ABBOTT HAS TO GO HARD ON GAWN
BE ruthless. Be Hard. Compete. That would be my simple message to Ryan Abbott if I was a senior player in Geelong’s team heading into Friday night’s elimination final against Melbourne at the MCG.
With Rhys Stanley under an injury cloud, Abbott is likely to be the one to shoulder Geelong’s ruck load against the competition’s best ruckman, Max Gawn.
It will be just his fourth game and I’ve got no doubt he will be bloody nervous. There isn’t a tougher test in footy.
But Abbott doesn’t have to do anything fancy, he just has to make sure he makes it a hard night for Gawn.
Geelong won’t win if Abbott has 15 possessions and kicks two goals. But the Cats will win if he gives Gawn one of the hardest, dirtiest days of his career. It’s about competing. I’d be telling Abbott to hit Gawn as hard and as fairly as he can in the body at every ball up, every centre bounce, every boundary throw in.
The Cats can’t allow him to just get front position and tap it to where he wants.
Abbott has to make Gawn walk off the ground feeling the sorest he has ever been.
We haven’t seen that side of Abbott yet in his three games. But Abbott would have no doubt been on the receiving end of some of that treatment, being one of the best ruckmen in the competition at a local level. It’s time for him to reverse the roles.
The first centre bounce will be crucial. Abbott can get so much confidence from that contest.
He can’t afford to be timid. If you’re timid against Max then he will put a knee right in your throat and that will be the end of your night.
You’ll end up flat on your backside and your confidence will be shot.
Throw yourself into the contest and Gawn will know he has a battle on his hands.
It’s going to be fascinating to see how both sides handle what should be a red-hot final.
The Cats have a lot of finals experience at their top end, but guys like Jack Henry, Abbott and Mark O’Connor are yet to play in one.
Melbourne has a team with the least finals experience out of anyone in the top eight.
I remember in 2004 we played Port Adelaide over in Adelaide and we went over there with a really, really young side.
The occasion got the better of us. We were in a hostile environment, away from home and we really didn’t handle it well at all.
We ended up getting rolled by 55 points. The game was virtually over in the first half.
But then you look at the 2007 Grand Final and no one had been that far in our squad. However we were just ready.
And that’s what it’s all about — being ready.
Richmond did it last year on their run to the flag. The Tigers were ready, they were hot and they took all before them.
And I really believe Melbourne is ready this year.
That doesn’t mean it can go on to win the flag, but it won’t be daunted by the big stage on Friday night.
The key for the Cats is to take the wind out of their sails early, put them under pressure and see what unfolds from there.
It’s going to be a huge game.
‘Geelong won’t win if Abbott has 15 possessions and kicks two goals. But the Cats will win if he gives Gawn one of the hardest, dirtiest days of his career. It’s about competing.’