AFL: Geelong Cats make statement with enormous Eagles win

The Geelong Cats have recovered from a scrappy performance last week to thrash the West Coast Eagles at home on Saturday afternoon.

Tom Hawkins proved a handful for the Eagles’ backline.

An irresistible Geelong outfit made an almighty statement at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday afternoon, destroying the West Coast Eagles by 97 points in Jeremy Cameron’s long-awaited club debut.

Cameron joined Tom Hawkins in the forward fifty, with the Cats finally unleashing their Coleman Medal-winning duo up forward. Struggling to have an impact through the first quarter and half, Cameron unglued the Geelong fans from their seats with a beautiful left foot snap at the river end 20 minutes into the second quarter as direct opponent Jeremy McGovern hobbled from the field with a groin injury.

Minutes later, he dribbled another one home from 40 metres out on the boundary, saluted the delirious fans and the party had well and truly started.

The two quick goals came in the middle of a stunning burst of 13-straight Geelong majors between the 27-minute mark of the first quarter to the 3-minute mark of the third, with Cameron and Tom Hawkins roaming the forward 50 in ominous fashion.

It was total domination all over the ground for Geelong, but the story was in the forward line, where Cameron finished with three goals from nine disposals and Hawkins added three of his own goals and 11 score involvements in a sparkling debut of the club’s dynamic pair.

After a sputtering start to the season, it was the ultimate reminder of Geelong’s capabilities, and a stunning response to the news that superstar midfielder Patrick Dangerfield is set for an extended period on the sideline with a syndesmosis injury.

The loss was the Eagles’ third for the season and the biggest of Adam Simpson’s senior coaching career.

“We got annihilated in every aspect of the game which was really disappointing,” Simpson said.

“It was an embarrassing performance after quarter time, and you get what you deserve in the game really. Had a go in the first quarter, quite competitive in the first quarter, around the contest, field position. In the second quarter we just got blown away.

“Absolutely no excuses for what we did. You can lose over here, it happens, but you want to be a brand you’re proud of. We’re not at Geelong’s level at the moment. They put the foot down and we couldn’t stop it.”

Jeremy Cameron (L) won’t forget his first game for the Cats any time soon.

“We played much more like the way we’ve been trying to play,” Cats coach Chris Scott said after the game.

“I thought the execution after quarter time was obviously exceptional.”

DUNCAN UNCORKS THE BARREL

The icing on the cake of an irresistible second term came after the siren when Mitch Duncan was taken high and awarded a free kick 55 metres out on the boundary. A beautiful executor of the drop punt, Duncan elected to uncork an old-fashioned torpedo, with the sherrin sailing over the outstretched hands of the West Coast defenders.

ROHAN’S GOOD LUCK CHARM

One of the main beneficiaries of Cameron’s inclusion in the side was livewire Gary Rohan, who got off the chain to kick three goals from 13 disposals. Now in his third season with the Cats, it was the eighth time Rohan has kicked three or more goals in a game with the club.

Geelong’s record in those games? 8-0.

HENDO SNEAKS FORWARD

Starting his career as a forward in stints with Brisbane and Carlton, Lachie Henderson has found himself firmly planted in the backline since crossing to Geelong prior to the 2016 season. Entering this afternoon, Henderson had kicked ten goals in 73 games with Geelong and hadn’t kicked two in a game since round 22, 2016.

Manning his usual post down back, the 31-year-old snuck forward to kick two in the third quarter alone, trudging back to defence with a huge smile on his face.

CATS 2.3 12.4 18.7 21.10 (136)

EAGLES 3.2 3.3 4.4 5.9 (39)

PITMAN’S BEST

CATS Duncan, Guthrie, Hawkins, Stewart, Selwood, Henderson, Rohan

EAGLES Naitanui, Gaff, Witherden

GOALS

CATS Duncan 4, Cameron 3, Rohan 3, Hawkins 3, Henderson 2, Close, Henry, Miers, O’Connor, Stanley, Menegola

EAGLES Allen 2, Brander, Darling, Vardy,

INJURIES

CATS O’Connor (hamstring), Kolodjashnij (knee)

EAGLES McGovern (groin)

UMPIRES Curtis Deboy, Brendan Hosking, Cameron Dore

VENUE GMHBA Stadium

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

PITMAN’S VOTES

3 Duncan

2 Guthrie

1 Hawkins

Originally published as AFL: Geelong Cats make statement with enormous Eagles win