MOONEY FEELS PRESSURE FROM UMPIRES AND BOMBER
Mark Heenan of AAP 25 May 2005

THE recent on field indiscretions on Geelong’s Cameron Mooney, has forced coach Mark Thompson to be critical of the AFL umpires. Thompson went into bat for his embattled defender, suspended for one week after striking Corey Jones, in the Cats’ 85-point mauling of the Kangaroos at Skilled Stadium last Sunday.

It’s the second time Mooney has been suspended in the last month, as he was rubbed for a week for a striking charge in the VFL. “I think he was quite frustrated by the umpires on the weekend to be honest, and he gave the first free kick and a 50-metre penalty for swearing, and I think they just upset him and he had six free kicks against him,” Thompson said.

“If you look at his last couple of years, he’s had an enormous amount of free kicks against him and everything he does on the field is investigated. So I think he feels the pressure of the footy world, that’s sort of on his shoulders, he can’t really do much before he gets pinged.”

With Mooney’s absence and Fremantle likely to play three talls up forward, Thompson admits he may have to switch Henry Playfair into defence, especially if Tom Harley doesn’t recover from a virus.

After being overlooked for selection last week, forward Charlie Gardiner is in line for a recall, giving the Cats more flexible options down back.

“If Henry (Playfair) has to go down back, which is not our first option, then we need someone to play centre half forward, Charlie (Gardiner) is the ideal person,” he said. “Rooke can play tall, Milburn can play on talls, so they’re the options we have got up our sleeves.”

Of particular concern is how to dismantle Matthew Pavlich, judged the Dockers’ best on ground in its shock 54-point loss to wooden spoon favorites Hawthorn, last Sunday at Subiaco.

While Geelong are flying on all fronts stretching its latest winning streak to six games, Thompson believes their depth will be tested, despite Fremantle’s indifferent form. “It will test our depth a bit, in Round one we didn’t have Harley and Mooney when we played and got away with it,” he said

“Pavlich is a very good player, favourite for the Brownlow medal and everything else and playing terrific footy, so it’s a pretty important match up, that we have to get right.”

In their eight attempts, Fremantle has never beaten Geelong at Skilled, losing by an average margin of 36 points. Last year in Round 20, the Cats humiliated Fremantle by 50 points on the rain soaked Skilled Stadium. Relive the Match Report from last time.