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It’s do or die for the Geelong Cats when they host the Collingwood Magpies at the MCG on Friday night. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:50pm AEST.
The equation for the Cats as they head into tonight’s game is frighteningly simple – lose, and their season is over, win, and they still have some hope of making finals.
Six premiership points behind Adelaide they need to make up two wins in the two weeks that are left of the season, which means winning tonight and hoping that the Crows fall short against West Coast on Sunday.
If so, then the Cats will have their own destiny in their hands when they take on the Crows in Round 23 in what would be a virtual elimination final.
However while the potential September consequences of tonight’s game are highly important, this match-up has an aspect to it which arguably transcends that – the return of luckless cat Daniel Menzel to the highest level of footy for the first time in 1450 days.
If you’ve only taken up footy in the last few years you might not be familiar with Menzel who hasn’t played a game since Geelong’s 2011 qualifying final.
He was drafted to Geelong as their first-round pick in 2009, just after they’d won their second flag in three years, and was showing immense promise in the 2011 season – he looked like a future star.
But then in that first weeks of finals he ruptured his ACL. He returned to VFL level and ruptured his ACL again in 2012. He reinjured his ACL again at training in December 2012, and then again in the VFL in 2013.
You’d think that, after four knee reconstructions, you’d just give up on your dream of playing AFL, and many of us no doubt would have. But not Daniel Menzel.
Seven weeks ago he made his third comeback, again to the VFL, and made it through unscathed. We all breathed a sigh of relief. Then he made it through another game, and another.
Two weeks ago, he had ten clearances and kicked three goals in the VFL – he was ready. And just to be safe, the Cats still made him wait another week.
A story like this, of perseverance against incredibly bad odds, is the exact kind of thing that makes you love football, and you can bet that even the Collingwood fans will be willing to cheer as he makes his return tonight.
As for the game itself? Well, I think the Cats will win. If Collingwood’s performance last week said anything it’s that they’re mentally checked out of this season, while the do-or-die atmosphere will make the Cats play to their best.
Prediction
Geelong to win this one in a canter.
Geelong by 36 points.
Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:50pm AEST.