AFL Round 1: All the news and reaction from Geelong v Essendon

A huge win over Essendon got even better for Geelong on Sunday morning with news Jeremy Cameron has been released from hospital after complaining of having trouble breathing.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 19: Jeremy Cameron of the Cats is congratulated by team mates after scoring a goal during the round one AFL match between the Geelong Cats and the Essendon Bombers at Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 19, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Geelong star Jeremy Cameron has been cleared of any internal damage or rib issues after being released from hospital on Saturday night.

Cameron has complained he was having trouble breathing while in the Geelong rooms after his heavy collision with opponent Jayden Laverde.

But those scans in the Epworth Hosputal confirmed his only injury was a hip pointer complaint.

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Jeremy Cameron has been cleared of internal damage after a heavy collision.

The Cats will assess him in coming days and, while he could still miss the clash against Lance Franklin and the Sydney Swans on Friday night, it is excellent news for the club.

Mitch Duncan will play in that clash and Jed Bews will also be available.

Bews will come out of concussion protocols for the game after a knock against Gold Coast two weeks ago.

The Cats were less than thrilled his concussion protocols were reset by the AFL after a minor setback, which saw him miss against Essendon.

Young defender Sam De Koning will miss the clash with concussion after he was taken out in a case of friendly fire against the Dons.

Tagger Mark O’Connor is a chance to resume from a knee injury against the Swans.

Rutten’s brutal assessment: ‘not what club stands for’

Glenn McFarlane, Marc McGowan

Frustrated Essendon coach Ben Rutten has challenged his midfield group to “get their hands dirty” ahead of tough games against Brisbane and Melbourne across the next fortnight after an embarrassing 66-point Round 1 loss to Geelong.

The Bombers were systematically beaten in the midfield — as well as most other parts of the ground - in what was a rude awakening for a team aspiring to win the club’s first final in almost 20 years.

Patrick Dangerfield, Brandan Parfitt and Joel Selwood led the charge for the Cats from the middle, with the Bombers losing the clearance count 27-51 and centre clearance count 8-20.

Ben Rutten says he was totally blindsided by Essendon’s abysmal performance. Picture: AFL Photos via Getty Images

Rutten challenged the likes of Zach Merrett, Darcy Parish, Dylan Shiel and Andrew McGrath to bounce back hard at Marvel Stadium against the Lions on Saturday, stressing clearance and contest work had to be their “core business”.

“We have got some experienced players in there, that’s where our leaders are, and that’s their core business,” Rutten said.

“We are aspiring to be one of those Melbourne, Brisbane and Geelong midfield type groups and we are not there yet.

“But we are hell of a lot better than what we served up (against the Cats). That will sting the boys, (they) will be hurting.

“We need to get to work and get our hands dirty during the week and be ready for the fight next week.”

Important midfielder/forward Jake Stringer trained on Saturday and is a chance to return for the Bombers against the Lions.

But they will lose Kyle Langford to another hamstring injury on the same side that cost him a finals appearance last year.

The Bombers are hopeful Jayden Laverde hasn’t suffered any structural damage after a big collision that sent Jeremy Cameron to hospital after the match.

Ben Rutten addresses his rattled players at three-quarter time. Picture: Michael Klein

Essendon had been one of the spruik teams of the preseason with three-time premiership coach Mick Malthouse making a surprise prediction that Rutten’s team can win the flag.

Rutten said he was surprised by the manner in which the Bombers were beaten around the ball against Geelong, saying he hadn’t seen such a listless performance coming after a strong preseason.

“It wasn’t an indication of what we have been doing through the preseason … it was a long way from anywhere near our best footy … (it was) something we didn’t really see coming.”

“It was clear the areas we need to get better and that is clearance, contest, work rate contest to contest and method around the ball.

“It is certainly not what we stand for.”

The one shining light was the five-goal debut performance of Nic Martin, who gave the Bombers some zest around the goals.

“To play his first game in Round 1 is a credit to the work he has put in,” Rutten said.

“He is a good finisher, he has really good game sense … he hit the scoreboard in his first game of footy in a game where he didn’t have too many mates (making a contribution).”

Rutten said on radio before the game that small forward Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti is a few weeks away from resuming in the VFL.

Shameful: Vintage Cats trounce abysmal Bombers

Don’t forget about us.

Geelong has sent a none-too-subtle reminder of its premiership credentials with a 66-point massacre of a horribly disappointing Essendon at a sun-drenched MCG on Saturday.

The rush to write off the Cats — and be bullish about Ben Rutten’s Bombers — looks like off-season nonsense one game into the year.

Vintage Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Hawkins performances, a brilliant Brandan Parfitt effort, as well as Joel Selwood’s blistering opening, propelled Geelong to a 10-goal halftime lead that killed the match as a contest.

Patrick Dangerfield was at his breathtaking best. Picture: Michael Klein

The Cats’ first-half assault started in the centre, where they destroyed an Essendon midfield that looked handy enough on paper but in reality lacked substance.

The group of Zach Merrett, Darcy Parish, Dylan Shiel, Andy McGrath and Jye Caldwell lost 11 of the first 13 centre clearances and 20 of 28 overall — and paid for it on the scoreboard.

Jake Stringer, who emerged as a centre-clearance specialist last year, can’t return quickly enough.

Disappointed Essendon players after the 11-goal loss to Geelong. Picture: Michael Klein

Geelong’s preliminary final hiding from premier Melbourne and an ageing list profile prompted doomsayers to write eulogies for Chris Scott’s side.

