Footy is back with the 2015 NAB Challenge whetting the appetite of all the footy diehards out there. Sunday afternoon sees a clash between the Geelong Cats and the Gold Coast Suns. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 4:30pm.
Gold Coast have been rocked by a drug scandal in the past week, with an intelligence report allegedly identifying cocaine abuse at the club.
When coupled with the recent controversies surrounding the Gold Coast Titans of the NRL, some may question the sporting culture of the area. It will be interesting to see whether this controversy affects the Suns on the field.
Geelong have had a fairly quiet preseason after making a couple of big splashes in the offseason. Both Mitch Clark and Rhys Stanley joined the club during the summer, and Cats fans are hoping that the two big men will have a big impact on their forward line.
Gold Coast will run out their new recruits for this clash, with both Nick Malceski and Mitch Hallahan on the team list for the game. The Suns will also give Jarrod Garlett and Touk Miller a run in this clash, with both seen as potential game breakers for the club this season.
Mitch Clark has been named for Geelong, but we won’t see Rhys Stanley in the pre-season opener. Sam Blease will also suit up for the Cats after his off-season transfer from the Demons.
A few notable names will be missing from this clash, with Gary Ablett and Dion Prestia missing from the Gold Coast team sheet. Geelong will not play Steve Johnson (who is under an injury cloud), and Joel Selwood will take this match off.
Prediction:
Being a pre-season game, this clash is very tough to predict, but I’m going to go for youth over experience in this one.
Gold Coast by 10.
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
FULL TIME The Suns get the win tonight, scoring an 8 point victory over the Cats. Although the result doesn't really matter, the Suns would've been very disappointed if they had lost this one, as they controlled the game for long periods this afternoon. Mitch Clark got a couple of goals in the last quarter for the Cats, who will be very happy with the way he played. Jimmy Bartel lead the way through the midfield for the Cats with 26 disposals. The Suns got a great performance from new recruit Mitch Hallahan, who racked up 25 disposals. Michael Rischitelli had a good game for the Suns, and it would have been a fantastic game if he hadn't have missed 2 set shots in the first half.
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
BEHIND SUNS 0' Jarrod Harbrow wins the footy for the Suns, and he almost finds Lynch inside 50, but the big man spills the mark. Tape sends the Suns back inside 50, but Garlett sends this one away to the right. Gold Coast 0.10.19 79 Geelong 1.9.8 71
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
SUPER GOAL CATS 0' The Cats go forward through Bartel here, and he finds Motlop with the handball. Motlop has a go from outside 50, and he nails it!! Cats aren't done with just yet. Gold Coast 0.10.18 78 Geelong 1.9.8 71
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
BEHIND CATS 1' Darcy Lang gets some space inside 50, but his shot goes away to the right. Gold Coast 0.10.18 78 Geelong 0.9.8 62
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
GOAL SUNS 2' Geelong will need something special now. The Suns win the clearance, and they go forward quickly. Touk Miller receives the handball on the outside, and he slots through his first goal. Suns are home. Gold Coast 0.10.18 78 Geelong 0.9.7 61
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
GOAL SUNS 3' Zac Smith with a good tap from the throw in, and now Lynch marks on the wing. He goes long down the line, where Stanley marks on the lead. There's a bit of a dust-up behind play involving Michael Rischitelli. Meanwhile, Matera goes off the deck from the boundary line, and he's rolled it through for a goal!! That's the goal of the day!! Gold Coast 0.9.18 72 Geelong 0.9.7 61
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
3' The Suns are going forward well now, but Bews does a great job to win possession, and now the Cats are looking dangerous. Hawkins tries the "crow throw", but he doesn't get away with it. Gold Coast 0.8.18 66 Geelong 0.9.7 61
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
5' Clark working hard around the contest here, but the Suns manage to clear the footy, and Lynch takes a mark in the midfield. His kick goes out of bounds on the full, so the Cats will go forward again. Gold Coast 0.8.18 66 Geelong 0.9.7 61
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
6' Rischitelli with the clearance, but the Cats win possession, and they go forward now. Hawkins uses the body well in the pocket, but he doesn't have the support around him, and the Suns eventually get it out of bounds. Guthrie wins a free kick from the throw in, and he'll send the Cats back inside 50. Gold Coast 0.8.18 66 Geelong 0.8.7 61
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
GOAL SUNS 7' Hallahan wins a clearance for the Suns, and he sends one to the top of the square looking for Hall. Hall has a free kick here, so he should put the Suns back in front. He makes no mistake!! Gold Coast 0.8.18 66 Geelong 0.8.7 61
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
9' Jarrod Garlett shows some fancy footwork to send the footy to the top of the square, but the Cats do enough to clear their defensive zone. Now Tom Lynch has a free kick 55 out. He sends one short to Hall, but no mark is taken, and the ball gets out of bounds in the pocket. Gold Coast 0.7.18 60 Geelong 0.8.7 61
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
BEHIND SUNS 10' The Suns go forward now from the central clearance, and Jarrod Garlett almost has the leap in the pocket. Now Matera has a go off the deck, but he misses to the right. 18 Behind for the Suns this afternoon. Gold Coast 0.7.18 60 Geelong 0.8.7 61
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
GOAL CATS 10' Darcy Lang runs onto a loose ball at half forward, but his kick inside 50 is a mongrel. There's a contest inside 50 now, and Mitch Clark finds some space and snaps his second goal in a minute!! The Cats have the lead!! Gold Coast 0.7.17 59 Geelong 0.8.7 61
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
GOAL CATS 11' Motlop with some time in the midfield, and he finds Gore inside 50. Gore handballs to Stokes, who centres the ball for Mitch Clark 30 out from goal. Clark goes back and slots his first goal for his new club! Gold Coast 0.7.17 59 Geelong 0.8.7 55
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
12' The Suns have it inside their attacking 50 here, but Kersten does enough to clear the footy. It'll come back through Harbrow, but he finds Harry Taylor all by himself inside 50. Gold Coast 0.7.17 59 Geelong 0.7.7 49
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
14' The Cats have blown a certain goal here, as they overuse the handball inside 50, and Stokes is run down from behind. Bartel sends the Cats forward again, but Kolodjashnij takes a good mark on half-back, and he finds Saad out wide. Gold Coast 0.7.17 59 Geelong 0.7.7 49
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
BEHIND SUNS 15' Another poor bounce from the umpire, but this time he's let it go, and the Suns take advantage of it. They go forward quickly, but Lynch can't mark. Now Swallow has a go from 40 out, but he leaves it out to the right. Gold Coast 0.7.17 59 Geelong 0.7.6 48
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
GOAL SUNS 16' Geelong providing some pressure at the front, but Leslie does enough to get rid of the footy. Now the Cats are under some pressure at the back, and Matera tries to hand off to Saad in the pocket. We'll have a throw in, and Michael Rischitelli wins a clean clearance and kicks a goal!! Gold Coast 0.7.16 58 Geelong 0.7.6 48
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
17' Rischitelli wins a clearance, and the Suns go forward. Lonergan has a fumble at the back, and the Suns will maintain the pressure. Bennell finds Harbrow with a great kick, and now McKenzie runs onto the handball. He has the distance from out there, but he chooses to go for Sexton in the pocket. Sexton can't mark, and the Cats clear from the throw in. Gold Coast 0.6.16 52 Geelong 0.7.6 48
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
GOAL CATS 18' Motlop has space inside 50 now, and he spots Darcy Lang for the second time this evening. Lang goes back from 30 out and sends it straight through the middle. Gold Coast 0.6.16 52 Geelong 0.7.6 48