AFL Round 14 Essendon v Geelong: All the news, analysis and fallout from the Cats’ huge win
When Bailey Smith and Max Holmes are at their best together, there aren’t many who can keep up – but what Essendon fans saw at the MCG on Saturday was another crushing blow.
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The battle of the Scott twins, celebrating a unique 1000 games as a brotherly combination in the AFL, went to Geelong’s Chris again, but what would Essendon’s Brad have given to have Bailey Smith and Max Holmes to utilise in his midfield?
After a week apart, Smith, returning from a hamstring injury, and Holmes, reminded the rest of the competition they could be the most formidable onball duo in the league, as they torched the Bombers with a combined 77 disposals and 1633 metres gained in Saturday’s crushing 95-point win at the MCG.
Smith blitzed with 41 disposals, six clearances and nine score involvements, while Holmes had 36 disposals, eight clearances and seven score involvements.
Significantly, Geelong now has its destiny in its own hands, moving into the top-two after recording a fifth win on the trot – it is the form team in the competition along with Collingwood.
Geelong coach Chris Scott said that his star recruit Smith found his meeting with AFL chief executive officer Andrew Dillon to be a positive interaction and not a burden leading up to his return from a one-week absence with hamstring awareness.
Scott understood the interest in Smith’s “around the fire” chat with Dillon, with the CEO reiterating to Smith his importance as a role model after some on-field gestures and a social media post had overstepped the mark, but felt like it should be viewed in a positive light and nothing to generate negative talk.
“I don’t think that he [Smith] felt like there was focus on him,” Scott said.
“I understand that there were questions around it, but I thought it was more the interest in something that’s a bit unusual, like a conversation around the fire that didn’t really light very well.
“It’s rare for an AFL CEO to do that with a young player.
“We appreciated it, it was a step in the right direction, but maybe I misread it and I don’t follow much of that stuff, but I didn’t feel like it was a negative that would’ve put pressure on him.
“If there’s a bit of a sense that there’s some controversy in a negative sense towards him, I don’t think we’re feeling it, or I’m not seeing it anyway, but sometimes coaches are the last to know.”
The Cats ruthlessly picked over a threadbare Bombers lineup beset with injuries, but it might have come at a cost with key defender Sam De Koning subbed out with a left shoulder injury.
De Koning left the field in the second quarter with his left arm limp by his side, but surprisingly re-emerged for the second half.
But the 24-year-old barely lasted five minutes into the third quarter before he was subbed out of the game and will be in doubt for Friday night’s high stakes clash with reigning premier Brisbane at GMHBA Stadium.
Star forward Jeremy Cameron booted six goals as the Cats stretched their recent dominance over the Bombers to eight consecutive wins.
Cameron, goalless for the first time in 29 games against the Suns last week, was keen to get back amongst the goals and extend his lead at the top of the Coleman Medal leaderboard, which stands at 44 goals on the season.
The Cats can't be stopped and Jezza has three 😻#AFLDonsCatspic.twitter.com/rJ1qtWioBc
— AFL (@AFL) June 14, 2025
The Cats big forwards, Cameron and Shannon Neale, combined for 10 goals as they punished an inexperienced Bombers defence.
Seeing Neale in full flight, leading strong, marking the ball at the highest point and slotting home from 50 on two occasions in a six-goals-to-two first quarter against Bombers debutant Lachie Blakiston was sweet viewing for Cats fans.
Neale succumbed to an ankle injury the week prior and looked set for a stint on the sidelines, but he passed a late fitness test and showed no ill effects to kick four majors.
While last week’s Cats star Tyson Stengle was kept quiet, Shaun Mannagh got off the leash, booting three goals for the Cats.
Ruthless Cats
The Cats were quick to expose the Bombers weaknesses that existed through their inexperience.
The visitors surgically moved the ball from side to side, stretching a gallant but out of its depth Bombers line up missing a host of first teamers to injury to build a 35-point halftime lead.
It is said the skinny surface at GMHBA Stadium is an unfair advantage for the Cats, but try stopping them on the wider expanses of the MCG.
The Bombers simply could not cover the Cats leg speed across the ground and were given the runaround.
Whenever the Cats needed defensive cover, it was Tom Stewart who provided it with 16 marks, including seven intercept possessions, to go with his 23 disposals.
Smith’s smooth return
Smith’s return from a week off with a hamstring complaint was crucial for Geelong.
The former Bulldog continued the form that has him in Brownlow Medal discussions as he burned away from stoppages with ease.
It freed up Cats veteran Patrick Dangerfield to play forward and he was lethal inside 50.
The Bombers were competitive for three and a half quarters with Todd Goldstein battling hard in the ruck and Will Setterfield and Jye Caldwell fighting hard in the midfield, but once the floodgates opened, it turned ugly with the Cats piling on 14 second half goals.
Shocking miss
It was not all smooth sailing for the Cats.
Young gun Ollie Dempsey had his head in his hands after one of the misses of the year.
The Cats attacking utility opted to play on after taking a strong mark over Jaxon Prior and missed from six metres out.
Dempsey paid his team back with a remarkable banana goal that will be a goal of the week nomination to complete the Cats rout.
Scoreboard
ESSENDON 2.4 3.7 8.7 8.8 (56)
GEELONG 6.3 9.6 16.8 23.13 (151)
BEST
Bombers: Setterfield, Caldwell, Johnson, Goldstein, Merrett, Prior.
Cats: Smith, Holmes, Cameron, Stewart, Mannagh, Miers.
GOALS
Bombers: Guelfi 2, Wright 2, Gresham, Duursma, Roberts, Kako.
Cats: Cameron 6, Neale 4, Mannagh 3, Dangerfield 2, Dempsey 2, Close, Holmes, Humphries, Stengle, Miers, Stanley.
INJURIES
Bombers: Nil.
Cats: De Koning (shoulder).
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
LANCE JENKINSON’S VOTES
3. Bailey Smith (Geelong)
2. Max Holmes (Geelong)
1. Jeremy Cameron (Geelong)
Originally published as AFL Round 14 Essendon v Geelong: All the news, analysis and fallout from the Cats’ huge win
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