Injuries hurting Giants’ hopes
SIX- GAME forward Wylie Buzza shapes as an X- factor for Geelong on Friday night in their do- or- die semi- final against a rampaging Sydney.
Queensland- born Buzza, who was raised on rugby league before switching to Australian football at age 15, has only played in one losing game since making his debut in Round 15 – against the Swans in Round 20.
He last played in Geelong’s Round 23 demolition of GWS but was dropped alongside Dan Menzel for last Friday’s final against Richmond.
Cameron Ling, who captained the Cats’ last premiership side in 2011, is an unabashed fan of Gattonraised Buzza and wants to see him playing deep on Friday.
“I like him, very much so, and I think he’s important for them. He’s done enough this year to come back in for Friday night,” Ling said.
“He’s smart enough and good enough to take some grabs but the biggest thing he does is provide a brilliant contest up there and creates things for others. “They feed off him. “He’s mobile and ends up in the right spots. Plus he gets his hands on the footy.
“It’s not like he’s jumping blindly into packs and crashing them.”
Buzza’s presence allows Tom Hawkins to play up the ground, plus he can also spend time in the ruck given he is 198cm. WEST Coast veteran Sam Mitchell says he was seething after being accused of spitting at an opponent, claiming the allegation is way off the mark.
Mitchell was accused in media reports of spitting in the direction of Port Adelaide’s Sam Gray during Saturday’s AFL elimination final win.
Vision showed Mitchell hunched over and spitting on the ground late in the third quarter after giving away a free kick to Gray, who was still on the ground. But the angle showing the moment was deceiving, with Gray out of the vicinity of where Mitchell spat.
“It pissed me right off to be honest,” Mitchell said of the allegation. “Clearly I didn’t spit on anyone, try to spit on anyone, or spit near anyone.” THE Giants’ worst fears have come true.
Star forward Jeremy Cameron and ruckman Shane Mumford are out of Saturday’s semi- final against West Coast at Spotless Stadium with season- ending injuries.
Cameron suffered his third hamstring tear of the year and Mumford has a bone fracture in his foot.
Mumford met with specialists yesterday in a desperate bid to play against the Eagles but was ruled out by GWS medical staff.
The losses are a huge blow to the Giants’ premiership hopes because the pair are arguably the most important players on the club’s list.
Cameron has been the leading goal- kicker for GWS in each of their six AFL seasons.
Mumford has been a barometer for the club’s performances in each of his four seasons at Spotless Stadium after switching from the Sydney Swans in 2014.
He struggled through last Thursday night’s qualifying final loss to Adelaide but played out the match with a fractured foot. His aggression and intensity will be missed against the Eagles.
The Mumford and Cameron setbacks are the latest in a never- ending run of injuries for GWS this season. Senior players have missed a total of more than 140 matches.
Co- captain Callan Ward said the Giants just had to deal with the injuries.
“You can’t blame injuries, it’s part of the game,” Ward said. “We’ve been unlucky but other clubs have ( been) as well. We have to deal with it and play the best footy we can with the 22 we’ve got.”
GWS still have plenty of talent in their reserves, including veterans Steve Johnson and Ryan Griffen, who both played in Friday’s practice match against the Crows reserves team in Adelaide.
Talented small forward Devon Smith is also available after missing last week with a knee injury.
“Steve Johnson, Ryan Griffen and Devon Smith are all up for this weekend,” Ward said.
“Steve and Griff played in the scratch match and played really well and put their hands up.
“I don’t care who comes in and whoever does I have full confidence in them. I’ve got full belief in all the players.”
Ward said the experience of Johnson and Griffen would have been invaluable in the second quarter against Adelaide when the Giants fell away terribly. But he said the younger players needed to be more resilient in those situations.
“Guys need to stand up,” Ward said.