Ling keen to watch ex-cats kick goals
THEY say nice guys finish last.
Geelong great Cameron Ling hopes that’s not the case with two ex-cats who will start new chapters in their AFL careers this weekend with Queensland teams.
George Horlin-smith will debut for the Gold Coast tomorrow against St Kilda; Lincoln Mccarthy will make his first appearance for Brisbane today against West Coast.
“They are high-quality people … as good as young men as you can get,” Ling said.
Midfielder Horlin-smith, managed just 51 games in seven seasons as a Cat, well down in the pecking order behind Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood, Mitch Duncan and company.
“I hope he gets a great run at playing, plenty of game time. I rate him as a footballer,” Ling said.
“But almost the biggest impact he’s going to have at that club is helping build that culture with (coach) Stewy Dew.
“Every time he played for Geelong he seemed to do his job perfectly well; find the ball 20-something times, be strong in the contests, occasionally do a job on a dangerous opposition midfielder.
“But then he’d be squeezed out again a week or two later.
“It almost felt it was unfair when he got squeezed out because he had done nothing wrong. It was just the players coming back in were better.”
Half-forward Mccarthy, likewise, was restricted at Geelong due to the depth of their list as well as injuries, playing just 29 games in seven seasons.
He’s been plagued by groin, hip, back, quad and foot problems. “He’s just one of the happiest, nicest blokes you’ll meet, so positive … a ripping fella,” Ling said.