AFL round 16: Geelong’s midfield woes to be put to test by Essendon ruck strength

Geelong has been smashed by 122 points in its last seven quarters and a key area where the Cats keep failing will leave them vulnerable against Essendon. JOSH BARNES breaks it down.

Geelong will come face-to-face with its biggest concern at the first bounce on Saturday night.

A dwindling midfield and ruck conundrum has helped push the Cats from the top of the ladder to the edge of the top eight, with the last seven quarters an indication of how far behind the real contenders Chris Scott’s team has fallen.

Geelong kept runaway premiership favourites Sydney goalless and led by 29 points at the first change in round 13.

New ruck Sam De Koning has some work to do. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

Since then, the Cats have conceded 37 goals in seven quarters and been outscored by 122 points by the Swans and fellow flag fancy Carlton.

It’s ugly reading.

The Cats were the No. 1 side in the competition for stopping teams score off turnover as they cruised to a 7-0 start to the season.

They are dead last in that stat over the last six weeks.

And just as alarmingly, no team has conceded more points in the last six weeks, or conceded more out of stoppages.

Working in Geelong’s favour is the fact they have belted Essendon in recent years, winning the last six meetings by an average of 51.7 points.

The Cats will be without the injured Tom Hawkins however, who has averaged 4.8 goals a game in those six meetings.

It’s becoming like Whack-a-Mole for Scott as he can’t keep up with the problems jumping up at him.

Losing the turnover battle is death for most sides and some of that can be cleaned up – the Cats were their own worst enemy last Friday night against the Blues, as they gave up turnovers in the corridor at will.

The harder thing to fix for Scott and midfield coach Steven King will be in the centre square.

In those last seven quarters, Geelong has lost the clearance count by 22 and contested possessions by 36.

And both the Swans and Blues were led by their two big men.

Brodie Grundy finished round 13 with 24 disposals, 34 hit-outs, three clearances, 21 contested possessions and two coaches votes.

Tom De Koning dominated the Cats. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

Tom De Koning went even bigger last weekend, racking up 25 disposals, 20 contested possessions, seven clearances, a goal and seven coaches votes.

The Cats dropped Rhys Stanley – who has been a victim of the AFL’s new ruck rules that have limited his athleticism this season – after the Sydney game and shoved Sam De Koning into the ruck.

Scott openly said after the Blues loss that that decision was more with the future in mind than winning right now.

Should De Koning stay there, his growth will be tested again on Saturday as he, Mark Blicavs and Shannon Neale tag-team a rare dual ruck opponent in Bombers Sam Draper and Todd Goldstein.

Geelong’s midfield problems have carried on at ground level.

Swans stars Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner and Errol Gulden dominated in the clinches and each kicked goals to power the Swans away in round 13.

Last weekend, Carlton scored a whopping 53 points from stoppages.

While Scott put some of the blame for struggles in the guts on missing his two premier midfielders of the last five years in Patrick Dangerfield and Cam Guthrie for most of this season, those around them just haven’t been up to the task.

Jack Bowes is searching for consistency. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

Jhye Clark is learning, Tanner Bruhn is injured and Max Holmes has still been largely excellent when pushed into the middle.

None of Jack Bowes, Tom Atkins or Blicavs rate better than average in disposals or disposal efficiency.

King noted last week Blicavs has been banged up this season and was a “victim of his own versatility”, while being thrown around a different position seemingly every quarter.

Brandan Parfitt appears to have been jettisoned for good, despite the Cats winning six of his eight matches this year, when he briefly showed signs of adding grunt to the midfield mix.

The Cats have called in young Mitch Knevitt for another crack against the Bombers after he has been moved to more of an inside role in the VFL this year.

Perhaps with speedy Lawson Humphries to debut, Tom Stewart might be moved up a line and thrown into the onball group.

The Cats need to make a shift of some sort with Tom Stewart. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

Scott said on Friday that those two inclusions were not about Geelong going younger, but getting better.

“It’s not just, something has to change so lets have a throw at the stumps with Lawson,” he said.

“We continue to pick the best team that we can but also with a view to the evolution and development of our key young players.

“Mitch has been knocking the door down at VFL level in the role we have asked him to play and we think he will come in and improve us.”

A favourable draw on the run home means Geelong should still reach the top-eight but a shake up is needed in the middle to lock that in.

Originally published as AFL round 16: Geelong’s midfield woes to be put to test by Essendon ruck strength