All the latest Cats news following their clash with Richmond
Chaos footy is the modern game’s winning formula and the Cats have now proven they can turn it on to conquer the most dire situations.
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Geelong coach Chris Scott praised his players “for the way they kept backing themselves” on Saturday after the Cats clawed back from 17 points down in the fourth term to pinch a three-point win over Richmond.
But Saturday’s comeback was not one out of the box, rather it was further proof of the Cats’ effectiveness when they move the ball fast.
Chaos footy, or quick ball movement, is the modern game’s winning formula.
Richmond has played this way since 2017, winning three flags, while Melbourne jumped on board and broke its premiership drought in 2021 on the back of fast ball movement.
And Geelong has clearly made a decision to attack the game where possible this season and it certainly paid dividends against the Tigers.
It is a style teams do not play for entire games and is easier said than done at times.
But when the Cats move the ball with speed, they score heavily in bursts, as both sides did for periods on Saturday.
Geelong had no option but to up the pace in the fourth term as it kicked four of the final five goals, three of them starting from the back half.
The Cats’ mark-play on percentage increased from 13 to 24 per cent in the final term, while their pressure rating ratcheted up from 166 to 185 and their kick to handball ratio from 1.55 to 2.04.
“I was really full of admiration for the way that they kept backing themselves, I mean the game looked gone a couple of times there,” Scott said. “As a collective, we didn’t play safe, we knew we had to take the game away from them (Richmond).
“I thought that execution and the preparedness to play that way against a really good defensive team was something that we should be proud of.”
The momentum was sparked through a mark near the wing, with Brad Close handballing inside and through a chain of possession, found a goal through Tyson Stengle.
When momentum is against you, it is harder to up the pace and tough to slow the opposition down.
However, when the want is there to play quicker, as Close did in that situation, pressure is applied to an opposition’s defence and scoring seems inevitable.
It may not be immediate, but once that dam wall breaks, it is open slather.
Mark Blicavs kicked quickly from a mark to Stengle inside 50 soon after and while it was not a pretty entry, the pressure applied helped Close kick a goal to bring Geelong within five points.
After a clearing kick from Geelong’s back 50, an errant Tiger spoil aided the Cats, but from there it was full steam ahead, with Stengle one of four players in space forward of the ball, who was able to mark and find Jeremy Cameron to put the Cats in front.
This is one aspect of many in a game of footy and is not the deciding factor, but it is one area that has proved to stack up when it counts.
Richmond’s third-quarter onslaught was always going to come at some point, as it will from others come finals.
But Geelong’s ability to counter-attack and hold firm under fierce pressure was the catalyst for a thrilling win.
Bews: Geelong ‘never feel like we’re out of it’
Geelong defender Jed Bews says the Cats “never feel like we’re out of it” following a scintillating three-point comeback win over Richmond on Saturday at the MCG.
After going down by 17 points midway through the fourth quarter following five-straight Richmond goals, the Cats booted four of the next five majors to steal a 13.11 (89) – 13.8 (86) win.
“We’re never out of it, we never feel like we’re out of it,” Bews said.
“We always think we’re a sniff … it’s exciting for us because we’ve got that belief that we know we can do it and then we go and do it.
“We’re not always going to win them, but we always think we’re a sniff, it’s a good belief to have.”
After Richmond’s run of momentum in the third quarter that carried into the early stages of the fourth term, Bews said with “some of the best forwards in the game”, the Cats knew they needed to get the ball in to them as quick as possible.
The Cats were able to find some run and carry and their ball movement caught the Tigers out the back of their press on multiple occasions.
“We’ve got some of the best forwards in the game, so let’s just get it into them,” Bews said.
“When you go a bit slower, obviously their defence can set up and nullify it.
“It was a bit of that, just get it in as quick as we can … it seemed to work.”
After hot starts to the game but quiet third quarters, 200-gamer Jeremy Cameron and Tyson Stengle bobbed up to kick a goal each in the final term, as did defender-turned-forward Jack Henry.
In his AFL return following a foot injury, Henry’s late juggling mark and goal sealed the deal for a classic victory.
Bews said Henry’s move forward was a late decision after Gary Rohan’s withdrawal following the warm-up due to illness.
