CATS’ MIX & MATCH
GEELONG is grateful to keep continuity in its AFLW season after a last-minute switch changed its opponent to Carlton for Saturday night’s home game at GMHBA Stadium.
With Covid sweeping through the Western Bulldogs camp this week, it was decided the Dogs were too low on numbers to face the Cats in round 2.
The Dogs are not the only side to have been hit hard by the virus, with the Brisbane Lions also facing a forfeit due to low numbers, so Brisbane’s opponent, Carlton, will now face Geelong.
The Cats-Blues game will remain at the same time as the Dogs fixture, 7.10pm Saturday.
Having performed admirably in a narrow loss to North Melbourne
last week, Geelong’s AFLW boss, Brett Johnson, said the Cats were happy to avoid a week off.
The likelihood of the game being postponed had grown in recent days before the option to face Carlton became a reality.
“We feel like we had a really good pre-season and showed some good signs in round 1 in terms of a new game style and things we have been working on so we were keen to keep the momentum going,” Johnson said.
“To have the opportunity to play a week later rather than having a longer break is a good thing and it gives us that consistency in terms of that training schedule as well.”
While they have not been hit as hard by Covid as the Dogs, Johnson said some players were currently in isolation.
“We are going OK, like any other club we have players who have been impacted and are impacted at the moment,” he said.
“We will use our whole squad over the course of a season and we will have a good team to put out on the field on Saturday.”
Fans who had bought a ticket to the Geelong-Bulldogs fixture will be able to use the same ticket on Saturday, but Ticketmaster will issue refunds if desired.