I know its early......

[sirhanley]

But whats the goss around Geelong, does is it looking like Chapman will or won't play vs Sydney? Whats the early mail?

I'm thinking its unlikely?

 

[Sammy D]

Im thinking he won't play

 

[catempire]

From Herald Sun this morning:

Cats not happy with Chapman
06 September 2005 Herald Sun
Scott Gullan and Nikki Tugwell

GEELONG has conceded injured forward Paul Chapman is unlikely to make it to the line for Friday night's semi-final against Sydney.

The Cats were hoping that Chapman's injured hamstring would recover in time for the trip to the SCG, but it appears he is likely to miss for the second successive week.

Chapman returned after two weeks off with a hamstring strain against Richmond in Round 22 but suffered a recurrence late in the game.

"He is probably going to struggle to be honest," Cats football manager Garry Davidson said last night.

"It looks like it might be another week but we'll know more tomorrow (after training). The six-day break certainly hasn't helped as an extra day might have helped his chances."

The Cats were hoping to play the semi on Saturday but because of TV demands the AFL scheduled it for Friday night.

After such a convincing elimination final victory over Melbourne on Saturday, the Cats have some interesting selection dilemmas.

The status of talented midfielder Corey Enright is set to be discussed at length as he has fully recovered from a shoulder injury suffered in Round 16.

"He (Enright) is very fit and he has come back from his rehabilitation very well previously over the past two years," Davidson said. "So fitness is not really an issue, it's more about the range of movement he has with the shoulder."

Coach Mark Thompson has talked up Enright's chances and he has also continually thrown up the name of tagger David Johnson, who has damaged his hamstring twice this season but has declared himself ready.

The two-pronged Sydney ruck set-up of Jason Ball and Darren Jolly could also force the Cats to reconsider back-up ruckman Paul Chambers, who was dropped for the elimination final against Melbourne, which plays only one ruckman.

Captain Steven King was brilliant against Demon Jeff White, with Cameron Mooney as his main support. But the Swans' set-up is more traditional and the Cats would prefer Mooney to play his ruck-rover role than be weighed down against bigger bodies in the ruck.

 

[Tweak Talent]

If king's body pulled up ok from the melbourne game and he feel he can ruck the majority of the game, I'd doubt chambers would be required.

Thoughts on who would be dropped if enright or johnson come in? would have to be one of mackie, ablett or gardiner u'd think. most likely gardiner.

 

[ablett factor]

If king's body pulled up ok from the melbourne game and he feel he can ruck the majority of the game, I'd doubt chambers would be required.

Thoughts on who would be dropped if enright or johnson come in? would have to be one of mackie, ablett or gardiner u'd think. most likely gardiner.

ablett cant be dropped, he provides too much structure and is really our only player who can hit the packs hard and take a contested mark up forward

 

[cats2rise]

If king's body pulled up ok from the melbourne game and he feel he can ruck the majority of the game, I'd doubt chambers would be required.

Thoughts on who would be dropped if enright or johnson come in? would have to be one of mackie, ablett or gardiner u'd think. most likely gardiner.

We all know Gardiner should go, but if he does is another thing all together. Our selection panle has a nasty record of making bad decisions, and keeping people in who just shouldnt be playng eg: Gardiner and the late David Clarke