“It was pretty late, we had Gary Rohan (out) … when he (Henry) goes forward he seems to kick goals,” Bews said.
One of the players at Henry’s feet was All-Australian fancy Stengle, the small forward kicking three majors from his 18 disposals and finishing with seven score involvements.
The effort takes Stengle’s season tally to 29, two behind Brisbane small forward Charlie Cameron.
Bews said he had the chance to defend 23-year-old when he first arrived at the club and knows the talent he possesses.
“Unfortunately for me I got to play on him all pre-season,” Bews joked.
“But he’s just grabbed his opportunity with both hands … he’s just getting better and better.
“He’s just quick … when the ball hits his hands he’s just a nightmare to play on, there’s not really much you can do, sometimes he kicks some freaky goals.
“He’s just got lots of tricks in his bag.”
A fellow stalwart in Geelong’s defence, Tom Stewart, could be under match review panel scrutiny following a first-quarter bump on Richmond’s Dion Prestia, who was subbed out of the game with concussion.
Bews said he wasn’t aware of the incident or why Tigers fans were booing the All-Australian.
“I actually had no idea what happened there, I heard them booing and I had no idea,” he said.
CATS FANS URGED TO BREAK 42-YEAR CROWD RECORD
Geelong is planning to break a 42-year record and host more than 50,000 people in a home match against Richmond for the first time on Saturday.
The biggest crowd for a home Geelong clash against Richmond outside of finals was set in 1980, when 47,625 fans watched a narrow Tigers win at Waverley.
The Cats have offered some members free tickets to bring a friend to the game, while the AFL is spruiking free tickets for children to get fans through the gates.
In what promises to be a season-shaping clash with the Tigers at 4.35pm at the MCG, Cats chief executive Steve Hocking said the record was in the club’s sights.
“We are looking to surpass the 1980 record,” Hocking said.
Geelong has had strong attendances to home matches at GMHBA Stadium this year, going close to capacity in its four games as the ground is redeveloped.
The Cats have hosted one game in Melbourne this year, drawing 54,495 fans to a round 1 win over Essendon.
But the crowd dropped below 50,000 for the first time in the history of the annual Easter Monday clash with Hawthorn, even if that was an away game for Cats members.
Cats coach Chris Scott urged his fans to get to the MCG for the clash and even said earlier in the week he was tired of being drowned out by opposition fans.
He said the twilight clash should suit Cats fans to get up and back from Melbourne.
“It is probably optimistic to think we are going to get so many Geelong fans there to outnumber the Tiger army,” he said.
“Geelong people have been deprived of football for a long time … there’s been issues and difficulties getting to the ground that we understand (but) 4.35pm on Saturday is a good slot for us.
“We think we are playing well, we are playing one of the best teams in the competition, it’s going to be a great atmosphere.”
Geelong came close to breaking its 1980 record in 2018 when it hosted 46,423 fans at the MCG.
A Richmond home game, in round 8 last year 54,857 fans attended a Friday night clash between the two sides.
The two clubs drew attendances of well over 90,000 to finals in 2017 and 2019.
BIGGEST CROWDS FOR HOME GEELONG GAMES AGAINST RICHMOND
47,625 – Round 11, 1980 at Waverley
46,423 – Round 13, 2018 at MCG
42,238 – Round 18, 2008 at Docklands
35,171 – Round 8, 2000 at Docklands
THE JEZZA MASTERCLASSES THAT HAVE CATS COACHES IN AWE
It is in the moments before and after training actually starts that Jeremy Cameron shows Geelong coaches how special he is.
Often as the Cats warm up or cool down, Cameron wanders down to a pocket at GMHBA Stadium’s northern end with fellow goalkicking masters Tom Hawkins, Gary Rohan and Eddie Betts.
The quartet – who have so far combined to kick 2022 AFL goals – quickly find themselves deep in conversation about how to boot goals from various angles, how to drop the ball to get the right spin and which spin works best for each kick.
It was in these moments that Geelong knew it has something truly special in Cameron, who’s talent was obvious in nine outstanding seasons with GWS but his elastic left leg stands out more and more if you see it every day.
