AFL 2023 Gold Coast v Geelong: All the reaction as reigning premiers take another big hit
Geelong coach Chris Scott has spoken about the necessary steps the reigning premiers must take as they come to terms with being in uncharted territory — winless and last on the ladder.
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Geelong coach Chris Scott is refusing to “overreact” to his side’s third straight loss, which is the worst start to a season from a reigning premier in almost 50 years.
The Cats are now 0-3 after a disappointing 19-point loss to the Suns on the Gold Coast on Sunday, with Patrick Dangerfield still yet to captain a win since taking over from the retired Joel Selwood.
They’re missing their former skipper, with the Cats smashed 39-23 in the clearances on Sunday, which Scott labelled an “area of concern”.
Their last win came in the grand final, and Scott admitted after the loss his side was “a bit off”.
“There’s very little chance we’ll overreact, but you also need to react,” Scott said.
“It’s not a matter of just saying ‘she’ll be right.’
“There are some parts of our game that are off and we need to fix them as quickly as we can.”
Geelong is now the first reigning premier since 1976 to start a season with a 0-3 record.
The two-time premiership coach said he was curious to see the response from his players.
The Cats will face Hawthorn (MCG), West Coast (Adelaide Oval) and Sydney (GMHBA) in the coming rounds.
“We haven’t been tested in a position where we’ve lost three in a row in a while, so in a way I’m kind of looking forward to that,” he said.
“It’s easy to say the words when things are going smoothly but it’s been rare for us to actually get the opportunity to show how you can respond and fix things.
“Clearly we’re a bit off (and) have been in the early part of the year.
“I don’t think we’ve been horrible but the competition is tight now.
“Our execution is off…there are some things that are really obvious to us and we went in eyes wide open with a few of our guys early in the year that will get better as the year goes on.
“Then are some other parts to our game and our personnel that are a bit off for reasons that are harder to explain.”
They should get Mitch Duncan and defender Jake Kolodjashnij back for the Easter Monday blockbuster.
Scott said Sam De Koning had told him he was “fine” after being subbed out following a nasty head knock.
Unfamiliar Cats equal abysmal 47-year record
A long range, 73m bomb by Gold Coast Suns forward Jack Lukosius has consigned reigning premier Geelong to a dismal 0-3 start to the season.
Lukosius had a breakout performance and proved the matchwinner with five goals to inspire Gold Coast to a hard earned 10.13 (73) to 7.12 (54) victory at Heritage Bank Stadium
The Cats are now the first reigning premier since 1976 to start a season with a 0-3 record.
Their last win came in the grand final, and Patrick Dangerfield remains winless as the Cats’ new skipper.
It was Gold Coast’s first win of the season in club favourite David Swallow’s 200th game.
After a scrappy contest in which both teams kicked inaccurately, a good tackle by Joel Jeffrey allowed Noah Anderson to pounce and put the Suns up by seven points just before three quarter-time.
The margin became 11 points midway through the final term when Charlie Ballard kicked truly from 50m out.
The Cats hit back through the subbed on Gary Rohan, before a 73 metre bomb by Lukosius with seven minutes left put the home side up by 13 points.
Further goals to Alex Sexton and Lukosius’ fifth sealed Suns coach Stuart Dew’s first win over Geelong.
Cat Sam De Koning has been in the wars this season and it continued on Sunday when he suffered a horror head clash with Nick Holman.
De Koning was subbed out and was sporting a nasty shiner afterwards.
Sun Sam Flanders (knee) was also subbed out during the third term.
KING’S DAY OF DOWNS AND UPS
It was clear from the opening seconds that Suns spearhead Ben King was running very low on confidence.
He spilled a mark he probably should have taken, then it only got worse.
In the first half he then spilled a further two sitters and missed a goal he should have kicked.
The result from one of those efforts was a quick turnover and a goal to former Sun Jack Bowes.
King bounced back with mark with a chest mark and goal in the third term and finished the game strongly.
YIPS, YIPS AND MORE YIPS
It was the first time since 2017 the Suns have led Geelong at half-time in a match.
The margin was three points, but the home side should have led by much more.
Gold Coast kicked a horrendous 3.9 in the first half, while the Cats kicked 3.6.
STEWART BACK WITH A BANG
When Cats vice-captain Tom Stewart hobbled off the MCG in round 1 with a knee injury, it looked all but certain he’d miss weeks.
He missed just one.
Stewart made an earlier than expected return on the Gold Coast on Sunday and had 30 touches.
SWALLOW MAKES HISTORY
Swallow was the No.1 draft pick all the way back in 2010 before the then fledgling club was yet to play its first game.
Fittingly, he became the first Suns player to reach 200 games on Sunday.
Loyal to Gold Coast while many others have fled, there are very few players in the AFL who deserve success more than Swallow.
SCOREBOARD
GOLD COAST2.3 3.9 6.11 10.13 (73)
GEELONG 3.4 3.6 5.10 7.12 (54)
GOALS
Suns: Lukosius 5, Jeffrey, King, Anderson, Ballard, Sexton
Cats: Cameron 3, Rohan 2, Dangerfield, Bowes
SMART’S BEST
Suns: Lukosius, Rowell, Weller, Macpherson, Casboult, Holman, Witts, Swallow
Cats: Stewart, Cameron, Guthrie, Smith, Atkins
INJURIES
Cats: De Koning (head)
Suns: Flanders (knee)
VENUE
Heritage Bank Stadium
NICK SMART’S VOTES
3- Jack Lukusius (GC)
2- Matt Rowell (GC)
1- Lachie Weller (GC)
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Originally published as AFL 2023 Gold Coast v Geelong: All the reaction as reigning premiers take another big hit
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