Geelong is perfectly placed to better preliminary final appearance this year
PATRICK Dangerfield is on track for an all-time season, the midfield depth has improved and Zach Tuohy is a recruit of the year contender. Geelong are perfectly placed, writes Jon Ralph.
OK, let’s not waste words banging on about how Patty Dangerfield is a handy type.
Or how the Western Districts members with turned-up collars love the new stand at Simonds Stadium, old chap.
The only thing that only matters for high-achieving Geelong this year is how it sets it upself up for that tilt at a premiership.
No point quibbling over whether the Cats are in decline or how much they rely on “DangerWood”.
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When you are a side that has lost six of its last eight finals since the 2011 premiership, getting back there is the only thing that matters.
Last year Geelong was 9-3 and with an incredible percentage of 139 but eventually let it all slip in that stinker of a preliminary final.
The rousing news for Geelong’s fans is despite a worrying three-game slump, there is reason to believe the Cats are in a superior position.
All right, we have to talk about Dangerfield for a second.
He has 326 possessions and an incredible 22 goals, on track for a season like Gary Ablett’s 756-disposal, 44-goal 2010.
How Ablett didn’t win the Brownlow that year still stuns us, but the point is that like Geelong, Dangerfield has added another string to his bow.
He is a much more dangerous player than the one who amassed 39 touches, nine inside-50s and a single goal in that prelim.
It is well documented how well-rounded the midfield has become, with Joel Selwood and Mitch Duncan also over 300 possessions for the year.
Tackling machine Scott Selwood is back in his 2012 best-and-fairest form at West Coast while Nakia Cockatoo and Steven Motlop still flash hot and cold.
Mark Blicavs has turned the corner after a poor year and Brandan Parfitt was a shining light before injury and will return in 4-6 weeks.
Overall, the midfield has achieved its stated aim of better delivery to forwards which results in a better percentage of inside 50s to goals.
When you lose one of the greatest small defenders in AFL history (Corey Enright) you can’t consider how you might improve.
But across half-back the Cats have arguably the recruit of the year in Zach Tuohy and perhaps the best state-league recruit in Tom Stewart.
With Tom Lonergan still battling away and Lachie Henderson hugely rated inside the club, the defence keeps getting it done.
If you were told Harry Taylor had nine goals in 11 games - and five of them in one match - you would have to consider him an unmitigated failure as a forward.
All Geelong cares about is that he is a selfless team player who helps their forward line function better as Tom Hawkins and Daniel Menzel feast on one-on-ones.
That forward line still hums along nicely but desperately needs a chase-down tackler like Lincoln McCarthy or Corey Gregson (out indefinitely) to return.
So with five more Simonds Stadium games the key is nailing that top-two spot, with Geelong four points off GWS and Adelaide but with a game in hand.
They move the ball better, have a deeper midfield, bounce quicker off half-back and have multiple avenues to goal.
But as for judging them?
Let’s wait until those final weeks of September.
ROBBO SAYS ...
Geelong’s season is like the movie Ben Hur.
Plenty of subplots, big performances and lost and regained trust in each other, but it’s the end which will define this season.
The Cats need to get back to the prelim and do their work and, after the past three weeks, have shaped themselves to be one of the stronger teams to content.
“DangerWood” is superb, there’s vast improvement in Mitch Duncan, Zac Smith is throwing his weight around, Scott Selwood is a plus, so is Harry Taylor in attack finally, and defensively the Cats are pressing the stuffing out of teams.
Not doing a lot wrong to this point. Nicely set up.
COONEY SAYS ...
Dangerwood, Selcan, Meneguthrie, Cocklop, Hendergan, Horsmith (OK, that last one is one person sans hyphen, but whatever).
The Cats are more than just the brilliance of the dynamic duo at the moment. The supporting cast has also stepped up to share the load (partnerships mentioned above).
Zach Smith is in career-best form, even Harry Taylor has found some touch after looking like a newborn giraffe stumbling around the forward 50 in the first 6-8 weeks of the year.
Have beaten quality teams in the Dogs, Crows and Port in recent weeks to suggest they are in for the long haul come September. It’s time to take them very seriously as contenders.
SEASON SNAPSHOT
POSITION: 3rd
WINS: 8
LOSSES: 3
PERCENTAGE: 117.30%
A CLOSER LOOK
THE STAR: PATRICK DANGERFIELD
A month where he battled rib damage is the only asterisk on yet another stunning year for a player averaging almost 30 touches and two goals a game.
