GEELONG CATS vs ADELAIDE CROWS
Geelong will travel to Adelaide for the second time this season to face the Crows on Sunday. The Cats last played at AAMI Stadium in Round 9, defeating Port Adelaide by 48 points. The Crows are battling to keep their finals chances alive, currently two wins outside of the eight in 12th place. A shoulder injury to star Patrick Dangerfield has dampened any hopes of Adelaide defeating the 2nd placed Cats and kick-starting a late-season surge towards September action. Geelong will be without Steve Johnson who misses another game due to suspension but welcome back Joel Corey, Corey Enright and Mathew Stokes into their extended line up.
Last Time They Met
Round 18, 2012 at Simonds Stadium
Geelong Cats 15 - 12 - 102
Adelaide Crows 11 - 9 - 75
Adelaide were the most improved side of 2012, smashing Geelong by 50 points in Round 7 with the high quality football that took them to a preliminary final. Keen to even the ledger, the Cats took the lead halfway through the first term and never relinquished it. Adelaide mounted a strong challenge in the third quarter lead by Patrick Dangerfield, who finished the match with a game high 33 disposals. The margin at three quarter time was just eight points after Geelong had held a half time lead of 33 points. The Cats were able to extend their lead to 27 at the final siren with Paul Chapman and Tom Hawkins each contributing three goals.
Click here to check out the Cats line up for tonight's first VFL match under lights.
Player to Watch
JAMES KELLY vs SCOTT THOMPSON
Adelaide veteran Scott Thomspon is a strong bodied midfielder with an innate ability to find the football. He was ranked second in the AFL for possessions in 2011, averaging 31 per game. He finished the season with 51 disposals against Gold Coast, the second-most in AFL history, and the Crows best and fairest award. Thomspon delivered career best form last season and lead a talented young midfield group to within one goal of a Grand Final appearance. He ranked fourth in the AFL for total disposals, third in contested possessions, second in clearances, finished equal fourth in the Brownlow and was rewarded with selection in the All-Australian team. Thompson has been inconsistent this season but still averages over 25 disposals per game and ranks second at Adelaide for contested possessions. Thompson and James Kelly have similar strengths and play similar roles within their respective teams. Kelly leads the Cats in tackling, averaging 7.4 a game, and ranks third for contested possessions. He is an experienced on-baller who puts enormous physical pressure on opposition and provides great leadership to Geelong’s young midfield brigade. Unflinching in their attack on the contest, Kelly and Thompson are both strong, mature footballers who will clash in the centre bounces.
Click here to hear James Kelly discuss this week's clash
JAMES PODSIADLY vs DANIEL TALIA
2012 Rising Star award winner Daniel Talia has outplayed many of the competitions top forwards in his short career. His most recent scalp was Travis Cloke, limiting the Collingwood power forward to just one goal on Friday night. Talia timed his jumps perfectly to spoil in the air and prevented Cloke from getting separation on the lead, although he did manage a second goal late in the match while Talia was off the ground. Talia is 196cm with a relatively light 89kg frame but competes well in one on one contests. He is quick to read the ball in flight and has excellent aerial ability. Veteran Adelaide defender Ben Rutten is best equipped to take on Tom Hawkins, so James Podsiadly will expect the challenge of overcoming young Talia. Podsiadly has been the most dangerous tall forward in the Geelong side over recent weeks, averaging six marks and over 15 disposals per game.
He plays as a high half-forward and utilises his athleticism all over the ground. He has also improved in his defensive efforts inside forward 50, averaging 4.4 tackles in his past five games. Podsiadly kicked four goals in his last outing at AAMI Stadium and will have to be at his very best to get the same results against Talia. The mature age recruit and the rising star are men at opposite ends of their careers but closely matched in skill and ability.
Did You Know?
Darren Milburn played 14 games under Chris Scott in 2011 before joining the Crows as an assistant coach. Scott’s first year as a senior coach and Milburn’s last as a Cat.
Milburn played a total of 292 games over 15 seasons, placing him third on the all-time games record list at the Geelong Football Club. He also holds the record for most games played in the number 39 jumper, overtaking Footscray brownlow medalist Tony Loberatore in round seven of the 2011 season.
Adelaide senior coach Brenton Sanderson played 199 of his 209 AFL games in the blue and white hoops and was an assistant coach at Geelong from 2007 to 2011. He left the Cats at the end of the 2011 home and away season when he was offered the top job at the Crows. Sanderson enlisted Milburn as an assistant at Adelaide after he announced his retirement, having coached and played along side him for over a decade.
