The Geelong faithful have been spoiled for so long that on the way into the match, many seemed to be pencilling in the win already. Part of that may have been the always-parochial crowd headed into Kardinia Park (and I’ll keep calling it that until they change the line in their song) but the fact that Adelaide was already out of finals contention and unable to finish lower than 15th probably also played a part.
It almost turned into hubris for the fans though, as Adelaide thumbed their nose at future draft prospects to cause the collective tightening of sphincters in 28K+ crowd and gave the locals a little reminder that while their finals chances are done, they haven’t put the cue in the rack just yet.
The Lead Up
Like a lot of people that live in Melbourne, I don’t often venture out to Geelong. Not that I have anything against the place, it’s just too close to be considered a vacation, and too far to go there for anything that can’t be found closer. City living, huh?
But for this match, I was joined by a couple of long-time mates who are die-hard Geelong supporters who were desperate to see their beloved Cats in action. One hails from the footy wasteland of Woolongong, and the other from Far West NSW, where SA bias means they hear far more from Kane Cornes and Michaelangelo Rucci than should be considered healthy, and may even be a violation of the 1984 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
So it was a charitable outing. A mission of mercy. Perhaps even a calling.
Normally when attending a game in Melbourne, you might get a bit of build up in the train on the way to the G or Marvel, but it’s usually a mix of teams as multiple games are played, or you’ve got a bunch of regular commuters mixed in that are doing their best to ignore the buffoonery as groups of supporters meet and share their excitement for the match ahead (or, in my case as a North Melbourne supporter, talk about promising players that will be eligible in the draft next year).
This is not the case when attending a Geelong game.
Catching the V/Line from Spencer Street station to Geelong on a Saturday afternoon seems to be for one type of person, and one type of person only—someone sporting their Geelong kit, usually from some years past, boisterously greeting similarly-attired strangers. It’s like watching a nature documentary on meerkats meeting. There’s lots of movement, a bit of sniffing each other, and finally acceptance into the clan.
This continues for the whole train ride, as people migrate up, down and between carriages until we arrive at Geelong station. It’s obvious that the ride hasn’t taken us to another state though, as in classic Victorian fashion, the buses-replacing-trains aren’t ready yet.
Eventually we get to the ground though, and play ‘spot the Adelaide supporter’ as the thousands of Cats fans amble into the ground as fast as their dodgy hips and walking frames will allow.
Oh yeah, it’s a sea of daytime TV watchers out here. As someone approaching middle age, I feel positively spritely.
So after a delicious roast beef roll and a quick confirmation with our seat-mates that we had all the heart medication we needed, we sat down to enjoy the match.
Ins and outs
Adelaide’s side was strengthened by the return of their captain Jordan Dawson, and veteran midfielder Matt Crouch, with concussion and illness respectively leaving them on the sidelines last week. Nick Murray and Josh Worrell also came in to round out the squad.
Making way were James Borlase and Brayden Cook, who head back to the twos, and Elliott Himmelberg deals with another injury setback. Chayce Jones also missed due to personal reasons which haven’t been disclosed as far as I’m aware, and it seems like that’s intentionally vague, so I think the lad deserves some space.
Geelong was still without spearhead Tom Hawkins as they waited for him to recover from a foot injury, hopefully in time for finals. Gary Rohan will remain on the sidelines after a head knock in the North Melbourne match that had him enter concussion protocols.
Mitch Duncan was rested as Geelong start to taper their run to finals, and Ted Clohesy was given time in the twos.
The side was given a big boost with the return of Zach Tuohy, Rhys Stanley and Tom Atkins. Zach Tuohy is a big in for any side as his run-off half-back and intercept work helps Geelong set up their avenue from attack, and Tom Atkins applies pressure in the midfield and forward line as needed, but it’s the inclusion of Rhys Stanley that really stood out. In last week’s match against North, Tristan Xerri manhandled Sam De Koning in the ruck. SDK is an exceptional player, with mobility and awareness that someone his height just shouldn’t have, especially at just 23 years of age, but he’s got a few preseasons to go before he can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the monsters in the league. I know the AFL doesn’t publish weights any more, but I’d wager Xerri had 20kgs on SDK, and I reckon Reilly O’Brien would be about the same. Sam had a good game, especially with a knock on his ankle, but he wasn’t quite ready for the battering of an old-school ruckman coming into his prime. Stanley addresses this need, by having a mature body and being more than willing to take the knocks that come with being the big bloke on the field.
The Beginning
Both teams had a bit of a slow start as the possession game evolved into a bit of kick-to-kick with both sides structuring up to deny the corridor to each other. Adelaide flooded back hard to keep the congestion in Geelong’s forward line, but didn’t have any way out of defence as Geelong kept their back six out of the defensive arc, while the Crows only had two players ready to chase down a clearing kick.
