AFL ROUND 15 2006: GEELONG V PORT ADELAIDE; RICCO TO WAIT ANOTHER WEEK; BEN GRAHAM TRIBUTE; MATCH PREVIEW AND TEAM LIST
Ben Jensen 14 July 2006

By Ben Jensen GEELONG VETERAN PETER RICCARDI will wait at least one more week before resuming his AFL career, after being named as an emergency for this Sunday's clash with Port Adelaide at Skilled Stadium. Joining Riccardi as an emergency are fellow 'ins' to the squad of 25, Henry Playfair and Shannon Byrnes. In one of the only times this season, that means no changes in the selected team from the previous match.

For Port Adelaide, Brad Symes and Tom Logan were brought into the side while Alipate Carlile, Toby Thurstans and Elijah Ware were confirmed as emergencies. Matthew Thomas and Peter Walsh retain their place in the team on the interchange.

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LAST FIVE MATCHES

2003 Rnd 14 - Geelong 10.10 (70) d Port Adelaide 10.9 (69) @ Skilled Stadium

2004 Rnd 10 - Port Adelaide 18.8 (116) d Geelong 17.10 (112) @ AAMI Stadium

2004 Qualif.Final - Port Adelaide 18.9 (117) d Geelong 9.8 (62) @ AAMI Stadium

2005 Rnd 5 - Geelong 15.9 (99) d Port Adelaide 15.4 (95) @ AAMI Stadium

2005 Rnd 16 - Geelong 18.18 (126) d Port Adelaide 7.5 (47) @ Skilled Stadium

CLUB NEWS

Junior Member Marquee

A marquee will be set up exclusively for junior members at Skilled Stadium (opposite the Western Entry/Bob Davis Gate) on Sunday, July 16. Junior members are invited to the marquee from 11.30am until 1.15pm to practice some handball skills, say hello to a few players (12.00 – 12.45pm) and hang out with Half Cat. There will be giveaways and much more.

Ben Graham Tribute

Geelong Football Club will pay tribute to former number 8, Ben Graham at this weekend’s Geelong v Port Adelaide game at Skilled Stadium. Ben retired from AFL football at the end of the 2004 season to play NFL football.

Ben and his family will be returning to Geelong for the game so that the Geelong Football Club and its fans can pay tribute to his career. At approximately 12.40pm Ben and his family will be welcomed onto the ground for a lap of honour.

TIP? GEELONG BY 39 POINTS

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GEELONG

IN: Nil
OUT: Nil

B: Harley, Scarlett, J.Hunt
HB: Rooke, Milburn, Egan
C: Enright, Bartel, Wojcinski
HF: G.Ablett, Mooney, Stokes
F: Ottens, McCarthy, Chapman
FOLL: King, Corey, Ling
I/C: Mackie, Tenace, D.Johnson, Prismall
EMER: Riccardi, Playfair, Byrnes

PORT ADELAIDE

IN: Logan, Symes
OUT: P.Burgoyne (hamstring), Dew (suspended)

B: Symes, Wakelin, Wilson
HB: Surjan, Chaplin, S.Burgoyne
C: Lonie, K.Cornes, Salopek
HF: Mahoney, Tredrea, White
F: Motlop, Brogan, Pettigrew
FOLL: Lade, Thomson, Pearce
I/C: Ebert, Logan, Thomas, Walsh
EMER: Carlile, Thurstans, Ware

LAST TIME

ROUND 16 2005, SKILLED STADIUM

GEELONG celebrated Peter Riccardi's 275th game by spanking a disappointing Port Adelaide side to the tune of just under eighty points in front of just under 20,000 supporters at a wet and cold Skilled Stadium. The reining premiers looked anything but, as they struggled to find form at a ground they've struggled at since they entered the AFL in 1997. Jimmy Bartel was the star for the Cats, almost certainly earning three Brownlow votes with his thirty-plus posession game which included an incredible fourteen tackles and three goals.\

In other news, star recruit, ruckman-forward Brad Ottens is rumoured to be out for most if not all of the season and the AFL is again looking seriously at relocating Melbourne based clubs interstate.

For a change there was no injury-related withdrawals prior to the game beginning for the Cats, although the Power's Gavin Wanganeen was replaced by Brett Ebert.

David Johnson, in his return game from a hamstring injury, was hamstrung midway through the second quarter, after taking a run down the Brownlow Stand wing. Johnson will now surely miss at least a month to get his hamstring right; it may take even longer (just ask yours truly).

Conditions for the first half were fine - the ground was dry but the wind was swirling, but favoring the river end of the ground (is it the Reg Hickey Stand end, the 'old' Hickey Stand end, or the Doug Wade stand end??).

Geelong started the quarter with a bang - comeback tall forward Henry Playfair marking a perfect pass and converting for a goal. The Cats' next goal came courtesy of Cameron Ling, who displayed some beautiful roving work on the Gary Ablett Terrace half forward flank.

GEELONG: 3.4, 10.10, 13.16, 18.18 (126) DEFEATED
PORT ADELAIDE: 2.1, 4.1, 5.3 7.5 (47)

GOALS – GEELONG: Kingsley 5, Bartel 3, Chapman 2, Milburn 2, Thurley 2, Ablett, Playfair, Hunt, Ling,
PORT ADELAIDE: Tredrea 3, Dew, Ebert, Kingsley, Lade
BEST – GEELONG: Bartel, Milburn, Corey, Hunt, Koulouriotis, Scarlett, Ling, Kingsley
PORT ADELAIDE: K.Cornes, S.Burgoyne, P.Burgoyne, C.Cornes, Kingsley

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VFL

ROUND 14 - SATURDAY 15 JULY 14:00
NORTHERN BULLANTS V GEELONG
AUSTRALIAN MOTOR FINANCE OVAL

GEELONG

B Callan Lonergan D. Johnson
HB Koulouriotis Spencer Mackie
C Kelly Byrne Tenace
HF Riccardi Playfair Gardiner
F N. Ablett Kingsley S. Johnson
R Blake Prismall Byrnes
Int Forbes Varcoe Owen Davenport Grima Batchelor S. Hunt Gamble West Cook Clarke Slade

NORTHERN BULLANTS

B Vansittart Livingston McGrath
HB S. O'hAilpin Crow Sporn
C Flint Harford Bower
HF F. Raso Kennedy Chambers
F Prendergast Morrell McLaren
R Bryan Teague Blackwell
Int Hickey Franchina A. O'hAilpin Edwards Young Smith Jackson B. Davies Clarke Hartlett A. Raso J. Houlihan