More is made of the Cats’ inability to break through for a flag in recent years than the fact they have made at least a preliminary final in five of the past six seasons.

Dangerfield was particularly devastating, only three days after the player now considered the game’s finest, Norm Smith medallist Christian Petracca, made a major statement.

He turns 32 in a matter of weeks but turned back the clock with a dominant display that had him on record-breaking pace for inside 50s with nine at the main break, to go with five score assists.

Nic Martin kicked five goals in a stunning debut for the Bombers. Picture: Getty Images

Dangerfield was underwhelming by his standards last year but produced the ideal round 1 response with 31 disposals, eight clearances and 12 score involvements.

Hawkins rag-dolled James Stewart (seven marks inside 50, 14 score involvements), Parfitt (11 clearances) was outstanding and recruit Tyson Stengle (four goals) added some panache in attack.

Mature-age debutant Nic Martin and, to a lesser extent, young gun Archie Perkins were probably the only Bombers who could walk off with their reputation enhanced.

Tom Hawkins kicked four goals in a polished display. Picture: Getty Images

No excuses for Dons

Essendon would struggle to mount even the meekest excuse for Saturday’s demolition, given Geelong was also missing a series of best-22 staples.

Jake Stringer, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Michael Hurley, Will Snelling and Harry Jones would undoubtedly make the Bombers better but there was enough quality playing.

Meanwhile, the Cats went into battle without Mitch Duncan, Sam Menegola, Mark O’Connor, Gryan Miers, Gary Rohan and Jed Bews.

Essendon faces two more flag fancies in Brisbane (Marvel Stadium) and Melbourne (MCG) in the next fortnight, so will reasonably have to dig itself out of an 0-3 season hole.

Concerned Essendon president Paul Brasher and CEO Xavier Campbell after the shellacking. Picture: Michael Klein

Early carnage

Kyle Langford’s latest hamstring injury was an early blow for the Bombers, who also watched as defender Jayden Laverde crashed into the MCG surface soon after.

Laverde and Cats forward Jeremy Cameron crashed into each other in the opening quarter as Tom Hawkins snaffled another inside-50 grab.

It was the Essendon backman who stayed down longest and looked groggier coming from the ground but ended up returning, whereas Cameron (hip/ribs) eventually went to hospital.

Cameron Guthrie is congratulated by Isaac Smith after kicking a goal. Picture: Getty Images

SCOREBOARD

CATS 7.5, 12.9, 17.14, 20.18 (138)

BOMBERS 2.1, 3.3, 6.3, 11.6 (72)

McGOWAN’S BEST

Cats: Dangerfield, Hawkins, Parfitt, Selwood, Stewart, Stengle.

Bombers: Martin, Perkins, Merrett.

GOALS

Cats: Hawkins 4, Stengle 4, Cameron 2, Close 2, Holmes 2, Dangerfield, Tuohy, Dahlhaus, Higgins, C. Guthrie, Evans.

Bombers: Martin 5, Caldwell 2, Wright 2, Smith, Cutler.

INJURIES

Cats: Cameron (hip pointer/ribs), De Koning (concussion).

Bombers: Langford (hamstring).

UMPIRES

Meredith, Dore, Heffernan

VENUE

MCG

CROWD 54,495

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

McGOWAN’S VOTES

3 P. Dangerfield (Geel)

2 T. Hawkins (Geel)

1 B. Parfitt (Geel)

Cats hopeful Camerson setback only minor

Geelong is hopeful star forward Jeremy Cameron has avoided a major injury but will sweat on “precautionary” scans after he went to hospital on Saturday.

Cameron looked primed for a big afternoon after kicking two early goals but took no further part after a heavy collision with Essendon defender Jayden Laverde before quarter-time.

He hurt a hip pointer in the contest but there is greater concern about the area above that to his chest, given coach Chris Scott reported after the Cats’ 11-goal win that he went “downhill”.

Young backman Sam De Koning is already out of next Friday night’s clash with the Swans after suffering a concussion in the third quarter.

“(Cameron) seemed to be OK, so his knock was to the body. There’s no concussion issue there,” Scott said.

“Jeremy just couldn’t get going and we were prepared to wait as long as possible but he was going downhill, not improving.

“My understanding is that they’ve sent him off for a precautionary scan but I couldn’t even tell you exactly where it is.

“The feedback I’ve got is they’re comfortable he’s OK but they just want to double check (his internal status).”

Chris Scott was thrilled with Geelong’s promising start to the season.

Scott was thrilled with what he saw against the Bombers, from Patrick Dangerfield returning to his best, Brandan Parfitt highlighting their emerging youth and recruit Tyson Stengle kicking four goals on debut.

The 2011 premiership coach also highlighted De Koning’s effort before he went off, as well as Esava Ratugolea, Max Holmes and Francis Evans.

But it was Dangerfield that Scott was most bullish about.

“I don’t want to go too far in my praise of him but I thought he just took the game away from the opposition early on,” he said.

“We’ve been confident in him more so than the last couple of years because he has endured some physical limitations … our medical and sports science team have done a terrific job with him.

“We think there are reasons some of our more experienced players haven’t quite physically been at their best and their reasons have nothing to do with age.

“He looked like the ‘Danger’ of a few years ago. He’s been good for us the last couple of years but … put it this way, you can’t be the dominant player in the competition if you’re limited physically.”

Scott stopped short of making any grand statements about his side’s prospects but said they had made it clear to their players they planned to give them “a chance to win it”.

Originally published as AFL Round 1: All the news and reaction from Geelong v Essendon