‘Call of duty’ against Saints

Andrew Mathieson
SEEMINGLY in cruise mode for the first half of the year, Cats coach Mark Thompson has predicted Geelong will have to “go beyond the call of duty” in Friday night’s grand final re-match.
To prove the Cats are serious, Thompson has floated the idea of bringing back champion full-back Matthew Scarlett to curb the influence of St Kilda pocket dynamo Stephen Milne.
Scarlett, who has overcome a hamstring strain that kept him sidelined for three weeks, would hold a whopping 14cm height advantage over 178cm Milne.
Geelong has won its past seven games after early-season shock losses to Fremantle and Carlton.
But Thompson expected the second-placed Saints to provide the biggest threat yet this season.
“I don’t think it really matters who you play out of the top teams,” he said.
“If you don’t bring your top team to the ground ready to play, it’s going to be awfully difficult.
“That’s just the state of play. It’s a fantastic competition, it’s really healthy but we’re going have to prepare well and be prepared to go beyond the call of duty to beat the Saints.”
That would call on the defending AFL premier breaking St Kilda’s much-vaunted tackling pressure and zone defence, which led to a record 118 tackles in last year’s premiership decider.
“Players from both teams will be gearing themselves up for the same type of performances, contests and (to) be prepared to sort of go that extra yard knowing that’s what’s needed to get them over the line,” Thompson said.
The football world has been forced to wait 272 days for Geelong and St Kilda to clash at the MCG again.
Thompson said the glory behind the grand final win would not rate a mention inside the dressing rooms.
Thompson rated Josh Hunt a “good chance” to line-up on Milne but, with superstar Nick Riewoldt still recuperating from hamstring surgery, the Cats coach refused to mark a line through Scarlett’s name.
It could be just a further challenge for the controversial Saint after a television report earlier this week revealed threats from inside Victoria Police scrapped an investigation into rape claims against Milne and teammate Leigh Montagna in 2004.
Thompson refused to be drawn into the latest accusations from a former police detective, instead pointing to his defenders to cover Milne on the field.
“We probably play our defenders on where we want to play them rather than a match-up basis,” he said.
“Scarlett will probably try and stay deep, Josh plays deep and if Milne’s deep, Josh or Scarlett will go on him.”