Geelong news

From Geelong Advertiser
Reported by Nick Wade
Full Story Click Here

GEELONG will be chasing a slice of its own history when it travels to Bendigo tonight for its final match of the VFL home-and-away season.

The Cats will record their best finish to an 18-game season - 16 wins and two losses - with a victory against winless Bendigo Gold at Queen Elizabeth Oval.

VFL captain Troy Selwood has been ruled out with a dislocated shoulder but still remains a chance to play in Geelong's first final under lights at Simonds Stadium next Friday night.

Reported by Nick Wade
Full Story Click Here

GEELONG VFL captain Troy Selwood has been cleared of serious damage to his shoulder, but will still miss the Cats' final match of the home-and-away season this Friday night against Bendigo.

Selwood dislocated his shoulder in the Cats' narrow win over Port Melbourne on Saturday, requiring a trip to hospital to get it popped back into place.

While he has already been ruled out of the trip to Queen Elizabeth Oval, results of the scans have been positive and the tough midfielder remains a chance to return for the Cats' first final next weekend.

Geelong, which won its 10th straight match at the weekend and is gunning for back-to-back premierships, is three games clear on top of the ladder.

From Geelong Advertiser
Reported by James Hunter-Smith
Full Story Click Here

IT'S 10-straight wins for the VFL Cats.

But Port Melbourne did all it could to prevent Geelong's double-digit streak on Saturday.

The Cats trailed by seven points at half-time and two at the final break, with the Borough entering the final term with the breeze, momentum and raucous support at North Port Oval.

When Geelong attacked, Port had the answers, but the visitors featuring 17 AFL-listed players held their nerve and captured their 10th consecutive win.

Coach Matthew Knights said the clash was perfect for his players in the lead-up to finals.

From the Geelong Advertiser
Reported by Nick Wade
Full article - Click here

TONIGHT'S VFL match at Simonds Stadium could end up being a dress rehearsal for finals footy at the venue later in the year.

Geelong, currently top of the VFL ladder, would be eligible to host a VFL qualifying final at Simonds Stadium if it finishes in the top two at season's end.

That match would most likely be a Friday night blockbuster on August 30, working around the Geelong-Brisbane AFL match at the venue that weekend.

"If we did happen to nail a spot in the top two, it would be superb to have a final here," Geelong VFL coach Matthew Knights said.

"But a lot of things have to fall into place for that to happen.

"From a purely emotional point of view, it would be great to have a final here at Geelong in the VFL."

Comment thread here:
http://www.vflfooty.com/comment/reply/8564/50649
* Picture thanks to Geelong Australia

From The Sunday Age
Reported by Brent Diamond
Full article - Click here

Port Melbourne's weaknesses were heavily exposed by reigning premier Geelong, which inflicted an 85-point belting on the former powerhouse at Simonds Stadium on Saturday.

The Borough's second successive loss leaves it outside the top four with Hawthorn's feeder team Box Hill and Geelong the top two teams at the halfway mark.

The Cats exposed Port's lack of speed at Etihad Stadium in last year's grand final and did so again on Saturday with some of the Borough's veterans left trailing behind their quick and talented opposition.

Cats coach Matthew Knights said he didn't have to go back to the tape of the grand final win to learn how to stop a team they rated as the benchmark. Instead, he looked at North Ballarat coach Gerard FitzGerald's team's mammoth effort to snatch a come-from-behind win over Port last week.