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Blues' Gibbs dilemma

Blues' Gibbs dilemma
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images

The Blues are undecided whether to go like-for-like or opt for extra height should playmaker Bryce Gibbs be unavailable, as seems likely, for Saturday's knockout semi-final against West Coast at Patersons Stadium.

Coach Brett Ratten rates the selection prospects of Gibbs, who injured a shoulder late in Sunday's elimination final win over Essendon, as 'very slim'.

And he described ruckman Matthew Kreuzer as 'unlikely' to return from an undiagnosed condition that's causing numbness in his left foot.

While Sunday's emergencies Kane Lucas, Jordan Russell and Zac Tuohy stand out as the leading contenders to fill Gibbs' role, ruckman Shaun Hampson, who bagged six goals in the VFL at the weekend, may also have something to offer.

"We've thrown up a few things with Hampson coming into the mix," Ratten said ahead of Wednesday's closed training session at Visy Park.

"Do we play (Bret) Thornton, Hampson and Setanta (O'hAilpin) forward which would be a different mix than what we've had?"

"That's something that could maybe combat the (Nic) Naitanui, (Dean) Cox combination."

"They're the things that are going through our head."

"If you take a running team, a smaller team, if you get an injury to a tall it really leaves you short."

"It's all about the balance for the team and what we need to do to get the job done."

Michael Jamison, who appeared to be well short of peak fitness on Sunday in just his second match back after knee surgery, was 'fine' according to the coach.

"I heard the build-up before the game, people saying 'Jamo's out' and just laughed all the way to the game," Ratten said.

"It just takes him a little bit to warm up sometimes and if he's just walking around there's a slight hobble there but as soon as he gets warmed up away it goes."

Ratten said the Blues would head west believing that anything's possible coming off Sunday's win, the club's first in a final in a decade.

"Just that little bit of a burden on your back - can you win a final or can you not win a final? - I think it's nice to remove that," Ratten said.

"Now let's get on and do what we do."

"I think this group's shown they can take on the best in the competition and perform really well."

"The crowd will be a little bit of a factor and can we silence the crowd, that would be enormous for us."

"Our record of travelling interstate, we haven't lost this year and we want to continue down that routine."

Ratten agreed the Eagles would be feeling the weight of expectation from their own supporters coming off Saturday's loss to Collingwood.

"Do they make the finals and lose in straight sets, they would then carry that burden into next year," he said.

"The expectation rises and, yeah … they might have to carry that weight."

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