Geelong’s high-scoring form cools despite mini revival against the Brisbane Lions
Geelong’s high-scoring form has been cooled by a strong Brisbane Lions defence and their own wayward entries, but there was another key indicator which made for ugly reading.
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The speeding train which has been Geelong over the past month has been ground to a halt by the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba.
But not before a mini revival from the men in hoops, who dramatically evened up a lopsided inside 50 count late in the game to draw within 11 points, as Jeremy Cameron, Ollie Henry and Tyson Stengle emerged late as forward threats.
Like most of the Cats forward line, Cameron had been a non factor – though partially due to a lack of forward thrusts – before an errant Lions defensive pass landed in his hands midway through the third term, effectively giftwrapping his first major for the match.
After trailing by 25 points at the last break, a margin which felt vaster on a night where six-pointers were hard to find, the Cats finally found the fluent footy of its past four rounds and played with more dare.
When the reigning premiers went coast to coast via Isaac Smith into the waiting hands of Cameron for his third, the game had changed and the Cats were coming.
And nerves would have seeped into the Lions’ collective mindset after their fade out against the Demons last round.
However, a stunning mark and clutch goal to a brilliant-on-the-night Callum Ah Chee – as Will Ashcroft was being taken off with a knee complaint – stopped Geelong’s press.
With the game still up for grabs, an errant, inside 50 pass from Zac Tuohy that picked out Ah Chee all alone summed up the visitors’ inability to regularly find forward connection.
The Cats were also made to pay for a smashing in clearances, 49-22, while the Lions’ tackling was fierce, with plenty of double-team efforts.
Earlier, it was billed as a round 19 blockbuster.
However, the opening term was anything but, with neither side producing their best football, kicking substandard and precise finishing seriously lacking.
While the Lions would eventually get some scoreboard substance for a dominant forward entry count, it didn’t improve for the visitors until later in the game.
That came when Patrick Dangerfield produced his second, team-lifting bomb, and Cameron worked his way into the contest, initially through Brisbane defensive errors.
The Cats, who had rediscovered their scoring mojo over the past month, including two 100-plus scores, were kept goalless in an opening quarter for the first time since round 15, 2021.
In an ominous sign, it was the only game the Cats have dropped to Brisbane over the past six matches.
The late withdrawal of Gary Rohan also proved to be telling, who had kicked five majors over the past month.
And without a captain’s effort from Dangerfield, with just under seven minutes to play, it could very easily have been a goalless first half.
With just 15 forward entries for the half, Geelong appeared to blow most of them.
The stats sheet showed the Lions got more out of their forwards with Ah Chee the most prolific ball winner to half time, while Joe Daniher, Eric Hipwood and former Cat Lincoln McCarthy slotted two each and were threats at different stages.
The final three would all convert brilliantly from the boundary line in the opening half.
However, Cameron, in his second game back after concussion, had just five first half touches while Tyson Stengle, Brad Close, Ollie Henry and Tom Hawkins were also extremely quiet, with 14 possessions between them.
Admittedly, forward 50 opportunities were not quite as fruitful as previous matches
A Brisbane defence, including Harris Andrews, Keidean Coleman, Jack Payne, Ryan Lester and Jaspa Fletcher, was tough to penetrate.
Despite a strong recent record against the Lions, a trip to the Gabba is one of the toughest in the AFL, so the Geelong did well to respond after a listless first half and almost steal the match.
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