AFL Brisbane v Geelong: Undefeated Cats get it done at the Gabba

Geelong remain the only undefeated side of 2024, but the win came at a cost with a star defender to miss their blockbuster clash with Carlton next week.

Chris Scott took a page from the English Premier League playbook to sink the Lions on a soggy Saturday night at the Gabba.

The Cats coach contrived a counterpunching game plan that cut the hosts to pieces in scenes reminiscent of Jose Mourinho’s great Chelsea sides of the 2010s: park the bus at one end and hit them with speed on the counter.

Blink and you might have missed it. The Lions certainly did. Such was the game breaking ability of Max Holmes and Tyson Stengle, who combined to drag the Cats back into the contest with a 10-minute purple patch in the second quarter.

As is tradition at the Gabba this season, Brisbane dominated the territory battle for the first quarter and change but failed to put it on the scoreboard.

When the hosts owned the momentum early in the match the Cats suffocated the ball in defensive 50 and bided their time.

Then came the circuit breaker.

Jack Bowes celebrates kicking a goal. Picture: Getty Images

The Lions were charging forward once again but for a skewed kick from the outside of Lachie Neale’s boot which trickled into the path of Holmes at defensive 50.

The Cats’ speedster turned on the jets and with three steps he was in the clear – and Stengle already on his bike back towards goal. Holmes hit his forward on the chest and Stengle jogged into an open goal to bring the Cats within a kick.

Minutes later Stengle turned provider with an almost carbon copy play as the Cats slingshot from defense with the forward this time finding Ollie Henry running back toward goal.

It became the theme of the night in Brisbane, with the Lions unable to find space inside 50 and the Cats sometimes having too much of it.

A selfless Stengle could have put the game to bed in the third quarter only to spurn two opportunities inside 50 by choosing to pass off instead.

But it mattered little given the Lions’ horrid inaccuracy up the other end.

Jarrod Berry played his best game of the season but he had two set shots in the third quarter he will want to have back.

When Brad Close slotted from a similar angle just before three-quarter-time the alarm bells were ringing.

Brad Close hunts the ball. Picture: Getty Images

If you told Scott on Friday night his Cats would leave the Gabba victorious while both Jeremy Cameron and Tom Hawkins remained goalless, he might have raised an eyebrow.

But in the wet the Cats’ smalls showed all of their class, while their Lions counterparts were barely sighted.

Charlie Cameron finished the night with eight touches and just 37 metres gained and Lohmann was similarly quiet.

Even in defeat this season the Lions dominated the territory battle, especially at home. But their bread and butter stats – inside 50 and clearance differential – were swallowed up by the Cats.

Patrick Dangerfield’s return came at the perfect time for the wet weather arm wrestle in Brisbane.

Geelong needed its contested bull at the coalface and he delivered the kind of gritty performance that won’t be long remembered but will be well-celebrated at the Cattery this week.

The skipper capped his return with 20 disposals, six tackles and a game-high six score involvements.

His performance anchored Geelong’s first win at the Gabba since the 2020 preliminary final.

But the Cats’ snatch and grab came at a high price, with star defender Tom Stewart subbed out with concussion at halftime.

Tom Stewart was subbed out with concussion. Picture: Getty Images

It means the vice-captain will miss next week’s clash with Carlton and the Blues’ in-form forward line that put GWS to the sword on Saturday afternoon.

As for Brisbane, it’s a third consecutive defeat at home – unknown territory for Chris Fagan’s side over the past five years.

And this loss will be particularly hard to stomach for the Lions coach, given how it unfolded.

With just five days to lick their wounds before an Anzac Day blockbuster against the Giants – a game they will enter without starting ruck Oscar McInerney, who was subbed out with concussion – Brisbane’s back is against the wall once more.

SCOREBOARD

Brisbane Lions 2.5, 3.8, 4.11, 4.13 (37)

Geelong Cats 2.1, 4.4, 6.6, 9.9 (63)

GOALS - Lions: Zorko 2 McCarthy 1 Berry 1 Cats: Stengle, Henry 2 Bowes, O’Connor, Close, Miers, Parfitt 1

Stadium: Gabba

Crowd: 30,429

Best

Lions: Berry, Zorko, Dunkley, McCarthy

Cats: Bruhn, Miers, Duncan, Henry

VOTES

3 Gryan Miers

2 Dayne Zorko

1 Jarrod Berry

Injuries

Lions - McInerny (concussion)

Cats – Stewart (concussion)

Originally published as AFL Brisbane v Geelong: Undefeated Cats get it done at the Gabba