AFL Geelong v Collingwood: Pies bag big win over Geelong, Josh Jenkins tweets about umpiring

The one-sided free kick count in Collingwood’s win over Geelong caught the eye of retired stars on Twitter — and a current Cats player. But Chris Scott had his own take on the umpires in Perth.

Nathan Schmook

5 min read

July 17, 2020 - 9:49AM

Brodie Grundy dominated the ruck battles against Esava Ratugolea and Darcy Fort. Picture: Getty Images

Geelong

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Chris Scott says forward Josh Jenkins “missed the mark” with a tweet taking aim at the umpiring in Thursday night’s loss to Collingwood.

But the Geelong coach said the umps may have been “rusty” in their first game in front of a large crowd this season.

The Magpies won the free kick count 22-10 — at one stage the Pies were ahead 17-7 — prompting Jenkins, who is sidelined with a bank injury, to tweet: “Do we allow these umpires back into our hotel after the game!?!”

Former Magpie star Dale Thomas also took to social media to question the one-sided free kick tally.

Asked about the Jenkins tweet after the game, Scott said: “I think he is trying to be funny and my experience with him is that he is quite funny, but he has missed the mark a little bit on that one.

“We’ve got the luxury of looking at the vision from all angles and making an assessment.

“The umpires are a bit like us in that they have not had much practice and it was the first time in front of a crowd, not that that should have made a difference, but if they were rusty, I think they’ve got an alibi.”

Do we allow these umpires back into our hotel after the game !?! ðŸ˜‚ ðŸ¤£ #AFLCatsPies
— Josh Jenkins (@JoshJenkins24) July 16, 2020

As an unbiased observer tonight dale I thought the umpiring was pretty spot on
— Dane Swan (@swandane) July 16, 2020

Scott said the Cats were beaten by a better team.

“They were much better than us early in the contest, their good players played really well.

“I felt like it was a night where more than a few things went against us and we just couldn’t manufacture a way back like we did last week.”

CATS CAN’T BREAK THROUGH MAGPIE WALL

No team has scored more than Geelong in 2020, but the attacking Cats were strangled by Collingwood, whch cemented its status as the best defensive team in the AFL.

The Magpies made defence exhilarating to watch on Thursday night in their 22-point win at Optus Stadium, attacking the ball-carrier ferociously and restricting the Cats to their lowest score this season.

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Brodie Grundy dominated the ruck battles against Esava Ratugolea and Darcy Fort. Picture: Getty Images

Nathan Buckley’s midfielders were prolific, led by Adam Teloar, Scott Pendlebury and Taylor Adams, and superstar forward Jordan De Goey was sharp on return, kicking five goals.

But it was the 66-47 tackle count, and rock-solid defence that showed these Magpies really mean business.

Prime mover Treloar said the Pies were prepared for wet-weather footy and had a little help from a De Goey special.

“The whole day it was raining, we knew it was going to be wet-weather footy, and in the past couple of games we’ve played when it’s been wet, we’ve been prone to overhandballing the ball and not taking yardage,” Treloar said on Fox Footy.

“From the get-go, the aim was to win the yardage battle, get the ball going forward, especially to our forwards one-on-one, and you can see what guys like Jordan De Goey can do when he is out one-on-one. He comes down and kicks five goals, so the boys are really pleased with the win tonight.

Jordy just needed a crowd. Doesnâ€™t bother bringing his A game to empty stadiums. Itâ€™s a waste of his time and talents. Keep the pies in Perth
— Dane Swan (@swandane) July 16, 2020

“Wherever he (De Goey) plays he can be damaging, he’s a damaging midfielder when he’s in there ... he’s so good up forward, when you ge the ball to him one on one or out in space, he’s right up there with Dustin Martin, you can’t stop him.”

Brayden Maynard provided drive out of defence for the Pies. Picture: Getty Images

CATS’ HAMSTRUNG MIDS COP EARLY BEATING

The midfield shaped as a critical battleground, and it was Collingwood that struck the first blow.

Captain Pendlebury was the architect of the Magpies’ early dominance, with 11 possessions in the first term, combining with Treloar (11) and Adams (eight) to give Collingwood a 12-6 inside 50 advantage.

The job was made significantly harder for the Cats’ onballers when captain Joel Selwood went down with a hamstring injury late in the first quarter.

The durable champion joined midfield teammates Mitch Duncan and Quinton Narkle, who each suffered hamstring injuries in round six.

Brownlow medallist Patrick Dangerfield lifted, but Collingwood’s early midfield dominance set the tone and gave Buckley’s men a lead they could defend in a slippery second half.

Jordan De Goey soared for the Pies, booting five goals. Picture: Getty Images

SHARPER DE GOEY HITS FORM IN RETURN

De Goey had kicked two goals in five games going into Thursday night’s blockbuster. He matched that by halftime against the Cats and finished with five in an outstanding performance.

Charged by Victoria Police with indecent assault after Round 5 for an incident that occurred in 2015, all eyes were on the Collingwood superstar to see how he would respond following a week on the sidelines due to COVID-19 protocols.

He kicked the game’s opening goal from just inside 50 and was a dominant presence in attack, outmuscling Harry Taylor and snapping accurately for his second.

The result was in the balance halfway through the final term when he forced his way through a pack to kick his third off the ground, kicking three fourth-quarter goals to prove the difference.

Nathan Buckley said the 24-year-old was returning in a good head space, and so it proved.

CATS LICKING WOUNDS

Disaster struck Geelong early for the second week in a row, with star Selwood ruled out in the first quarter.

Selwood was seen in the hands of trainers and, after treatment, donned the tracksuit jacket and sat forlornly on the bench.

The superstar captain was ruled out with a hamstring injury by the Cats soon after.

Speaking to Seven at half-time, Selwood said the decision to sit out the rest of the game was precautionary.

“It felt like cramp and I shouldn’t be cramping in the first quarter and then I came off and got tested and there was just enough there, in a season like it is, not to continue on,” Selwood said.

Selwood had off-season hamstring surgery that interrupted his pre-season and delayed his start to 2020.

Young defender Jordan Clark is facing an extended stint on the sidelines after appearing to dislocate his shoulder in the third term following a contest with Magpies ruckman Brodie Grundy.

The talented West Australian had only just returned to the Cats’ side after being left out in recent weeks on form.

He missed last year’s finals series after badly injuring his elbow at training.

THE FANS ARE BACK!

Wasn’t it great to hear real fan noise at the footy.

Perth’s ability to combat COVID-19 allowed a tick over 20,000 fans to file into Perth Stadium and, despite the horrendous weather, they were treated to something that wasn’t quite a spectacle — but footy is footy, right?

At one stage, there was even a ground invader to keep the security guards busy.