AFL 2024: Patrick Dangerfield and Cats youngsters stand up when it counts as questions marks hang over Rhys Stanley

Patrick Dangerfield wound back the clock while several youngsters lifted when it mattered. But question marks hang over a veteran who was convincingly beaten.

Dan Batten

@danbatten_

5 min read

March 16, 2024 - 11:17PM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Patrick Dangerfield kicked the winning goal. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

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Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield told this publication last month that he is enjoying football as much as he ever has, and it showed on the big stage.

As he has done so often for the Cats, he proved to be the matchwinner in their thrilling eight-point win over St Kilda.

Dangerfield flew through the air to clunk a gutsy grab on the 50m arc and then, with heavy legs, went back to slam home the clutch goal from long range in the dying seconds.

The Brownlow medallist wound back the clock on Saturday night, finishing with 25 disposals, eight clearances six tackles and that all-important goal in front of a packed house at GMHBA Stadium.

The performance proved he is still capable of his brilliant best at 33 years of age.

Then there was Jeremy Cameron, who looks to be back to his stellar form after dealing with a shoulder injury in the back-half of last season.

Jeremy Cameron and Patrick Dangerfield celebrate after his goal at the death. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Cameron wowed with two incredible goals, including a goal of the year contender that epitomised his rare traits as a key forward.

An effort on the wing followed up by a freakish drop punt on the run from 40m tucked up on the boundary sent the Joel Selwood Stand into raptures.

Jeremy Cameron that is insane ðŸ¤¯#AFLCatsSaints pic.twitter.com/Dl4VtCr9Eg
— AFL (@AFL) March 16, 2024

On the other side of the spectrum, Rhys Stanley struggled to have any impact on the contest as St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall was the top-ranked Saint on the ground.

Stanley didn’t register a disposal in the opening quarter, but it was after that point where Marshall flexed his muscles.

Marshall dominated the Cats veteran at ruck contests and around the ground, giving the Saints a massive advantage at stoppages, finishing with 36 hit-outs and 19 disposals.

The differential was so great between the pair that Marshall scored 89 more SuperCoach ranking points.

A dropped mark from Stanley on the wing in the dying minutes resulted in a costly goal for the Saints as their lightning-quick forwards swooped on the chance.

Rowan Marshall dominated his ruck battle with Rhys Stanley. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Emerging big man Toby Conway had given Cats coaches plenty to think about over the summer, and this one-sided affair will put Stanley under even more selection pressure.

While Stanley had his colours lowered, there were better signs for their other veterans.

Meanwhile, Zach Tuohy had some shaky moments but stood up late in the piece with a strong overhead mark and goal – breaking Geelong’s second half drought.

It was a similar story for Tom Hawkins. Well held by Zaine Cordy and Callum Wilkie, the 35-year-old gave the Cats some extra breathing space midway through the final quarter with a strong mark and goal.

It was his first goal for the game, but a very important one at that.

DEMPSEY’S STOCKS SOAR

On the eve of the 2024 season, Geelong coach Chris Scott implored people to invest in Oliver Dempsey.

“If (Dempsey) were a stock, you’d be buying him,” Scott said on Friday.

If you did buy shares in the exciting forward before the St Kilda clash, you would be rolling in cash.

His first half display against the Saints was equivalent to a Bitcoin boom.

After a couple of early fumbles, Dempsey coolly slotted Geelong’s first goal of the match.

Then in the second term he absolutely came to life, setting up a goal and kicking another two himself.

A shimmy and deft pass inside 50, a classy running goal on the run from range and a strong contested mark that led to his third major of the night before halftime.

He only had eight disposals and three marks in that half, but he had maximum impact in a forward 50 that already possess plenty of firepower.

It is hard to believe the 21-year-old was running around for Old Carey in the VAFA several years ago.

Oliver Dempsey was a livewire for the Cats Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

In the second half a high-flying contested mark almost brought up his fourth of the match, with his set shot just grazing the post.

“He is, and I hesitate to say this, I want to say he’s a complete player because he doesn’t have too many parts of his game where you look at it and think you’ve really got to get that to AFL standard,” Scott said post-match.

“He got plucked out of Old Carey Amateurs, he played basketball and volleyball, he is still early into his football journey, much less his AFL journey. But he does have some special attributes that are nice to have on your list because they are hard to coach.”

Dempsey was just one young Cat who gave his side some serious spark.

There were fears Tanner Bruhn wouldn’t return to the game after he went down the race with an ankle injury in the opening term, but he came back with a vengeance.

The dynamic midfielder racked up 10 disposals in the second quarter alone with his clean hands and evasiveness standing out.

He looks to have stepped up a notch after a highly-rated pre-season and will be pivotal with Cameron Guthrie sidelined until at least round six.

“Tanner had a bit of an ankle issue that kept him off the ground for a long time in the first quarter, I thought ht was fantastic,” Scott said.

Then there was Max Holmes at halfback, who was one of Geelong’s best for the second straight game off halfback.

The speedster provided the same exhilarating run as he did in the practice match with Essendon and also impressed with some of his defensive acts and intercept work.

Emerging midfielder Jhye Clark, in his first full AFL game having played limited minutes in his debut last season, also had some eye-catching moments defensively despite going at 30 per cent efficiency from his 13 disposals.

The tough 19-year-old got a ringing endorsement from his coach.

“I thought Jhye Clark was really good too... I just thought he looked like he belonged out there,” Scott said.

And while Oliver Henry had just three disposals in the first three quarters, he had a massive moment late with one of his characteristic leaping marks followed by a set shot goal.

WASTED OPPORTUNITIES

Bad kicking is bad football, and some inaccurate kicking – both in front of goal and inside 50 – nearly cost Geelong a game they almost surely should have won.

Geelong managed a goal in the third quarter – made up of six straight behinds – as the Saints edged closer.

Geelong had 63 inside 50s for the match for 10 goals — 19 more entries than St Kilda.

The Cats’ extra speed on offence was evident, but it was the other way where they were exposed at times.

St Kilda regularly burst away off the Cats’ turnover and ran into open goals, also outnumbering them inside Geelong’s defensive half – a cardinal sin at AFL level.

It gave the counterattacking Saints easier looks on goal than the Cats and that and their errant footskills made the margin a lot smaller than it probably should have been.