By Lachlan Geleit
Could Chris Scott pull out a unique coaching tactic to try and nullify a red-hot Sydney side at the SCG on Sunday?
David King thinks it’s possible as the third-placed Cats head to the Harbour City to face the ladder leaders and he pondered whether Scott could employ what he describes as a ‘double tag’.
With midfield being Geelong’s biggest weakness without Patrick Dangerfield and Sydney dominant in that area of the ground, King thinks Scott could use two taggers - Mark Blicavs and Mark O’Connor - in shutdown roles on in-form duo Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner respectively.
King thinks that the double-tag would allow Geelong to play to their strengths in other areas of the ground and his SEN Breakfast co-host Kane Cornes loved the idea.
King: “I think it could be the first time we see two tags.”
Cornes: “The double tag?”
King: “Yeah, because their midfield is not a weapon for them anyway, it’s not a strength area.
“In the middle, they've been mauled and they've scored through their half-forwards getting up the ground and charging back.
“I think you could see Blicavs versus Heeney, go everywhere with him, ‘If he goes forward, you can go back’.”
Cornes: “This is just absolute music to my ears, the double tag. It gets me excited.
King: “I think Mark O'Connor could go to Chad Warner.
“If you do the double tag in the middle, I don’t think it's going to affect their (Geelong’s) plans too much or disrupt what they do in there anyway.”
Alternatively, Cornes thinks that Geelong and Scott could simply focus on themselves and what they do well instead of trying to stop Sydney in their tracks.
He detailed what he thinks needs to go right for Geelong if they’re to hand the Swans just their second loss of the season at Round 13.
“Do they go into it thinking, ‘We just have to focus on us’?” Cornes asked.
“Brad Johnson pointed this out during the week whether Jeremy Cameron just plays a bit deeper on the SCG since it’s a shorter ground.
“Can they get it going from centre bounce and have Cameron and Tom Hawkins deeper and maybe just go all in on their stuff and not worry about the opposition too much?
“It is easier said than done. Gryan Miers has got to get back involved, they’ve got to get Cameron and Hawkins going.
“They’ve got to get Sam De Koning going as an interceptor behind the ball. Tom Stewart's got to play well.
“A lot's going to have to go right for them to win.”
Sunday’s game at the SCG between Sydney and Geelong begins at 3:20pm (AEST).
Crafted by Project Diamond