AFL Teams – Finals Week 3, 2011 – Preliminary Finals
Its time for the great players to step up and prove their worth. Preliminary Final weekend! The Weekend when the pure fans fill the stadiums (this year the G) before the corporates kick them out for the Grand Final. We are down to the last four teams and they are the best 4 teams all year. Hawthorn will play Collingwood and Geelong will play the West Coast Eagles!
(Click here to go to the Updates section)
Collingwood – Pies will welcome back with open arms Dale “Daisy” Thomas and All-Australian Center Half Back, Ben Reid. The issue is, who will make way. The likely choices are Fasolo and Goldsack but could the master of mayhem, Mick Malthouse pull a shifty? Some are questioning Alan Didak as his form hasn’t been up to his lofty standards, others are mentioning Blair, but I don’t see that happening. Some just think Didak will go back to his Sub role
Hawthorn- Well it wouldn’t be a final without some press about Buddy! This week it was his knee but his tummy, although some are questioning if it wasn’t the knee, as he got hit by a bout of gastro. He has trained the last two days and will be fine for the game Friday. The other concern was Paul Puopolo who looked to have a hammy complaint at the end of last weeks game. He has trained this week and should be fine. Unlucky omission last week, Luke Breust, will be considered again, perhaps to be the SuperSub.
Geelong – Joel Corey has put his hand up to return and there is talk in the media of Cameron Mooney coming in but for who? Hawkins played one of his best games as a Cat against the Hawks and West was good as well. The Cats have lost Menzel to a knee injury.
West Coast – You would have to think they are the most likely of the sides to be forced into change. Josh Kennedy seems fine after the hit he received against the Blues. Kerr and Cox got through the game fine as well. Matt Rosa seems to be on the cusp of returning from injury and Chris Masten feels he is at risk, if not from Rosa, then maybe Brad Ebert.
What do you think? Remember that teams are named at about 5pm on Thursday arvo but I will update any news through out the weekend.
UPDATE:
- Thursday 3pm: No updates at this time.
- Thursday 4:55pm: As expected. Hawks and Eagles unchanged. Cats bring in Corey for Menzel (Knee). Pies bring in Thomas and Reid for Fasolo and Goldsack.
- Thursday 5pm: Teams in!
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Collingwood
B: Alan Toovey, Ben Reid, Heritier O’Brien
HB: Nick Maxwell, Chris Tarrant, Heath Shaw
C: Dayne Beams, Sharrod Wellingham, Dale Thomas
HF: Ben Johnson, Leigh Brown, Alan Didak
F: Steele Sidebottom, Travis Cloke, Luke Ball
Foll: Darren Jolly, Scott Pendlebury, Andrew Krakouer
I/C: Leon Davis, Dane Swan, Chris Dawes, Jarryd Blair
Emg: Tyson Goldsack, Cameron Wood, Alex Fasolo
In: Dale Thomas, Ben Reid
Out: Tyson Goldsack, Alex Fasolo
Hawthorn
B: Thomas Murphy, Josh Gibson, Benjamin Stratton
HB: Grant Birchall, Ryan Schoenmakers, Paul Puopolo
C: Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell, Isaac Smith
HF: Luke Hodge, Lance Franklin, Liam Shiels
F: Chance Bateman, David Hale, Cyril Rioli
Foll: Max Bailey, Shaun Burgoyne, Brad Sewell
I/C: Brent Guerra, Michael Osborne, Brendan Whitecross, Matt Suckling
Emg: Jordan Lisle, Shane Savage, Luke Breust
Geelong Cats
B: Josh Hunt, Matthew Scarlett, Tom Lonergan
HB: Corey Enright, Harry Taylor, David Wojcinski
C: Jimmy Bartel, Andrew Mackie, Joel Selwood
HF: Steve Johnson, Tom Hawkins, Allen Christensen
F: Travis Varcoe, James Podsiadly, Brad Ottens
Foll: Trent West, Cameron Ling, James Kelly
I/C: Paul Chapman, Joel Corey, Mathew Stokes, Mitch Duncan
Emg: Shannon Byrnes, Darren Milburn, Cameron Mooney
In: Joel Corey
Out: Daniel Menzel (Knee)
West Coast Eagles
B: Will Schofield, Darren Glass, Shannon Hurn
HB: Sam Butler, Eric Mackenzie, Beau Waters
C: Andrew Embley, Matthew Priddis, Scott Selwood
HF: Mark LeCras, Josh Kennedy, Mark Nicoski
F: Nic Naitanui, Quinten Lynch, Jack Darling
Foll: Dean Cox, Daniel Kerr, Adam Selwood
I/C: Chris Masten, Luke Shuey, Patrick McGinnity, Andrew Gaff
Emg: Matthew Rosa, Bradley Ebert, Ashley Smith
