AFL 2022 North Melbourne v Geelong: All the news, results and reaction from the round 6 game

Geelong forward Jeremy Cameron might have kicked a ground-record seven goals but the biggest roar has come for debutant Ollie Dempsey as the Cats trounced the Kangaroos in Hobart.

Geelong uncovered a rough diamond in teenage sensation Ollie Dempsey in Hobart with the former basketballer impressing coach Chris Scott in his debut in the Cats’ 10-goal win over North Melbourne.

Playing in attack, Dempsey kicked a goal, had 16 disposals but was light-on for tackles with the hoops man having only one in a promising debut.

“He was exciting. He did some things that we’d seen from him at VFL level and that is rarely the case in a debutant’s game, someone who hasn’t played much footy,” Scott said.

“Often they come in, and it’s such a jump from the VFL, even when you play in a solid win it can be daunting.

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Ollie Dempsey’s mates get around him after his stunning debut with the Cats. Picture: AFL Photos via Getty Images

“He didn’t show any signs of that and more importantly for us, we didn’t think he was out of position, he didn’t look confused in the role we were asking him to play.”

A 19-year-old point guard is a popular Cat, running on to a huge cheer.

“He’s an infectious young guy and he had his own cheer squad here today. He’s a very likeable young man within the group and I suspect he will be a very likely player for our supporters as well,” Scott said.

Scott confirmed star Patrick Dangerfield would likely be back for their next match at home against the Dockers after a serious of misfortunes.

“He’s just been unlucky in the first month of footy,” Scott said.

“He got a really bad corky in his quad that he was laboring with.

“I’m happy to speak about it now because I tend not to talk about it in the moment because it’s just not something that should be communicated to the opposition.

“He battled through that and then he got a series of corks to the same spot on his calf. He was okay to play last week coming off a 10-day break but off a six-day break it wasn’t the right thing for him to play this week.”

Jezza on Coleman Medal course with magnificent seven

A record haul of seven goals saw Jeremy Cameron stake his claim for the 2022 Coleman Medal in Geelong’s powerful 60-point win over North Melbourne in Hobart on Sunday as the Cats firmed their place in the AFL’s top eight.

Cameron drilled 7.3 in a Kanga catastrophe at Blundstone Arena to boost his season tally from 12 to 19 and join the Coleman race with Saint Max King, Lion Joe Daniher and teammate Tom Hawkins, who added another four.

Cameron’s 7.3 was the most goals by an AFL player in Hobart and eclipsed the 6.1 he kicked in Geelong’s win over Collingwood at the MCG in round three.

Dempsey celebrates with Geelong champion Joel Selwood after the Cats took care of North Melbourne. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

It won him the Anzac Medal as the player who displayed the most Anzac Spirit but he was more pleased for the team.

“The boys played brilliantly in absolutely brilliant conditions down here in Tassie,” Cameron said.

“The midfield played really well and got it forward. The smalls up the ground and the pressure they bring to help us big boys was awesome.”

The Cats were too fast and too polished for the Kangaroo joeys, who found it hard to get the ball inside 50m and when they did, found it even harder to get meaningful entries.

Dempsey is surrounded by his travelling fan club after his first game for Geelong. Picture: Getty Images

Dempsey’s teammates certainly didn’t miss out on the celebrations when he kicked his first goal. Picture: AFL Photos via Getty Images

North Melbourne’s defence was under heavy fire in the opening term as Mitch Duncan, Joel Selwood and Isaac Smith produced repeat entries to attack.

Cameron put the Cats on the board after a minute and Brad Close made it two a few minutes later but after that the Cats were off-target despite continued assaults on the goals.

North finally got on the board in time-on when local product Hugh Greenwood kicked its first goal and Guthrie interrupted a run of five consecutive behinds with a goal 10 seconds before quarter-time.

In the second term the Cat attack was led by Zach Tuohy on a wing and then half-back, and by half-time Cameron had four goals and another two shot that hit the post and North was down by six goals.

North came out confidently in the third, kicking the first goal through Cam Zurhaar but Geelong kicked six of the next seven to lead by 64 at the final change.

Geelong got out to a 76-point lead when Cameron kicked his sixth three minutes into the final term and North reduced the damage by kicking four straight.

Jeremy Cameron enjoyed a massive day out with seven goals. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

CATS STEP UP IN DANGER’S ABSENCE

No Dangerfield, no worries for Geelong.

With the injured Patrick Dangerfield missing the Anzac round his Cats colleagues were only too happy to step up.

Mitch Duncan slayed the Kangaroos early through the middle, then Cam Guthrie, Joel Selwood and Isaac Smith upped their workrates.

“Danger” was on ice after copping a couple of knocks to his already dodgy calf that some say was responsible for a subdued start to the 32-year-old’s 15th season.

TUOHY DOES AS HE PLEASES

It doesn’t seem to matter where the Cats play Zach Tuohy, he is going to be a handful.

