Chris Scott won’t compare his current Geelong group to past incarnations
Geelong coach Chris Scott coached the Cats to a premiership in his first season and has been a perennial finals contender since, without tasting the ultimate success. There’s one question about the current crop he won’t answer.
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It was as if Chris Scott could sense the question might come, so he pre-empted it by refusing to be drawn into how this Geelong side stacked up against others he had coached.
“I don’t think there’s much point in looking back too far,” Scott said on Friday night.
“I know everyone’s looking for a comparison in previous years but in my opinion this is a different team and it’s been building for a long time.”
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To be 10-4, ahead of games against Essendon, Richmond and Sydney and on the back of overcoming a 36-point quarter-time deficit to beat the Western Bulldogs, suggests Geelong is a serious contender, but is it another false dawn?
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Since Scott led Geelong to a flag in his first season at the helm in 2011, Geelong has finished in the top four five times, including in first place last season, and boasted a 132-55 win/loss record during the minor round, but it is yet to return to the grand final.
Narrowing that focus, the Cats have been 17-5, 15-6-1, 13-9 and 16-6 in Patrick Dangerfield’s four completed campaigns and lost preliminary finals to Sydney, Adelaide and Richmond in 2016, 2017 and 2019, while also falling in qualifying finals in the latter two years.
But, according to Champion Data, there are some key factors that point to this year’s team being an improved version of the recent Cats sides that have fallen short:
CLEARANCE DOMINANCE
The loss of midfield star Tim Kelly to West Coast in the off-season was supposed to dent Geelong’s chances of contending but the Cats retooled on the ball.
Instead, of sliding down the ladder, they have stayed towards the top end and have improved at stoppages, where Kelly shone last year, ranking ninth in the league for clearances.
Geelong has the third-best clearance differential across the competition this season, up from 11th in 2019.
It was 13th in 2018, when it lost an elimination final, 10th in 2017 and fourth in 2016.
The Cats are also the best team in the AFL when it comes to points from clearance differential.
They have been among the top-six teams in this statistic since Dangerfield’s arrival but they have taken another step this year, generating scores from clearances while stopping the opposition from doing so at the other end of the ground.
Dangerfield (5.1), Cam Guthrie (4.1), Joel Selwood (3.7) and Jack Steven (2.9) are leading the way in clearances per game for the Cats.
Geelong’s impressive stoppage work bodes well for the finals.
BORN TO RUN
The Cats were overrun in their past two preliminary finals and also in the 2017 qualifying final.
Last year it led Richmond by 21 points at halftime of the preliminary final, only to lose the match by 19.
In 2017, it coughed up 10 goals to five to Adelaide after the main break in the preliminary final on the way to a 61-point defeat.
Two weeks earlier, the Tigers outscored Geelong 10 goals to three in the second half of their qualifying final that year, to blow open what had been a nine-point margin.
The ultimate test will come again in finals but the Cats are having few issues finishing off games this season.
Halfway through Round 14, they are the best team in the league for second-half points for with 42.7 — seven clear of second-ranked GWS.
The Cats have kicked 91 second-half goals while conceding just 48.
At quarter time against the Bulldogs, Scott had faith his side could fightback, not just due to it not having the game on its terms, but because he backed his side’s work on the training track.
“We’re also a very fit team,” Scott said.
“We’ve got some really hard runners that we haven’t had as much of in the past.
“There’s a pretty clear pattern that we finish games well.”
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BENEFIT OF EXPERIENCE
It is difficult to measure but Scott will be banking on experience to help his team when it comes to the crunch this year.
Last year, the Cats fielded five players in the finals who had fewer than 30 games to their name — Mark O’Connor, Esava Ratugolea, Gryan Miers, Tom Atkins and Quinton Narkle – and one who had appeared in the major round previously (O’Connor in 2018).
Against the Bulldogs, Geelong had just one player to have not reached the 30-match mark, sixth-gamer Brad Close.
O’Connor, Miers and Atkins were in the side but they now have almost an extra season under their belts.
It is worth noting too that Close is no rookie — he is at 22 and has lined up in a SANFL flag.
And remember, the Cats have premiership stars Selwood and Gary Ablett to return for this year’s charge.
“We have some players who have early in their careers made the mistakes that inexperienced players make,” Scott said.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in this team.
“In my opinion, when we play our way, we’re a very good team.”
WHAT ABOUT THE DOGS?