High-placed Geelong minds still can’t quite wrap their heads around how Cameron manages to swing that left peg around his body and either snap goals over his shoulder or dish out laser-like field kicks to teammates.
That skill hit Cats coach Chris Scott when he first kept an eye on the goalkicking masterclasses last year.
“It’s just the little things that continue to shock me, as a ‘Collingwood six-footer’ who played the game, the ability to kick the ball so far around his body is something I hadn’t seen before,” Scott said.
“When he first arrived, it wasn’t even the full-blown training, it is the mucking around with the ball pre-training that made my eyes pop out of my head.
“When you work really hard on your technique and the basics, you can play on instinct a bit more.”
Cameron himself may joke that not much goes through his mind when he is out on the field but his demeanour belies a deep thinker about the art of goalkicking, even if teammate Zach Tuohy sees him as a “super odd unit”.
He has booted 505 goals in his 199 games, putting him in the frame to rocket up alongside the ladder of all-time goalkickers.
His running mate Hawkins became just the 26th player in VFL/AFL history to boot 700 goals last weekend and as long as Cameron’s body holds up, he could be the 27th man on that list.
Plucked out of Dartmoor in country Victoria at 17 and sent to Sydney to join a group of teenage Giants playing NEAFL well before the club joined the AFL, Cameron had to come of age quickly.
While he was nervous beginning his run to stardom, he quickly settled in and in his second AFL season, the fluid, young athlete booted 62 AFL goals in a side that was dominated most weeks.
Reflecting before his 200th game against Richmond on Saturday, Cameron said it wasn’t until halfway through his first season that he really felt like an AFL player.
“It started up there in Sydney, when I went up when I was 17 years of age, I didn’t really know what to expect,” he said.
“It was a nerve-racking first year for me. We played in the NEAFL that year and that is where we all found our feet but overall it has been a really good journey and hopefully there are a few more games in the legs still.
“Throughout my first season, I was lucky enough to play a fair few games and we were all quite young at that stage but there were a couple of games in that season where I started to build a bit of belief in myself and after speaking to coaches and ex-players … they just told us all to back ourselves and try and cement a spot in that side.”
Just 28 games into his Geelong career, Cameron is just picking up steam and is convinced there “are a few more games in the legs still”.
There are a few more goals in that left leg as well.
DANGERFIELD PUT ON ICE FOR ANOTHER WEEK
Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield has been held back another week and will not line-up for a finals-shaping clash with Richmond on Saturday as he continues to feel tightness in his worrisome calf.
After the midfielder trained on Wednesday, he spoke with the Cats medical staff and coaches, who decided to hold him back an extra week as he continues to build up his fitness levels.
Geelong has recalled youngster Max Holmes (ankle), defender Jack Henry (foot) and forward Gary Rohan (Covid protocols) for the MCG clash.
Making way for the Cats are Zach Guthrie (managed), Cooper Stephens and Luke Dahlhaus (both omitted).
All three of those Cats have been named as emergencies, alongside Shannon Neale.
Richmond has been able to call on its own superstar, with Dustin Martin back from illness.
Alongside him is Jack Ross and ruck Ivan Soldo, with Trent Cotchin (collarbone), Noah Balta (hamstring) and Kane Lambert (hip) all out.
Dangerfield hasn’t played since round 10, when he aggravated a calf complaint that had dogged him through the early rounds of the year.
In the days after that May 21 game, the club said the explosive midfielder would take a “couple of weeks” to go through a training regimen but he has now not played for over a month.
The club’s medical update on Monday said Dangerfield was cleared to play against West Coast last weekend, while the Brownlow medallist himself said last week he had been targeting the Richmond clash for his return.
Geelong footy boss Simon Lloyd said the cautious approach with the star fit in with the club’s plan to have its players peaking at the right time this year.
“While we had been confident that Patrick would play on Saturday, the coaches and medical team had earmarked making a final call after Wednesday’s main training session, and while he has again trained fully with the group, we will wait for the last signs of tightness to clear before he is available for selection,” Lloyd said.
Cats assistant coach James Kelly said there had been a strong plan to not rush players back into the side as they return from injury lay-offs.