And so it was for North Melbourne, as the veteran Cat started on a wing, where he dominated early, moved to half-back, where he was leading possession-winner to halftime, and then did a number on Kangaroo captain Jack Ziebell and debutant Paul Curtis, to walk off Blundstone Arena as the game’s highest ball-getter — 33 disposals, 9 marks.

Ollie Dempsey has his first AFL goal on debut and the Cats (+ his mates) absolutely love it!#FootyOhWhatAFeeling | #AFLNorthCatspic.twitter.com/l9CSSrSTlH

— AFL (@AFL) April 24, 2022

MIXED BAG FOR HOMECOMING PAIR

It was a mixed return to home soil for Cat Jake Kolodjashnij and Kanga Tarryn Thomas.

Thomas had only three touches to halftime, looked fatigued from early in the game and finished his comeback appearance with 10.

Kolodjashnij was superb in defence, where he had seven touches and two marks to half-time and 12 disposals and five marks for the game.

It was a gentle return for Thomas after missing three rounds for internal bruising from a kick in the ribs in their round 2 win over West Coast. Kolodjashnij was “managed” last week and missed Geelong’s 12-point loss to Hawthorn.

Cam Zuhaar snaps his third on return 🦘#AFLNorthCatspic.twitter.com/V6enBSmEeq

— AFL (@AFL) April 24, 2022

SHIRTLESS CREW UP AND ABOUT

Geelong first-gamer Oliver Dempsey has caught the eye with a goal on debut, but also with his own shirtless fan club as the Cats went to work on the Roos.

Picking up 16 possessions, the small forward kicked 1.1 for the afternoon.

“We were sort of laughing on the bus that I think Isaac Smith got a photo with them with

their tops off in the middle of Hobart,” Cameron said with a chuckle post-game.

“I happened to catch them (after Dempsey’s goal) and point them out to him.”

A basketballer just two years ago, Dempsey was picked up by the Cats at No. 15 in the 2021 NAB AFL Rookie Draft.

Since then his progression at Geelong has been rapid, resulting in his first senior game at Blundstone Arena.

Another brutal day for the Kangaroos. Picture: Getty Images

SCOREBOARD

NORTH MELBOURNE 1.2, 2.4, 4.5, 9.7 (61)

GEELONG 3.7, 7.11, 13.15, 17.19 (121)

GOALS

Geelong: Cameron 7, Hawkins 4, Stengle 2, Close, Dempsey, Guthrie, Selwood.

North Melbourne: Zurhaar 3, Curtis, Davies-Uniacke, Greenwood, McDonald, Simpkin, Ziebell.

BEST

Geelong: Cameron, Tuohy, Guthrie, Smith, Selwood, Hawkins.

North Melbourne: Davies-Uniacke, McDonald, Zurhaar, Simpkin, Greenwood, Scott.

Crowd 8663

VOTES

3 J Cameron Geelong 

2 Z Tuohy Geelong 

1 I Smith Geelong

David Noble addresses his players as North Melbourne came up short at Blundstone Arena. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Noble: Turnovers took heavy toll on Roos

North Melbourne coach David Noble says the Kangas were the masters of their own demise in a 10-goal crushing at the hands of Geelong in Hobart on Sunday with turnovers killing any chance they had to be competitive.

North Melbourne matched Geelong for disposal efficiency although the Cats dominated overall touches with 397 compared to 321, and North bettered them for clearances (38-27), centre clearances (15-10), stoppage clearances (23-17) and won the final term 5.2 to 4.4.

It was 80 turnovers to Geelong’s 61 that bothered Noble.

“It was the first final quarter we’ve won for the year. To outscore the Cats, that was a pretty good job,” Noble said.

“With the journey we are on, we’ve got to take those little wins.

“We know there is a process in place and sometimes it doesn’t feel like you’re making ground, so those little wins are ones we will go away and give a small reward in that sense.

“But we have got to work out our turnovers.”

Noble will demand his players are improve for their next outing against Carlton at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.

“We have got to be clean over the ball and not give up the loose ball,” he said. “They are some of the things we have got to address. We can’t keep letting that ball flick out because it’s too hard to stop.”

The Kangaroos do not always bring their competitive best.

“We’ve got to get better at competing on a more regular and consistent basis — the fundamental principal is that you’ve got to bring that level of competitiveness all the time,” Noble said.

“It’s something the players haven’t brought in terms of that energy and intensity consistently.

“It fluctuates, and when we get it we’re okay and we can hold our own.”

Geelong’s intensity at the contest and high-speed ball transition was a cut above the Kangaroos.

“Geelong came at us pretty hard. We are trying to start fast and start hard and get on the front foot,” Noble said.

“That’s part of the learning for us, how to attack those games early and get ourselves into the contest.

“We need to pride ourselves on starting hard and getting into game when the heat is in the kitchen.

“We can’t wait for the pressure to come off and feel like we can move back into the game.

“It’s about getting on the front foot from the get-go, even if the opposition is too good for us we need that level of competitiveness on a regular basis.”

Originally published as AFL 2022 North Melbourne v Geelong: All the news, results and reaction from the round 6 game