Luke Beveridge was quick to praise his players on Friday night for fighting to the end and almost upsetting Geelong despite being down two rotations due to first-half hamstring injuries to Laitham Vandermeer and Easton Wood.
Yes, the Bulldogs were brave.
But the reality is they are still yet to beat a top-eight side this season and will get few better opportunities than leading six goals to none at quarter-time and being ahead with five minutes remaining.
Their record against the best teams may cost them a finals berth.
Here are the Doggies’ results against top-eight clubs this year: 52-point loss to Collingwood, 39-point loss to St Kilda, 41-point loss to Richmond, 13-point loss to Port Adelaide, 24-point loss to Brisbane, 11-point loss to Geelong.
Beveridge’s side has a bye this week to lick its wounds before facing another premiership contender, West Coast, in Round 16.
Lose that and the Bulldogs will be up against it to make to the top eight, even with games against bottom-10 teams Hawthorn and Fremantle to finish the season.
MATCH REPORT: DANGER INSPIRES CATS’ STUNNING FIGHTBACK
The Western Bulldogs blew a chance to finally claim a scalp after Geelong fought back from a six-goal quarter-time deficit to win by 11 points at Metricon Stadium on Friday night.
Luke Beveridge’s side had been criticised this year for not beating any of the top sides but it looked like doing so and reminding the football world that it too remained in the mix for the flag when it held the Cats goalless during a stunning opening term.
From there, Geelong came to life as Patrick Dangerfield (32 touches, six clearances) inspired the fightback, and the Cats were helped by Bulldogs duo Laitham Vandermeer and Easton Wood succumbing to hamstring injuries.
The Cats lifted their defensive pressure, stymied the Bulldogs’ quick ball movement, kept them goalless in the second term and had cut the lead to 10 points by three-quarter time.
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Gary Rohan was immense when the game was on the line, laying a huge chase down tackle that won a free on Tim English and kicking two fourth-quarter goals.
His second sealed a massive victory that took Geelong to the top of the ladder, at least for now, and enhanced its flag credentials.
Geelong coach Chris Scott explained after the match that his side was clear on what it had to do after quarter time to arrest the six-goal deficit.
“We needed to keep our composure but we needed to change a few things as well and we needed to keep perspective that we weren’t going to fix the game in the next 10 minutes, it was going to take the next three quarters,” Scott said.
“The combination of composure and trying to get the game played the way we needed it to be played, but also playing with a bit of aggression and a bit more will than I think we showed early in the game when I think we were outplayed.
“If we allowed the Bulldogs to play the way they were playing, we were going to get beaten soundly.”
Scott admitted that the Dogs had some bad luck, particularly the injuries to Vandermeer and Wood.
“We played well in the last three quarters to get over the top of them but they had some things go against them as well,” Scott said.
“It’s rarely the case that it’s all your brilliance – it often takes a bit of luck and a few things going your way.”
Scott was full of praise for Zac Tuohy and Gary Rohan who played crucial roles.
Tuohy fought through what looked like a rib injury, despite being on his haunches several times and appearing in pain, to play out the match and hit Tom Hawkins with a pass that set up the goal that put Geelong ahead for the first time all night.
“The description that comes to mind for me is he is a warrior,” Scott said of the Irishman.
“He laboured through a knee problem for us last year and he’s got a great capacity to play sore.
“I’m not a huge fan of players playing for too long when they’re sore – that can really come back to bite you.
“But sometimes, as long as it’s within the realms of safety and it doesn’t risk the long-term for the player, sometimes you’ve got to take the bit between the teeth and find a way and few do it better than him.”
Rohan’s defensive pressure was enormous and he kicked two last-quarter goals, including the sealer.
“I thought he was terrific … and he’s improving all the time for us and become an important player for us,” Scott said.
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WHAT BEVO SAID:
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge took a glass half-full view to coughing up a 36-point quarter-time lead, saying the footy gods did not smile on his side and it would gain belief that it could beat the best teams.
Beveridge said the injuries forced a reshuffle and his team, which was outscored 10 goals to three in the last three quarters of the 11-point defeat, “lost a bit of stability”.
The result leaves the Bulldogs in danger of dropping out of eighth spot by the end of the round and without a win against a top-eight team this year.
Beveridge said being down two rotations against a mature side meant Geelong was “going to come”.
“They’ve been quite sensational at times this year, so I’m really proud of the boys that they really made them fight with us being two down,” Beveridge said.
“The loss will give us belief that we can beat the better teams because with a fully fit 22 for four quarters I think we’re in business, but it hurt us in the end.
