2008 NAB CUP Round 2 Preview - Game 2
St Kilda v Geelong - Manuka Oval Saturday 3.40pm
This should be a cracker! Eventhough the much antisipated bout between Mark Blake and Steven King will not eventuate in this game as King is going to be rested along with veteran Robert Harvey.
. I heard Cameron Mooney suggest he may give King a clip around the ears if King plays, but I guess that will have to wait. The Geelong side were in great form last week demolishing the Demons and there is no sign of the dreaded premiership hangover. The word is that the elder statesmen in Scarlett, Chapman, Ottens, Harley, Johnson and Jimmy Bartel will all be rested and obviously Ablett is out. Max Rooke, Corey Enright, Joel Corey, Joel Selwood and Travis Varcoe have been selected and will have their first hit outs. Brent Prismall was a standout player last week and is another player that was disappointed at missing the Grand Final and has pushed himself to the limit during the summer.
St Kilda also made a good start last week after some big names withdrew from the game against the hapless Tigers. The “X” man Xavier Clarke looks at home running through the midfield and may find himself spending some more time in there this year. Michael Gardiner was OK in his first game back from injury and looked fit and starved of footy action and will be looking to improve on his game. He and King will have a good dual 
against Blake and maybe Ottens. Charlie Gardiner, also up against his old side will definately have a point to prove after what was probably his best outing at AFL level last week, he looked good as a lead up half forward but will have his work ut out for himself this week against the strong defence of the Cats. There is plenty to like about the Saints who now have the luxury of being able to give Justin Koschitzke some more time down forward who is a very hard match up down there. A player that desperately needs some consistency in his game is Stephen Milne who was the best of the small forwards last week, but history says he is due for a bad one.
There is certainly some good match ups in this game and it should be an entertaining one to watch. With the Saints still likely to be missing a few I think the Cats will get over the line.
St Kilda now has a ruck brigade which will mean they can now compete against other teams like St Kilda, West Coast, Freo etc