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Geelong and Essendon, the only undefeated teams this season, go head to head at Etihad Stadium tonight in what is set to be an entertaining encounter. We’ll have live scores and commentary from 7.40pm AEST.
The Bombers will get a big boost, with Michael Hurley, Dustin Fletcher, Jake Carlisle, Dyson Heppell, and Jason Winderlich all coming back from injury.
Geelong will welcome back a star of their own in Norm Smith Medallist Paul Chapman.
How the Dons perform against this seasoned Geelong side will be a good indicator of whether they are the real deal or not.
Geelong have beaten all the top teams dealt their way so far, and Essendon will have be on their top game for all four quarters.
The Cats have the wood over Essendon, with the Bombers only winning two of their last 12 matches against the Cats.
Last week’s form isn’t great for Essendon either, and coach James Hird will be hoping the Dons bounce back with a vengeance.
They got the wobbles a few times against GWS, and at the start of the third term trailed by just under five goals.
The upside is they proved they can come home strong, but Essendon will know they can’t give Geelong such a long leash.
For Geelong last week was a routine 44-point win over Richmond. In true Geelong style, they came from behind in the second quarter and coasted to victory.
Tactically, the match will be a battle of the forwards, as Essendon is ranked first for points scored and Geelong is ranked second.
However, in the backlines the Bombers have the advantage. They are ranked first, conceding an average of 72 points per game, while
Geelong are ranked ninth, conceding an average of 96 points. The story is same for contested possessions, with Essendon first and Geelong 11th.
However, the stats often lie and Geelong are proving many nay-sayers wrong; they’re on top of the table and on top of the world.
Stevie J is tenacious as ever, the Pod is still firing, and with Chapman this is a Cats side every bit as good as the ’09 team.
Unlike Richmond, Essendon will go hard and fast for the whole game and won’t give Geelong an inch of breathing space. Expect a game played at breakneck speed which could be decided by a kick.
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