CATS MUST STAND UP
ALL the doom and gloom of Geelong’s injuries and suspensions presents an opportunity for a number of Cats players to stand up and take up the fight.
Steven Motlop has been out of the side for a fortnight and looks set to be rushed back to cover the loss of star quality against Richmond.
Motlop needs to show the Geelong people this week he wants to be at the footy club long-term.
A lot of people are expecting the Cats to fall over now, and their depth has been questioned for a long time.
Motlop needs to reward the faith that Chris Scott has shown in him over the years when surely his patience was tested.
The Cats have stuck by the player over an up-anddown two years after rewarding him handsomely in 2015 with, reportedly, a lucrative contract extension.
We all know Motlop is a legitimate star on his day. We just aren’t seeing it on a consistent basis. If he comes back this weekend, which he should, he needs to be a leader of the footy club, especially given half the club’s leadership group is out of the side.
Without Joel Selwood, it’s time for Cam Guthrie to stand up.
Guthrie has played a number of different roles this year but Saturday presents an opportunity for him to be a matchwinner.
Perhaps the job could be a defensive role off half-back?
Richmond’s unconventional forward line of small, dynamic players presents a challenge for the Cats. Even with Jack Riewoldt back, it’s the smalls who will command the attention.
They put on enormous defensive pressure — and there has always been a question mark on Geelong's ability to handle small forward lines.
This is a big week for Harry Taylor. With Tom Hawkins out, he will go forward at some stage.
It’s a big week for Jake Kolodjashnij, who will probably have to play small.
It’s a big week for Tom Stewart, who will also have a similar role.
If not Taylor, then perhaps Lachie Henderson goes forward in Hawkins’s absence.
I like Henderson as a forward because he can draw the footy. He knows the leading patterns, too, because he spent a bit of time there before coming to Geelong.
We can assume Daniel Menzel comes back into the side this week. Motlop was battling a groin issue but Menzel’s absence has been to make sure he doesn’t break down in finals like last year.
It’s not only about goals for Menzel this week. We know he is always capable of kicking two or three goals a game, but he needs to stand up and be a big, strong, ruthless tackling leader. The stats sheet at the end of the game needs to read more than three goals, nine kicks and no tackles. He needs to make his presence felt in other areas, too. He needs to be a big bull that he is capable of being.
What an amazing opportunity it is for a couple of young stars in James Parsons and Brandan Parfitt.
Parsons and Parfitt are going to be seriously good players. The Cats need these two guys to perform a bit of magic.
You can bank on a dominant performance from Patrick Dangerfield, who is going to have a huge point to prove and perhaps even an “up yours” to the AFL after being suspended last week.
That will probably translate into 30 touches and three goals.
But for Geelong to claim what would be one of the great victories, that’s only part of the puzzle.