Geelong VFL coach Leigh Tudor last night revealed he has big plans for first-year rookie Jeremy Laidler in his side’s grand final rematch against Coburg at the MCG on Saturday morning.

Instead of being overawed by Coburg’s prodigiously talented side on paper, Tudor said it has paved the way for his emerging young stars to thrash it out with proven AFL players. 

Coburg, benefiting from Richmond’s steadfast attitude to not tinker with a promising side, will field six players who would have commended walk-up selection last year.

Tudor said Laidler, who has impressed so far in his debut season, would be given the opportunity to run with Richmond veteran Joel Bowden. 

“It’s going to be exciting,” Tudor said. 

“We can put someone like Jeremy Laider on Joel Bowden for a quarter and really see how he matches up against a proven AFL player.  

“There’s some great match ups around the ground, it’s going to be a great game to see where our players are at.”

Coburg is expected to field Joel Bowden, Greg Tivendale, Kayne Pettifer, Jay Schulz, Graham Polak and Dean Polo, despite their strong performances in the VFL last week. 

Likewise, the Cats will unleash their arsenal of talent, including Brent Prismall, Travis Varcoe, Kane Teance, Shannon Byrnes and David Johnson.

“All year our experienced players have played well,” Tudor said.  

“The guys that have been there three of four years and the guys that have been really steady for us.  They’re the ones that have got us over the line more often than not.”

The match will be Geelong’s first curtain raiser at the MCG since the 1999 season. 

Since the AFL reserves competition was abolished at the end of the 1999, VFL curtain raisers have been almost non-existent at the MCG, except for a handful of matches in 2000 and 2001.

Tudor said his players were eager to embrace the curtain raiser, which nearly didn’t eventuate after the AFL intervened just before the season and initially rescheduled the match to Skilled Stadium. 

Fourteen players from Geelong’s initial squad have never played on the MCG before.

“It will be a good experience,” Tudor said.  

“Half our side wouldn’t have played there before, we’ve just finished training and I know everyone is looking forward to playing there and even the staff who haven’t been involved in matches at the MCG.

“It’s good for everyone to get a game there and I think once they get out on the game it’s just another game of footy for them.” 

Tudor said the Cats would like to remind Coburg they are not as poor as the performance they dished up on the big stage in round one.

The Cats were smashed by 75 points, but fielded an inexperienced side that went without 16 of their premiership heroes from the 2007 season, including two late withdrawals.

Tudor said the Cats, who have won four of their last five matches to sit in fourth position, would be desperate to make amends and continue their strong run of form. 

“We would like to think we are better than round one,” he said.

“Coburg were very good that day and we were a little off and we’d like to bounce back prove to them that we’re better than what we were first time around.” 

“Both teams have changed a lot since then … but it would be really important for our players to have a good game against them.”

The action gets underway from 11am, with gates opening at 10.45am.

Geelong Football Club is strongly encouraging supporters to come along early to beat the crowd crush and watch the match.