Defensive stats suggest Geelong’s back six looks more settled without Esava Ratugolea
With finals and thus their premiership defence still in the balance, is it time for the Cats to address the elephant in the room down back?
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He is out of contract, would garner significant interest on the open market, and his coach is desperate to keep him.
So why does Geelong’s back six look so much better with Esava Ratugolea out of it?
The Cats’ big man made the move to the defence in an effort to revive his career in Geelong and was denied a move to Port Adelaide at the end of the 2022 season.
Instead, Ratugolea returned to Geelong and started 2023 in the AFL side as Jack Henry recovered from off-season surgery.
But now with Henry and Sam De Koning both healthy and in the side, Geelong is struggling to find a position for Ratugolea in the back line and look balanced at the same time.
When Ratugolea went down with a hamstring injury, Geelong had its best three-week defensive period of the season, conceding an average of 75 points per game and never more than 78.
But in the 12 games of the season Ratugolea has played in Geelong’s back six, the Cats have won just four games and have conceded an average of 87.4 points per game, which includes holding a struggling Hawthorn to just 45 points on Easter Monday.
In Friday night’s thrilling draw against Sydney, Ratugolea was found out multiple times throughout the contest, not allowed to fly for high balls on deep forward 50 entries, held to just four disposals through three quarters and was tactically subbed out.
Instead, Sydney players lowered their eyes and hit players on the lead, resulting in 16 marks inside 50 in the opening half.
Geelong’s woes cannot be put firmly on Ratugolea’s shoulders, with the Cats struggling to get their hands on the ball during the contest, losing the disposal count by 55.
Coach Chris Scott made a clear decision to change the team’s defensive structure in the back half, moving away from the floating zone which allows the intercepting players like Ratugolea, Tom Stewart and Zach Guthrie to play off their opponents, instead moving to a clear one-on-one setup.
It helped, at times, with Sydney taking just four marks inside 50 in the second half, with the Cats almost holding onto a thrilling win, with Sydney kicking two points in the final minutes to draw the clash.
The Cats will be sweating on the availability of Brad Close and, to a lesser extent Tom Stewart, after dual-action tackles on Sydney players.
While Stewart is unlikely to face the wrath of the match review officer, Close’s tackle on Aaron Francis may be under the microscope over the weekend.
If Stewart does miss round 17 through suspension it may keep the door ajar for a Ratugolea match, but if he is given the all clear it may force the big key defender out of the side for a smaller defender like Jack Bowes, who replaced him halfway through the third quarter.
Ratugolea is out of contract at the end of the season, and has already tried to leave Geelong once before, with his request denied at the end of 2022.
While Scott has declared Ratugolea is a required player in 2024, there is little the premiership coach can do if the key defender decides his future is not in Geelong.
But with Geelong declining offers of third round draft selections for the untried key defender at the end of 2022, Ratugolea’s 2023 campaign will likely boost the Cats’ asking price into the realm of a decent second round selection.
MATCH REPORT: SWANS RUE COSTLY MISSES IN DRAW
Sydney and Geelong have played out an incredible draw at the SCG after inaccuracy cost the Swans what would have been a crucial victory in the race for finals.
It was the first time the two teams have played out a draw in VFL/AFL history.
After back-to-back demolitions at the hands of the Cats, Sydney started like a team on a mission with fast ball movement across the ground.
They had double the amount of disposals and inside 50s by the first break with Geelong unable to keep up with their pace.
However, shocking attempts at goal kept the Cats in with a sniff before Tom Hawkins kicked a goal to help guide the visitors to an early lead.
Two quick goals to Logan McDonald in the second term consolidated the Swans’ dominance but they were unable to make it count.
The second half became a much tighter affair with both coaches sending a message to close up the space around the stoppages.
Sydney continued to create chances as the game drew on but were unable to capitalise. It was Geelong’s efficiency that kept the game close as Gryan Miers kicked a crucial goal with thirty seconds left in the third term to close the gap to one point at the final break.
Hawkins then kicked the opening goal of the fourth quarter with the Swans’ faithful growing restless at the SCG.
Sydney looked off their feet but it was the Cats who got the yips missing some golden chances to seal the game.
The Swans had one more surge in them as Braeden Campbell slotted a brilliant goal from the sideline to bring the home side back within two points with less than six minutes remaining.
Robbie Fox was then through on goal but missed the unmissable and hit the post from less than 10 metres out.
Isaac Heeney had a chance to be the star in a moment very similar to Nick Davis’ heroics against the Cats in 2005 but just pushed it wide to level the scores with less than a minute left on the clock.
The Swans and Cats will take the two points but with the race for the top eight so close, both teams will go away feeling like they lost.
CAN’T BUY A GOAL
The Swans completely dominated the Cats in the first half but the scoreboard showed a different story.
Sydney had an incredible 16 marks inside 50 across the first two quarters but didn’t make it count on the scoreboard as they limped to 4.12 at the main break.
Isaac Heeney was one of the main culprits, spraying two shots out on the full in the first term, while Tom Hickey missed a sitter from directly in front.
Logan McDonald was the one forward to show the way, kicking back-to-back goals to give Sydney back the lead.
By the end of the game, Sydney had 32 shots on goal for only six goals from 50 inside 50s. That mark is the worst efficiency in front of goal in the AFL this season.
It was an astonishing display and it could prove costly with every match vital if they are to force their way back into the top eight.
CLOSE CALL
Geelong’s Brad Close could be in for a nervous wait following a tackle on Sydney’s Aaron Francis in the first half.
It went unpenalised during play, however, replays showed Francis’ arm being pinned before his head comes in contact with the ground.
Close has already been suspended for one match this season after being charged with rough conduct on Adelaide’s Jordan Dawson in round eight.
Fox Footy commentator Nathan Buckley felt that Close showed enough caution in making the tackle but slammed the current rules that could see him still hit with a suspension.
“If Brad Close wanted to anchor, he could have done a whole heap of damage there,” Buckley said.
“I reckon he’s showed a real duty of care there.
“I think he’ll get a week. If this was a preliminary final and Brad Close misses a grand final for that, I think that’s disgraceful.”
MATCH DETAILS
SYDNEY 1.6, 4.12, 5.15, 6.18 (54)
GEELONG 3.3, 4.4, 6.8, 7.12 (54)
MCKIRDY’S VOTES
3 – N. Blakey (SYD)
2 – G. Myers (GEE)
1 – L. Parker (SYD)
BEST
Sydney – Nick Blakey, Luke Parker, Errol Gulden, Callum Mills, Angus Sheldrick
Geelong – Gryan Miers, Zach Tuohy, Tom Stewart, Mitch Duncan, Isaac Smith
GOALS
Sydney – Logan McDonald (2), Braeden Campbell (2), Luke Parker (1), Tom Papley (1)
Geelong – Oliver Henry (2), Tom Hawkins (2), Tyson Stengle (1), Gryan Miers (1), Mark Blicavs (1)
Umpires: JAMIE BROADBENT, CRAIG FLEER, ANDRE GIANFAGNA, MATHEW NICHOLLS
Ground: Sydney Cricket Ground
Crowd: 32,098
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