“We are really trying to be cautious with player’s injuries and trying to be conservative to do what is best for the team and the player,” he said.
“But having said that, if a player is cherry ripe and ready to go we want to play them. We don’t really want to hold them back if they are right.”
Geelong’s impressive form in a four-game winning streak will be put to the test against an improving Richmond, who has won six of its last seven.
The Cats wrestled control over the Eagles last week by being careful with its ball movement and taking the string out of the game and Kelly said a similar plan could be put in place to slow down the Tigers.
“Our ability to match them in the contest and run with them and control the ball is going to be really important,” he said.
“Richmond are well known for wanting a live, fast game and if we give them that on a platter it is going to be a harder day for us than it will be for them.”
CAMERON HOPING TO SHRUG OFF TOP-TEAM BATTLES
Superstar Cat Jeremy Cameron can’t wait to test himself against a rampaging Richmond on Saturday as he attempts to shrug off indifferent form against the top sides this season.
Cameron has likely been the best forward in the league this season and is the only key position player in the top-eight of the AFL coaches votes award.
But his form hasn’t been as strong against sides sitting in the league’s top-eight as his impact on the scoreboard drops away dramatically.
Against the best the potential finals sides, Cameron averages just 0.5 goals per game this year compared to 4.1 against bottom-10 teams, while his marks inside-50 and score involvements drop away as well, according to Champion Data.
That run includes goalless outings against Fremantle and Sydney, while he managed just one goal each in games against Brisbane and St Kilda.
Cameron, who will play his 200th AFL game on Saturday, will tackle an in-form Richmond side that has won six of its past seven games on Saturday and said he was looking forward to the challenge.
When he played against the Tigers last year, Cameron booted six goals in a 63-point win.
“I like playing against the best sides in the comp, you get a good feel for where you are at personally and as a whole, the team,” he said.
“(Richmond) are going really well at the moment. They are playing really good football and it is exciting my 200th (game) has fallen on this game because it is going to be an exciting one.”
A host of Cameron’s teammates still carry scars from losing the 2020 grand final to Richmond and the left-footer himself lost to the Tigers in the 2019 decider.
While that disastrous Giants performance stuck with Cameron heading into the 2020 season, he said he has well and truly moved on.
“At this point in time it is not on my mind, you need to move on pretty quickly in AFL football,” he said.
“After the Giants loss in the grand final to (Richmond) it is something you think about for quite a while, we didn’t play our best football on that day and they ran away with it.
“I don’t now sit down and think about that every night, that is for sure.”
After GWS played most of his regular season football off-Broadway, Cameron said he was looking forward to a mid-season MCG blockbuster against the Tigers.
“It’s obviously a little bit different from what I was used to in the past but I just get myself up and excited to play games of football,” he said.
“That is how I have been driven but in front of a good crowd and especially with the couple of years that we have had with no crowds and bouncing around in hubs, it is good to get back and hopefully there are a lot of people that come out and come to the football this weekend.”
CATS CLEAR INJURY LIST BEFORE TIGERS CLASH
Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield headlines a group of players who could return for this Saturday’s clash with Richmond at the MCG.
Dangerfield was cleared to play against West Coast following his recovery from a calf injury, however the Cats decided to give the midfielder another week to complete more of his reconditioning program.
“Patrick is continuing his reconditioning program,” head of medical and conditioning Harry Taylor said.
“He has completed a number of high intensity sessions and will look to be available for this weekend.”
Youngsters Max Holmes, Jack Henry, Esava Ratugolea and Nick Stevens each played restricted minutes in the VFL on the weekend and have pulled up well, while pressure forward Gary Rohan has been cleared to play after exiting health and safety protocols.
Veteran Shaun Higgins could make a return for his first game since the round 7 loss to Fremantle.
“Shaun has completed a solid reconditioning program and will look to be available for this weekend,” Taylor said.
Brandan Parfitt’s hand remains in a splint after breaking it against the Western Bulldogs in round 12, but has increased his running load.
“Brandan is progressing through his reconditioning program, with an increased running volume focus, whilst his hand remains in a splint for the short term,” Taylor said.
Originally published as All the latest Cats news following their clash with Richmond
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