AFL round 19: Geelong v Western Bulldogs, news, result and SuperCoach scores

Western Bulldogs has staked a huge claim for a finals spot, storming clear of Geelong to leave the Cats’ bid for a double chance in serious jeopardy.

Ben Cameron

@BenCameron4

5 min read

July 21, 2024 - 12:00PM

News Sport Network

MELBOURNE, JULY 20, 2024: 2024 AFL – Round 19 – Geelong Cats V Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium. Picture: Mark Stewart

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To be blunt, a 47-point loss on Saturday night to Western Bulldogs flattered the Cats.

This was their worst moment of the season at a very important time.

Despite its fluctuating form, Geelong had flourished in the wet this year in 2024.

Think knocking Brisbane off in an April deluge, the recent Essendon triumph and Hawthorn after a lightning strike in Round 4.

However, the Cats rarely looked comfortable in similar conditions early on Saturday night at GMHBA Stadium, taking until the 15th minute of the second quarter to register its first goal as the home side was belted in all key areas.

Easily shaded in the disposal (378-318), contested possessions (159-141), inside 50s (61-39) and scoring shot (30-13) counts, this felt worse than the Cats’ meltdown in Darwin as they were kept goalless in the final term in a rapidly emptying GMHBA Stadium.

Resting in-form big man Shannon Neale at the 11th hour, the Cats also tellingly lost the inside 50 mark count 15-4 as Rory Lobb and Buku Khamis had an absolute picnic in the air down back.

With Ed Richards, Adam Treloar and Marcus Bontempelli pivotal to the Dogs’ midfield control while kicking five goals between them, the late withdrawal of Tom Atkins with injury was also decisive.

The Cats, impotent forward of the ball, resembled the Kardinia Park surface on Saturday night — very patchy — as they lost their third game on its home deck.

In a complete reversal of last Saturday night’s smashing of Hawthorn, the Cats couldn’t muster a multi goal kicker with Cameron, Stengle, Close and co kept extremely quiet.

And the Dogs played with the vigor of a team fighting for its survival.

Geelong’s loss to Western Bulldogs has come at a crucial time. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

On the back foot early, it took the Cats almost 20 minutes to generate its first chance of a score through a Patrick Dangerfield left foot snap which meekly sailed across the face of goal.

Tellingly, the Dogs were able to do something the Cats couldn’t and that was marks inside 50, with Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Sam Darcy converting from smart chest marks.

Back in the team for the first time since the Cats’ implosion in Darwin, Brandan Parfitt, was rewarded for a fine tackle on Bailey Dale, but his shot was inaccurate.

At least it got the Cats on the board.

Perhaps reflective of the Cats’ lack of forward cohesion, Jeremy Cameron seemed to make a relatively easy shot on the run harder than it needed to be, as the home team enjoyed rare coast to coast transition.

Aaron Naughton celebrates a goal. Picture: Mark Stewart

The Cats finally got on the board with back-to-back majors to Stengle and a marking Ollie Henry as the Cats spent some rare time in its forward half.

Down by 19 points at the main break, it was a buffer that could have been far wider as the visitors burned numerous opportunities with Darcy, Naughton and West the main offenders.

The Dogs had 4.13 on the board at one stage which kept the door ajar for the home team.

Crucially, the Dogs kept their composure in the third term as their inaccuracy continued and the Cats again went back-to-back through Dangerfield and Tom Stewart after an extremely fortunate 50m penalty.

Despite a late goal from Cameron before the third term bell, that expected Cats comeback never eventuated.

The game quickly went from in the balance to a belting as Ugle-Hagan slotted two for the term, including a triumphant roost from beyond 50.

DOGS STAKE FINALS CLAIM, CATS FALTER IN TOP-FOUR PUSH

— Ed Bourke

Luke Beveridge couldn’t even see out of the Western Bulldogs’ coaches box as he frantically swiped at foggy windows in the first term

But a top-eight finish is the most visible it’s been to the Bulldogs in months after they scrapped for a mature 47-point victory in sodden conditions in Geelong.

The Cats were held to their first scoreless opening term at Kardinia Park in 21 years yet were still in the game after a lacklustre start as the Dogs butchered a raft of chances to be 4.10 at the first break.

A bloodied Mitch Duncan takes possession. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan made sure the trip was not a missed opportunity, burying the home side with three rapid-fire goals in the final term to cap off one of the best games of his career.

The 22-year-old applied fierce pressure all night and put his body on the line for teammates, knocking the wind out of himself by clattering into two Cats defenders to set up an important goal for Adam Treloar in the second term.

Treloar (three goals) and Ed Richards (two) created nightmares for Geelong at forward-half stoppages, while when the Cats went forward they rarely found anyone but Rory Lobb.

Lobb’s rebirth as a key defender has been stunningly rapid.

Rory Lobb got the better of Jeremy Cameron. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Opposed to Jeremy Cameron for almost the entire night, he only gave up one goal after losing his footing in a one-on-one marking contest.

He beat the Geelong star comprehensively and racked up 21 disposals of his own at a remarkable 95 per cent efficiency given the conditions.

With Liam Jones expected back within the next three weeks, the Dogs are close to fielding the strongest backline since their premiership year.

Pure magic from Ed Richards! pic.twitter.com/1GIXWxdLYc
— AFL (@AFL) July 20, 2024

Adam Treloar gets a kick away before being tackled. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

FULLY RETRO

It was common in Carji Greeves’ day, but very few times this century has mud been such a factor in a game at the top level.

Dismal weather all week and a VFL curtain-raiser meant Geelong’s Retro Round was more nostalgic than intended, and the home side was slower to adapt as the Bulldogs were more comfortable throwing the ball onto the boot to quickly gain territory.

Cats skipper Patrick Dangerfield was also slow to get going in the sodden conditions – with just four disposals to his name midway through the second term, he did away with his retro black boots for a fluro orange pair to get more grip on the surface.

Joel Freijah leads Brad Close to the ball. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

SELFLESS BIG DOGS

As Beveridge suggested earlier in the week, Aaron Naughton, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Sam Darcy all spent significant minutes on the bench after the Dogs found rhythm against Carlton with just the two talls.

All played less than 75 per cent game time in the first half, with Naughton starting quarters on the bench, and despite wayward kicking their sacrificed game time gave the Dogs an edge at ground level.

Lobb’s willingness to play down the other end is helping them all, and all of a sudden Beveridge’s bold April prediction that the three-club tall could go on at the Kennel for six more years looks possible.

Tom Stewart tangles with Jamarra Ugle-Hagan. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

STEWART LIFTS CATS

Tom Stewart started the final quarter in defence but it was his fierce efforts in the middle which helped Geelong threaten during the third term.

The Cats vice-captain had eight disposals, four clearances and gained 100 more metres than any other player as he surged his side forward and kicked an important set shot goal from a 50m penalty.