These aces could be the trump cards in big match
SO much focus has centred on the way these two teams want to play the game.
Geelong and Richmond have distinctive, contrasting styles. But it’s not as simple as chaos versus control, as everyone wants to label this clash.
Because clearly these two sides have made adjustments to their game plans during this finals series — the Tigers have vastly improved their stop page game and the Cats are noticeably moving the ball faster than they have all season.
But within the tactics that will be played out once the ball is bounced on Saturday night, there’s also a human element and more than a few captivating story lines to follow.
1.Joel Selwood
The Geelong captain is as decorated a player as we’ ve seen in the game in recent years. Yet he appears as driven as ever.
He won a flag as a kid in ’07. He also won premierships as a star in the team in ’09 and 2011.
But the thing that has eluded him is being a premiership captain.
Knowing Joel, his singlemindedness and the importance he places on leadership and his role in that space, he would be absolutely desperate to tick that box on his resume.
2. Patrick Danger field
I feel like the Geelong star is a subplot and category on his own.
When you get to the pointy end of separating champions, they’ re often hard to split.
There’s talk of All-Australian honours, Brownlows, club best-and-fairest awards and often the deciding vote comes down to one question: Have they or haven’ t they?
Victory on Saturday for Patrick Dangerfield moves him into The Haves, and will cement his name as one of the best to have played our game.
3.Jack Riewoldt
Jack’s not in great statistical form. He’s averaging five disposal sand ago al these finals.
Internally at Richmond, I’ m sure they will be happy with the role he’s playing. I don’t think a string of quiet games will have impacted Jack’s confidence much at all.
Last year he punctuated a quiet finals series with a near best-on-ground performance in a grand final thrashing of the Giants. He can do it again.
Having said that, while Jack has always been great at maintaining his humility, three flags at the Christmas table this year might be bordering on unbearable.