Round 7 Preview - Eagles v Geelong

Mr Q

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Thread starter #1
http://eagles.newman-knights.com/news.php?newsid=36

What travel hoodoo?

Well it's great to have a win away from home under our belts, but it means nothing if we don't back it up by winning at home. This weeks opponents (in our first home game for four weeks) is cellar-dwelling Geelong. Personally not my choice of opponent, as it may be easy for the players to slip into a bit of complacency and turn what on paper should be an easy win into a tight match.

This game is a critical game as the Eagles try to consolidate their best run of form since early 1999, however Geelong have won the last five encounters dating back to round 5 2000, by a minimum of thirty points. That said, that is in line with the Eagles form.

Changes
The Eagles have made two changes from last weeks winning team. David Wirrpunda unsurprisingly comes back into the side along with Michael Braun. Travis Gaspar's hamstring sidelines him, while Damien Adkins has been sent back for a run in the WAFL.

Click here for the squad

Lead up
The Eagles come into this game on the back of two straight wins, something the club has been hard pressed to say often over recent years, and those two wins were an "away" Western Derby and a real away win over the Demons. The club is riding high in third position on the ladder with four wins from the opening six weeks, with only Adelaide and the unstoppable Lions higher.

Geelong on the other hand have had a dog of a season, their promise of 2002 (where they finished a creditable 9th) being followed up with a shocking start to 2003 which has seen the Cats slump to last with only one win so far, over the marshmallowy Demons at Kardinia Park. In between the Cats have also lost big to fellow strugglers the Western Bulldogs and Saint Kilda. However, the Cats were not too bad last week in only going down by fourteen points at home to Brisbane, but this game is not at Kardinia Park.

Injuries and Suspensions
Daniel Kerr will not be available as his ankle injury suffered when we knocked off the Dockers has not come good as yet. It is also unlikely that Travis Gaspar will be available after reinjuring his hamstring in last weekend's win. Ben Cousins and Trent Carroll are also sporting injuries, both corks, from last weeks Demon encounter, although both will probably be available. David Wirrpunda appears to have recovered from the hammy that has kept him out the last couple of weeks,

The Cats, belying their lowly position on the ladder have very few injuries, with only Marc Woolnough definitely not available for selection

Match Ups
Geelong's Steven King should be an interesting challenge for Eagles' inform ruckman Michael Gardiner. Gardiner is certainly the in form ruckman of the competition, but King has been pretty good this year himself.

Once again, the Geelong task will be to stop the Eagles midfield run. Ben Cousins, Chris Judd and Chad Fletcher are a pretty imposing trio, even without Daniel Kerr, and its hard to see the likes of Corey Enright, Cameron Ling and Gary Ablett shutting them down. That said, Ling has a good record on Cousins in recent years.

Other than that, the Eagles two small forwards, Phil Matera and Ashley Sampi are the players Geelong need to stop to stay in the game.

2002
The Eagles only played the Cats once in 2002, an insipid performance resulting in a loss at Kardinia Park
Round 14, Kardinia Park
Geelong 3.5 3.8 5.15 8.17 ( 65)
West Coast 1.5 4.7 4.9 4.9 ( 33)

Head to Head
Played 30; West Coast 17, Geelong 13, Draws 0.
Biggest Margin - West Coast : West Coast 20.23 (143) d Geelong 8.15 (63) - 80 points, M.C.G, Grand Final 1994
Biggest Margin - Geelong : Geelong 26.19 (175) d West Coast 11.14 (80) - 95 points, Kardinia Park, R2 1989

Milestones
The Eagles have two milestones this week, with 1994 premiership player Drew Banfield due to play his 200th game and Michael Gardiner playing his 100th. Both are former number one draft picks.

Summary
Barring complacency, Geelong aren't in the league of the Eagles; certainly not if the game is in Perth. The Eagles midfield should easily account for the Geelong side, however meritorious their performance against Brisbane last week. I can't find a reason not to tip the Eagles (and I'm happy to say that!). I'm sure John Worsfold won't allow the players to rest on their laurels after last week's game, so the team should be fired up for this week's match.

