AFL Round 21 Geelong v Adelaide: All the news and analysis as the Cats win a thriller over Crows

He may not have been able to help drag the Crows over the line for an unlikely victory in Geelong, but coach Matthew Nicks has declared Josh Rachele’s performance his best AFL game.

Ben Cameron

@BenCameron4

5 min read

August 4, 2024 - 8:58AM

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Young Crows forward Josh Rachele having his best game in the tri colours on Saturday night against a top four aspirant was a massive positive from the Crows’ heartbreaking five-point loss at Kardinia Park on Saturday night, senior coach Matthew Nicks says.

Rachele got seriously involved as the Crows strung four quick goals together towards the end of the third term to pinch the lead for the first time against the Cats.

Alongside man mountain Riley Thilthorpe and Jordan Dawson in the middle, the pair were central to the Crows ability to stay in the game and then almost pinch it.

GEELONG, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 03: Josh Rachele of the Crows celebrates a goal during the round 21 AFL match between Geelong Cats and Adelaide Crows at GMHBA Stadium, on August 03, 2024, in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

“It would be a big call but I think that’s the best game he’s played since coming to the footy club,” Nicks said.

“I hope I’m not being disrespectful to him because he’s had some good games across the short journey so far.

“I don’t know what his stats were, I don’t care what his stats were, but he put his head over it and competed for us.”

If Nicks does end up caring, the numbers show the 21-year-old, playing in his 55th game for the Crows, picked up 14 touches and two marks inside 50 to go with his three goals.

But Nicks was most happy with his intent.

“I was actually really proud to watch him go out there today,” Nicks said.

The Crows keep bringing the heat and stay within touch ðŸ‘

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“I thought he was the difference, especially in that period where we started to get ourselves back into it.

“It’s a team game but I thought he led from the front.”

With Thilthorpe emerging as a serious game breaker early in the fourth quarter after a massive roost to put the Crows nine points up, he and Taylor Walker, and Darcy Fogarty early, gave the Cats some headaches in the air.

Especially after young defender Sam De Koning was subbed out with a knee issue with two minutes remaining in the third term.

While the Crows were beaten easily for forward entries (58-42), contested possessions (155-132) and clearances (53-33), the visitors still put themselves in a position to pinch the game.

However, the Cats stormed home and won the territory battle in the final term, keeping the ball largely tucked inside their forward half while served by some brilliant defensive efforts to deny the Crows a potential knockout punch.

“We had an opportunity tonight if we were good enough in the last few minutes of the game,” Nicks said.

“They lifted (in the last).

“We’ve got a lot to work with (forward of the ball) … and at times we did dominate the air when we went forward.

“We will fight, we’ll give everything we possibly can, tonight was almost like we were on the ropes, covered up … tried to throw a couple of punches back at them.”

He praised the defence for its ability to intercept at times – although it was also a bit lax, too, especially when Jeremy Cameron snapped a low ball into a vacant goal square.

He said the returning Matt Crouch, Josh Worrell and Nick Murray, who was strong down back, would be better for the run while Jordan Dawson was huge for the Crows with 27 touches (nine contested) and four inside 50s.

THILTHORPE-LED CROWS LEARN FAMILIAR LESSON IN CATS THRILLER

For the second time in three games, some tall timber up forward has given Geelong some major headaches, but this time the Cats snuck home by five points in an absolute thriller at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday evening.

A strong-willed Geelong snuck home through Jeremy Cameron’s biggest bag since April and Lawson Humphries’ first in footy, which created a roar that would have been heard on the city’s foreshore.

It was fitting that Cameron sealed the match with his sixth with just minutes to play – turning a 10-point deficit earlier in the term as Riley Thilthorpe loomed large – into an 11-point buffer.

Josh Rachele would reduce the margin to five points with his third major with less than a minute to run but the Cats held on for its most stirring win at home in 2024.

Jeremy Cameron celebrates his sixth goal to seal the game for Geelong. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Post-match, Humphries said it was “pretty epic” to kick his first six-pointer at the level but had been feeding off the energy of nearly 29,000 at GMHBA Stadium, as the Cats won 13.12 (90) to 13.7 (85).

The only downer for the Cats, who kept their top four aspirations alive, was an apparent knee injury to Sam De Koning who was escorted from the field amid four Crows goals in red time in the third term.

Earlier, Taylor Walker, Thilthorpe and Darcy Forgarty had kept the Crows in the game in the opening half with their aerial prowess as the Cats dominated all the key midfield numbers and inside 50s.

Then, four Crows goals in red time in the third through Rachele, Ben Keays and Jake Soligo gave the visitors the lead for the first time.

What a time for Lawson Humphries to kicks his first AFL goal!@Coles | #AFLCatsCrows pic.twitter.com/EytskwiokW
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Riley Thilthorpe and the Crows almost caused a boilover. Picture: Martin Keep/AFL Photos

A massive roost from Thilthorpe had put the Crows nine points up early in the final term, the Crows’ fifth goal in a row, as the Cats looked like dropping their fourth game at Kardinia Park in 2024.

However, a huge pack grab to Shannon Neale, who would convert and cut the lead to four and then that snap from Humphries gave the Cats the lead after a long period of territory dominance.

Cameron, who will play game 250 next week, produced his equal biggest bag for the year as the Cats shrugged off a tenacious Adelaide, following hauls of five and six against Carlton and North, kicked the sealer.

The Crows, who had not beaten the Cats on their home deck since 2003, should be applauded for fighting it out to the end after being largely on the back foot in the opening term.

However, that typical Cats response came and Geelong banked a hugely important four points.

Darcy Fogarty reaches above three Geelong defenders. Picture: Martin Keep/AFL Photos

Different ground, same story

Back in Round 2 at the Adelaide Oval, Luke Pedlar was given the job of curbing Tom Stewart in his 150th but it was clearly a misjudged appointment, with Stewart picking up 10 intercept marks and a wealth of possessions.

This time, with Pedlar out for the season with a shoulder injury, the likes of Zac Taylor, Jordan Dawson and Sam Berry went to the five-time All Australian at times, who picked up nine possessions for the opening term, and 28 for the game.

That came despite spending an extended period on the pine in the second term following a heavy knock.

It continues a fine run of form for the vice-captain, who had been quelled earlier in the season by heavy tags

Still Dangerous

Danger might be approaching his 35th birthday but you wouldn’t have known it considering the drive he gave the Cats on Saturday evening.

Several times Geelong scored goals on the back of the veteran’s drive inside 50, picking up 11 possessions to half time and five forward entries.

A brilliant intercept mark in the third which would have tested those ageing hammies, while an earlier booming entry cleared the pack and was toe-poked through by Jeremy Cameron for his third.

With Danger chasing a two-year deal, he gave the decision makers at Catland plenty to ponder.

Tyson Stengle tackles Crow Hugh Bond. Picture” Martin Keep/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Tyson’s big response

It’s been the toughest week of the in-form Geelong forward’s career since joining the Cats nearly three years ago, who kicked three brilliant goals against North Melbourne only to be the talk of the town for totally different reasons.

His three majors were all timely in Hobart before he was in the news from Monday for an incident in a local nightclub.

However, the 2022 All-Australian showed no signs of off-field distractions with a goal and a great tackle early in the game, which impressed former player Adam Cooney on SEN.

“I know if I have a big one it takes me three weeks to bounce back,” Cooney said.