Most of the opening stanza had Geelong pushing forward along the boundary into contests, but gradually gaining ground as Adelaide used their numbers to stop the easy handball to a running player. It was effective at reducing the easy shots on goal, but made counter-attacking difficult. When Tyson Stengle broke through for Geelong’s first, it shocked my seat neighbour Beryl out of a light snooze, but she soon joined in the cheering, along with 27,000 other Cats fans, and some inexplicably piped in noise through the speakers that seemed a little patronising. Stengle’s mark was probably meant for Dempsey, but if you’re up forward, you take the opportunities that come to you, especially when you’ve been under pressure from the papers for the last week.
Geelong kept the upper hand, but Adelaide made the most of the opportunities to keep themselves in the game through to half-time.
The Surge
After grinding out an eight-point lead at half-time, Geelong gave up the first goal of the second half through a turnover in their defensive arc, but it was the dramatic increase in pressure that Adelaide brought that caused it. Some quick harassing play allowed them to find Thilthorpe out of the goal square, and he converted truly.
Quick goals to Bruhn and Cameron threatened to take the game away from Adelaide completely, and Cameron’s fifth put Geelong nearly four goals up and well on top, despite Adelaide’s pressure.
But, the Crows managed to do what so many teams have found difficult to do in the last decade—halt a Geelong scoring streak and return with one of their own. A willingness to run in support of teammates helped them
Goals to Sholl, a pair to Rachele, and one to Soligo gave the Crows the lead as the third quarter siren blew, and Geelong suddenly looked vulnerable at their home ground. When Thilthorpe kicked his third at the start of the last, an upset was well and truly on the cards. It was a shot on goal that you only take when you’re feeling confident as he led into the pocket and marked 50 out, on the boundary.
If you’ve ever laced up a pair of boots, you’ve fantasised about these sorts of moments in your head. The game is on the line, 50 out, tight angle, crowd in your ear and a strong opponent. He was right in front of our section, and the crowd was giving him and the lone Crows supporting kid plenty.
So when he strolls in and launches a very nicely weighted drop punt to split the middle, you can forgive the bloke for celebrating. It might have been a bit too much a bit too early to play up to the crowd for their heckling though.
It’s no coincidence that Ben Keays started to get more of the ball in this surge, and Reilly O’Brien was well on top in the ruck, while Rachele hunted and harassed at both ends of the ground and Thilthorpe dropped back to intercept and surged forward to present a target as needed.
It was an unpredictable gameplan that focused on rapid movement from half-back to half-forward, then holding the ball up before finding space in the attacking arc, but it worked well to get Adelaide back into the game, especially after SDK was subbed out with an injury.
But, This is Geelong in Geelong. They were always going to fight back.
An unexpected nailbiter
In a mirror of Thilthorpe’s 50 metre bomb, Ollie Dempsey had the ball and had a choice between taking the shot to wind back the ten-point deficit, or take his moment to put his side back in the hunt. Dempsey has drawn well-deserved plaudits, and is the current Rising Star favourite for a reason, so it’s a credit to him that he recognised his limits and passed to the danger zone instead of taking his shot, finding Neale on the lead about five metres out, on a 45 degree angle.
At least, that’s what I’m willing to credit the lad with. Either way, six points is six points.
Both teams shut down any and all space in the game, as players were relentlessly sticking to their opponent and cutting off passing lanes. Corridor footy was all but forgotten as it became a game of inches, but with too much time on the clock to ice the game and less than a goal in it, it came down to who was willing to take on the game to try to score and risk getting caught on the rebound, and who wanted to grind out an ugly but well-deserved win.
In the end, it was the night for the team that dared.
With both teams on tired legs and heavy tackles, Geelong kept pushing hard forward, hitting bodies, keeping on their feet and generally playing like a team with finals aspirations over one that knows that Mad Monday is their September highlight.
Blicavs had a chance at a strong snapping goal after taking a heavy body contact, but pushed the ball just wide. Gryan Miers had an unlikely shot from the boundary after side-stepping his opponent, but likewise just couldn’t find the accuracy. Geelong kept the ball locked in their forward zone though, and a clearing kick from a boundary throw in through Patrick Dangerfield found Lawson Humphries right on the 50 metre line, just off centre.
Like Dawson and Dempsey earlier, he had his options. He’s in his sixth game, hasn’t kicked a goal in AFL footy, and his team is down by two points. Send a shiver right down your spine and a fizz into your nether regions, doesn’t it?
Humphries takes his run up and absolutely unloads as his follow through causes his leg to practically flip him backwards a’la Taylor Harris’ iconic image. Unfortunately, he fell just short and the ball was rushed through to make the margin a point. You could see Humphries drop his head a moment as Dangerfield came to give him a pat on the back.
