AFL: Geelong piles on the pressure to smack Melbourne by 80 points

After Geelong bombed out in last year’s elimination final, Chris Scott and his team got together for a rethink. The result? A number of fresh forward-line faces and a whole heap of pressure that was too much for the Demons.

Patrick Dangerfield loves playing the Dees and he put in another masterclass. Picture: AAP

Is this the footy that could propel the Cats deep into September?

After bombing in last year’s elimination final, Chris Scott and his team got together for a rethink.

The result? Luke Dahlhaus, Gary Rohan and some other fresh forward-line faces — and a whole heap of pressure.

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Patrick Dangerfield loves playing the Dees and he put in another masterclass. Picture: AAP

It’s too early to go getting carried away with Geelong’s 80-point demolition of the Dees last night, but one thing is for certain — it’s a new-look Cats outfit in 2019 and they look to have addressed some of their 2018 shortcomings.

What’s old is new again as Geelong — channelling the Tigers from their 2017 best — brought the heat against Melbourne.

The home side was ferocious inside and around their own forward 50, the new recruits synching with the big names as Chris Scott’s men tackled, harassed and then buried a Melbourne line-up that was overwhelmed around the footy.

Geelong coach Chris Scott was keeping his feet on the ground, saying he was “cautiously positive” despite his team storming to a 2-0 start to the season.

“It is real that positive momentum is better than negative momentum ... we could easily have lost the game last week (against Collingwood),” Scott said.

“We were a little bit better this week but we’re seeing signs in our game that show we’ve improved and there’s still more room to improve.

“We’ll ride the momentum for as long as we can but we’re not naive enough to think that we won’t have our challenges throughout the season.”

Tim Kelly played a big hand in the Cats’ win. Picture: Getty Images

Clayton Oliver, Angus Brayshaw and co-captains Jack Viney and Nathan Jones won a heap of the footy, but their side simply didn’t have the polish of the home team. Or the even spread of contributors.

Melbourne made all the play at the start of the third term and dominated the inside 50 count. But when Demon debutante Steven May and Jayden Hunt grabbed Rohan high, he goaled and the Cats were away.

Six goals to zip for the term and the game, which had looked as much at the long break, was well and truly done.

What’s alarming for the Dees is the way they’ve petered out after halftime in each of their opening clashes. We knew many players were underdone, but they need a quick cook if they’re to get their season back on the right path — they won the I50 count 73-48, you shouldn’t lose a game by 80 points with numbers like that.

Recruit Steven May had a horror debut for the Demons. Picture: AAP

MAY-DAY, MAY-DAY

Melbourne recruit Steven May will have scans on an injured groin after his debut game in his new colours ended in disaster. May hurt his groin in the opening quarter and was taken down to the Demons’ rooms early in the second quarter. He played on but looked troubled by the injury before putting on a tracksuit and sitting out the entire last quarter

“He’s got a groin,” Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said.

“We will have a look at that. He’ll get some scans. We don’t know the extent of it. He will probably be doubtful for this week. Obviously he didn’t finish out the game. So we’ll have a good look at that and see where that lobs on Monday.”

“He came back on the ground and just didn’t feel like he had any power. So we ended up putting him out for the game. Obviously at that stage the game was pretty much dead. We couldn’t get a result so put him on ice.”

WHAT NOW FOR THE DEES?

It’s not dire yet, but Melbourne’s Round 3 assignment with Essendon on Friday night has taken on massive significance.

History tells us making September from this position isn’t easy.

The big names won their share of the footy against the Cats — Oliver’s cleanliness on a wet night was again a feature — but they looked impotent going forward.

Tom McDonald took just three marks, Sam Weideman is a work in progress and the small forwards were outmuscled. The lack of scoring is becoming an issue.

Melbourne, Essendon and Sydney all 0-2 heading into next week. Who’d have thought?

IT STARTS AT THE BACK

They each possess T-shirts with “Misfits” splashed across the front, but Geelong’s back half works together seamlessly.

Harry Taylor patrols the backline and his teaming with Mark Blicavs and Tom Stewart makes the Cats’ back six arguably the hardest to kick a score against in the game. They were rated so last year, and last night conceded just three goals in the first three quarters.

In a season of new rules — introduced to promote higher scoring — Cats defensive coach Matthew Scarlett can be well chuffed as he has his mini-team covering for each other perfectly.

Max Gawn still wasn’t quite at his devastating best as Cats big man Rhys Stanley manned him tight. Picture: Getty Images

DID MAX HANDLE THE HEAT?

If Melbourne was to win, one felt Max Gawn needed a huge night.

It didn’t happen. The Dees star won a heap of hit-outs, but wasn’t able to have his usual influence.

Big Max didn’t receive the same physical attention he copped a week earlier against the Power, but it mattered little on a night not suited to the big blokes.

Cat Rhys Stanley competed hard in the air and did more around the ground in another pleasing sign for Geelong, the ruck position an Achilles heel throughout 2018.

SCOREBOARD

GEELONG 20.6 (126)

d

MELBOURNE 6.10 (46)

GOALS

Geelong: Rohan 3, Selwood 2, Dahlhaus 2, Hawkins 2, Dangerfield 2, Miers, Kelly, O’Connor, Duncan, Ratugolea, Parfitt, Menegola, Clark, Constable

Melbourne: Melksham 2, Weideman, Lockhart, Viney, Brayshaw

BEN BROAD’S BEST

Geelong: Dangerfield, Stewart, Dahlhaus, Kelly, Kolodjashnij, Selwood, Duncan, Parfitt

Melbourne: Oliver, Viney, Brayshaw, Jones

BEN BROAD’S VOTES

3 — Patrick Dangerfield (Geel)

2 — Tom Stewart (Geel)

1 — Luke Dahlhaus (Geel)

INJURIES

Geelong: Henry (hamstring)

Melbourne: May (groin)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: McInerney, Williamson, Wallace