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Relief for milestone man Duncan
Mitch Duncan has got his wish: not being handed the subs’ vest for his 300th game.
The Cats will start Ted Clohesy as their spare, while the Dogs have named Lachie Bramble as their sub for tonight’s clash at GMHBA Stadium.
Mitch Duncan plays his 300th game tonight.Credit: Getty Images
Duncan told The Age’s Peter Ryan during the week that he was prepared to play anywhere coach Chris Scott demanded. Accept as a sub during his milestone match.
“I’ve already told him I’m not playing if he does that,” Duncan said.
Read Pete Ryan’s full interview with Duncan HERE.
Smith is ready to rumble
Bailey Smith may not have trained in the public eye this week, but he’s out on the ground warming up and will line up against his old side at GMHBA Stadium tonight.
Anticipation is high for Smith, who has been one of the Cats’ best players this season, to come up against his former side the Western Bulldogs for the first time. But the midfielder trained indoors on Tuesday, away from the main group.
Bailey Smith comes up against his former Bulldogs teammates tonight.Credit: Getty Images
His absence from the main session was explained as being due to the short turnaround between last Saturday’s win over Port Adelaide and Thursday night’s match, and now he’s warming up with his teammates ahead of the first bounce at 7.30.
“It was mentioned to me that there was some commentary around him not training. He trained, you just didn’t see it,” coach Chris Scott said.
“We have a pretty individual program on that day, so yeah he is fine.”
While Smith is an elite athlete with the blend of high-end speed and endurance, he did miss the entirety of last season because of a knee reconstruction, so is being carefully managed on short breaks.
Asked how Smith was handling the spotlight that came with such a highly publicised clash, Scott said: “He doesn’t have any problem with the attention at all.
“I think when players play against their former club, there is a bit of added spice to it. For some players who don’t like that kind of attention, it can be a challenge, but I think for others it is stimulating. Bailey is certainly in that latter category.
“Let’s not take away from the theatre of it, it will be a full house on Thursday night at the Cats.”
But Geelong will be without superstar Patrick Dangerfield, who is missing with a hamstring injury. Jack Bowes is also out with a hamstring issue, but the Cats will regain defender Tom Stewart, who has been out with a knee injury.
30-second guide to tonight’s match
Geelong v Western Bulldogs, GMHBA Stadium, 7.30pm
In a nutshell: Both sides are travelling well and pushing to break into the top four. The Dogs sit fifth and the Cats seventh, both with six wins for the season. But all eyes will be on Bazlenka. Sadly for Mitch Duncan, the hoopla surrounding his 300th game in the hoops has been hijacked by the Bailey Smith show. The in-form Smith, or Baz as we in the bandana-loving brigade like to call him, is up against his old Bulldogs outfit for the first time since he deserted The Kennel. Surely, he’s in for a little heat from his ex-teammates? In what will be a battle of the midfields, Smith is a key, while Ed Richards has been a standout for the Dogs.
History says: The Cats lead 3-2 head-to-head across their past five meetings, but the Bulldogs landed a psychological blow by beating the Cats on their home turf last year. It was the first time Luke Beveridge had coached a winning team at GMHB Stadium.
What the coaches say:
Chris Scott: “If someone had of said in 15 years time that we are going to have 40,000 people at a packed GMHBA Stadium, with the quality of facilities, two of the best teams in the competition right at the moment, it is pretty cool for Geelong. It is good to be a part of.”
Luke Beveridge: “We’ve always aspired to be that team that shares that load, and is an unselfish, team-based decision-making team, who gives it to other players who are in better positions to score.”
At the selection table: The Dogs have swung one change since last week’s 91-point thumping of Essendon, bringing in Oskar Baker for Arthur Jones (hamstring). The Cats will be without captain fantastic Patrick Dangerfield (hamstring), Jack Bowes (hamstring) and Connor O’Sullivan (managed), but will be buoyed by the return of Tom Stewart, alongside Rhys Stanley and Ted Clohesy.
The experts say: Our footy panel is leaning towards a Western Bulldogs victory 9-5. Leading tipster Michael Gleeson is tipping Bevo’s mob by eight points.
Emphasis on attack
The stats gurus suggest tonight’s clash will be decided in attack.
When you look at the table below, both Geelong and the Bulldogs are prepared to give up points against top-eight opposition in pursuit of victory.
Welcome to Thursday night footy
Good evening. Welcome to our live coverage of what is shaping to be a cracking game of footy.
Both Geelong (7th) and the Western Bulldogs (5th) are coming off big wins and will be keen to push for a berth in the top four when the ball is bounced at 7.30pm.
So sit back and enjoy the ride as we bring you a blow-by-blow account from GMHBA Stadium.
