Geelong’s third-quarter blitz leaves Brisbane Lions to lick wounds
Experience reigned as Geelong set out to prove it is the real king of the jungle, for now at least.
Give these Cats a sniff and they’ll hunt the cream.
Experience reigned as Geelong set out to prove it is the real king of the jungle, for now at least.
The Lions — dubbed a premiership fancy — looked out to hunt as they completely outplayed the Cats – at “home” at the SCG. It was an arm wrestle, and they appeared to like it that way.
Until the muscle was flexed.
The Lions uncharacteristically fell away in a dramatic slump when things truly unravelled as Geelong – started by Sam Menegola – piled on eight straight goals to land the punishing blows in a 11.7 (73) to 6.10 (46) win.
And it was the stars that shone — Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood, Gary Ablett, Tom Hawkins and young Sam Simpson in just his seventh game.
“We, as a club, we love to play against the best sides,” Hawkins said on Channel 7.
“I think we played some outstanding footy there. It is nice to play in front of some crowd, albeit not many. A great win for the club.”
The third quarter was easily the Cats’ best of the year – and at 45-1 was the highest-scoring of the season – to dismantle the Lions, who won all three other quarters, that will no doubt leave them licking their lips for the month on the road.
It was questioned whether Ablett would play this week – a five-day turnaround, the travel and settling into life in the hub after revealing a deeply personal and heartbreaking diagnosis for his young son.
But Chris Scott backed his man in and it paid dividends.
As Australia’s leading commentator dubbed him “struggling”, it was as if the two-time Brownlow medallist heard him over the 1000-odd fans in the house.
Just when the Cats were threatened, it was Ablett who dobbed a fourth-straight goal for Geelong, who snatched the lead and ran with it, assisting with a few more.
A night that went from one extreme to the other, but there’s still plenty left in those legs.
In August last year Brisbane star Lachie Neale told a bold punter to “cash out” on a multi-bet that hung on the midfielder taking out the Brownlow.
This time around, it might pay to let it ride.
Pushing forward more this season, Neale’s danger has been doubled with his true threat on show in a blistering boundary dribble goal that put the burners on Geelong star Ablett.
He struggled to have an influence as the Cats turned up the heat, but only continues to shorten in Brownlow betting.
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