Geelong kittens fill Joel Selwood void as victory slips out of Cats’ claws

GEELONG was expected to roll over against GWS without Joel Selwood and Daniel Menzel, but the Cats skipper would have been proud by what he saw as victory slipped out of their claws.

Sam Menegola stepped up for the Cats. Picture: Getty Images

THEY said Geelong is too reliant on its star midfielders Joel Selwood and Patrick Dangerfield.

The Cats are lacking good young players coming through, they said, and Geelong is no good playing away from Simonds Stadium.

Cats coach Chris Scott didn’t quite have the last laugh on Saturday night, but he proved some of the doubters wrong as his side fought out a thrilling draw with Greater Western Sydney.

In a final few minutes to savour, both sides had their opportunities to seal the game after scores were levelled at the 21-minute-mark of the final quarter.

A Tom Scully kick punched through for a behind gave a the Giants a one-point lead at the 26-minute-mark before six minutes later, after the siren, Geelong’s Tom Hawkins pulled a shot at goal from 20m out in the pocket to the right to deny his side the four points.

But at least it managed to get away with two.

Wylie Buzza celebrates a goal on debut with teammates Aaron Black and Cam Guthrie. Picture: AAP

Geelong was nothing short of brilliant for much of the match, one it controlled throughout the first three quarters against the odds and led by as much as 20 points during the third quarter.

Under a cloud all week, courageous captain Selwood pulled out of the game four hours before the first bounce after his heavy concussion against Fremantle last Sunday.

Bookmaker TAB wound the Cats out to as much as $4.50 on the back of the news, after they had been $3.25 on Friday.

More turmoil came after the warm up at Spotless Stadium, forward Daniel Menzel a last-minute withdrawal with knee soreness.

By that stage, anyone who tipped the Cats would have been kicking themselves.

A dejected Tom Hawkins after the siren. Picture: Getty Images

The losses meant three debutants took to the field for the visitors at Spotless Stadium — Zach Guthrie, Wylie Buzza and Sam Simspon.

The last time that happened was Round 2, 2001 when Gary Ablett, Jimmy Bartel and David Johnson all played their first games.

While Selwood could only watch on from the coaches’ box in the dying stages, the skipper would have been proud with what his side was able to do, from the debutants to the cream of the crop.

Scott said as much.

“Torn, obviously. But if I had to pick one side or the other of the equation it would be positive. We’re really proud of the effort our guys put in under really difficult circumstances,” Scott said.

“I think the conclusion from the game will be we were really under pressure and we could have rolled over even pre-game. But we didn’t and that’s an admirable trait in players and teams.

“In the end I suspect Tom’s really disappointed that he didn’t knock the goal over from a really acute angle.

“But hopefully when the dust settles a little bit, he will be proud that he was the man in the arena at the end when it really counted.”

Patrick Dangerfield had an extraordinary game despite the absence of Joel Selwood. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Dangerfield went to another level in the absence of his partner in crime, having 15 disposals in the first quarter and finishing with 45 touches, 13 clearances and a goal for the match.

Sam Menegola also stepped up in the midfield, collecting 33 disposals and a goal, while Duncan was also impressive with 26 touches.

Buzza finished as the side’s only multiple goalkicker up forward, while Harry Taylor was colossal down back.

But it was the Cats’ ability to defend the Giants’ go-to game that was the biggest strength, slick transition end-to-end play from the home side few and far between.

The draw was the first in GWS’s history and the first of the 2017 season.

While Scott admitted post-game there had been better spectacles this season, it certainly showed these two teams will be there when the whips are cracking deep in September.

DANGERFIELD’S DAMAGING FINAL QUARTER

SuperCoach points: 98

Disposals: 13

Contested possessions: 7

Metres gained: 317

Clearances: 4

Goals: 1

Total SuperCoach score: 196

Source: Champion Data

Originally published as Geelong kittens fill Joel Selwood void as victory slips out of Cats’ claws