ID :
16673
Fri, 08/22/2008 - 17:42
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/16673
The shortlink copeid
Geelong blames ANZ surface for soreness
(AAP) Geelong has pointed to the controversial surface at Sydney's ANZ Stadium as the reason they could be forced into late injury withdrawals for Sunday's match against North Melbourne.
Cats coach Mark Thompson, who had demanded the ground be fit for AFL football before the match, would not name the affected players but said one had early signs ofosteitis pubis.
"It's not for me to talk about names now but there's three or four boys who havepulled up pretty shabbily from the game last week," Thompson said.
He said the players had been sorer than they would normally have been after playingon a regular league ground.
"Yeah, one guy, might have developed OP (osteitis pubis) out of the game." However Thompson said he had no plans to register a complaint with the AFL about thesurface.
"It's only the initial signs. We're not worried about it at all, it's just whathappens in footy and we deal with it.
"All we're saying is that we've got a couple of boys who have to get through fitnesstests to play on Sunday.
"Our side's not settled yet, it is Friday and we've got some really sore boys fromthe way they pulled up from ANZ Stadium last week.
"It may shock a few that there may be a couple out, I've just got to see how they pull up today." Thompson said the side had had to work overtime to try to regain condition forSunday's match.
"We've done about 30 per cent more recovery this week than (for) any other game,just from how they pulled up from the match," he said.
Despite the concerns, Geelong will be boosted by the return of star defendersMatthew Scarlett and Darren Milburn and busy midfielder Paul Chapman.
Brent Prismall, Ryan Gamble and Travis Varcoe were the players left out of the 22 onFriday night, although all three were named as emergencies.
North coach Dean Laidley earlier this week described Geelong as a "behemoth" and said it was depressing to think about the premiership side too much, but Thompsonbelieves several sides secretly feel they have the ability to beat the Cats.
"That might be a bit of showmanship," Thompson said of Laidley.
"I think there's some serious clubs out there that think they would like to haveanother crack at Geelong and they think they can beat us.
"And deep down I think North Melbourne is one of them. I think they have a genuine opinion that on their day they can beat Geelong." And he admitted the Cats felt vulnerable against any side in the top six, despitehaving lost just one game this season.
"I think we're clearly better than some sides in the competition but I wouldn't say that about the top six." But he said the Kangaroos clash was what Geelong needed on the eve of the finalsseries.
"It's a good game, it's a perfect game that we need going into the finals.
"Last week's game against Sydney was a ripper and this one should be just the same,"he said.
"The one thing you do know about the Kangaroos is when they turn up they normallyplay. It's not very often they don't.
"They've been an amazing club as far as their ability to be very, very competitive year in year out, match by match."
Cats coach Mark Thompson, who had demanded the ground be fit for AFL football before the match, would not name the affected players but said one had early signs ofosteitis pubis.
"It's not for me to talk about names now but there's three or four boys who havepulled up pretty shabbily from the game last week," Thompson said.
He said the players had been sorer than they would normally have been after playingon a regular league ground.
"Yeah, one guy, might have developed OP (osteitis pubis) out of the game." However Thompson said he had no plans to register a complaint with the AFL about thesurface.
"It's only the initial signs. We're not worried about it at all, it's just whathappens in footy and we deal with it.
"All we're saying is that we've got a couple of boys who have to get through fitnesstests to play on Sunday.
"Our side's not settled yet, it is Friday and we've got some really sore boys fromthe way they pulled up from ANZ Stadium last week.
"It may shock a few that there may be a couple out, I've just got to see how they pull up today." Thompson said the side had had to work overtime to try to regain condition forSunday's match.
"We've done about 30 per cent more recovery this week than (for) any other game,just from how they pulled up from the match," he said.
Despite the concerns, Geelong will be boosted by the return of star defendersMatthew Scarlett and Darren Milburn and busy midfielder Paul Chapman.
Brent Prismall, Ryan Gamble and Travis Varcoe were the players left out of the 22 onFriday night, although all three were named as emergencies.
North coach Dean Laidley earlier this week described Geelong as a "behemoth" and said it was depressing to think about the premiership side too much, but Thompsonbelieves several sides secretly feel they have the ability to beat the Cats.
"That might be a bit of showmanship," Thompson said of Laidley.
"I think there's some serious clubs out there that think they would like to haveanother crack at Geelong and they think they can beat us.
"And deep down I think North Melbourne is one of them. I think they have a genuine opinion that on their day they can beat Geelong." And he admitted the Cats felt vulnerable against any side in the top six, despitehaving lost just one game this season.
"I think we're clearly better than some sides in the competition but I wouldn't say that about the top six." But he said the Kangaroos clash was what Geelong needed on the eve of the finalsseries.
"It's a good game, it's a perfect game that we need going into the finals.
"Last week's game against Sydney was a ripper and this one should be just the same,"he said.
"The one thing you do know about the Kangaroos is when they turn up they normallyplay. It's not very often they don't.
"They've been an amazing club as far as their ability to be very, very competitive year in year out, match by match."
