WITH Geelong boasting so much tall timber, the Devils will think they've stepped into an old-growth forest at North Hobart tomorrow.
The Cats' line-up for tomorrow's VFL clash contains 11 players who are 190cm-plus. Five are 195cm or more.
And coach Mathew Armstrong knows a small ground and a forecast of fine weather and 25C will provide ideal marking conditions for Geelong's high-marking talls.
So Armstrong has done the only thing possible and loaded up with some fresh height, even if it is well short of match-hardened against a side whose extended list of 26 is stacked with senior AFL and rookie-list players.
By contrast, the Devils have promoted two first-gamers -- 205cm Markham Johnson and 189cm Ben Britton -- to help Nick Barling, who wasn't sighted in last week's 32-point first-round away defeat by Springvale and Tim Geappen, who was.
Tim Peterson has been recalled to try to nail down centre half-forward.
It typifies the Devils' lack of big experienced bodies that their best player against Springvale was 189cm Matthew Jovanovic, who had to be moved from full-back, where he starred, into a forward line that was rendered impotent after a hamstring ended Justin's Plapp's day early in the first quarter.
"Jovanovic did quite well up forward but we really need him down back,'' Armstrong said. "We've just got to restructure our side because we've got so many injuries to our experienced players, especially up forward.
"It means a lot of fringe players have to lift because at the moment too few are having to do too much.''
In contrast, rival coach Leigh Tudor couldn't be more pleased with the Cats' preparation.
"We've got a lot of depth in our talls and I've been pretty happy with the way the boys have put in during our our warm-up games,'' Tudor said.
"We've been impressed by our two Tassie boys [Cameron] Thurley and [Jarrod] Garth. Thurley's improved stamina is making him a real chance to make his AFL debut very soon.''
The Cats boast height and experience aplenty and should be daisy-fresh after having the bye in the opening round.
Their 194cm rising star Nathan Ablett has been named in a forward pocket and it will be a case of drawing short straws as who gets the job of playing on him.
For the teams, click on the following link:
Last Modified on 08/04/2005 13:13