Suns alter selection tactics for Cats
Brute strength and brawn are more valuable commodities to Gold Coast Suns coach Guy McKenna than sheer ability this weekend.
McKenna admitted he based selection for Saturday's clash with Geelong at Metricon Stadium around weight to muscle ratio because of the sheer enormity of trying to slay the AFL's only undefeated side.
It meant taking a distinctly different selection path and has cost the nimble, the slight and the underdeveloped Suns' players the chance of being picked.
"I walked into the match committee and said 'boys, it's an over 85 kilo rule this week," McKenna said.
"(Geelong have) 15 All-Australians, 3000 games of experience, big bodies, they're old, over 28-years-of-age, and we can't manufacture that but what we can do is mitigate the chances of some of our smaller kids getting snapped in half.
"It's the 85kg rule, so some have been tipped out because of that."
McKenna's comments were a little tongue in cheek as not all the players demoted or promoted fall within the "weight range", although axed-forward whippet Liam Patrick at 72kg is well below the guidelines.
Promoted forward nuggets Dion Prestia and Maverick Weller are well proportioned for their size and forward Charlie Dixon, who will spend more time in the ruck than in previous matches, adds some genuine height and bulk to the young line-up.
"That's the reason for the match committee bringing some of those guys in," McKenna said.
"So Prestia and Weller come in because at least they're a good chance (to make a contest and not get snapped in half).
"We're not saying they're going to win those contests but they're a good chance to win it, they're at least going to halve the contest I reckon, and that's the reason why they've come in."
The first "home" match for the Suns is also the first time skipper Gary Ablett will eyeball his former teammates on the field.
There's been some byplay between the two sides about how the Cats will react on the field against Ablett, who defected at the end of last year.
"What Geelong have shown all year is they target the good opposition players," McKenna said.
"I don't know how they're going to do that with Gary but I'm sure they will."
Geelong have made five changes to the side that kept their winning run intact with a narrow win over Carlton after ruling out a number of key personnel because of injury, including ruck-forward Brad Ottens and key defender Harry Taylor.
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