That is a very naiive thing to say when they are still on top. Whenever the cats have a home game against Richmond or Hawthorn, the AFL moves it to THEIR home ground. I’d like to see that happen to Freo or West Coast. Fair? Geelong had NO INJURIES up until last weekend, which goes to show they have been carefully preparing for finals time. Collingwood have 21 players out. Geelong have 4, and 3 of them are no chance for a final. The inclusion of Cameron Guthrie is hurting them – he is useless. Rhys Stanley very rarely plays a good game. Sam Menegola is too slow. Other than that, they are good to go.

This year’s fall is very obvious to me. Pre-Cameron Guthrie we were flying. Post Cameron Guthrie we are useless.

I agree.

We are even using our own ball and we still can’t get it right. The batting order is in a complete mess. Khawaja and Marsh are passengers/ dinosaurs/ useless. The 3rd, 4th and 5th bowling spots are in a mess. How can this happen half way through a World Cup??? Mo + Rash and Chahal + Kuldeep are going to end our campaign. Whoever can get to us first.

Whomever backed Maxwell to be our third best bowler half way through a World Cup can collect your dividend NOW. @ The Bush – how can you call the most economical 10 overs (46 runs) “carted”? We scored 334 so 4.6 an over is GOLD.

Played and missed a number of times in the first few overs. He went out twice – one sitter dropped on 30. One delivery clipping the pad flap and subsequent lbw not reviewed. Run outs missed the stumps. Everyone is talking about Australia’s 5th bowler, but the 3rd and 4th bowlers are equally concerning… Coulter-Nile and Behrendorff seem to be fruit for the sideboard, and can Kane keep taking wickets? As each week passes the spinners are going to come into their own, and Chahal and Kuldeep; Mo and Rash; are going to be better than ours… I thought I saw Bumrah bowling with a flexy bend in his delivery arm last night vs Pakistan (not the wrist, the elbow), anyone concur? The press must make it an issue before he does it against us.

I just learned that Jhye Richardson is still injured and only bowling at half pace – my bad. I reckon as captain, Finch should drop himself down the order. Carey seems to be flowing from ball one right now and playing with no fear. Let him open and keep it going with Maxwell at 3.

Carey must open. Warner is too valuable a player to be chancing his arm at the top. Give it to someone who we can afford to lose. Our team is in a mess and they are scared of playing two left arm pacemen or two spinners. Now they have 2 Marshes for God sake! Khawaja had one year to prove himself as an opener and he didn’t grab the opportunity… If Wahab Riaz can nearly win a match against us with the bat then what is Jos Butler, Kohli & co. going to do?! We are in all sorts of strife right now. Finch needs to do the right thing and drop down the order vs Sri Lanka. Warner, Carey, Maxwell, Smith, Finch, S Marsh, just looks better on paper to me.

He was hit on the helmet. Not in the head.

I don’t see anyone making an issue out of it other than you, Chukling. Andrew Symonds is one of our favourite sons and it was Indians who called him a monkey, remember? I’d suggest you could take a look in the mirror before claiming a bias. We actually made discrimination punishable by law in the Australian parliament, so feel free to take it up with them. I sincerely doubt you will. A more substantive argument says we are more inclusive than divisive in all cases. I don’t see any christian white people playing for Pakistan, do you? I think you could consider whether a Pakistani playing for Australia is considered inclusive, yet a Christian playing for Pakistan is considered divisive. At 0-3, your elephant in the room has not done South Africa any favours, at all, so let’s leave the unsubstantiated accusations and crooked finger pointing to the politicians, okay?

I’m confused. Is it the World Cup we are trying to win or is this entire campaign all about Mitchell Starc being player of the tournament? (BTW, it doesn’t matter whether its a RH batsman or a LH batsman, he still bowls it down LEG SIDE!!!)

The bigger question for Australia is Khawaja. The left-hander averages 53.6 as an opener, but just 23.6 batting elsewhere. “That comes with experience,” Langer said. From cricket.com.au
Is there no limit to the mismanagement of the Australian cricket team? We are giving the worst fielder “experience” half way through a World Cup, and our 5th bowler is Maxwell, Smith and FINCH. This is a lesson on how to THROW AWAY a World Cup. I wonder… will Slater try to convince us Australia has the best attack in the world again this summer? Pffft.

This is the best: Khawaja – Carey – Maxwell – Smith – Finch – Warner – NCN – Jhye Richardson (to replace Stoinis) – Lyon – Cummins – Starc.

Read it again and you will find the answers to your “issues”. Jhye Richardson bowled in the nets for Australia A last week. If Stoinis goes out, then we get Jhye back in. How were you not able to comprehend that?!

Geelong plays a style of game designed to limit injuries. They used to call it handbags, now everyone does it. Or tries to. Remember Kennett said it was his club’s superiority over us… but we are on top of the ladder, with our own ground and they are now sharing the MCG and are out of the 8. Sometimes it does cost us games, and it certainly costs us percentage. Geelong plays in fits and starts and often the team suddenly turns defensive out of the blue for what seems to be for practice. We rely heavily on our fitness to prevail in the 4th quarter. Interesting point about balancing out though, you are right that its in the lap of the Gods to a large extent but the Suns injury list is insane right now. Double ours. That can’t be luck.

