The second of Saturday AFL Round 23 matches is between Geelong Cats and Brisbane Lions. The game is set to commence at 2:10pm local time with the game to be played at Simonds Stadium. Home team Geelong Cats go into the match as the favourites in the market. View our preview and teams for the game between Geelong Cats and Brisbane Lions.

Round: Round 23 2:10 PM August 31, 2013
Stadium: Simonds Stadium
Weather: 19° Partly cloudy.

Featured Bookmakers:

Geelong Cats $1.06 vs Brisbane Lions $9.00 at Sportsbet Australia get a $250 FREE BET on this match

Geelong Cats $1.04 vs Brisbane Lions $10.00 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison by AFL Odds:

Geelong Cats	1.06	1.05	1.04	1.05	1.06	1.06
Brisbane Lions	9.00	9.50	10.00	9.50	9.00	9.00

Preview:

Geelong host Brisbane and, depending on Friday’s results in the Sydney/Hawthorn game, Geelong could possibly be playing for the minor premiership.

If not, they’ll be out to sure up second spot on the ladder with a win over Brisbane.

The Cats will be out to erase the memory of their remarkable loss to Brisbane back in round 13 when, from more than 50 points down, the Lions rallied to pull off one of if not the greatest comeback of the season.

Geelong disposed of a visiting Sydney side last week in comprehensive style and will be looking to register a similar effort here before the finals kick off.

Some of the younger Geelong players are starting to emerge from the shadows of the bigger names in the side and they’ll hit the finals with good momentum.

Since round 13’s win, a lot has changed at Brisbane. Voss is gone and via injury, so has Brisbane forward power in Brown and last week, Merritt. Without the latter two, they’ll struggle to produce enough points to worry Geelong.

That was the case when, after establishing a healthy 50 plus lead at half-time, the Lions lost Daniel Merritt with a broken leg early in the third quarter. After his departure, the Lions kicked only two more majors for the game but survived to win 100 – 93 over the Western Bulldogs.

Geelong at home and carrying on from last week’s form, should go close to securing the 55.5 points starts given to an undermanned Brisbane side.

Teams:

Geelong Cats:
B: Mackie Lonergan Enright
HB: Rivers Taylor Guthrie
C: Stokes Selwood Christensen
HF: Caddy Podsiadly Motlop
F: Chapman Hawkins Johnson
FOLL: West Kelly Corey
I/C: Bartel Blicavs Duncan Varcoe
EMG: J Hunt T Hunt Walker
IN: Trent West
OUT: Nathan Vardy

Brisbane Lions:
B: Yeo Patfull Golby
HB: Harwood Maguire Adcock
C: Mayes Rockliff Hanley
HF: Bewick Staker Zorko
F: McGrath Lisle Lester
FOLL: Leuenberger Redden Rich
I/C: Moloney Green Raines Michael
EMG: Docherty Paparone O’Brien
IN: Jordan Lisle, Brent Moloney, Sam Michael
OUT: Daniel Merrett (ankle), Sam Docherty (omitted), Marco Paparone (omitted)

Lions want to grab AFL finals chance

Reading about Essendon’s supplements saga was never high on Brisbane Lions ruckman Matthew Leuenberger’s “must do” list – until now.

Leuenberger admitted he had not dwelled on the prospect of an Essendon points penalty opening the AFL finals door for the 10th-placed Lions.

“I gotta be honest. I haven’t kept up with it all,” he said.

“I took a bit of interest in it at first, but every time I read it it’s chopping and changing so I’ve given up on it.”

It would be fair to say it has now grabbed Leuenberger’s attention.

In the fallout over the Essendon points penalty, the Lions can play finals for the first time since 2009 – and only their third top eight campaign in nine years – if they topple Geelong this weekend and Carlton loses to Port Adelaide.

“If you had have asked me about two months ago I would have said `you’re dreaming’,” Leuenberger said of their finals chances.

“We were in pretty poor form. We were playing three good quarters and having a blow out for one that was taking us out of the game.

“Now we’re getting more consistent and coming away and winning a lot more.”

Their form makes the Lions board’s decision to dump coach and Brisbane favourite son Michael Voss all the more puzzling.

Now a boardroom stoush looms after an ex-coach Leigh Matthews-led rival ticket challenged Lions chairman Angus Johnson ahead of December’s annual general meeting.

Yet somehow Brisbane are still winning – their gutsy seven-point last-round victory over a fast-finishing Western Bulldogs on Sunday night was their sixth in eight games.

“I reckon the playing group has been sensational with handling that (off-field distractions),” Leuenberger said.

Asked about the prospect of qualifying for the finals despite finishing ninth, Leuenberger said: “Wouldn’t bother me.

“Someone like me, I’ve never played finals footy, so I’d take it.

“There’s a few in the same boat as me.”

The off-field distractions don’t look like going away any time soon for the Lions.

A Matthews-led ticket has promised to make a fresh play for Sydney’s premiership-winning coach Paul Roos.

Leuenberger did not harbour any hard feelings despite recently re-signing for another two years with Voss holding the reins.

“Initially it was a shock (Voss’ dumping) but you move on pretty quick when you’re playing,” he said.

“When I signed my contract I was aware Vossy was out of contract, so it’s neither here nor there.

“He’s a large reason why we’re doing what we’re doing now, he set it all up.”