AFL 2024: Geelong embarrassed by Gold Coast in 64-point Darwin demolition
As Geelong struggled for open possessions, let alone goals, Gold Coast toyed with them. And the numbers were damning in their Darwin horror show.
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Geelong was smashed in the first quarter against Port Adelaide.
Six days later, Gold Coast blew them out of the water with 15 goals to three in two quarters, turning a five-point quarter-time deficit into a 65-point lead three-quarter-time lead.
There was no exhilarating comeback from the Cats this time. Instead, it was a Darwin demolition where Geelong’s midfield and defence went missing.
Those three Cats goals they scored in the space of two quarters? A 50m penalty that walked Tanner Bruhn into goal, a miraculous goal from the paint from Tyson Stengle who produced something out of nothing, and a goal on the run from Gary Rohan.
Geelong was without 1167 games of experience in Jeremy Cameron (concussion), Tom Hawkins, Rhys Stanley and Mitch Duncan (three of those managed) in foreign conditions. Sam De Koning was also a late withdrawal.
But this side, that is supposed to be contending for finals, was embarrassed in their 64-point loss — Geelong’s third heaviest defeat under Chris Scott.
As Geelong battled for mere open possessions, let alone goals, the Suns toyed with them. And every time the Suns banged it forward they looked dangerous.
In hot and humid conditions that weren’t conducive for scoring, it took Gold Coast just 14 minutes to pile on six consecutive goals in the second quarter as they went +10 in inside 50s in that period.
They also piled on the pressure in that time, registering a whopping 217 on the pressure index – that was +36 on the Cats.
The fact the Suns were also +35 for marks and +54 for disposals at halftime was an indictment on Geelong’s workrate.
Staggeringly, it was the first time in Tom Stewart’s 157-game career that he failed to record a mark in a match.
At one stage midway during the third quarter, the Cats had taken only 21 marks for the game, while the Suns had clunked 12 inside their forward 50.
Gold Coast forward Jack Lukosius loves Darwin, but he also doesn’t mind coming up against the Cats. The smooth-moving forward took the mickey out of them again after booting five goals in Gold Coast’s upset win Geelong last year,
He kicked or assisted Gold Coast’s first five goals and finished with five goals for the match — his third haul of five at TIO Stadium — and five goal assists.
How was a player of his quality allowed so much time and space?
Another expansion team stacked with talent awaits the Cats next week, and if they serve up this kind of display against Greater Western Sydney, it will be four losses on the trot.
MIDFIELD WOES
While the result paled in comparison to last week, there was another similarity: a midfield being put to the sword by two young guns.
After Zak Butters and Jason Horne-Francis exposed the Cats in round nine, the top two picks of the 2019 AFL Draft had their way with them on Thursday night.
Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson tallied a lazy 59 disposals between them to three-quarter-time, with Rowell also racking up 12 contested possessions and nine tackles.
Geelong midfielders Tom Atkins, Tanner Bruh and Cam Guthrie had 12 contested possessions combined in the first three quarters, managing a cumulative total of 28 disposals in that period.
Guthrie couldn’t add any more from midway through the third because the Cats made the call to take him out of the game prematurely.
The despondent Guthrie sitting on the bench summed up Geelong’s night.
Back a month ago after a 371-day AFL hiatus, it remains to be seen whether the 31-year-old can still have a meaningful impact as a midfielder.
After 27 disposals in his return in round seven playing primarily in defence, Guthrie has managed 15 disposals in round eight (attending 52 per cent of centre bounces), 16 touches in round nine (67 per cent) and just nine on Thursday night.
FORWARD ISSUES
Shannon Neale looked a million bucks in his three-goal haul against North Melbourne earlier in the year.
He started in a similar fashion with a classy goal from general play that showcased the 203cm talent’s athleticism.
He had a much tougher time of it from then on, dropping two open marks, with that goal his only disposal in the first half.
Gary Rohan’s performance was far less excusable. The Cats forward line was starved of opportunities, but Rohan had no impact in the first half, managing just the one effective disposal to halftime.
To Neale’s credit, he managed to work into the game in the final quarter after moving into the ruck, kicking a second goal at the death, with Rohan also adding a goal in the third quarter.
Their lack of focal point through the first three quarters was stark and it showed just how much they missed Cameron and Hawkins.
The Cats got to 100 points, but almost half of that scoreline came in final-quarter junk time.
SILVER LININGS
Where would Geelong have been tonight without Gryan Miers?
Miers’ silky ball-use and clean hands made it look like he was under the roof at Marvel Stadium rather than in the sticky Darwin heat.
He worked tirelessly and gave the Cats his trademark forward-half dynamism, finishing with 29 disposals, 10 score involvements and two goals.
Speaking of dynamic, Wirangu and Ngarrindjeri man Stengle’s strong form continued in Sir Doug Nicholls Round, making his opportunities count with three goals.
Rebounder Max Holmes was rewarded with a late goal as he led his side’s disposal count with 32 disposals and 14 contested possessions.
Toby Conway had a nightmare start when he handed Lukosius the first goal of the match on a platter with a horror backwards kick, but from then on his follow-up work was impressive against Ned Moyle in the ruck.
Conway chalked up team-highs for contested possessions (18) and clearances (10), also gathering 21 disposals and 25 hit-outs in just his fourth AFL game.
He deserves another crack at it against Kieren Briggs next round.
SCOREBOARD
GOLD COAST 4.3 11.5 19.7 26.8 (164)
GEELONG 5.0 6.2 8.7 15.10 (100)
GOALS
SUNS: Humphrey 5, Lukosius 5, King 4, Day 3, Swallow 2, Anderson 2, Long 2, Jeffrey, Ainsworth, Rowell
CATS: Stengle 3, Miers 2, Tuohy, Neale, Miers, Bruhn, Rohan
Originally published as AFL 2024: Geelong embarrassed by Gold Coast in 64-point Darwin demolition
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