NO FINALS FEAR
CATS YOUNG BRIGADE BUZZING AHEAD OF DEMONS SHOWDOWN
EMERGING Geelong swingman Jack Henry is s confident he and his younger teammates will not ot be overawed by the occasion when they play their first final on Friday night.
Henry is one of four players from the Cats side e that defeated Gold Coast in Round 23 who are yet to play an AFL final, with Tim Kelly, Ryan Abbott and Mark k O’Connor rounding out the quartet.
There also remains a possibility that Quinton Narkle, Jordan Cunico and Lachie Fogarty will come into calculations when selectors meet today to further discuss the line-up to take on Melbourne, meaning Geelong could have as many as seven finals debutants ready to take into the blockbuster battle.
But with senior players such as Joel Selwood and Gary Ablett to provide guidance, Henry said there was a feeling of anticipation rather than nervousness before the MCG clash.
“It’s more excitement at the moment,” he said.
“There is a good buzz at the club and I haven’t really thought too far ahead, I’m just going training session by training session.
“We have had some good clashes against Melbourne so we won’t necessarily be nervous but just excited and looking forward to that clash.
“Friday night at the ’G will be pretty nice and having a lot of experience and learning off guys who have done it all before, that is pretty good.
“Just the knowledge they have and share with the whole group, obviously the young guys can take a lot out of that, so it is really good to have those guys around.”
Esava Ratugolea was also in the mix to make his finals debut, but Cats coach Chris Scott has conceded he is unlikely to be named.
Henry was rewarded for his outstanding first season last Friday with a fifth placing in the Rising Star award.
Having started the year in defence, he has since fitted seamlessly into Geelong’s attack and it is there the 20year-old expects to start against the Demons.
“We haven’t really spoken about it, but I’ve been training up forward so I assume that’s where I will be playing,” he said. “It has been nice to play in multiple positions and all of last year working with (VFL coach) Shane O’Bree, he told me that I needed to be able to do that.
“I’m just stoked to be getting a game. Melbourne is the best offensive team in the comp and contested team, so I think beating them in the contest and cutting out their attack is important.
“But then playing our own game, when we are playing our best, that is all that matters.”
GEELONG Falcons star Nina Morrison has added another accolade to her growing CV, taking out the TAC Cup Girls best-andfairest in a tie with Calder Cannons skipper Madison Prespakis.
Morrison and Prespakis, who are eligible for next month’s AFLW draft, were also joint-winners of this year’s NAB AFL Women’s U18 Championships MVP award following outstanding campaigns on the national stage in June and July.
Morrison, 17, played nine of 10 games in Geelong’s TAC Cup Girls premiershipwinning season, recording best-on-ground accolades in four matches and polling two votes in a further two matches.
Her 16 votes accrued by Round 7 was enough to tie the award with Prespakis, who managed to poll four votes in the last two rounds to finish alongside Morrison atop the leaderboard.
Morrison went on to play a starring role in the Falcons’ premiership win, before managing two games at VFLW level with Geelong Cats.
The 167cm pocket rocket, who finished third in the Falcon’s best-and-fairest, is expected to line up for Geelong in its VFLW final against NT Thunder on Sunday and could potentially be selected with pick 1 in next month’s AFLW draft by the Cats.