Geelong Cats: Dangerfield says club is battling with confidence levels after slow start to AFL season

Geelong skipper Patrick Dangerfield says the club is battling a lack of confidence after a historically poor start to its premiership defence

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 02: Patrick Dangerfield of the Cats looks dejected after the round 03 AFL match between the Gold Coast Suns and the Geelong Cats at Heritage Bank Stadium, on April 02, 2023, in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/Getty Images)

Patrick Dangerfield says the Cats are frustrated with its historically slow start to a premiership defence, with the playing group’s search for confidence unlikely to be “an overnight success”.

Geelong is one of just four reigning premiers ever to start the following season 0-3, with North Melbourne the last to do it in 1976, and will face Hawthorn in round 4 on Easter Monday at the MCG.

The Cats skipper denied any concerns around complacency, and said it was rather a matter of poor form and a lack of confidence.

“The challenge we’ve got at the moment is the confidence and that’s clear for any team that struggles with consistency and struggles with wins, and we haven’t won any games,” he said.

“Confidence is a funny thing in our sport … it’s not clicking your fingers, that’s the tough part.

Pat Dangerfield says the Cats are struggling with confidence. Picture: Bradley Kanaris

“We’ve found ourselves in games where it’s been really tight and the opportunity is there to win, and it feels like there’s a level of frustration within the group that we should be playing better.

“Complacency has never been an issue for the club, it’s been uber successful for a long period, we’ve had a lot of change from last year so there’s a huge amount of hunger.

“I’ve felt like we’re starting to turn some things around our process that are important, and if we continue with that then the results will come, but it isn’t going to be an overnight success.”

The Cats are the last remaining winless team in 2023, are 11th in scoring and 16th in defending so far this season, and will face Hawthorn which secured its first win of the season against North Melbourne in round 3.

Dangerfield said there were a number of issues that needed fixing before Geelong could be a genuine contender this season.

“It’s been a collective measure, there isn’t just one area that’s let us down,” he said.

Geelong will face Hawthorn on Easter Monday. Picture: Russell Freeman

“It’s been overarching, forwards, mids and defence, there’s areas right through all of that where we can tinker and improve.

“The important thing is that we’ve been in every game that we’ve played, we haven’t been blown off the park.

“So there’s subtle adjustments, and there’s times in games where execution where we just haven’t been where we like to be.

“The disappointment is the fact that we’ve been in games and we haven’t been able to execute the way that we’d like, the challenge for us is when we’re next in that position is to execute.

“We haven’t helped ‘Hawk’ (Tom Hawkins) at all with the way we’ve moved the footy, that part is really, really clear.

“As a forward, so much of what you do you rely on the movement up the field and we haven’t helped him at all.

“So the responsibility isn’t just Tom’s, it isn’t just our forwards, it’s our midfield and the way we use the ball.”

‘Hungry’ Hawks set to challenge Cats in tough contest

Easter Monday clashes have a way of being tightly contested clashes between Geelong and Hawthorn, and Cats skipper Pat Dangerfield says he is well aware of the ability in the young Hawks side.

The Cats have started the season in uncharacteristically poor form with a winless start from the opening three rounds, while the Hawks are just four points and one ladder position ahead of their historic rivals.

Dangerfield said the Easter Monday clash at the MCG came with added pressure of the winless start to the season.

“There’s no doubt that (the pressure) is a part of it, but you can’t constantly think about what’s happened, that’s irrelevant,” he said.

“But does it affect your mindset? Of course it’s more challenging when you’ve got no wins on the board and other teams have a few.

“You have to revert back to the process that underpins individual and collective success, and that’s what pros do, and we’ve got a building full of them.

“(There’s) more pressure, perhaps, but pressure makes diamonds.

Hawthorn struggled through the first two weeks of the season, but managed to secure its first win of the year over former head coach Alastair Clarkson and North Melbourne.

Dangerfield said the Cats were expecting a tough contest with the young Hawthorn brigade, despite the clear difference in experience between the two sides.

“You’re dancing with the devil if you ever have that view I think around using that as a way to build confidence,” he said.

“They’re a hungry team, they’ve got players that are more than capable, as well do, and these games always seem to bring about a really healthy contest and one that’s tight.

“For us, we need to focus on what we’re doing, we’ll quite clearly how they play, and for us it’s about playing our style for longer periods than they do.”

Originally published as Geelong Cats: Dangerfield says club is battling with confidence levels after slow start to AFL season