MCG FINAL FUSS ‘LAUGHABLE’

Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield has scoffed at suggestions his team will be distracted by talk around whether the Cats should be playing finals at GMHBA Stadium, as they begin their preparations for next week’s MCG blockbuster against Collingwood.

GEELONG’S Patrick Dangerfield says it is “laughable” to suggest Cats players will be affected by discussion around the venue of their home qualifying final.

Coach Chris Scott has expressed his frustration with the Cats being scheduled to face Collingwood at the MCG instead of GMHBA Stadium.

However, Dangerfield said that debate would not affect the way Geelong’s players handled the game against the Magpies.

“We’ll control what we can as players and we’ll go out and play wherever that is. To suggest that it alters our focus is laughable,” Dangerfield said yesterday.

His comments came after Scott said it was “absurd” to suggest his complaints would negatively affect his players.

“Depends how highly you rate them — if you think that they’re psychological minnows, then maybe it could be a problem,” Scott said on SEN radio on Tuesday. “I don’t think they are, I’m sure they’re not. I think that’s absurd in the extreme.”

Teammate Gary Ablett said the Cats were fully focused on the game, not its venue.

“Look, it’d be nice to have a home final, that’s for sure,” Ablett said. “But at the same time, we’re ready to go wherever that game is. Obviously it’s going to be the MCG on Friday night and we’re all super excited about that.”

Dangerfield said Geelong was not concerned about its form after bye rounds in recent seasons and dismissed talk of a pattern. “Every year is different,” he said. “Every game you play after a bye or a rest or the start of a season is separate.”