Well, it’s here. After 22 rounds of toil, triumph and tears (sometimes all on the same day), we have arrived at the month of September. And with it, the 2019 AFL Finals Series. And after a win in the final home and away round (and a favourable result elsewhere), we have finished in fourth place and have earned a double-chance. Our first opponent of what is hopefully a memorable month is the first opponent we faced this year: the Geelong Football Club.
The teams…
Tip: Geelong by 7 points. Don’t hate me. Well, not too much, anyway.
Before I go, a hearty congratulations to Scott Pendlebury on becoming just the third Magpie to play 300 games. Truly, one of the greats, if he isn’t considered the Greatest Magpie of All Time already. It has truly been one of the biggest privileges of my life following football and this club to have seen him play.
Over to you…
Reid should come in and Varcoe should be the other inclusion.
Buckley showing his stupidity by even mentioning Aish.
Love your confidence Rosco in relation to Thomas. If he does turn up we will win by a mile!!!!
Buckley’s musings today did not really inspire confidence that Reid will get the nod. He said that we would be lining up with the same “structure” as last time. Well last time we went in with all smalls/mediums plus Mihocek. That could mean that someone like Varcoe replaces DeGoey and Aish or Scharenberg comes in for Greenwood. I would prefer to see Reid play because in the games he played this year he did some ruckwork as well and didn’t look too bad.
Buckley has all but confirmed Reid RS and it will be one of Varcoe, Aish, or Scharenberg
(he mentioned Magden and Daics on the long list but I doubt it).
If Reid does not play then Scharenberg almost certainly will as Roughead will probably then play forward.
If Reid does play then its a toss up between Varcoe and Aish but I would prefer Varcoe because he can play in more positions than Aish and Aish must be a massive doubt after all this time out.
They were much the same in the beating we got earlier this year but Aish didn’t lay a tackle for the entire game which is unacceptable and coming off a shoulder injury we cant afford any hesitancy in that area – it was our pressure that won us the game against the Cats.
Aish did play a lot better than Varcoe in last years semi against the Giants but Varcoe has the finals experience.
I think Thomas will play.
He was dropped against them in the H&A this year but before that had kicked 1.2 & 2.1 in the 2018 H&A and semi final respectively. I am not sure they have a good match up for him so if he decides to turn up – and its a massive IF – he may sneak 2 or 3 goals.