Geelong v St Kilda
MCG, 2.40pm, Sunday
FORECAST
Shower or two, top temperature of 16.
LAST TIME THEY MET
Geelong 21.10 (136) def St Kilda 13.16 (94) round 4, 2008, at Telstra Dome
St Kilda more than matched the Cats in the opening term, kicking away their chances as they booted 4.7 to 4.0 in the first quarter.
However the Cats soon got on top through sheer weight of possession and more avenues to goal. A six-goal burst in a dominant third-quarter period proved the difference for Geelong, while the wayward Saints battled hard to stay in the contest but blew their chances close to goal.
The Cats had 11 individual goalkickers, with Steve Johnson leading the way with four, while twin tall towers Nick Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke (three goals each) lead the way for the Saints.
FORM GUIDE
The Cats, after a record-breaking 2007, haven’t let their supporters down this year. There has been no premiership hangover as they cruised to a 21-1 season record. Amazingly, they didn’t start playing their best footy until the mid-way point of the year. In recent weeks Mark Thompson’s side has had a perfect preparation for September. North Melbourne gave the Cats a good workout a fortnight ago while the reigning premiers enjoyed a more comfortable time of it against the struggling Eagles last week. The Cats look at the top of their game and enter the finals full of confidence.
The Saints have timed their run to perfection, obliterating Essendon last week to grab the double chance. St Kilda is also playing close to its best footy of the season. What’s more, this Saints side is actually starting to believe it can do some damage in September.
The two teams only met once this year and neither team was playing great footy back then. Given this, Ross Lyon’s men will be quietly confident of giving the reigning champs a run for their money this weekend.
RANDOM FACTS
* In-form Cat Joel Selwood has only played against the Saints once, that being this season when he gathered 21 touches, kicked a goal and laid six tackles.
* St Kilda’s Lenny Hayes had an equal season-high 32 disposals against the Cats in round four this year.
* On Sunday it will be 40 years ago to the day that Geelong and St Kilda met in their last – and only – final at the MCG. On September 7, 1968, the Cats beat the Saints by 44 points in a first semi-final at the home of football.
* The last time the sides met in a final was a classic shootout in the second elimination final of 1991. At one end Tony Lockett went berserk, booting 9.5 while Billy Brownless was the Cats star with 8.3 at full forward.
KEY MATCH UPS
Cam Mooney v Sam Fisher
Whether Mooney is picked up by Fisher or his fellow All-Australian squad teammate Max Hudghton remains to be seen. Hudghton prefers to stay close to goal, so with Tom Lonergan likely to be near the goalsquare, Fisher might get the job on Geelong’s leading goalkicker. And it’s a big job. Mooney has been in great form in recent weeks. When he’s not kicking goals, he’s leading up the ground, taking marks and playing on quickly to set them up. Fisher likes to run off and create, but he can’t afford to give the star Cat too much latitude.
Joel Corey v Lenny Hayes
These two midfielders are both genuine stars but often get overlooked in favour of flashier teammates. However neither should be discounted for their worth to their side. Both are clearance and tackle specialists, and look a good match-up. Hayes will need to have a huge influence if his team is to at least break even in the engine room. Corey always finds plenty of the ball and often goers unnoticed. He’s an accumulator, but a crucial cog in the Cats’ midfield set up.
Mark Blake v Steven King
There was plenty of feeling when these two clashed in round four, so there’ll certainly be some fireworks again at the MCG on Sunday. Spectators can expect plenty of verbal, and likely push and shove, between the two after King was traded from the Cats after taking Blake’s spot for the grand final. Both men have enjoyed fine seasons. They won’t want to lose focus on the footy, however, because the ruck duel could go a long way to determining the midfield battle.
WHAT THE CLUBS SAY
Geelong coach Mark Thompson
“They’ve had a great year.
“There have been two teams come into the eight that are different from last year – St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs – and they’ve ended up third and fourth … they’ve had fantastic years and they deserve to be in the final eight.”
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon
“Clearly we’re the underdog. There’s no hiding that. I’m not going to beat that up, push it up or push it down.
“They’ve proven to be the benchmark team in the competition. We’re thrilled we’ve earned the spot. Sunday is a big stage and we get to measure our improvement as a team, as a coaching panel against what has proven to be the best.”
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
