By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
Fresh from coming a cropper against a former team-mate last week, Geelong faces another familiar face on Sunday.
Forward Josh Walker will be sharing his inside knowledge with his new Lions team-mates while getting used to the strange feeling of tackling his old sparring partners.
Playing against former team-mates has always unsettled Geelong for some reason – the Cats struggled against a Gary Ablett-led Gold Coast first up as well.
They also escaped with a nine-point win against Essendon for Paul Chapman’s first game against his old club.
Walker reckons his inside knowledge might just help Brisbane spring a surprise victory over the Cats – and it won’t be the first time that’s happened, either.
Cats fans still shudder at the memory of round 13, 2013 at the Gabba.
While not a premiership team-mate like Steve Johnson or Chappy, Walker nevertheless spent five seasons at the cattery.
“I think I know pretty well what a lot of their players were working on for five years behind closed doors,” Walker said in preparation for the game.
“I think there’s definitely some tips I could give boys who maybe have an individual match-up.
“They’ll know my game but I’ll know theirs as well, and I’ll be able to give the coach a few insights on the rest of the team. Hopefully it’s advantage us.”
Still, under normal circumstances tipsters would have no hesitation in ticking a Geelong home win against Brisbane.
But a topsy-turvy round two has demonstrated that no team is safe, any team can pull out a win and structure and match-ups need to be matched with desire and effort.
Brisbane will be without its injured skipper Tom Rockliff, midfield ace Dayne Beams will also be missing and there are questions marks over others.
But injury plagued teams won last weekend, so that is no basis for comfort.
Coach Chris Scott is adamant that restoring the midfield’s clearance rate to the levels achieved against Hawthorn is easily rectified.
The Brisbane game offers an opportunity for Geelong’s midfield to gel rather than rely on individual performances.
