Geelong will look to relaunch its Premier season as the Cats finally return to Kardinia Park
On the road for three months and losing four games in a row, it’s been one of Geelong’s most challenging seasons in recent times. But destiny remains firmly in their hands.
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The 12th-placed Geelong Cricket Club will be eager to relaunch its Premier season after an extremely challenging start, which included four losses on the bounce and a home deck they couldn’t play on.
Kept off Kardinia Park, due to delayed wicket table works, the Cats were on the road for three months which tested the patience of all concerned by the end of 2024.
And while Geelong started the season strongly, winning its first two games of the 2024-25 campaign, the Cats’ form was patchy by the Christmas break.
Under new coach Eamonn Vines, but without the retired Hayden Butterworth at the top of the list, the Cats have struggled for bulk runs in 24-25 after a promising offerings of 6-278 against Greenvale in Round 1 and a monster score of 8-366 declared against Fitzroy Doncaster the following game.
Butterworth was Geelong’s leading batter last year with 628 runs at 39.25, while also chipping in with 15 wickets at 23.3, but called time at the end of 23-24 after many years of loyal service.
Equally, all-rounder Daanish Mehta, who picked up 13 wickets at 19.08 and scored two half centuries last season, has shifted to South Australia to play with Travis Head’s home club of Tea Tree Gully, while Essex recruit Aaron Beard (13 wickets at 33.6) did not return.
This year, the Cats have only one batter making more than 300 runs with Lachie Field hitting back-to-back tons on the way to 339 runs at 48.43.
Across the competition, the Cats have just one batter in the top 20 for total runs (Field) and top 25 for wickets (Tom Neate).
Geelong has been without its leading spinner in Callum Stow due other commitments, including the Melbourne Renegades, playing just six games.
In short, the Cats have not been able to beat any side in the top 10 and the bulk of their four wins have come against teams below them.
But with seven teams locked on four wins, destiny is in Geelong’s hands.
What’s gone right:
Young opening bowler Tom Neate has produced a strong season with 17 wickets at just 17.8 apiece.
Meanwhile, the Cats have reinjected young all-rounder and Footscray recruit Arjun Sehrawat into the mix during the T20 fixtures and has taken 11 wickets at 18.18 and produced 220 runs at 44.
And Lachie Field started the season with a major bang, posting back-to-back tons in games the Cats easily won.
Meanwhile, Geelong’s brightest prospect Oliver Peake has been consistent with two half centuries without making a monster innings.
What’s gone wrong:
After winning its first two matches of the Premier season, the Cats went 2-6 since to finish 12th by the Christmas break.
The Cats have also lacked big runs, with 263 its largest score beyond Round 2, although Geelong has played a good chunk of T20 games in that time.
However, Geelong has also had its fair share of collapses against the top teams: losing 3-4 up top against Richmond; its first two wickets for no runs against Carlton and 5-11 in the lower order against Camberwell when they were well placed for a third consecutive victory.
Geelong lost all of those games.
Another concern has been the form of Liam Blackford, who returned from long term injury this season, and was rewarded with a state rookie contract, but has made 92 runs at 9.2.
Expect him to have a strong second half of 24-25.
Meanwhile, Geelong have only bowled out a team twice in that eight-game period as well, and not since mid-November, with Aaron Beard, Daanish Mehta and Hayden Butterworth – together they produced 41 wickets – no longer part of the fold.
Fortunately, the Cats face cellar dwellers Frankston Peninsula this Saturday to get their season back on track.
Best win:
It might have been a T20 match, but Geelong’s defeat of Melbourne University by 13 runs was badly needed after four consecutive losses and two abandoned games.
It was their first win in nearly two months.
An unbeaten 33 from young star Peake helped the Cats post a formidable 7-172 off its 20 overs before Josh Garner (3-25) and Tom Neate (2-19) restricted their opponents.
And former international Kane Richardson also appeared for the Cats.
Worst loss:
Only the players would know that themselves, but Geelong was well placed at 4-236 chasing Camberwell’s 318 in Round 3 with Peake and the seriously in-form Field at the crease.
However, after Field was dismissed for 20, the Cats would lose 5-11 and ultimately fall 55 runs short at Campberwell Sportsground.
The Cats would go on to lose their next three games and not win again until early December.
Best performer:
After playing the majority of his games in the twos in 23-24, Lachie Field quickly secured his place in the senior team with back-to-back hundreds at the start of the season.
However, special mention must also go to Tom Neate who has already bettered his efforts of 23-24 which yielded 13 wickets at 24.
Only going wicketless in two games, Neate took 4-59 against ladder leaders Carlton and 10 poles from his final five fixtures before the Christmas break.
Best performance:
It’s always important to start the year strongly, and Field did just that, posting the first of his back-to-back scores of 105 against Greenvale Kangaroos in Round 1.
They were timely runs with the Cats stumbling to 3-53 when Field came to the crease after the loss of Blackford for four runs.
He made them at a good clip too, from l26 balls despite only hitting six boundaries.
Rookie of the year:
After shifting to Kardinia Park from Footscray before the 23-24 season, Arjun Sehrawat has found a niche for himself after coming back into the senior team for the T20 fixtures.
The 21-year-old, who was a top up player for the Northern Territory during the under-19 national championships last summer has contributed with the bat and ball.
Originally published as Geelong will look to relaunch its Premier season as the Cats finally return to Kardinia Park
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