Unbeaten Geelong the No.1 handballing team in the AFL after game style overhaul

AFTER last year’s heavy preliminary final loss Geelong knew game style overhaul was needed, and it has taken a leaf out of the premier’s playbook with fantastic results.

Cameron Guthrie handballs under pressure. Picture: Getty Images

GEELONG has taken a leaf out of the Western Bulldogs’ premiership playbook as it attempts to generate more clean ball use into its forward line.

And a more handball-centric game plan is working, according to midfielder Sam Menegola, with the undefeated Cats ranked the second-best scoring team in the AFL.

Chris Scott’s men are the No.1 handballing team in the competition and have scored an average 51 points from stoppages, more than any other club.

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The Cats’ game style overhaul stemmed from last year’s preliminary final loss to Sydney where Geelong racked up 32 more inside 50s than the Swans, but lost by 37 points.

Hard-nut Menegola, who is expected to return from a one-match suspension against Collingwood in Round 6, said the Cats were trying to use handball around clearances in a similar vein to the Dogs.

St Kilda vs. Geelong Cats Joel Selwood breaks free of a Nick Riewoldt tackle Picture:Wayne Ludbey

“When someone wins the flag doing something different, a lot of people try and mimic that or at least take a portion of that into their own game,” Menegola said.

“We’ve tried to be like that this year and use more handball around the ball (stoppages) and I guess have better entries (in attack).

“We’ve spoken about the preliminary final, we had a lot of entries (against Sydney).

“But if you looked at the quality of them they weren’t quite there, so we’re just trying to generate better returns from our entries.”

According to Champion Data, the Cats exit 64 per cent of stoppages with a handball, again ranked No.1 in the league. It is a sharp 10 per cent increase on last season.

Captain Joel Selwood, who played one of the most dominant games of his illustrious career on Sunday, averages 15 kicks and 17 handballs a game.

There have also been some significant personnel changes, with Geelong fielding 10 different players in Sunday’s barnstorming win over St Kilda compared to the preliminary final loss.

Brandan Parfitt, Jordan Murdoch, Nakia Cockatoo have added some pace around the fringes, while Geelong has also done away with any plans to use two genuine ruckmen.

Big men Zac Smith and Rhys Stanley have not played a senior game in the same side this season, leaving the on-edge big men to battle for the lead ruck spot, while helping clear space in attack.

Brandan Parfitt has added speed to the Cats. Picture: AAP

All-Australian Harry Taylor has moved forward and ex-Kangaroo Aaron Black showed some encouraging signs in his first game in blue and white, collecting 21 possessions, seven marks and two goals.

Daniel Menzel has showcased his deadeye goal kicking, slotting 10.1 from set shots and spearhead Tom Hawkins is second in the Coleman Medal race with 18 majors, only one behind Adelaide’s Eddie Betts.

Menagola said the Cats have showcased their new-found potency in parts of games but were still searching for optimal consistency.

“It feels like this season most teams have had patches where they have played really good footy and patches where they haven’t played as good,” Menagola said on Triple M.

“I feel like our good footy is pretty good, we have just tried to get it going for four quarters.”