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'Overrated' Cats will still beat the Hawks on Easter Monday

20th April, 2019
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Joel Selwood (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)
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20th April, 2019
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The annual Easter Monday blockbuster between Geelong and Hawthorn is always an entertaining affair, and 2019 isn’t likely to be an exception.

The fixture is an opportunity for Geelong to consolidate their position on top of the ladder, which is held over five other teams on percentage alone. For the Hawks, it’s a chance to take their biggest scalp of the year and gain some momentum after a somewhat lacklustre start to the 2019 season.

Roar AFL Expert Jay Croucher told the Game of Codes podcast that while the Cats look the better team heading into the clash, they’ve been “a bit flattered” by wins
against a wasteful Collingwood, an error-prone Adelaide and a woeful Melbourne.

“I don’t think they belong on the first line of premiership betting with the Pies and the Eagles, and GWS just slightly behind them.”

Here what he had to say about the matchup and how the Hawks can cause an upset:

Hawthorn head into Monday’s match under a significant injury cloud with Grant Birchall, Shaun Burgoyne, James Frawley, Tom Mitchell and Liam Shiels among the casualties, while captain Ben Stratton remains uncertain for selection after suffering a concussion against St Kilda last weekend.

However, the likely return of Jaeger O’Meara is a boost for the Hawks as they prepare to take on one of the strongest midfields in the competition.

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As for the coaching battle, Chris Scott appears to have Alastair Clarkson’s measure: the Cats have won 10 of the last 15 matches between the two coaches.

Listen to the full episode below or subscribe to Game of Codes on iHeartRadio and Apple Podcasts.

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