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WELCOME BACK - CATS START YEAR WITH NAB CUP WIN
Welcome to a brief
first edition of The Cattery Newsletter for 2006. This season I'm
once again pleased to have the services of sports journalist Mark Heenan,
who gets along to most Geelong press conferences. 2005 was a watershed
season for Mark, who had dozens of articles published in print and online
via AAP.
What a start to the year! A premiership,
albeit it a pre-season one. After scraping their way to the final with
a depleted lineup and let alone trailing at every change in the final,
who would have thought we'd have beaten the Adelaide Crows in Adelaide?
Yet we won, and won in style, grinding out a win at one of the toughest
grounds in the country for away sides.
After an excellent 2004 that saw immense
improvement across the board as young bodies matured into seasoned professional
footballers, last season was a great disappointment. Injury and poor form
in the middle of the season cost our club dearly. We won't go too far
into the devastating loss to Sydney in the semi final at the SCG; enough's
been said already. The same thing could've occured last Saturday night,
but the team held on and in the end didn't look like surrendering the
eight point lead.
The win very nearly came at a cost in new
Vice Captain Cameron Ling. But it now looks like the 'Linginator' might
make an appearance in Round One after all.
Hopefully returning for the clash with three
time premier Brisbane Lions at Skilled Stadium are Captain Steven King,
ruckman-forward Brad Ottens, veteran Peter Riccardi, spearhead Kent Kingsley
and the raw forward Nathan Ablett. Tom Harley should be rested for another
couple weeks, as should Steve Johnson. Riccardi may find it difficult
to break back into the side, with good form shown by the likes of Brent
Prismall. James Kelly, who suffered has fractured shoulder blade in the
NAB Cup win, is out for up to a month and certainly won't play.
Unfortunately Will Slade will be initially
inelligible to play in the AFL team. Slade was one of Geelong's best in
the NAB Cup, despite being dropped from Geelong's senior list after last
season and not playing a game since 2003.
2005 Best and fairest Joel Corey, one of the best in the NAB
Cup final, will lead the midfield this season along with the other member
of the 'Corey Brothers', Corey Enright. Enrightis set for his best season
yet after a good pre-season. If the Cats are to go all the way, they need
Enright fit..
Relocation
On the whole relocation issue. It
hasn't been well publicised, but over twelve months ago the AFL employed
the services of our recently departed captain Ben Graham's younger brother,
Sam, on a six figure salary in a 'strategic planning' role. His brief
includes, amoung other things, to investigate relocating a Melbourne-based
side interstate.
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