Geelong must be ready for fire-up RichmondCAMERON MOONEY,
Geelong Advertiser
5 June 2019EXPECT Richmond to respond on Friday night after its poor contest with North Melbourne.
The Tigers were so poor last week that the fact they didn’t come out in the first quarter knowing what the Roos were going to do was a little bit embarrassing.
They got absolutely bashed up around the ball, they got hunted, and I assume the big talking point this week will be their starts, because their start was really poor.
Their contested footy was poor too, so that’s going to require a huge step up against Dangerfield, Kelly and the likes through Geelong’s midfield.
Their inside-50 entries were also really poor, kicking high, long bombs, which for any forward is horrible.
Tom Lynch came under some criticism again this week and he wasn’t great against North Melbourne, but the inside-50s weren’t fantastic for him.
That’ll be a Mark Blicavs match-up, Blitz on Lynch. Blitz is arguably one of the best key defenders in the game, top two or three at worst and you could probably build a case for him being better than Jeremy McGovern at the moment.
His leadership qualities are unbelievable and he’ll be the next captain of the footy club whenever that may be, that’s how much his game has improved from a guy who was a steeplechaser.
Last Friday night, North Melbourne won the game by 17 tackles — absolutely bashed them — and it’s no coincidence the best teams are the best pressure teams.
You can always go with a team for a half or three quarters, but it’s whether Geelong can withstand that pressure for four quarters, because that’s what Richmond will bring in response to that loss.
But the shoe is on the other foot too. Can Richmond withstand what Geelong is bringing at the moment?
The Cats’ all-round pressure, the way they’re playing, is the best in the competition at the moment.
I think they’ve got so many factors driving them at the moment, Geelong, that I don’t think they’ll start poorly.
But the days of having 10-plus game winning streaks are over because the competition is so tight.
We’ve seen it over the last couple of years, any time a team gets to six, seven, eight wins, that’s generally where the winning streak ends.
That was evident for Collingwood against Fremantle and Richmond against North Melbourne.
So like the Tigers, who should have known that it was coming, you would hope the Cats know what’s going to come in that first quarter against Richmond, and hopefully they’re not asleep like Richmond were.
And this is just another great test for them on the MCG, and for me that’s probably the big factor.
It’s a test for the young guys; a big high-pressured game, the night will be dewy, so it will be a slippery and contested game.
Geelong doesn’t need another scalp, but a win would be great for confidence and reinforces to the young guys that a win on a big stage against a good team shows all the things the coaches have been talking about and preaching are working.
That would put just so much confidence through the team.
However, a loss isn’t going to be the end of the world.
I’ve always been a believer, particularly after a good winning streak, that a loss, while you don’t want them, they’re sometimes a good thing. It straightens your club up; it straightens your group up.
You may have just been covering a few gaps, because that’s what wins do. But it’s not a bad thing, particularly when you’re two games clear in the middle of the season.
Either way, the Cats really have nothing to lose, but all to gain.
Who plays on Dusty? Particularly on the weekend, Dusty spent more time forward because Cotchin came back into the side, and you saw him turn the game there with those two quick goals. When he’s in the midfield, how does Geelong work it? Do they put someone like a Cam Guthrie near him, knowing he’s going to run straight forward? I’ve got no problems with Guthrie playing back, but if the Cats want him playing midfield, there’s going to have to be a hand over. Jake Kolodjashnij or Tom Stewart would be the logical match-ups in defence. It’s going to be a fascinating watch.
https://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/sport/afl/cameron-mooney-geelong-must-be-ready-for-fireup-richmond/news-story/f642cca8e8bcc66c635aaae246fba6a3
