Looking Ahead, or, Taking it Two Weeks at a Time

It’s no secret that opposition teams have been more physical with The Cats this season. They are being hunted and copping it, often illegally, almost every week, as teams search for a weakness, a way to compete. It doesn’t seem to put the Cats off their game, however; they continue to put their head over the ball, they rarely retaliate, they stay with the game-plan and they put their aggression on to the scoreboard; they have become a pure ball team, and invoking my inner Mike Sheahan, they can be breath-taking to watch.

Don’t get me wrong, The Cats are brave and strong and those aspects of their game are as good as anyone’s (did you see ‘Guns’ Mackie take down Pavlich? He’ll get the job on Buddy, by the way) but these roughhouse tactics have, this week, taken a toll and the blessed run with injury Geelong has had over the past 2 years (Matthew Egan not withstanding) has finally come to an end: Cameron Ling is expected to miss four weeks, Junior at least one, Kelly is no certainty to return and a few players (Enright, Rooke and Scarlett) looked a little “proppy” after the weekends match. How will this affects the Cats and how will they respond? There a number of issues that will come to the fore so let’s break these down in light of the coming games against The Bulldogs and Hawks, as well as the bigger picture.

First up, if James Kelly is fit, he’ll walk (limp) back into the team. He has established a nice spot for himself on the forward flank and will also rotate through the midfield. So there’s one. Next up, Brent Prismall is the obvious choice to step into the midfield spot. He had another 40+ possession game in the VFL and I think both we, the fans, and, importantly, the club, would like a definitive answer as to whether or not he can cut it as a top class AFL midfielder. And as Mrs Watson has said to me on numerous occasions, we’re not going to find that out by dropping him every second week. He needs an extended run in the seniors, against good opposition, playing in a position of responsibility. Well, that time has well and truly fucking arrived, Brent, so to summarize for you: opportunity; both hands; grasp. But how does Geelong cover the loss of the league’s no. 1 shut down man?

Interestingly enough, Neil Balme said on radio during the week that Geelong never sets out to “tag” someone, but it just so works out that that is how and when Ling plays his best football: Positive spin or nugget of truth? We’ll see. However, in the past, players such as Enright and Rooke have played “run-with” roles, and done them quite well. It all depends on who you tag; with the Bulldogs, Cooney is the obvious choice, but they may also look at Daniel Cross, the Dogs ‘inside’ midfielder. The Hawks have Mitchell and Hodge to be accounted for. Funnily enough, Jim Bartel has found probably his best form at a very important time. With Ablett out, he might have to shoulder the load with a couple of heavy tags in tow.

For what it’s worth, this week I’d start Mackie on Robert Murphy, Taylor on Brad Johnson (if Harley goes anywhere near him I’m fucking leaving – the game, the pub, the country – wherever I am) and probably Enright on Aker. If I wanted a midfield tagger I might ask Joel Corey or even Prismall to do a job. Next week, Mackie on Buddy will big the one, with Scarlett and Taylor waiting if needed. What’s important, however, is not necessarily how Prismall or Mackie, or anyone else performs, but how the team performs; I know, big statement, right?

These next two games could possibly decide the finishing position of The Cats (as well as the Dogs and Hawks) and thus who Geelong would meet in Round One of the finals. Assuming we go no lower than third, which is probable, if we finish either 2nd or 3rd we play the Dogs or Hawks again. Finish 1st and we get to smoke whoever limps into 4th. Geelong’s draw after these two tough games is pretty winnable all the way home so we have to show, not only these assholes, but anyone else, that even without two of our best, we’ve got it covered.

The Bulldogs present a different challenge from Hawthorn. With the Hawks it will be a battle of clashing styles with their zone flood and run. The Bulldogs, however, play a very similar style to Geelong, so it will come down to who can persist and execute under pressure. And for me, I just trust The Cats on this point, especially after the way The Bulldogs looked against Melbourne. We’ve heard about our depth all year, now it’s time to see it in action.