AFL 2014 ROUND 1; GEELONG V ADELAIDE; TEAMS
Ben Jensen 19 March 2014

By Ben Jensen GEELONG CATS V ADELAIDE CROWS GEELONG has named Hamish McIntosh for his first game for the Cats, edging out fellow ruckman Dawson Simpson. Jimmy Bartel will play his 250th match, with skipper Joel Selwood also named, having fully recovered from a hamstring injury he picked up in Alice Springs during the NAB Challenge. Lincoln McCarthy gets his chance as does Travis Varcoe who is looking to put an injury ravaged 2013 behind him. Eddie Betts makes his debut for Adelaide after coming over from Carlton.

The match is on this Thursday night, yes, Thursday night, in the second week of the first round of the 2014 AFL season. For reasons we're yet to hear about the game is being played under lights midweek, which is sure to result in a much smaller crowd considering a large chunk if not the largest chunk of Geelong's membership is Melbourne-based and presumably many have to work the next day.

AFL hopeful Shane Kersten will unfortunately miss at least half the season with a knee issue. Skipper Selwood, just 25 with 160 games and three AFL premierships to his name, pulled up with a minor hamstring complaint in a practice game against Melbourne in Alice Springs. Already on the long term injury list are Nathan Vardy, Daniel Menzel and Allen Christensen.

Back to the timing of the game one only hopes the club gets a decent crowd and if not the AFL heeds the lesson and considers the paying membership not just the TV rights holders in future fixturing decisions. In other off-field news Geelong boss Brian Cook, hitherto not mentioned at all in dispatches when considering who may in be line to replace outgoing AFL chief Andrew Demetriou, was thrown up as an option by the Geelong Advertiser today. Cook all but downplayed his chances but confirmed he would 'consider' an offer should it be forthcoming. Cook has served the club with distinction since 1999.