Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Dockers coach Justin Longmuir expects tonight’s match to be an open, fast clash while his side is a strong one with three “in form” players omitted despite their recent play.
Corey Wagner, Oscar McDonald and Jaegar O’Meara were omitted this week despite their form with Longmuir not enjoying the task of figuring out which players miss the 23.
“This week was as tough a match committee as I can remember in my time here,” Longmuir told Kayo Sports.
But when asked whether it will be a tight, lockdown game, Longmuir said he doubted that.
“I think it will be open and free flowing, Geelong have taken the game on more than probably any team in the comp,” Longmuir told Kayo Sports.
“They love to get goal-side and move the ball quick with energised runs or back it to one-on-ones and see how they go. I think it will be a quick game.”
Alex Pearce is Fremantle’s captain courageous, and Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir is glad the rest of the AFL is finally catching up to how good a leader the 31-year-old is.
Pearce will notch his 150-game milestone when he lines up in Thursday night’s heavyweight blockbuster against Geelong at Optus Stadium.
The path has been an arduous one for Pearce, who suffered a series of career-threatening leg and ankle fractures earlier in his career.
Pearce has also been open and honest about the anxiety battles he has faced throughout his career, both in regards to injuries and his personal performance.
Cats coach Chris Scott says Bailey Smith’s absence from this match was an easy call as he wasn’t healthy enough to get on the flight to Perth.
The third-placed Cats will face the first-placed Dockers tonight without star midfielder Smith and veteran defender Tom Stewart, who is out due to concussion.
“I’m not sure how he is feeling [right now]. He’s been ill, so he wasn’t good enough to get on the plane yesterday [Wednesday], so that made our decision easier,” Scott told Kayo Sports.
“We are talking about this more and more. Maybe 20 years you would just play if you felt sick but now we have no appetite to play guys who are less than what I would consider good enough to play.
“It will be a good test to play without Bailey and Tom [Stewart] against the best team in the comp right now but we will be up for the fight.”
Geelong have suffered a huge double blow heading into Thursday night’s AFL blockbuster against Fremantle after Bailey Smith and Tom Stewart were ruled out of the crunch clash.
Smith has been struck down by illness, while Stewart hasn’t been cleared to return from the concussion he suffered in the round-13 loss to Adelaide.
Star Cats forward Jeremy Cameron has been named despite battling a hip issue, but it is the absence of Smith and Stewart that dominated talk when Geelong released their team on Wednesday night.
Jack Bowes, who was a late withdrawal from last week’s win against Gold Coast, replaces Smith in the side.
G’day everyone and welcome to our AFL live blog as we begin round 15 with a potential grand final clash between Fremantle and Geelong from Perth.
First bounce is set for 8.10pm AEST and we will be following this match and all the reactions and comments post game.
Please enjoy the hours to come.
