AFL 2024: Geelong vs North Melbourne, Cats pile pain on hapless Roos
Jeremy Cameron and Brad Close had a day out on the green this week leading into the Masters, and the pair piled on the pain for the Cats against North Melbourne.
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Jeremy Cameron has a “green light” from coach Chris Scott to roam as he pleases.
Today, for the third consecutive time against North Melbourne, he took the route that runs directly over Kangaroos.
Cameron booted six goals and had 21 telling touches around the ground as his Cats torched North by 75 points at GMHBA Stadium.
It will, come September, surely represent his third consecutive haul of maximum Brownlow Medal votes against North.
The Roos should be thankful that Cameron, in his fourth year at the Cattery, did not face them in 2021 or 2023.
But in the three matches for which he has suited up, “Jezza” now has an extraordinary total of 67 disposals and 17 goals.
And so on top of the world of sport is Cameron that he even managed a own lazy two-under-par round at Portarlington Golf Club recently. His golfing mate Brad Close chimed in with four goals of his own as the Cats’ forwards - even without last-minute withdrawal Tom Hawkins - did as they pleased against a rudderless North.
The gulf between the haves and have-nots appeared as wide as ever as the Cats piled on the season’s highest score and their highest since Round 16 in their premiership year of 2022.
And it could have been far worse had Geelong capitalised on their opening-quarter dominance.
It took North 13 minutes to pierce the centre square, but even then Tom Stewart was on hand to rebound as it crossed the 50m line.
And even when Paul Curtis got his team’s first possession inside the arc right on 15 minutes into the game, he burnt several open teammates and missed his set shot.
To their credit, the Roos pressed hard for the remainder of the quarter and had it not been for a Brad Close goal one second before the first break, they’d have been in touch.
But after the first break, it was left to too few with Harry Sheezel the standout for the visitors, his 38 disposals a career-best and the most by a mile of anyone on the ground.
North suffered a key blow with Tasmanian recruit Colby McKercher taken to hospital with a suspected rib injury.
McKercher, in just his fifth game, came off second best after a clash with Cameron in the first quarter. He went straight to the rooms and didn't return, getting subbed out at quarter-time.
Geelong has now beaten North 12 times in succession.
REVIEW SYSTEM NEEDS REVIEW
The confusion of the goal review system took a new twist when Shannon Neale went “NRL” on a ball as it was rushed over the behind line.
After Ollie Dempsey’s set shot fell short, Neale grabbed the ball and was about to be forced over the line when he “offloaded” it Cameron Smith style to Tyson Stengl, who was subsequently bundled over the line himself. The score review - for an unknown reason given one of the Cats definitely went over the line with the ball - dragged for an age, prompting a slow hand clap from the crowd.
The result, eventually, was “umpire’s call”, which did nothing to appease anyone given there was a clear throw in the middle of the play.
GO SOUTH, YOUNG MAN
Nobody in the press box is qualified to question the tactics of Alastair Clarkson, but you do have to wonder when emerging North backman Charlie Comben seemed to completely lose his radar in the first term. Comben, although in just his 11th career game, would surely have realised that lesson #101 in the Cats’ playbook is to strangle opponents’ transition on the boundary of their uniquely narrow stadium.
So when, from a stoppage, Comben kicked due west from the traditional half-back flank position – with precision to avoid a contest, no less – it leads you to believe it’s tactical.
It might have slowed the rampant Cats for a moment, but it’s almost certainly not the way to a winning score at Kardinia Park.
TANKS VERY MUCH
Connor O’Sullivan will win a lot of friends for his game awareness, athleticism and tank if his debut is anything to go by.
Standing at 198cm – a towering 6 foot 6 in the old measure – the key defender featured in a big defensive contest at the top of the goalsquare midway through the second term.
Then seemingly just seconds later, the former Murray Bushranger bobbed up on the lead at the other end for what could/should have been his first AFL major had the Cats not butchered the centring kick.
Not to be deterred, O’Sullivan sprinted back to his defensive post as the Roos cleared – a certain eye-catcher for the Cats’ selection panel.
SCORES
GEELONG 5.2 12.6 15.10 21.13 139
NORTH MELBOURNE 3.1 4.3 6.4 10.4 64
BEST: Geelong: Cameron, Holmes, O’Connor, Stewart, Close, Bowes.
North Melbourne: Sheezel, Ford, Scott, Nyuon, Drury, Xerri.
GOALS: Geelong: Cameron 6, Close 4, Neale 3, Holmes 2, Stengl 2, O’Connor, O.Henry, Blicavs, Dempsey.
North Melbourne: Ford 3, Larkey 2, Drury 2, Sheezel, Curtis, Powell.
INJURIES: Geelong: Tom Hawkins (late change, managed) replaced in selected side by Shannon Neale.
North Melbourne: Colby McKercher (ribs) replaced by substitute Charlie Lazarro at quarter-time.
CROWD: 31,194 at GMHBA Stadium, Geelong.
VOTES 3: Jeremy Cameron (GEE) 2: Max Holmes (GEE) 1: Harry Sheezel (NM)
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