AFL 2016 ROUND 7: GEELONG CATS V WEST COAST EAGLES; MATCH PREVIEW & TEAMS
Ben Jensen 5 May 2016

AFL ROUND 7 2016: GEELONG CATS V WEST COAST EAGLES TOM RUGGLES comes back into the side at the expense of fellow Leopold Lion Jed Bews, one of three changes for the Cats. Also returning are Andrew Mackie and Rhys Stanley; making way are Nathan Vardy and an unlucky Jake Kolodjashnij. West Coast on the other hand have made just the one change with Sam Butler to miss with a groin complaint, Elliot Yeo the beneficiary. Word was that the Eagles would miss Jeremy 'Shooter' McGovern or Jack Darling through injury but both have been named in the side and similarly lukewarm Lewis Jetta has retained his place.

JUMP TO FULL TEAM LISTINGS

LAST GAME DETAILS

UMPIRES

FIELD: TBC EMERGENCY: TBC

TIP: Cats by 40 points

MATCH PREVIEW by Willem van Denderen

Geelong will look to continue their dominant start to the 2016 season this afternoon when they take on the visiting West Coast Eagles at Kardinia Park. The Cats have steadily climbed the ladder so far this year and currently sit in second position, just one win behind first-placed North Melbourne. West Coast have also begun the year positively in terms of ladder position sitting in sixth. The Eagles however are yet to recapture the form which saw them play in last year's Grand Final and questions have been raised about their ability to perform away from the west. Yet to win away from Perth this year they could be considered lucky to have four wins at this stage. Geelong have been exceptional on their home turf this season achieving wins against Brisbane and Gold Coast by 69 and 120 points respectively. The Eagles will present a higher calibre of opposition but it should be another comfortable win for Geelong in front of their home crowd. READ FULL MATCH PREVIEW

CATS INJURY LIST

Updated 5/5/2016

Mitch Clark Calf 4 weeks
Jordan Cunico Knee TBC
Cam Delaney Knee TBC
Sam Menegola Knee Test
Tom Read Knee 2-4 weeks
Scott Selwood Foot 2-4 weeks
Jackson Thurlow* Knee Season

* On long term injury list

LATEST LIST

EAGLES INJURY LIST

Updated 5/5/2016

Mitch Brown* Finger 4 weeks
Sam Butler Groin TBC
Elliot Yeo Illness Test
Dom Sheed Pectoral 4 weeks
Alec Waterman Illness Indefinite

LAST TIME

AFL 2015 ROUND 9

WEST COAST EAGLES V GEELONG CATS

SUNDAY 31 MAY 2015 16:40 AEST

SUBIACO OVAL

31 MAY 2015 CATS NO GOOD IN THE WEST

30 MAY 2015 AFL 2015 ROUND 9: WEST COAST V GEELONG MATCH PREVIEW

CATS NO GOOD IN THE WEST
Ben Jensen 31 May 2015

AFL ROUND 9 2015: WEST COAST EAGLES V GEELONG CATS GEELONG started off OK against West Coast today, only for West Coast to dominate, winning by fifty-six points. The Cats had the upper hand for much of the first quarter only to see the Eagles pepper the goals towards the end, inaccuracy giving the Cats the lead by a point at the first break. Only two goals were scored by either side in the second quarter but the Eagles had a staggering eleven behinds to the Cats' one to lead by just one point, leaving the match well and truly alive but there is no doubt the Cats were fortunate.

By three quarter time the second-placed Eagles had amassed twenty-one behinds, to lead by eighteen of them each side on three goals with Tom Hawkins economical whenever he found himself with the ball. But in the last quarter, which we didn't see as nightly bathing duties took precedence, just as well with the Eagles finally finding the right gear. West Coast kicked seven goals and just the three behinds to the Cats' one goal one behind to cement their second spot behind cross-town rivals Fremantle, while the Cats lick their wounds on the unforgiving flight across the Nullarbor; with just four wins from the first nine games, sitting in twelfth place ahead of the Kangaroos by 0.2%. Next up is Essendon on Saturday night at Etihad Stadium while West Coast will play North Melbourne on Sunday in Hobart.

WEST COAST : 2.6, 4.17, 9.21, 16.24 (120) DEFEATED
GEELONG: 3.1, 5.2, 9.3, 10.4 (64)

GOALS
WEST COAST: Kennedy 6, Hill 2, Naitanui 2, Sinclair 2, McInnes, Cripps, Shuey, LeCras
GEELONG: Hawkins 3, Johnson, Caddy, Gregson, Murdoch, Stokes, Kersten, Mackie

BEST
WEST COAST: Gaff, Priddis, Kennedy, McGovern, Naitanui, Shuey
GEELONG: Johnson, Enright, Hawkins, Caddy, Motlop, Mackie

INJURIES
WEST COAST: Not available
GEELONG: Stanley (knee), Clark (ankle)

SUBSTITUTES
WEST COAST: Brant Colledge, who replaced Jamie Bennell at three-quarter time
GEELONG: Matthew Stokes, who replaced Rhys Stanley at half time

CHANGES
WEST COAST: NIL
GEELONG: NIL

UMPIRES

Dalgleish, Farmer, Fisher

TIP: Cats by 5 points

CROWD: 37,676 at Subaco Oval, Perth

VFL

VFL 2016 ROUND 5

ESSENDON V GEELONG

SATURDAY 7 MAY 2016 12:00 AEST

WINDY HILL

GEELONG

B: 51. J Tsitas 67. T Stewart 24. J Bews
HB: 8. J Kolodjashnij 20. R Gardner 52. A Hickey
C: 64. T Atkins 33. G Horlin-Smith 2. B Smedts
HF: 17. J Cornell 30. N Vardy 21. J Murdoch
F: 43. Z Bates 12. W Buzza 28. C Gregson
FOLL: 42. P Lucey 37. M Luxford 18. J Cowan
INT: 53. M Farrelly 56. K Paliouras 70. B Rees 65. S McLachlan 63. S Dobson 54. C Tudor 62. K Leersen 60. S Robinson
23P: 69. W Sexton

ESSENDON

B: 8. M Gleeson 56. S Michael 59. A Heppell
HB: 14. J Ashby 67. J Langford 62. D Coghlan
C: 35. Y Eades 38. N Kommer 41. W Hams
HF: 68. J Ferry 19. S Edwards 29. P Ambrose
F: 45. C McKenna 54. S Grimley 34. J Long
FOLL: 52. M Jamar 20. J Merrett 57. B McNiece
INT: 69. J Schroder 60. S Heavyside 37. G Nyuon 46. T Wallis 64. J Thompson 25. A Morgan 77. J Freezer 82. B Dobson
23P: 79. B Laguda