SURPRISE PACKET: TOM STEWART
Geelong had to use pick No.40 to snaffle Highton boy Tom Stewart, but he has slotted into the defensive six seamlessly. He had his hero moment on Robbie Gray but he’s adding offensive punch too.
GONE BACKWARDS: MARK BLICAVS
Has turned his season around with two excellent performances but before that looked lost. No third man up stuff and used the ball poorly when he did get it.
TRADING PLACES
COMING?
With the recent arrivals of Patrick Dangerfield, Lachie Henderson and Zach Tuohy, it’s hard to see the Cats luring a big fish this off-season. Instead, the club would be well advised to replenish it’s youth stocks after trading away so many high picks in recent years.
GOING?
Steven Motlop continues to attract trade scuttlebut but a solid second half of the season should see him stay at Geelong. Players aren’t prone to leaving clubs in the premiership window. The only exception could be if the Cats are hunting a replacement first-round draft pick.
THE STORY SO FAR
Round 1: Fremantle, 42-point win
Round 2: North Melbourne, 1-point win
Round 3: Melbourne, 29-point win
Round 4: Hawthorn, 86-point win
Round 5: St Kilda, 38-point win
Round 6: Collingwood, 29-point loss
Round 7: Gold Coast, 25-point loss
Round 8: Essendon, 17-point loss
Round 9: Western Bulldogs, 23-point win
Round 10: Adelaide, 22-point win
THE RUN HOME
Round 13: West Coast, Subiaco
Round 14: Fremantle, Simonds Stadium
Round 15: GWS Giants, Spotless Stadium
Round 16: Brisbane, Gabba
Round 17: Hawthorn, MCG
Round 18: Adelaide, Adelaide Oval
Round 19: Carlton, Etihad Stadium
Round 20: Sydney, Simonds Stadium
Round 21: Richmond, Simonds Stadium
Round 22: Collingwood, MCG
Round 23: GWS Giants Simonds Stadium
TAB FINALS ANALYSIS
Odds for eight: suspended
Odds for flag: $7
The Cats are well placed for a flag tilt, but their second half of the season is not without its challenges. They face GWS twice and will also meet the likes of Richmond, Sydney and Adelaide on the road.
THE STATS THAT MATTER
RANKING POINTS
125 - Patrick Dangerfield
116 - Joel Selwood
105 - Mitch Duncan
105 - Scott Selwood
98 - Sam Menegola
DISPOSALS
29.6 - Patrick Dangerfield
29.3 - Joel Selwood
28.4 - Mitch Duncan
26.5 - Zach Tuohy
23.6 - Sam Menegola
KICK RATING
+11.0% - Jackson Thurlow
+10.1% - Cameron Guthrie
+8.9% - George Horlin-Smith
+7.4% - Andrew Mackie
+6.5% - Steven Motlop
CONTESTED POSSESSIONS
17.5 - Patrick Dangerfield
15.6 - Joel Selwood
9.6 - Sam Menegola
8.3 - George Horlin-Smith
8.1 - Mitch Duncan
UNCONTESTED POSSESSIONS
17.1 - Mitch Duncan
14.7 - Zach Tuohy
14.4 - Andrew Mackie
13.6 - Sam Menegola
13.0 - Steven Motlop
METRES GAINED
485 - Zach Tuohy
450 - Patrick Dangerfield
431 - Mitch Duncan
384 - Joel Selwood
345 - Sam Menegola
INTERCEPT POSSESSIONS
7.1 - Lachie Henderson
5.7 - Andrew Mackie
5.6 - Tom Lonergan
5.1 - Zach Tuohy
4.5 - Tom Ruggles
SCORE INVOLVEMENTS
7.9 - Joel Selwood
7.3 - Patrick Dangerfield
7.1 - Steven Motlop
7.0 - Mitch Duncan
7.0 - Sam Menegola
PRESSURE POINTS
80.2 - Scott Selwood
54.9 - Joel Selwood
49.7 - Mitch Duncan
45.2 - Patrick Dangerfield
41.9 - Sam Menegola
GOALS
30 - Tom Hawkins
25 - Daniel Menzel
22 - Patrick Dangerfield
13 - Steven Motlop
9 - Harry Taylor
Originally published as Geelong is perfectly placed to better preliminary final appearance this year
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