Geelong in early season trouble after losing round 2 to Carlton
The Cats haven’t got going yet in their premiership defence, so how worried should Cats fans be?
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Few teams deserve faith like this Geelong side, but that doesn’t mean the clock isn’t ticking.
The stats came flowing free and fast as the siren sounded to thwart a late comeback from the Cats against Carlton on Thursday.
Quickly social media lit up – it was the first time the reigning premier had started 0-2 since Hawthorn in 2009, it was Chris Scott’s second 0-2 start since 2015, the only year he has missed the finals.
One stat that didn’t get enough airtime was it was the first time Scott’s Cats have lost two games on the trot within the home-and-away season since rounds 20 and 21 in 2018.
Scott’s record tells us that he is the greatest regular season coach in modern football history, so he and his team deserve the faith.
The reigning premier will be fine, Geelong has played two sides that appear finals-bound and were in both games up to their eyeballs for most of the match.
Charlie Curnow took the game away from the Cats in the third-term and he must have been licking his lips during the week as he faced a Geelong side missing two-thirds of its 2022 backline with Tom Stewart, Jake Kolodjashnij, Jack Henry and Mitch Duncan all watching from the stands.
It hasn’t been the defence – or Jeremy Cameron’s forwardline – that has been the issue in the first fortnight though.
Time and time again in the first two rounds Collingwood and Carlton were able to move the ball with ease through Geelong’s midfield and in both games the Cats were second to the ball.
After two rounds, Geelong is -21 in contested possessions and a damning -100 in uncontested ball, showing the on-ballers are being beaten on the inside and the outside.
There is a lot of noise in those numbers but generally last year if the Cats lost both by big numbers in short periods during matches the struggled.
Each of Patrick Dangerfield, Cam Guthrie and Tom Atkins have had quiet games in the midfield in both weeks while Tanner Bruhn is getting his head around his new surroundings.
Scott told the media on Wednesday he was “looking forward to a response” from his midfield against the Blues.
He didn’t get it and the coach said post-match his group was “really average early and good late”.
But the Cats and their experienced midfield have the runs on the board.
And the fixture is backing them up, as they will start favourites in the next three weeks against Gold Coast (away), Hawthorn (at the MCG) and West Coast (in Adelaide).
Geelong will then unfurl its flag against Sydney at GMHBA Stadium before games against Essendon and Adelaide.
It’s fair to say, the Cats may be 6-2 as the weather turns cold and sitting pretty in the top-four.
Geelong will have to be better to get there but the Cats have the runs on the board and even if they drop a game or two in the opening two months, there are plenty of games at Kardinia Park to come in the second-half of the season.
The clock will not slow down however and with more teams than ever eyeing a top-four spot, the Cats can’t afford to dig a deeper hole or they won’t climb out.
With an extra game in the books this year, 17 could be the magic number needed to secure the double chance, which leaves Geelong needing to go 17-4 from here.
As Scott said “it’s not a situation where we are really panicking”.
Geelong knows it has work to do and history says the Cats will get it done.
And another thing … the debate over the finish in North Melbourne’s thrilling win over Fremantle should finish up now.
No matter when it sounds, the game ends when the umpires hear the siren and there was no free kick whistle before the umpires called full time, so there should be no controversy.
ANALYSIS: Cats have work to do after stalling to Blues loss
Chris Scott has work to do.
The master tinkerer may only be two games removed from his moment in the sun but Geelong’s premiership defence has already stalled.
The biggest issue irking Scott will be that Cats have been beaten the same way in back to back weeks and the rest of the competition is smelling blood in the water with the reigning premiers.
Just like in round 1 against Collingwood, Carlton won the midfield fight and outspread Geelong for most of Thursday night’s 8-point win.
Down by a stunning 49 in the disposal count and 19 in marks at the first change, the Cats spent most of the night holding back the dam wall.
And if it wasn’t the sheer absurdity of Jeremy Cameron, it would have burst much earlier than when Charlie Curnow boosted the Blues run in a scintillating third term.
It is the midfield that will be of main concern for Scott as he spends a long break before next Sunday’s meeting with Gold Coast asking the hard questions of his men.
Like Samson, Cam Guthrie’s ball-winning class has disappeared with his long hair and he was sent to defence in the second half.
New skipper Patrick Dangerfield hasn’t been a factor in the first fortnight, Tom Atkins’ 2022 hasn’t carried into the new year and Tanner Bruhn is still searching for his feet.
The Cats were unable to get their hands on the ball and the Blues – just like the Pies – ran all over the reigning premiers and moved the ball through the middle of the MCG with ease.
Scott’s one-wood of all-ground defence was full of holes and the corridor was open season for Michael Voss’ running game.
Geelong conceded 100 points just once in 2022 but have let through an average of 107.5 in the opening fortnight.
The good news for Cats fans is a soft draw and long breaks – 10 days before the Suns clash and a further eight before facing a depleted Hawthorn – gives Scott his time to tinker.
The bad news is history.
The only year the Cats have started 0-2 in the Scott era was 2015 – also the only year his team has missed the finals.
Originally published as Geelong in early season trouble after losing round 2 to Carlton
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