Roar Guru
Sunday’s showcase of AFL starts off with an interesting matchup at Simonds Stadium as Geelong host Richmond. It all gets underway at 1.10pm AEST and we’ll have all the action as it happens.
The last couple of the weeks for Geelong have been tough – a gruelling win against Hawthorn on Easter Monday followed by a loss to a very exciting North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium last Sunday.
The loss last week would have stung like crazy.
Geelong weren’t terrible. In fact at times they looked like they would overpower the Kangas. But their opponents worked them out straightaway – they lost the stoppages, a stat they’ve dominated for the last few years.
But their record against Richmond is a strong one, winning the last seven, and losing just once in 15 matches dating back to 2001.
James Kelly is a big loss for the Cats, out with a groin injury. He’s important to their defensive ability to break any presses applied by their opponents. The good news is the return of Josh Hunt and Mathew Stokes.
The Cats are still genuine top four contenders and have proven that their depth, while questioned numerous times, is still very strong, with great talent coming through the ranks. Cameron Guthrie, Tom Gillies, and George Horlin-Smith are just a few of their up and comers.
Richmond fans would have seen what North Melbourne did to the Cats last week and saw that they are indeed beatable. The coach knows that’s irrelevant. And don’t ask him about the pre-season win – also irrelevant.
So how do the Tigers go about it today?
Their midfield must match the Cats. Dustin Martin, Shane Tuck, Brett Deledio and Trent Cotchin have shown throughout the last couple of years how good they are individually, but they rarely combine to devastate their opponents. That must happen today.
Keep in mind that Geelong hasn’t won the contested possession count in any of their three games so far, plus Richmond are the leaders in disposal efficiency in 2012 (77 percent compared, to Geelong at 70 percent which is 14th in the league).
Jack Riewoldt has had a poor start to the season. Despite four goals against Carlton in round onen, he’s kicked just one in his next two games combined, not good enough for a forward with so much ability. Beat the likes of Lonergan and Taylor, while getting some support from Vickery and Nahas, and things will start to look promising.
Then there’s the defensive line – Alex Rance, Dylan Grimes and Chris Newman have had a solid start to 2012. Keep Podsiadly and Hawkins quiet or force them to be inaccurate, then maybe the Tigers could be in for a stirring victory.
The Tigers have to forget everything that’s happened in the past. This is the future. A future that has been built up to be so very bright. Now, is the time to make a statement, like North Melbourne last week.
So will Geelong steady, or will it be another momentous win against them? Action starts from 1.10pm AEST as the Cats take on the Tigers at Simonds Stadium, with comments and discussion here on The Roar starting shortly, so join in the conversation in the space below.