Geelong selection questions before huge MCG Brisbane preliminary final

Tom Stewart, Tom Hawkins, Cam Guthrie and Sam De Koning are all pushing to play against the Lions. Can they all fit in? Who goes out? DAN BATTEN and JOSH BARNES have their say.

Four of the biggest selection questions of preliminary final week are all being discussed down at GMHBA Stadium this week.

How many of Tom Hawkins, Cam Guthrie, Sam De Koning and Tom Stewart should Geelong bring in?

Dan Batten and Josh Barnes debate which way Chris Scott will go.

Sam De Koning is the big question for the Cats. Picture: Michael Klein

Dan Batten: Barnesy, you’ve been following the Cats closely for a fair while – long before you burst onto the Moneyball and Midweek Tackle scene. They’ve got some big decisions to make this week – let’s start with Sam De Koning. Should they bring him in for the prelim?

Josh Barnes: I’m not following them as closely these days as you DB! De Koning is the big one this week. I have been impressed by Mark Blicavs in a key back role in the past month or so, and De Koning probably hasn’t done enough to push Rhys Stanley out of the ruck. He would end up unlucky in my match committee. What do you think?

DB: There is no easy answer for this one. I agree with you on Mark Blicavs, but can he be trusted for the majority of a game on the red-hot Joe Daniher or Eric Hipwood? And could Rhys Stanley get monstered by Oscar McInerney? SDK offers the flexibility to be able to cover both, and provides their defence with extra height to help stop Daniher (201cm) and Eric Hipwood (203cm). Or they can send him straight to Daniher from the start. He has been tasked with manning Daniher in their last three meetings and has kept him to just one goal in 237 minutes – that’s a handy record. Who SDK replaces is perhaps the most difficult question. Who do you have coming out for Tom Stewart?

JB: You’re not getting away with it that easily! If you have ‘Fish’ De Koning coming in, who are you dropping? No fence sitting here. It’s a sneaky tough call on who is out for Stewart too, given I thought Oisin Mullin was very good against Port Adelaide and offers a tagging option if Lachie Neale is going bananas. Unfortunately for the Irishman, I think he still drops out, keeping Mitch Duncan, Jed Bews and Zach Tuohy in my 23.

DB: Nothing gets past you, Barnesy! For me, Zach Tuohy and Mitch Duncan are the most expendable, and Tuohy would be the unlucky one to fall out given he was the sub last week. I would take out Mullin for Stewart as well. He could be the one to tag a Dayne Zorko or Lachie Neale, but if he isn’t tagging he offers less than others in the 23. Jed Bews can play an important role on Charlie Cameron after keeping Willie Rioli quiet last week.

Tom Hawkins and Cam Guthrie are up against it. Picture: Michael Klein

JB: Fair enough, so to recap so far you’ve got De Koning and Stewart in for Mullin and Tuohy. I’m just going for a swap of Stewart and Mullin. I get your point about the concern with height in Geelong’s backline but arguably Port Adelaide was even taller in the qualifying final and it was no sweat. I would start Blicavs on Daniher with the knowledge Jack Henry is more than capable of moving over if Joe is causing grief. The other two names Cats fans have been asking about for weeks are Tom Hawkins and Cam Guthrie. Can you squeeze them in?

DB: Correct, two changes. Henry is in some great form, but I’d be a little nervous with him giving up close to 10cm on Joe. On Hawkins and Guthrie, it is an agonising call for the Cats on two club greats, but I think you have to leave both out. Shannon Neale played arguably his best game of the year against the Power – he was plucking everything in the air. Hawkins could have had a few goals in his VFL return and did move better than I expected, but there is no need to mess with that forward set-up which made Port look silly. Guthrie is worth some consideration given he can play off half-back or midfield, but as you flagged in track watch, there are still some question marks over his troublesome achilles. And who would he replace anyway? Do you think either are worth the risk?

Tom Stewart has his eye on a prelim. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

JB: Unfortunately for the readers, I’m with you on this one. Can’t see where Guthrie or Hawkins fit, despite their stacked resumes. Just leaves us with one last call – who is wearing your sub vest?

DB: Duncan for me. Some nice symmetry if he wins a flag as the sub considering he started with the green vest in the 2011 decider. How about you?

JB: Can go either way between Tuohy and Duncan, happy to stick with the Irishman given he played the role two weeks ago. Finally, what is your tip?

DB: Fair enough. The Lions will be up for the fight, but I’m tipping the Cats by 15. How do you think it will pan out?

JB: Cats by 8 for me. Think we are in for a close one. Enjoy the game, DB.