KING SET TO MISS AGAIN, AS CATS RELISH A MEETING WITH THE LIONS
Mark Heenan June 17 2004

GEELONG has taken the cautious approach going into their blockbuster match against the Brisbane Lions this weekend, with confirmation Ruckman Steven King will be sidelined for another week, as the Cats trained indoors at the Arena yesterday.

Cats Assistant Coach Ken Hinkley, says the Geelong Captain is still suffering from the affects of a tight hamstring.

“ He has come off a slight hamstring, that’s what he has come off, and you’re not going to take the risk with the bye the next week, it just makes no sense to us at all” he said “He has had 12 months out of footy with his achilles and everything else, it’s just not the right thing to do to him” Hinkley said at Geelong training today.

While King is likely to be in the mix for Geelong’s Round 13 clash against West Coast in two weeks time, Hinkley says the Cats are relishing the opportunity to play against the all-conquering Lions at home.

“I suppose we have had some good form over the last eight games, and you know to come up against, the reigning premiers for the last three years, it’s a great opportunity for us, and for the people of Geelong.”

They’re also concerns over whether Veteran Peter Riccardi and Corey Enright will line up, after both sustained shoulder injuries, in Geelong’s 10-point win over the Kangaroos at Skilled Stadium last Sunday.

“You know we’ll have to wait and see how they are, probably not going to play, we will just give them to the last opportunity, to see whether they are right, maybe Peter (Riccardi) some chance, Corey’s (Enright) probably no chance ” Hinkley said.

Despite winning 6 out of their last 7 games, the Cats’ record against the Brisbane Lions has been appalling, to say the least in the last decade.

The Lions have won it’s last 10 encounters against Geelong, by an average winning margin of 44 points. In fact, the last time the Cats defeated their northern counterparts was way back in Round 14, 1995 at Skilled Stadium.

But after breaking their recent hoodoos against the Kangaroos and Western Bulldogs, Hinkley believes while the Lions are a big challenge, the former Cat says he has been impressed by the Cats use of the football in the past couple of weeks.

“Look not many sides in the competition have got wins against the Lions at the moment, as I said it is a chance for our fellas to go out and do what we do well.”