“There was a time we were looking like we were going to hang on, so it’s a real shame.
“The footy gods didn’t smile on us tonight.
“The better teams have found a way against us and that’s where we’re heading – we need to be the one that wins the day.
“But we won’t get down on ourselves, we’re still sniffing around.”
Although he was pleased his side dug deep, Beveridge said it had opportunities to win the game.
He rued a lack of composure with the ball after quarter-time and being beaten around the contest.
“I just felt whenever a ball was kicked to a contest they were better than us, they were stronger than us and managed to win it, feed it outside and create some opportunities,” he said.
“Patty Dangerfield’s a difficult man to stop.
“We had some free kicks and marks that we took and we rushed, and they were able to get the ball back too quickly.”
The Bulldogs were smashed 50-13 in hit-outs and beaten 36-28 in clearances but Beveridge said his team, which played Josh Dunkley as its tapman for large chunks and even had Jack Macrae in there, would continue to field ruck combinations that were “edgy and different to suit our personnel”.
“No matter who’s in there, we get beaten in the hit-outs, so it’s competing giving ourselves a chance clearance-wise,” he said.
Beveridge said it was too early to know how long Vandermeer and Wood would be sidelined.
HOT START
In a start few would have seen coming, the Bulldogs exploded out of the blocks, kicking four goals inside 13 minutes, then two more before quarter time.
They only led the inside 50 count 12-9, but they were able to hit the scoreboard almost every entry, while the Cats could not make the most of their opportunities.
While the Doggies’ skills were sublime early, Geelong could not hit a target.
It was Geelong’s first goalless quarter since Round 12 last year against Richmond.
Gryan Miers booted the Cats’ opening major six minutes into the second term.
Ed Richards with class around the body!#ColesGoals | #AFLDogsCats pic.twitter.com/Z9ATQNN24U
— AFL (@AFL) August 28, 2020
DANGER ENORMOUS
Dangerfield was prolific for the Cats, finishing as the leading possession winner on the ground and lifting when his team needed it.
He had been quiet early when the Bulldogs jumped out to a six-goal advantage, having only three first-quarter possessions, but had a huge second term to get Geelong back in it.
Dangerfield had 11 touches in that quarter but was just as important in the last, crashing into packs, winning clearances and willing his side over the line.
ONE-WAY HIT-OUTS
The Bulldogs continue to have no issue conceding hit-outs so it can essentially have an extra midfielder around the ball and Tim English as another focal point in attack.
Geelong won the statistic 50-13 as 190cm on-baller Josh Dunkley spent large chunks of the game pitted against Rhys Stanley (200cm) and Mark Blicavs (198cm), and Jack Macrae (191cm) had a stint in there.
But when the game was on the line in the last term, English returned to the centre square.
Geelong finished on top 36-28 in clearances.
WHO ELSE!
— AFL (@AFL) August 28, 2020
Gary Rohan with a ripper 💪#FootyOhWhatAFeeling pic.twitter.com/7NXLwffKn1
COLEMAN RACE ALIVE
Tom Hawkins still leads the race for this year’s Coleman Medal but it is definitely not over with four-and-a-half rounds to play after being held to just two goals.
The power forward entered the match with 33 majors and went to 34 after snapping a goal in the third term.
From there, he had some nice moments up the field and added another in the last term.
With Hawkins’s closest challenger Josh Kennedy (28 goals) a chance to miss the next game due to concussion and Dan Butler (24) and Tom Lynch (24) nine behind, the Cat remains favourite to win the award for the first time but the door remains ajar.
SCOREBOARD
GEELONG 0.3 3.6 5.9 10.12 (72)
BULLDOGS 6.3 6.6 7.7 9.7 (61)
GOALS
Geelong: Hawkins, Miers, Rohan 2, Stanley, O’Connor, Dahlhaus, Duncan.
Bulldogs: Naughton 2; Bontempelli, Crozier, Liberatore, Dunkley, Richards, McLean, Hunter.
BEST
Geelong: Dangerfield, Stewart, Rohan, Blicavs, Guthrie, Henry.
Bulldogs: Hunter, Daniel, Crozier, Smith, Dunkley, Richards.
INJURIES
Geelong: Taylor (eye), Tuohy (rib) – both played on
Bulldogs: Vandermeer (hamstring), Wood (hamstring)
MATT TURNER’S VOTES
3 – Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong)
2 – Lachie Hunter (Western Bulldogs)
1 – Tom Stewart (Geelong)
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