Geelong made a late change to its side for Saturday’s round 11 clash with Sydney at GMHBA Stadium, replacing Tanner Bruhn with Jake Kolodjashnij just before the 4.15pm AEST start. The Cats were otherwise unchanged after improving to 7-3 with a win over Brisbane last round, while Sydney arrived at 9-1 after toppling Collingwood.
The Swans also adjusted their line-up, bringing back Caiden Cleary and Tom Hanily for Harry Cunningham and Billy Cootee as they looked to keep their grip on the competition’s pace. For Geelong, the only late shift was Bruhn out and Kolodjashnij in, a small change on paper for a side that has put itself squarely in the hunt early in the season.
The broader round 11 team news pointed to a busy Saturday across the league. At the MCG, Collingwood and Waalitj Marawar had their teams locked in for a 4.35pm AEST start, with Scott Pendlebury returning for his record-breaking 433rd AFL match. Darcy Moore, Pat Lipinski and Darcy Cameron were also back for the Magpies, while Jack Buller, Wil Parker and Angus Anderson were omitted after Oscar Steene suffered an ACL injury last week.
Waalitj Marawar made one change of its own, with Bo Allan returning in place of Jack Hutchinson, who was ruled out with a hamstring injury. The side had snapped a six-match losing streak in its previous outing, and the return of Allan offered another tweak as it headed into the MCG assignment.
For Geelong and Sydney, the matchup carried extra weight because both teams had entered the round near the top of the ladder, but the numbers only told part of the story. Geelong had just gone into Brisbane’s home ground and won, while Sydney had come from behind to beat Collingwood, leaving the two clubs with momentum as they met at GMHBA Stadium. The late change to Bruhn was the only alteration for the Cats, and Sydney’s recalled pair gave its line-up a fresh look before the bounce.
The day’s team sheets suggested the real pressure now falls on how each reshuffled side responds, not on the changes themselves. Geelong has already shown it can win away from home and at GMHBA, and Sydney has already shown it can recover in a tight game; Saturday’s result will tell which of those recent wins meant more.
