Strangely Confident

[master bate]

I've been having this feeling all week that despite the obvious hurdles, with our most important player in each area of the ground out (rivers, neitz, brock) and robbo out, that we can actually beet Geelong.

Our backline looks good enough, Ferguson plays well on N.Ablett, Whelan and Bell on Chapman/G.Ablett/ Varcoe, Carroll and Holland on Mooney/Hawkins/Ottens and hopefull Ward and Nathan Brown can play on a midfielder and not worry about accountability (they don't anyway).

Our make shift forward line might struggle but if Miller is playing well at CHF it does give whoever is at full forward a chance.

That leaves the area which is most important and gives us a chance of winning the game - the midfield - Geelong have Ling, Byrnes, Kelly, Wojcinski, Corey, Bartel, Selwood, Prismal and Tenace. There are no superstars there and we have to be a chance of getting on top, Bruce and MacDonald are in great form, Jones is going well, Godfrey was surprisingly good in his first game back, Moloney will once again remind Geelong of their mistake and if TJ, Green can hurt Geelong it should help us. My advice is if were going to win it has to be goals from the midfield - not goals from midfielders playing as forwards that will give us a chance. One or two each from Bruce, TJ, Green, Godfrey and Moloney would put us in the game.

As a final note can anyone explain to me why we have to have a tall target in the square, when we bomb it in it goes straight out the other side, and half the time there is 30m of space for the big man to lead into but they kick it long, someone needs to tell ND that Jamar is not Alistair Lynch in 2001.

 

[lenny20]

Yeah you guys can beat geelong they aren't as good as people say they are. They beat last year's wooden spooners and all of a sudden they're back on track. Remember they smashed richmond the start of last year and the wheels fell off shortly thereafter.

Ur midfield should be better than theirs (unless you play the soft, loose-ball get rubbish of the last two weeks.) that's your strength here.

As for goals, davey is better than he's shown this year, miller is a possibility, and brad green, who was really bad last week, might be better suited to return to the forward line. He wouldn't miss many.

Anyway you'd wanna win this one cos next few weeks look tough:

freo, sydney (away), port, bulldogs, west coast (away)

those midfields will be better than geelong's.

 

[cats2rise]

Yeah you guys can beat geelong they aren't as good as people say they are. They beat last year's wooden spooners and all of a sudden they're back on track. Remember they smashed richmond the start of last year and the wheels fell off shortly thereafter.

Ur midfield should be better than theirs (unless you play the soft, loose-ball get rubbish of the last two weeks.) that's your strength here.

As for goals, davey is better than he's shown this year, miller is a possibility, and brad green, who was really bad last week, might be better suited to return to the forward line. He wouldn't miss many.

Anyway you'd wanna win this one cos next few weeks look tough:

freo, sydney (away), port, bulldogs, west coast (away)

those midfields will be better than geelong's.

Lenny, you are an idiot.
We did not beat Richmond earlier in the year.
ALso, our midfield will beat theirs this week as they have around 2-3 key midfielders out.

 

[davey_magik]

Lenny, you are an idiot.
We did not beat Richmond earlier in the year.
ALso, our midfield will beat theirs this week as they have around 2-3 key midfielders out.

I would debate our current midfield is still better than Carltons by a margin, and they beat yours.
We will win if our midfielders can kick some goals between them, because they'll have to with our weakened forwardline.
Geelong will only win clearances if they play GAJ in the middle, because he is one player who can win a lot of them.

 

[demonfan9]

Lenny, you are an idiot.
We did not beat Richmond earlier in the year.
ALso, our midfield will beat theirs this week as they have around 2-3 key midfielders out.

He said last year, and didn't Geelong beat them in Round 1 last year?

 

[davey_magik]

He said last year, and didn't Geelong beat them in Round 1 last year?

It was 2005.

 

[master bate]

It is hard to keep up with all Richmonds losses guys, cut him some slack!

 

[demonfan9]

Correct, I was thinking of Geelong vs. Brisbane at SS in Round 1 last year.

 

[Claude Balls]

He said last year, and didn't Geelong beat them in Round 1 last year?

He's still wrong... Geelong did not play Richmond in the early rounds of last year.

I see you've sinced been correct anyway.

This is exactly the type of game that Geelong could lose. And it is exactly the type of game that has the potential to go against all football logic... i.e. it is only 22 men V 22 men after all. If the Dees want it more and they get a good contribution from their midfielders onto the scoreboard then who knows. It may only take 14 goals to win.

Having said that, football logic does lean VERY heavily in Geelong's direction, and thus I would be very disappointed if we lost. I'm not expecting anything from Hawkins, however I am expecting very solid contributions from at least one of Nablett or Mooney, considering Rivers is out. Throw in a few from Chapman, Ablett, Bartell, Enright (all noted goal kickers) and all of a sudden the Dees defence may really struggle.

But who knows... Hopefully it is a good game at least.

 

[banana_bus]

Paul Johnson could be a big inclusion for you guys. Is he match fit though?

 

[stickman11]

Who knows. At least we don't have anything to fear. We are not expected to win so we can take some chances. Sock it to the cats.

 

[catempire]

I would debate our current midfield is still better than Carltons by a margin, and they beat yours.

On what measure did their midfield beat ours? Clearances? Maybe so, but not by much and it matters not if you win the clearances but kick it straight to your opponent. Geelong had 80 more possessions than Carlton which is a much better indication of just who dominated the midfield battle.

That said, yes, Melbourne's midfield is much better than Carlton's. Unfortunately for you, the rest of your squad this week looks more VFL standard and I think you really miss McLean in there.

 

[Supermercado]

Can't remember the last time I was this unenthusiastic before a game. I feel darker than Leonard Cohen reading Sylvia Plath in the city loop.

 

[Tristagi]

Ive tipped my boys to win, but it will not suprise me if we lose. After all we are Geelong and we have a nasty habbit of losing games that we are told by the media we should win. Even with the outs Melbourne is a classy team, and one thing that really worries me is that Davey has not had much of the pill latley which means his due for a big one. Back that up with Johnstone finding some form and we are in trouble.

Either way good luck fellas (even though i don't really mean it) and lets hope its a good game and not one of those crappy 2 half games.

 

[PHX]

Welcome to the 0-3 club.

 

[sante]

Should be a good game when we play ya's

 

[Supermercado]

Might be like '97 all over again. Except this time we didn't even get teased and win the first game of the year before losing the plot

 

[stickman11]

Might be like '97 all over again. Except this time we didn't even get teased and win the first game of the year before losing the plot

Well at least we can rebuild our side. We need to take some risks, move on some players... recruit judd

 

[Supermercado]

Well at least we can rebuild our side. We need to take some risks, move on some players... recruit judd

Pah. Risks. When have we ever had the balls to take them? MFC is like a retirement village - everything just rolls along aimlessly until inevitable death.

 

[demonfan9]

Pah. Risks. When have we ever had the balls to take them? MFC is like a retirement village - everything just rolls along aimlessly until inevitable death.

So right.