AFL round 11 Geelong v Western Bulldogs: Cats hold on in 127-113 thriller over Bailey Smith’s former side
The Bulldogs clawed their way back into the showdown with Bailey Smith, before the Cats did just enough in a classic. But should Dogs fans feel aggrieved by the umpires?
Geelong has ended the Western Bulldogs’ winning run at Kardinia Park in the hugely anticipated, first battle for the Bailey Smith Cup, downing the most in-form team in the competition in an absolute Kardinia Park thriller.
Scores were level with just minutes remaining before emerging tall Shannon Neale ran onto a brilliant Jeremy Cameron inside 50 to give the Cats a six-point advantage.
Later, a pass just went over Buku Khamis’ fingertips after finding himself all alone 30m in front of goals in another wasted Dogs entry.
RECAP THE GAME AND THE SUPERCOACH TAKEAWAYS BELOW
Neale’s fifth after a free kick would ice it, while Cameron also bagged six in the 14-point victory.
However, the Dogs’ inaccuracy will give coach Luke Beveridge nightmares for weeks, in the 20.7 (127) to 16.17 (113) defeat, recording five posters.
On the plus side, the Dogs had appeared done and dusted before two goals to Matt Kennedy and Buku Khamis apiece and 11 Ed Richards possessions in the third got the visitors back into the contest.
Earlier, the Cats’ pressure turned the visitors into a fumbling, mid-table outfit in a game-changing second term.
The Dogs had got the chocolates the last two occasions at Kardinia Park, but this time the Cats did it without skipper Patrick Dangerfield.
The match lived up to the hype with 10 majors in the first term.
However, the Cats screamed away with 6.3 to 1.5 in the second with some of its best footy of the season, killing the Dogs on turnover as the visitors burnt their opportunities forward of the ball.
The talk pre-game was all about Bailey Smith but what will stick in the memory was the Cats’ fierce pressure as they made Dogs butterfingered by comparison – Lawson Humphries applying some momentum-stopping tackles.
The Cats were also able to keep the Dog’s premier movers in Tom Liberatore, Marcus Bontempelli, Matt Kennedy and Ed Richards relatively quiet as handballs missed the mark and the visitors lost their velvet touch.
The Dogs would bark back in the second half, but couldn’t make the most of a 56-51 inside 50 count.
CAMERON TAKES THE LEAD
Jezza’s hot form continued on Thursday night after bagging seven goals against Port Adelaide last round.
He was initially manned by Rory Lobb, who kept him quiet at the same venue in July last year, but Cameron wasn’t perturbed to put Geelong’s first on the board inside two minutes from the boundary.
It was a sign of things to come as he took the lead in the Coleman Medal by the end of the match, finishing with six for the night.
Lobb still had his moments, taking a number of strong intercept grabs, but it was Cameron’s brilliance which helped Geelong take control of the contest in a scintillating second term.
Tom Stewart
The Cats’ stand-in captain, who had missed the past three matches with knee soreness and was hobbling badly against Carlton, made a strong return early against the Dogs.
Filling in for Patrick Dangerfield due to a hamstring strain, the five-time All-Australian was again the general down back and pulled down a few early intercepts to find his feet.
His importance wasn’t lost on VFL champion and broadcaster Gerard Healey.
“There isn’t a premiership for Geelong without Tom Stewart,” he said.
NO DANGER, NO WORRIES
Tyson Stengle, the 2022 All-Australian, had threatened to recapture his best form in the second half against the Giants, and he was busy in the opening half with some early assists to Cameron for majors.
The Cats needed an offensive lift after a hamstring injury to Patrick Dangerfield, with Stengle booting 11 goals from 10 games coming into Thursday night.
Pre-match, Healy said Indigenous players love kicking goals during Sir Doug Nicholls Round and Stengle was due.
“They need him to fire,” Healy said.
An over the shoulder handball on the half back line which set up a running goal for Max Holmes was just that, fire.
Meanwhile, tall Shannon Neale had his moments, kicking five and pouching a towering grab in the third term.
Then there was a clutch left foot snap from the boundary by Ollie Dempsey. Compared to the Dogs, the Cats couldn’t miss.
BAILEY DALE BROUGHT BACK TO EARTH, LITERALLY
The classy rebounder broke a club record with 49 touches last Saturday night against the hapless Bombers, but he didn’t have it his way against the Cats.
Caught holding the ball by Shaun Mannagh in the Dogs’ defensive 50, leading to the Werribee recruit’s first goal, it was a decision labelled “bull****” by the usually erudite Gerard Healy.
Like a few of his Dogs contemporaries, Dale didn’t get near the pill, with just nine to half time.
SCOREBOARD
GEELONG 5.1 11.4 16.5 20.7 (127)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 5.4 6.9 13.13 16.17 (113)
BEST
Cats: Jeremy Cameron, Bailey Smith, Shannon Neale, Max Holmes, Shaun Mannagh.
Bulldogs: Matt Kennedy, Ed Richards, Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Liberatore, Aaron Naughton.
GOALS
Cats: Cameron 6, Neale 5, Mannagh, Stengle 2, Blicavs, O. Henry, Atkins, Holmes, Dempsey.
Bulldogs: Naughton 3, Vandermeer, Khamis, Kennedy, Richards 2, West, Davidson, English, Freljah.
INJURIES Cats: Bulldogs:
At GMHBA Stadium
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
BEN CAMERON’S VOTES
3 Jeremy Cameron (GEE)
2 Bailey Smith (GEE)
1 Shannon Neale (GEE)
Originally published as AFL round 11 Geelong v Western Bulldogs: Cats hold on in 127-113 thriller over Bailey Smith’s former side
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