All Eyes On… Bellerive Oval
When the Cats touch down in Hobart on Saturday, it’ll be the first time Geelong has played on the apple isle for premiership points since taking on Hawthorn back in Round 4, 2007. Even then, that game was played at York Park in Launceston, about 200km journey north up National Highway 1.
On the weekend, North Melbourne will be waiting for us at Blundstone Arena, or as most people probably know it as, Bellerive Oval. Sitting on the eastern shore of the Derwent River, it’s been the home of international cricket in Tasmania since 1989, and arguably the most picturesque of the country’s ovals.
As a football ground, it’s slightly longer and a bit narrower than the MCG, and the Kangaroos have been playing here since 2012 for 17 wins, 8 losses and a draw. The good news is, it’s won’t be a completing foreign experience for the Cats: the forecast is 15 degrees with a 60% chance of rain, so the boys should feel right at home.
All Eyes On… Boxing Kangaroos
If you haven’t been paying attention, this isn’t the North Melbourne side you think you know from earlier in the season, where it took them until Round 9 to get their first win.
Since then, they’ve gone for 4 wins, 5 losses and a draw. That records includes the a win over the Eagles in Perth, a convincing win over the Blues last weekend and strong showing against the top of the table Western Bulldogs. And as Chris Scott said here, they’ve also started to work their way up to the top half of the ladder in some key statistical areas.
If you want a comparison, Melbourne have gone 5 wins, 4 losses and a draw over the same period.
While the Kangaroos are well out of finals contention, led by senior players like Jack Ziebell, Jy Simpkin, Robbie Tarrant, Kayne Turner and Luke McDonald, they’ll be eyeing the Cats as prized scalp as they build into 2022. Grab your popcorn, this one should be a real scrap.
All Eyes On… Higgo 250
You can’t get more Geelong than Shaun Higgins.
He and his three siblings grew up in Geelong, Hamlyn Heights to be precise, his Dad Mick played some U19s and Reserves football for the Cats, and his earliest football memories are in the stands of Kardinia Park, complete with blue and white face paint.
From there he graduated to Newtown & Chilwell Football Club and then over to the Geelong Falcons.
If that’s not enough blue and white blood for you, sister Danielle has played 23 games to date for our AFLW team.
Unfortunately, the Western Bulldogs would swoop on the talented junior back in 2005, but after 129 games and 128 goals at the Kennel, and a 108 game stopover at Arden Street with the Kangaroos where he picked up two Best & Fairest medals and an All-Australian jumper, he finally got return to where it all began this season.
This weekend he’ll play his 250th AFL game, and it’s fitting that it’s in hoops.
Go well, Higgo.