Zampa out for me. Maybe a defensive spin bowler is required in England, Ronan. England is not the UAE or India. I think Behrendorff would have been the difference against India had he played instead of Zampa. Opening with Khawaja would have been better too – in fact it is true for all matches thus far.

You liked your own comment lol. “We” are not “on the cusp of being knocked out of the WC”. Losing 2 games will still make the finals, and we will not lose to Pakistan. England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and West Indies have also lost one game. How can all 5 teams be “on the cusp of being knocked out of the WC”? Your prediction states Pakistan will bowl first on what will be a rain affected pitch and ‘probably’ a rain affected game. Then you say Pakistan will win.
Extraordinary. “Warner does not seem focused.” Another extraordinary comment. Stoinis bowled with a side strain he picked up in his first spell. He deserves credit for risking missing out on taking part in the rest of the World Cup by bowling Zampa’s overs. He stood up when we needed him. “Uzzy”? I think you are a Pakistani. My prediction: Wash out or Australia wins on D/L by 560 runs.

I want to rant on this current World Cup team. Firstly, Stoinis probably won’t come up vs Pakistan, so we have to pick 5 bowlers and hope he comes good for further matches. Introducing Mitch Marsh during a WC is a very bad idea. Secondly, The batting order is all wrong. Finch and Warner are two of the most explosive batsmen playing the game. They are wasted as openers. Khawaja is a one-trick pony but he is picked as a batsman and I disagree with Ian Chappell: Khawaja should open for this Australian team. Chappelli did get one thing right – Khawaja is a pathetic mover in the field. Like the Pakistani’s of old. So if we’re going to pick him we have to make him BAT. What happened against India with Khawaja’s batting order was farcical. Talk about making best use of your resources! Really. The Marsh brothers have talent but do not have it between the ears. May I say that? I think I will. Shaun Marsh STILL looks nervous at the crease and his shuffling backwards and forwards like a junkie on smack is almost comical. Why? C’mon Shaun. Get it right, mate. Next, why would you have Carey as a finisher when he has done so well as a T20 opener? Isn’t the reason why we gambled on Warner in the opening position because he was so explosive? We are so demanding of this guy it makes me angry. Let the big dog BARK. Carey is an Aussie Rules player a-la Shane Warne. He welcomes the pressure. He loves it. Now the bowlers. The Indians smashed Zampa (just six dot balls), Starc (most sixes conceded) and Coulter-Nile (most fours conceded) all over the park. The pressure was not built so runs came very easily, and it was clear from ball one – no swing at all. After ten overs we had one yorker and four bouncers. Are you serious? It was like they refused to show the Indians their bag of tricks? Ganguly was commentating. He couldn’t understand why the Australian bowlers were feeding Sharma’s strength. Did they do their homework or not? Playing ducks and drakes in a World Cup can come back to bite you. Just WIN, okay? I said it before the WC on Roar – we will miss Jhye Richardson. He should be the replacement for Stoinis. I don’t want to put the mockers on him but Maxwell’s bowling has been excellent so far. Lyon can stop the runs, but Zampa cannot. This MUST be considered. Lyon is also a better fieldsman and batsman than Zampa, and this WC can be decided by a single run. So here is my point… if you are 2 for 70+ off 10 overs with Khawaja and Smith at the crease and the runrate pressure off (Carey and Maxwell back in the shed) with Warner and Finch to bat, and Starc, Cummins, Lyon, Jhye Richardson and Stoinis/ Maxwell to bowl in the second innings… why would you do it any differently? This batting order will win the World Cup: Khawaja, Carey, Maxwell, Smith, Warner, Finch, (Stoinis), Lyon, Cummins, Starc, Jhye Richardson/Behrendorff.

There is a Pakistani player playing against England tonight. His name is Fakhar Zaman. He only lasted 4 balls. One can only imagine what Billy Birmingham would do with that information.

Currently, I would argue, Geelong’s best team since we lost the PF by 5 points in 2013. Probably the last time we had a fully functioning forward line as well. On track for a big year. Go Cats.

Gazza has improved in his role as the season has progressed. He is looking really dangerous now. If he can stay on the park he’ll shake the life out of it I reckon. At $34.00 he’s worth a little interest that’s for sure.

I’m a Cats member but I feel very sorry for Richmond supporters having so many injuries. Out of all the injury lists, yours is the worst. Hang in there Tiges.

Can Behrendorff/Starc do a Bracken/Johnson? They were a wonderful combination.

If teams can get Finch, Warner and Smith out then how are either Marsh and Khawaja going to save the day? Carey to open with Finch, Maxwell to bat at number 3 and Warner at 6. No Marsh, No Khawaja. Warner vs the quicks in the final 5 overs is only way to 400+ AshTurner and Ben McDermott should be in the Squad. Not Marsh and Khawaja.

He can take us apart with the bat too.

Thank God his mother didn’t have 3 sons or we’d be screwed.