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Jimmy Bartel (L) and Paul Chapman (R) of Geeong celebrate during the AFL 2nd Semi Final match between the Geelong Cats and the Fremantle Dockers at the MCG, Melbourne. Slattery Images
It’s almost impossible to split them, but if I had to make a prediction, I think Geelong will eventually find a way to strangle Collingwood into submission.
While I don’t make this somewhat profound statement with any real conviction, it’s not for the reason I don’t believe it to be true, but merely because the two sides are so evenly matched.
I’m not quite sure if we actually needed an entrée to whet the appetite for this year’s grand final but if we did, this is well and truly it.
Make no mistake, the Collingwood versus Geelong showdown will be a battle for the ages.
The build up will be enormous and befitting of the epic contest it promises to be.
Perhaps the team that handles the anxiety, expectation and trepidation the best will be the eventual winner?
Or maybe the pathway to this year’s preliminary final will give us a better indication of who will win?
The merits for and against the week off are always the subject of fierce debate; will it prove to halt the Magpies’ momentum or will the rest be exactly what they needed?
On the flip side, was the Fremantle game the big win the Cats needed? Have the Dockers actually played Geelong into form?
Of course, only time will tell.
For both sides though, winning this preliminary final has a much greater significance than just a spot in the grand final.
Collingwood is seeking finals redemption, not once but twice the Cats have beaten the Magpies in the penultimate decider in the past three years.
So much so, Geelong Coach Mark Thompson suggested the Magpies are in fact ‘jealous’ of the Cats.
And maybe they are but either way they need to get the monkey off the back, otherwise who knows how long it will haunt them?
Teams can fall into the trap of becoming perennial preliminary finalists… just ask Rodney Eade and the Bulldogs!
Meanwhile Geelong’s reign at the top has almost transcended into immortality and in the Cats’ pursuit of even more greatness, only another premiership would now suffice.
But is the premiership window still open, slightly ajar or now closed tight?
Will Geelong be the Brisbane of 2004 or the Essendon of 2001?
Both sides are basically at full strength too, so there’s no excuse on that front.
The wildcard for Geelong is still Max Rooke, but if he doesn’t play this week, can you bring a player into a grand final that hasn’t played since round 4? Is he worth the risk?
Unfortunately with selection there are again more questions than answers.
Will Bomber Thompson play Andrew Mackie? Does Josh Hunt deserve his spot in the team based on performance? Does Mark Blake offer more as a back up ruck-man than Tom Hawkins?
Are Simon Prestigiacomo and Sharrod Wellingham fit and ready for the Magpies? But has Presti missed too much football to come straight back into the side?
Almost nothing separates Geelong and Collingwood, but on pure ability and talent I think if both sides play to their optimum, the scales would probably tilt the Cats way.
And while I have no doubt the Magpies have the grunt, discipline, and fortitude to beat Geelong on their day, will that outweigh the incredible focus, drive, skill and power of the Cats? I don’t think it will.
It’s almost impossible to pick a winner in Friday night’s blockbuster, but one thing is for sure, it’s going to be an arm wrestle until the very end.
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