LANG BANGS DOWN DOOR
Young Cat puts up hand for Round 1 selection
DARCY Lang is reaping the benefits of an uninterrupted pre-season as he mounts a strong case to make the cut for the Round 1 blockbuster against Hawthorn.
Lang was a standout of the Cats’ younger brigade in Townsville on Sunday night, kicking two goals from 13 possessions switching between the midfield and forward line.
The 19-year-old has missed only two sessions of summer training, a stark contrast to last season when he only returned to full training in January after snapping his leg in 2013.
“Round 1 has been the goal since day one of the pre-season,’’ said Lang, who played one AFL game last season.
“Hopefully I can keep doing all the right things and be there for Round 1 against Hawthorn.” For all the talk about Geelong lacking leg speed after the departures of Allen Christensen and Travis Varcoe, Lang is deceptively quick and his dashing sidestep allows him to slice through traffic and set up his teammates.
That was on display in bursts against Gold Coast, where he was lively in the front half of the ground and showed off his increased fitness base by pushing forward and kicking important goals in lung-busting conditions.
Lang knows competition for spots in Round 1 will be intense but sees it as “very healthy competition”. First-round Nakia Cockatoo is in contention and has a swagger of confidence despite only being in the system for a few months.
Cockatoo showed glimpses of his potential on Sunday with 10 possessions; once setting off on a blistering run through the middle that combined his pace, evasiveness and willingness to take the game on.
Hard-bodied midfielder Jarrad Jansen, who did not travel to Townsville, would also be expecting a debut early in the season. And then there’s cursed midfielder Josh Cowan, who with a bit of luck will also be playing by Round 1, most likely in the VFL.
Lang — Geelong’s first pick in the 2013 draft at 16 overall — said a bigger fitness base and an emphasis on defensive pressure were two key areas of his pre-season.
“For me it was just my aerobic running, just getting more conditioning into my legs than last year and getting a full preseason, which I pretty much have,” Lang said.
“I think I’ve only missed two sessions with just general soreness, so nothing major. Defensive work and pressure inside forward 50 is another area I’ve worked on, just laying a few more tackles and being on top of the opposition.”
Of all the KPIs, Geelong rates forward pressure as one of its most important, especially in a modern game built around locking the ball inside your attacking half.
“The main aim for me is to do what the coaches have been asking, and play a variety of roles and just win the footy,” Lang said.
Assistant coach Blake Cara- cella said Lang was starting to take his game to the next level.
“Really happy with Darcy Lang, he played forward and through the middle and he’s really lively, kicked a few goals, he’s really come on this preseason,” he said.
The Cats are also talking up the chances of draftee Cory Gregson, who boasts lively pace, strong defensive traits and slick ball skills.
“We’ve got quite a lot of young players — Mitch Duncan, (Cory) Gregson, Cockatoo — coming through the midfield and I’m sure you’ll see a lot of them over the NAB Challenge,” Caracella said.