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AFL ROUND 5: SYDNEY SWANS V GEELONG;
CATS SWING THE AXE; 100 GAMES FOR PAUL CHAPMAN; MATCH
PREVIEW AND TEAM LIST THE CATS have recalled Matthew Scarlett, Charlie Gardiner and Mark Blake to face the Sydney Swans at Telstra Stadium, in a rematch of that fateful semi-final last season, when the Cats blew a three goal lead with just minutes to go to be eliminated from the finals by the eventual premier. Geelong has also named Brent Prismall for his AFL debut. Prismall played most NAB Cup games, and has been in good form in the VFL. Making way are forwards Tom Lonergan, Nathan Ablett and Steve Johnson, along with midfielder/(very) small forward Shannon Byrnes. The game will be shown 'live' on Channel Ten to southern states (Sydney, Melbourne Adelaide), after the first three rounds were shown exclusively on Fox Footy (Foxtel/Optus). The popular small forward / sometime midfielder Paul Chapman plays his hundredth game, a well deserved milestone. Chapman was drafted with pick 31, courtesy of Carlton and Michael Mansfield, in 1999 from the Calder Cannons, via the very working class North Coburg Saints, and made his debut in 2000. He played in Geelong's one final that season, the narrow loss to Hawthorn at then-Colonial Stadium, but struggled in 2001. Since playing a lead role in the 2002 VFL Premiership, he hasn't looked back, playing in the AFL exclusively since. He averaged fifteen posessions a game and one and a half goals per game in seasons 2004 and 2005. A low point for Chapman was missing both Geelong's finals in 2005 through injury. Besides Nick Davis, who is nursing a sore hamstring and should be out until mid-May, Sydney is more or less at full strength; only fringe players like Paul Bevan, Paul Curry and Stephen Doyle are out. Geelong's list of first team playesr injured is a little more extensive: Captain Steven King, Vice Captain Tom Harley, full forward Kent Kingsley, centre half forward Henry Playfair and veteran Peter Riccardi are all out. Backman Matthew Egan remains under an injury cloud, as is forward Charlie Gardiner, who kicked six goals in the VFL last weekend. Big questions remain for the Geelong selection committee. Who will be banished to the VFL, and more importantly who can be promoted? TIP? CATS BY 3 POINTS
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SYDNEY V GEELONG 7:10 PM SATURDAY 29 APRIL 2006 TELSTRA STADIUM TV: CHANNEL TEN LIVE(!) (MELBOURNE, ADELAIDE, SYDNEY)
A DESPONDANT CAMERON MOONEY AFTER LAST YEAR'S SEMI FINAL LOSS TO SYDNEY
PAUL CHAPMAN PLAYS HIS HUNDREDTH GAME THIS SATURDAY |
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GEELONG IN: Prismall, Gardiner, Blake, Scarlett B: Milburn, Scarlett, D Johnson
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SYDNEY IN: Williams B: Barry, Richards, Schneider |
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LAST TIME ROUND 6 2005 THE SYDNEY SWANS snatched victory from Geelong snatched victory in literally the last seconds at the SCG. Former Magpie Nick Davis single-handedly won the game for Sydney, kicking all four of their final quarter goals. Geelong could only manage one goal and despite spending an equal amount of time up forward. Geelong was hit by injuries during the game, with Cameron Mooney, Steven King, Josh Hunt, Gary Ablett, Tom Harley and Jimmy Bartel all taking hits, with King spending the last quarter and a half off the ground. Ablett and Harley pushed on while Mooney returned to the field late in the game. It was certainly a game that shouldn't have been lost. The Cats had the lead with less than five minutes to go, yet could not hold on to posession to get down for one more scoring shot. Nick Davis pounced twice in the last minutes, for two goals.
Had they hung on and won, the Cats would have struggled to field a competitive side against the Saints next Friday night. So on the bright side, Geelong supporters can put their hard-earned into something else other than the AFL's coffers next Friday night. Brenton Sanderson's career is now over, while always likely to end in a defeat, this is certainly the cruelest way to go out. Others may join him on the way out the door in the club's spring clean. While the loss was heartbreaking the players tried hard, and certainly felt the pain. None less than the big hair cat Cameron Mooney, visibly distressed as he left the field of play.
SYDNEY: 2.2 2.6 3.12 7.14 (56) DEFEATED
BEST – SYDNEY: Nick Davis, Nick Davis,
Nick Davis |
Sports Delivered/AFL Video are the official distributor of AFL videos (including DVDs)
Sports Delivered/AFL Video are the official distributor of AFL videos (including DVDs) |
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VFL ROUND 4 - STAURDAY 29 APRIL 14:00 (GEELONG) BENDIGO BANK CATS B Gamble S. Hunt Sheringham |
TASMANIA B Street Savage Grima
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