AFL round 1: Dan Batten analyses Geelong’s victory over Fremantle, Bailey Smith impact
Bailey Smith wasted no time marking himself as Geelong’s newest hero, producing a best-on-ground performance to inspire the Cats’ emphatic win over Fremantle.
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Geelong fans had been waiting all summer for Bailey Smith.
‘Mullet cam’ on the newly unveiled GMHBA Stadium big screen showed supporters in the stands pre-game with blond mullets and big white headbands channelling the former Western Bulldog.
After being held back until Christmas and playing just a half of game-time in the pre-season following a minor knee injury, the 24-year-old was chomping at the bit to get out there.
One Instagram story to his 347,000 followers in the pre-season read ’75 days’, in reference to Geelong’s season-opener against Brisbane – the postponement forcing Smith to wait another week.
Expectations had been eased ahead of his first home-and-away game since round 24, 2023.
“I’ll just point out that he’s missed a year of footy,” Geelong coach Chris Scott said on Friday.
“In the context of hopefully a 10-15 year career with the Cats, we will look back and say, ‘How well we played this game probably wasn’t all that relevant to how it panned out’.”
If his first game in the hoops is anything to go by, opposition sides should be fearful of what the blistering midfielder can become and where he can take the Cats – not only this year, but in the future.
Smith exceeded the most optimistic expectations on debut with a scintillating display against Fremantle that wowed the Cats faithful.
‘Bazlenka’ powered the Cats to a nine-goal lead at halftime with 17 disposals, 10 contested, 77 SuperCoach points to the main break – all-game highs.
His trademark intensity was there in abundance as the new Cat pounced on loose balls, laid tackles and burst forward while giving his side valuable meterage.
“I don’t think they (fans) should temper their expectations, I think they should be shouting it from the rooftops,” coach Chris Scott declared.
“It was more just the reality of the situation, if you miss a year of footy, it doesn’t matter if you’re Jeremy Cameron or a second-year player, it’s just hard work and there will likely be some ups-and-downs.”
Scott said the Cats were always confident Smith had this type of debut in him.
“The risk with Bailey is he does too much... it’s a humble brag, like saying your biggest flaw in a job interview is you work too hard, you’re a workaholic, but he is,” he said.
“There was no doubt about the work, he was well and truly prepared physically.”
In the spirit of Smith’s karate kid get-up, Ollie Dempsey karate kicked a goal himself through the big sticks in the first term.
Several Cats have noted how he has lifted standards across the pre-season, and his vigour was infectious.
Geelong completely overwhelmed the Dockers defence with manic pressure, laying 34 tackles to the Dockers’ 18 in the first quarter – a whopping 12 of those inside 50.
Tyson Stengle averages just 2.4 tackles across his career and had five to his name before the end of the first term, something that would please Scott more than his three majors.
Cats youngster Mitch Knevitt feels Smith’s energy rubbed off on the playing grouip.
“I think it definitely helped, his intensity in that first half,” Knevitt told this masthead.
“We were all excited for him, so we probably went up a notch.”
Brad Close has made a living out of unrewarded running, but a desperate spoil on a Docker shocker led to the easiest of goals, underlining just how rattled the Fremantle’s back six was.
However, it was Geelong’s turn to be under-siege in the third term as the Dockers piled on six goals to one.
Four of those came in the space of six minutes to Dockers debutant Murphy Reid.
SuperCoach points aren’t everything, but Reid was in the negatives at halftime.
The smooth moving draftee had no luck in the first half but everything went his way after that as he breathed life into the contest.
Unlike some games last year, the Cats were able to arrest the momentum to seal a convincing 78-point win.
Fittingly, it was Smith who finished the game just as he started it.
After coming agonisingly close to his first goal in Geelong colours with a long bomb on the run, he was walked into the attacking arc by a 50m penalty and kicked truly to a huge roar.
The Cats faithful cheered him like a rockstar when he came to the bench, capping a debut to remember; 32 disposals, 15 contested possessions, seven clearances and endless hope for Geelong’s 2025 premiership ambitions.
But he is just a regular guy in the eyes of Knevitt.
Honestly (his personality) is pretty normal to be honest, same as Pat (Dangerfield) and (Tom) ‘Stew’ and those sort of superstars as well. His footy speaks for himself and being around the club he is very inviting to everyone, he is easy to get along with and he’s great to have around the club as well,” Knevitt said.
“We don’t really do view him as a rock star as much, he’s sort of just another one of the teammates, and he’s fit in really well,” Geelong you
“And obviously today, some of the stuff he does is pretty unbelievable as well. He’s a great teammate, we’re embracing him, and we love playing with him.”
SDK THE RUCK
Sam De Koning’s performances in the pre-season as a ruckman were less than convincing, but he was much better up against Liam Reidy and Luke Jackson.
The athletic tall had more disposals than the two Dockers ruckmen combined, with his follow-up work standing out.
And he underlined his ability around the ground with a long-range snap late in the piece.
De Koning will face a much sterner test against Rowan Marshall next week and then Oscar McInerney and Max Gawn, but he will be full of confidence after this showing.
The only concern for the Cats may be the unsigned big man’s rising contract value.
DANGER MAN
Smith took most of the attention early on, but captain Patrick Dangerfield started his 2025 campaign with a bang.
In the Cats’ season-opener last season he had 25 disposals, eight clearances and kicked the sealing goal. This time it was a new-look Dangerfield as a forward who had maximum impact from limited possessions.
Dangerfield also halted the influence of interceptor Luke Ryan early, with Ryan the one initially handed the job.
Speaking of high impact, reigning Carji Greeves medallist Max Holmes (24 disposals and two goals) didn’t get his hands on it a great deal as a pure midfielder but his touches sure did count.
EMERGING CATS
Mitch Knevitt had his first touch of the Sherrin in the second quarter.
But the tall midfielder grew in confidence as the game went on, showing strong defensive intent with nine tackles and 21 disposals.
Lawson Humphries stood up in some key defensive moments and displayed his usual poise in a promising start to his second season. Meanwhile, second-game backman Connor O’Sullivan took a nice contested mark and looked capable against Fremantle’s trio of talls.
Rising Star winner Ollie Dempsey was lively in the air and at ground level with two goals, and while key forward Shannon Neale didn’t have a big day on the stat sheet up, he consistently made a contest in the air and was rewarded with a late goal.
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Originally published as AFL round 1: Dan Batten analyses Geelong’s victory over Fremantle, Bailey Smith impact
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