By Peter Ryan
Geelong coach Chris Scott said he will keep an open mind on how they should use their best players for the remainder of the season after the Cats returned to the top four with a strong win.
It was a frustrating day for the Hawks, meanwhile, as luckless forward Mitch Lewis copped a heavy knock late in the game that puts him in doubt for next week’s clash with Fremantle.
Hawthorn’s Mitch Lewis copped this heavy knock against Geelong.Credit: Fox Footy
With the positional moves Scott has made in the past three weeks starting to bear fruit the Cats jumped the Hawks to set up an early lead that turned into a 51-point win.
Sam De Koning excelling in the ruck and Tom Stewart once again showed his class in the unfamiliar role as an inside midfielder while Jeremy Cameron looks to be regaining top form.
They even had the luxury of being able to sub skipper Patrick Dangerfield out of the game midway through the final quarter in his third week back from a hamstring injury, with the Brownlow medallist playing 57 per cent game time.
“I’ve never been more of the mind that you have got to keep an open mind,” Scott said. “The idea that we’ll just find the formula and be the best team ...it’s just not congruent with the modern game.
Patrick Dangerfield greets the fans.Credit: Getty Images
“You need to keep pushing and you need to find a way.”
He said subbing Dangerfield was merely a precaution and there were no concerns about his hamstring despite him spending extended time on the bench in the third quarter.
Heavy knock: Mitch Lewis leaves the field.Credit: AFL Photos
“If I were him I wouldn’t do some of the stuff he does coming off those hamstring [injuries] but he looks to me like he only knows one way to play,” Scott said.
Disappointed Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell said the Hawks recognised they still had ground to make up on the best teams after the loss with the Cats too strong in most areas despite the statistical measures.
He admitted they battled to cover the loss of James Sicily in defence but could not guarantee the captain would return from a shoulder injury to play Fremantle while Jack Ginnivan, who withdrew with a leg injury, remained some hope of returning for that match.
Lewis was injured in a heavy clash in the final quarter when trying to intercept a switch kick and was left limping and bleeding from the head as he left the ground, but Mitchell said he had not received a report from the doctors outlining whether he had been concussed or had sustained a leg injury.
The coach said he had given the key forward a hug and hoped he would be available next week.
“We are far from a finished product,” Mitchell said. “When you watch the best teams play, that is what they look like. Even though we have had a good block of games and were playing some good footy I still think there is a gap from us and the teams at the top. [Geelong] handled everything that we threw at them with relative ease.”
Geelong face a huge clash against the out of form Collingwood next week, with Scott admitting the challenges in the tight competition just keep coming. He praised the performance of Shaun Mannagh who was excellent up forward in his first game since round three.
“He showed he could pressure and play the complete role that we ask of our forwards,” Scott said. “That group of medium (to) small-size forwards did a really good job tonight.”
Mitchell said, despite winning games on the trot, the Hawks knew they needed to improve more to be in the position they were aiming towards, and this game was a reality check. The Hawks battled to win territory, which meant they were always trying to build attacks from the back half against a well-drilled defence.
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