Geelong made to pay for missed shots in loss to Collingwood

FLAG favourites pre-game on the back of a six-game winning streak, Geelong has key questions to ponder including how to improve its shots at goal.

Daniel Menzel has a shot hit the post. Picture: Colleen Petch

GEELONG coach Chris Scott won’t be getting much sleep over the next few nights.

But at least he hasn’t been “sucked in” to think the Cats are a cut above the rest.

Premiership favourites on Saturday morning on the back of a six-game winning streak, the Cats have key questions to ponder including how to improve their shots at goal.

Star midfielder Patrick Dangerfield had a rare off day and missed a sitter in the second quarter, while Jimmy Bartel and Daniel Menzel were also sloppy in front of goal in the second term.

A goalless first opening term, however, was the main reason for Geelong’s four-goal loss to Collingwood at the MCG.

Daniel Menzel has a shot hit the post. Picture: Colleen Petch

The Cats kicked 11.11 to Collingwood’s 9.3 after quarter-time, but couldn’t quite close the gap.

“Seven goals to nil at quarter time makes it hard,” Scott said.

“Not much is going right with that sort of scoreline. We had chances to take and we just weren’t taking them and it bit us this time.

“They defended strongly, made it hard for us to play our game early.

“We did generate enough chances in the next three quarters to win the game but weren’t good enough to finish.”

Scott said poor goalkicking was a source of frustration.

“Especially the sitters,” he said.

“We’re not going to throw our hands in the air and say ‘this is getting the better of us’.”

Patrick Dangerfield kicked two behinds in Geelong’s loss to Collingwood. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Scott said the Magpies, who were under siege until winning their past two games against Brisbane and Geelong, were not as bad as people might think.

And he said the Cats were simply hoping to be in the mix for the flag.

“In 10 weeks’ time we might look back and have a look at who’s playing well and who’s not and have a different view of what’s a hard game and what’s not,” Scott said.

“We’re aware that the outside world has directed some positivity towards us, but I honestly don’t feel that we have been sucked in to that.

“It’s probably more a reflection of how even the competition is, to be frank.

“If you spend too much time on what people outside the footy club think, you’ll just get confused because it seems to me at this stage of the year that they’re getting it wrong quite frequently.

“I don’t have all the answers right now, but I won’t sleep much over the next couple of days trying to work out what they are.”

Scott denied his skipper Joel Selwood, who averaged 28 possessions over the first eight rounds but was held to 18 touches yesterday, was beaten by Collingwood’s tagger Levi Greenwood.

“I thought he was okay. I didn’t think he was beaten, put it that way,” Selwood said.