Round 23 - GEELONG CATS vs BRISBANE LIONS
2:10pm Saturday August 31 @ Simonds Stadium

The end of the home and away season is upon us and the structure of the 2013 finals series is far from certain. For Geelong the equation is simple; win and they are guaranteed a top two finish, lose and they will likely drop to third. First place will be up for grabs if top team Hawthorn lose to the Swans in Sydney on Friday night, with the Cats, boasting a superior percentage, able to draw level on 72 points.

The AFL Commission announced their findings of a season-long investigation into the Essendon supplements program on Tuesday night and confirmed that the Bombers will not participate in the finals. This opens the door for Brisbane to be a part of September action, one of five teams - Carlton, Brisbane, North Melbourne, Adelaide and West Coast - who can seize the last position in the final eight made vacant by the Bombers. The Lions are currently 10th on the ladder (effectively ninth), equal in points with the eighth placed Blues but with an inferior percentage. They would elevate to eighth if they can beat the Cats and Port Adelaide overcome Carlton at AAMI Stadium. As a result of this last minute shake up of the AFL ladder there is plenty on the line when Geelong clash with Brisbane at Kardinia Park on Saturday afternoon. The Lions have the opportunity to keep their season alive and, as they showed in round 13, they are capable of causing an upset. The Cats need to win to cement a home ground advantage next week and avoid travelling to Perth for a qualifying final. The result can drastically alter Geelong’s chances of winning a fourth premiership in seven years, so everyone of the 22 Cats who run out onto Simonds Stadium will deliver their very best and leave nothing to chance.

Last Time They Met
Round 13 - Sunday June 23 at the Gabba
Geelong   14 - 14 - 98
Brisbane   15 - 13 - 103

The round 13 contest between the Cats and the Lions was one of the most memorable of the 2013 season. Brisbane clawed back a 52 point Geelong lead late in the third term to win in a remarkable upset. Lead by a 33 possession performance from veteran Simon Black, the Lions played high scoring, fast flowing football in the final quarter and levelled the scores with less than two minutes remaining. From the resulting centre bounce the Cats won the clearance and scored a point to regain the lead. In the dying moments of the game Brisbane moved the ball straight up the centre of the ground from deep in defence and found Ashley McGrath 50m from goal just before the final siren rang. McGrath celebrated his 200th game milestone in style, kicking the Lions’ eighth goal of the term to give his team an historic underdog victory.

Key Match-Up
TRAVIS VARCOE vs PEARCE HANLEY
The ink is still drying on a new five year contract for Irish sensation Pearce Hanley, a deal that will see him stay in Brisbane until the end of the 2018 season. Hailing from the small dairy town of Ballaghaderren, Hanley first caught the eye of Australian recruiters when he won the Ron Barassi medal for best Irish player in the 2006 under 17 international rules series. He arrived at the Lions at the end of 2007 and has fast become one of Brisbane’s most valuable players, drawing comparisons to trailblazing compatriot Jim Stynes. Hanley has been incredibly durable, missing just two matches in the last three seasons, but is a long way from matching the incredible effort of Brownlow medalist Stynes, who played 244 consecutive games. Hanley started his career on a back flank before moving into the midfield, where he has averaged 21.6 disposals and almost a goal a game this year. He has also successfully played as a forward this season, a move implemented to further enhance his durability and help him break tags when opposition teams assigned a run-with player to him. Hanley is lightning quick and has excellent foot skills, able to influence the game wherever he is positioned.

Travis Varcoe has been savaged by injuries over the past two seasons and remains on the verge of delivering the performances envisaged by Geelong recruiters when he was taken with pick 15 in the 2005 draft. He played 24 games and enjoyed his best season in 2011, winning a second premiership in his 100th game. Varcoe was restricted to just one match in 2012 due to a stress fracture in his foot and was again interrupted by an injury in round three this year that kept him on the sidelines for 12 weeks. Since returning to the senior side Varcoe has steadily improved and is returning to his best form. After starting his career as a small forward he has rotated between a back flank and the midfield for much of this year, harassing opponents and averaging five tackles per game. He is among the fastest players in the Geelong side and has silky skills. Growing in confidence with every game he plays, Varcoe has both the foot speed and defensive mindset required to nullify Hanley wherever the Irishman plays.

Did You Know?
Chris Scott was an assistant under Mark Harvey, who also coached against Scott in a Grand Final when he was playing for the Lions. Harvey held the senior job at the Fremantle Dockers before Ross Lyon and has taken over as Brisbane coach following the departure of Michael Voss. He did a long apprenticeship as an assistant coach under Kevin Sheedy at Essendon before moving across to Perth. The Lions started their run of three successive premierships by beating Harvey’s Bombers in the 2001 Grand Final.

VFL captain Troy Selwood played along side Chris Scott at the Lions. Selwood was drafted to Brisbane in 2002 and played 75 senior games wearing the number 28. Troy is twin brother of West Coast’s Adam, and is the older brother of Scott, also an Eagle, and Geelong captain Joel. He spent five seasons with Chris Scott before the Geelong coach retired at the end of the 2007 season. Troy Selwood was captain of the Geelong side that took out 2012 VFL Premiership and lead the team to an incredible 201 point victory over Bendigo last Friday night.