My prediction: West Coast by 31 points
 

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daddy_4_eyes

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#2
Now that Ronnie Burns is gone there's nobody who can beat us off their own boot (why are all the duds so good against us? Burns, M.Richardson, B.Holland to name a few). On a ground where WC easily account for the likes of Port, Brisbane and the mighty Freo, the out of form and extremely inexperienced Geelong don't stand a chance. Apart from King, they lack any real game breakers, and with Gardiner in incredible form with Cox as backup I'm confident WC can curb Kings influence.

My tip, WC by 41pts
 

Mead

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#3
I'm not pencilling in the 4 pts just yet.
West Cost have been winning this year, because Gardiner has been caning in the ruck- King will be his biggest challenge so far. If King gets on top of Gardiner, Geelong has enough run and gun type players to make us pay.
 

noodle

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#5
Originally posted by Mr Q
[BMy prediction: West Coast by 31 points [/B]
Teams always seem to set themselves against the ladder leader as they are the competion bench mark but also against the cellar dweller because nobody wants to lose to the last placed team.

West Coast by 131 points. ;)
 

Goldenblue

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#6
Good preview Mr.Q.

Although this is a game we should pencil in as a win, we seem to have a history of allowing down and out teams a sniff of a win.

It would be nice to go back to the days of early Malthouse when we used to grind the opposition into the dirt. If we want to be a team to be respected as well as feared, it's about time we tore teams apart and stomp them into the ground.

West Coast by 50+
 

iceman

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#7
A convincing win is what we need to signal our intent to the rest of the competition

Geelong will be pumped tho and should be a fiery match early

That said, im tipping Eagles by 55pts :)
 

Mr Q

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Thread starter #8
Originally posted by Goldenblue
It would be nice to go back to the days of early Malthouse when we used to grind the opposition into the dirt.
The early Malthouse years had positives and negatives. The negatives were that we always ground teams into the dirt. The performances were always outstanding, yet never had the flair of other teams (say Geelong in that era). If you weren't an Eagles supporter, we were efficient and boring. For instance the '94 GF mentioned in the review (our biggest win over Geelong) was also our biggest score of the year, and only the second score over 20 goals for the season.

The positives of course are that we won premierships. I think the positives way outweigh the negatives...
 
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ScouseCat

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#9
Good preview there Mr Q... always good to read things from the opposition point of view.

Don't discount Geelong's midfield though. The Eagles may have some quality players in the middle, but so do we with the likes of Joel Corey, Cameron Ling, Corey Enright, Paul Chapman, James Bartel, Gary Ablett and Steven King. Paul Chambers will also support King in the ruck. This boy doesn't have many skills, but he has a real go and that's all you can ask from your back-up ruckman, to provide a contest.

It will be closer then you think. ;)
 

The Passenger

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#10
we should win this by 10 or more goals if the two teams play the way they have been going, but to go around saying that is abit redicolous because it can end up with foot in mouth.

i'll say we'll win by about 5 goals.
 

jod23

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#11
Originally posted by ScouseCat

Don't discount Geelong's midfield though. The Eagles may have some quality players in the middle, but so do we with the likes of Joel Corey, Cameron Ling, Corey Enright, Paul Chapman, James Bartel, Gary Ablett and Steven King.
Just out of interest, what is the average games played out of that lot. They just seem so young and inexperienced. Cousins has played 150+, Banners is playing his 200th, Chick, Wirrpunda, Braun, Fletcher...all been in the system for quite some time. It just seems that we have a little too much experience for Geelongs midfield.

But the competition is so even that I wouldnt really be surprised if we get beat tomorrow. I hope not though.

GO EAGLES!!!!
 

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JUBJUB

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#12
Originally posted by jod23
Just out of interest, what is the average games played out of that lot. They just seem so young and inexperienced. Cousins has played 150+, Banners is playing his 200th, Chick, Wirrpunda, Braun, Fletcher...all been in the system for quite some time. It just seems that we have a little too much experience for Geelongs midfield.

Corey's played about 44 games,Enright nearly 40,Ling 49,King 130,Chapman about 35,Ablett about 18 & Bartel about 15.
 

Mr Q

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Thread starter #13
Originally posted by Mr Q
Ben Cousins, Chris Judd and Chad Fletcher are a pretty imposing trio, even without Daniel Kerr, and its hard to see the likes of Corey Enright, Cameron Ling and Gary Ablett shutting them down.
At this point I would like to most humbly retract that statement :). That is potentially one good midfield brigade at Geelong.
 
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