He didn’t have time to dwell on it though, as just minutes later a scramble in the opposite pocket through Blicavs and Stengle saw Humphries in a bit of space 40 metres from goal. He gathered and kicked across his body in one motion to put up a high, long shot at goal… and it splits the middle like he was never a chance to do anything else as players came from all over the ground to congratulate him on his first AFL goal, giving his team the lead by five points.
The crowd found its voice and the players were up and about as Geelong found renewed energy, while the Crows looked for a way to fight back, relying on quick handballs and run while Geelong preferred to mix in longer kicks to gain ground as the worked the ball forward.
Brad Close almost sealed the game when his shot at goal instead found Jeremy Cameron on the line, but replays showed he’d juggled the ball over. Jezza also got hit second chance as he took a strong mark 45 out and launched a long bomb to kick his sixth to put the game almost into Geelong’s pocket.
It’s a credit to Adelaide that they doubled down on their effort and kept up the pressure, especially in the middle of the ground. Keays kept trying to break out of the pack, but frequently found himself double-teamed and tackled. It took a few minutes for Adelaide to find some space as Thilthorpe took another strong pack mark and moved it forward quickly, ending in a scramble and Rachele scoring a goal that had the Crows within a goal with less than a minute on the clock.
They pushed hard for every single second, but Geelong knew they could eat up those seconds with shutdown plays and man-to-man accountability.
In the end, they were just a little too good for Adelaide, but the crows played far better than their ladder position would indicate.
Ruck contest
Like I mentioned earlier, Rhys Stanley was back in to take primary ruck duties against Reilly O’Brien.
For my money, RO’B is one of the more underrated rucks in the league. He’s not as mobile as the likes of Gawn and Grundy, but he has a physicality that means he can hurt you with his tap work, as well as leaving opposing players with bruises in all the colours of the rainbow.
Stanley did well in his return match, but this was O’Brien’s ruck win all day. Reilly dominated the tap work, winning 53 taps to Stanley’s 23, and 13 of those finding his mids compared to Stanley’s two. He also won the tackles, disposals and intercepts to show how he was playing the big man role, though Stanley did take more ground with his possessions as he went for more long clearing kicks while O’Brien focused on the traditional role of ‘ruckmen handball to a running midfielder at all times’ for most of the game.
Blicavs and Thilthorpe were the backup ruckmen, but they mostly focused on just neutralising the contests before returning to their more impactful roles around the ground.
Other bits
Josh Rachele impressed me a lot here. He played forward and back, but it looked like his attack on the opposition helped lift the pressure acts of his teammates. His burst of speed surprised many opponents in the match.
Tyson Stengle was a huge crowd favourite. Not sure whether that’s a regular thing, or in support of his recent scrutiny.
Tex Walker had two good goals, but struggled to impact the game in the way he often would when it’s on the line. He’s still one of the best field kicks in the league, but seemed to get sucked into the contest a little too often, rather than be ready in space if the ball came out.
I really wanted to see some more of Daniel Curtin, but coming in as the sub meant he barely had an impact.
Ollie Dempsey looks good. I haven’t seen a debut season of a forward like that since Jaidyn Stephenson won the Rising Star. Let’s hope that isn’t a foreshadowing. At least Dempsey plays the wing. He is just so offensive-minded that he looks like a genuine forward.
Ben Keays is a confusing player to watch. Does a lot of brilliant stuff, earns his own ball, then inexplicably short-steps into contests on occasion. On the other hand, I wouldn’t want to get a hip-and-shoulder from a charging Dangerfield either, so maybe he’s doing the smart thing.
The run home
Geelong will be looking for a strong finals finish to tune up their team as they have a run at the flag. They’ve got Freo in Perth, Saints at Marvel, and West Coast in Geelong. The Dockers will be desperate to hold on to their current top 4 spot, so they’ll shape up as the biggest challenge of the three games, though you’d expect the Cats to easily account for the Saints and Eagles as those sides will focus on blooding some youth.
With that in mind, I’m backing Geelong to go L-W-W for the remaining games.
Adelaide won’t be playing finals, but there will be a lot of players trying to prove their worth as they head into the offseason. Games against the Bulldogs in Adelaide, Port in Adelaide, and Sydney at the SCG round out their 2024 season, with all of them being a tough outing against teams in the top 8 (currently).
With so much on the line for the Dogs, Power and Swans, I can’t find myself tipping the Crows in any of these matches. Sydney are in a bit of a form slump right now, but I’d back them to find their feet as August ends. They may trot out some more fringe players, but they’ll be hungry as hell to slot into a squad that has a chance of hoisting the cup, so a late-season fadeout isn’t something I’d be putting my money on.
Adelaide might manage to pinch a win in the showdown if Port look beyond them, but that’s not something I’d really expect to be very likely. I’ve got the Crows ending their season on seven wins, but, I do expect to see a lot of gametime from the younger players, especially highly-touted Dan Curtin, so that’ll be worth tuning in to watch.
I’m tipping the Crows to lose all three, but they’ll be in the game right up until the end.
