line up is better than him, he's just an injury sub.

Fair enough, I get it. Who knows what the right combination is. If we're good enough, it won't matter.

 

[p4p1]

Levi looked pissed with the Rising Star outcome, reckon he's in for a big one

Murphy Reid was a very deserving winner to be fair.

 

[RU_]

Yeah I don’t like Neale as sub.

He’s either ready to go, or he’s not.

 

[p4p1]

Geelong's smalls in the forward half really worry me looking at our defensive lineup.

It's imperative we clearly win the m/f battle . Well it always is but moreso in this game

The only weakness in our small defenders is Zorko whose job isnt to defend which is why his opponent can be dangerous. Starce, Fletch and Wilmott are all up there with the best medium/small defenders in the league.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I get it. So in this situation we keep Bruce as the sub for a situation where someone is injured. It's not tactical at all, because everyone who is in the starting line up is better than him, he's just an injury sub.

Fair enough, I get it. Who knows what the right combination is. If we're good enough, it won't matter.

I think it's pretty straightforward and how it's more or less always been.
For a Grand Final you pick your best team from the players who are available.

Keep it simple, keep it normal.
There's so much going on already leading up to the GF that you don't want to start experimenting with new 'tactical' moves like putting your captain and arguably best player in the sub-vest.
And Bruce is already performing that role pretty well.

 

[p4p1]

As others have said, if you sub him on and he goes down, the we are a player down. I understand the other side of the argument that you could sub him on when fatigue is starting to settle in and hope he goes to work. Using him in that role is still going to be more impactful than Tunstill or Dev.
The team might be worried about his match fitness, but I would suspect that would mean he gets pushed forward more rather than spending all of his TOG on the ball.
I don’t think it will happen but Levi should be the sub IMO. If Neale goes down then he is at least closer to like for like. Levi isn’t as good of a winger as Bruce is, with Lachie in, the Wing/forward role is the main position that Levi would be playing.

 

[Fluke]

Tbh, I'd start Lachie. Even if he isn't 100%, any attention he gets is off someone else, and probably moreso than for Levi, or whoever else's bounces he gets...

 

[p4p1]

I do wonder where the media gets this kind of information. Not just for this particular instance but in general. If either team is going to do something out of the ordinary, nobody within the innner sanctum is going to say anything, unless their name is Jason Akermanis.
If Scotty has something up his sleeve to throw at us tomorrow there is no way anyone in the media finds out. Ditto for our side.
It’s all just guesswork at best. Lachie Neale

9

Lachie Neale

Age

32

Ht

177cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.0

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

15.5

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.7

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

28.3

5star

K

13.9

5star

HB

14.4

5star

M

4.6

4star

T

4.0

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

7.4

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

CL

0.4

3star

starting as sub is a story.

 

[ZoBlitz]

Gameday thread is up.