Friday's game against Geelong in Outer Mongolia will be our biggest game of the season. The ultimate sign post game. An 8 point game between 1st and 2nd (assuming west coast hold their current lead).
This game will put us back to being a game clear of the pack or we will have to share top spot with Geelong and GWS, relying on percentage. It could be the difference between home finals and a soft run into the GF or a dreaded semi-final away. Win and we make a huge statement, beating a top club away from home. Lose and we will be labeled pretenders.
Unfortunately much is stacked against us. We haven't won in Outer Mongolia for 62,000 years. Geelong also have the wood on us, beating us twice last year after Chris Scott devised the template to defeat us that has been applied twice this year already, by his brother at North then by an annoyingly plucky Melbourne who instantly reverted to being s**t after embarrassing us.
We also come off 2 days less break than Geelong after a heavy slog in the rain.
It doesn't get harder than this. So, surely you would think we will do everything in our power to give ourselves the best fighting chance possible.
The question is then: will we tag Joel Duckwood?
It has been shown time and again that tagging the ducker is the first step to defeating Geelong. Untalented sides regularly defeat Geelong by employing this tactic. However, mystifyingly, some better teams refuse to take this obvious step and usually lose for their pride/folly/arrogance.
Geelong will certainly not be proud/foolish/arrogant enough to not tag Sloane.
Will we return the favour and take the first step to beating these campaigners? And if so, who gets the job?
Or will we find some reason not to give ourselves the best possible chance at victory and going clear on top of the table into the bye?
This game will put us back to being a game clear of the pack or we will have to share top spot with Geelong and GWS, relying on percentage. It could be the difference between home finals and a soft run into the GF or a dreaded semi-final away. Win and we make a huge statement, beating a top club away from home. Lose and we will be labeled pretenders.
Unfortunately much is stacked against us. We haven't won in Outer Mongolia for 62,000 years. Geelong also have the wood on us, beating us twice last year after Chris Scott devised the template to defeat us that has been applied twice this year already, by his brother at North then by an annoyingly plucky Melbourne who instantly reverted to being s**t after embarrassing us.
We also come off 2 days less break than Geelong after a heavy slog in the rain.
It doesn't get harder than this. So, surely you would think we will do everything in our power to give ourselves the best fighting chance possible.
The question is then: will we tag Joel Duckwood?
It has been shown time and again that tagging the ducker is the first step to defeating Geelong. Untalented sides regularly defeat Geelong by employing this tactic. However, mystifyingly, some better teams refuse to take this obvious step and usually lose for their pride/folly/arrogance.
Geelong will certainly not be proud/foolish/arrogant enough to not tag Sloane.
Will we return the favour and take the first step to beating these campaigners? And if so, who gets the job?
Or will we find some reason not to give ourselves the best possible chance at victory and going clear on top of the table into the bye?
