Geelong VFL Round 3: Geelong midfielder Jhye Clark responds to omission as Oli Wiltshire, Nathan Kreuger impress

Jhye Clark was dropped for Geelong’s win over Melbourne, and he played like he had a point to prove. Plus, a local livewire is now officially banging the door down. See the full notes here.

Jhye Clark had a big impact in the VFL. Picture: Albert Perez/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Geelong midfielder Jhye Clark responded emphatically to his axing as a local footy smokey’s push for an AFL debut continued in Geelong VFL’s curtain-raiser win over Casey on Friday afternoon at GMHBA Stadium.

The Cats’ took out a seesawing encounter at GMHBA Stadium by 16 points, with prized youngster Clark lifting with the game on the line with 31 disposals, a game-high 10 score involvements and seven clearances.

Uncapped Geelong forward Oli Wiltshire – drafted out of Bellarine club Barwon Heads at the end of 2023 – kicked the sealer to cap another eye-catching showing, finishing with 23 disposals, 2.2 and nine score involvements

Jhye Clark was dropped this week. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Geelong draftee Jay Polkinghorne also impressed up forward with three goals as second-year midfielder George Stevens won 11 clearances to go with 27 disposals.

Geelong veteran Mitch Duncan had 21 touches but was caught holding the ball on a couple of occasions, with his premiership teammate Rhys Stanley not playing after being promoted to the AFL side as a late inclusion.

Mid-season draft hopeful Charlie McCartin was solid with 14 touches and nine marks but it was his defensive teammate and ex-Collingwood tall Nathan Kreuger who stole the show down back with a six intercept marks.

Delisted ex-Geelong player Mitch Hardie found plenty of the ball against his former side with 24 disposals and a goal.

HOW AFL CATS FARED

#2 Jay Polkinghorne

Eight disposals, seven score involvements, 3.2, one contested mark, 64 SuperCoach points

Polkinghorne once again epitomised his high-impact-per-possession game by going close to a bag from eight possessions. The first-year forward’s best moment came when he gathered, turned his opponent inside out and snapped truly from 30m. The Penong product had two goals to quarter time and a strong grab close to goal brought up his third. He hauled in another outstanding overhead mark from a searing ball inside 50 with a man breathing down his neck, but he wasn’t able to convert the set shot.

Brilliant finish from Jay Polkinghorne ✅ #WeAreGeelongpic.twitter.com/5SDVfxM0w4

— Geelong VFL (@GeelongVFL) April 4, 2025

#13 Jhye Clark

31 disposals, 14 contested possessions, 11 score involvements, 11 inside 50s, seven clearances, 120 SuperCoach points

It was an emphatic response from Clark after being omitted from the Cats side, with his final quarter with the game on the line particularly strong. Clark won the ball at the source and regularly burst away from congestion and drove the ball forward, pumping the ball inside 50 on 11 occasions. Defensively he laid a couple of crunching tackles and applied great pressure. Looking rushed at times in the AFL side, the 20-year-old took more time with ball-use and was creative by hand, finishing with 11 scores involvements. May not have done enough for a recall after the Cats’ AFL win, but don’t be surprised if he is back in the coming weeks.

#15 George Stevens

27 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 11 clearances, seven score involvements, 86 SuperCoach points

After a 21-disposal first half last week, Stevens had a big second half in the Cats’ win. Stevens was strong at the contest with a game-high 11 clearances but for the second consecutive week he hit the target with a third of his kicks. Seven score involvements is encouraging but it may take a couple of midfielders to go down for him to get a senior opportunity.

#21 Oli Wiltshire

23 disposals, 11 score involvements, 11 contested possessions, 2.2, 95 SuperCoach points

Wiltshire is now officially banging the door down at selection. Put simply, whenever he gets the ball in his hands, something happens. Wiltshire found space to coolly slot the first goal on the game on the run and kicked the sealer in the final term with a lovely right foot snap. This difference between this and his other games was his ball-winning. The elusive and clever small forward had a career-high 23 disposals and won 11 contested possessions, several of those loose balls leading his opponent to the footy. Showcased his penetrating right boot with a searing kick that hit Polkinghorne perfectly out the back. Geelong’s smalls didn’t set the world on fire against Melbourne and this performance only boosted his chances of a debut after travelling to Brisbane as an emergency last week.

#22 Mitch Duncan

21 disposals, 16 kicks (93 per cent efficiency, 16 uncontested possessions, eight marks, 76 SuperCoach points

Duncan was typically precise by foot – 15 of his 16 kicks were effective – and showed he still has hops. The veteran flew to take a hanger in the third term and just couldn’t bring it down, but minutes later he soared over a pack on the wing to take the mark of the day. However, Duncan did get run down on a couple of occasions in the final quarter, attempting to sell a candy on one occasion and getting caught holding the ball.

#27 Patrick Retschko

16 disposals, six score involvements, five marks, two goals, 74 SuperCoach points

Retschko highlighted his impressive leap with two grabs up forward in the third term , missing the first but slotting the next. Received a gift in the last quarter after getting a downfield free kick to slot his second goal.

#37 Joe Pike

23 hit-outs (12 to advantage), six score involvements, five tackles, three intercept marks, 96 SuperCoach points

With Rhys Stanley the late inclusion on Friday night, Pike took on the No.1 ruck role and found the going tough early up against veteran Tom Campbell. But journeyman didn’t return after the halftime break due to injury which gave him a more manageable match-up with Will Verrall. The rookie ruckman’s overhead marking was prominent in the second half, highlighted by an outstanding pack mark on the wing, and he got back in defence to take three intercept marks. Should relish the number one role over the coming weeks if Stanley remains in the senior side.

Joe Pike in action for Geelong VFL last season. Picture: Rob Lawson/AFL Photos

HOW VFL PLAYERS WHO IMPRESSED

Nathan Kreuger

14 disposals, 13 kicks (85 per cent efficiency) 10 intercept possessions, nine marks (six intercept marks), 72 SuperCoach points

Recruiters would have been watching McCartin closely but it was the former Magpie who stole the show in defence. Kreuger took five intercept marks in the first half alone and finished with six for the match, consistently going for his marks. He had some shaky moments with some missed marks in the air, miscued kicks and even a fresh couple of fresh airies, but his intercepting, follow-up at ground level and athleticism is eye-catching. There has been some mid-season interest in the injury riddled swingman ahead of the mid-season draft and on current form he wouldn’t look out of place in any AFL side’s defence.

Jay Rantall

20 disposals, 17 uncontested possessions, 14 kicks (86 per cent efficiency), 10 score involvements, two goals, two score assists, 112 SuperCoach points

Rantall had a solid debut last week but went up a notch in his second game in Cats colours. The former Collingwood player timed his run to perfect to kick a crumbing goal and kicked another snapping goal in the third quarter. Rantall found space on the outside and used it well, hitting the target with 12 of his 14 kicks.

Paddy De Grandi

Nine disposals, seven score involvements, 2.2, 70 SuperCoach points

De Grandi doesn’t mind the big stage at the Cattery. The St Joseph’s key forward slotted three majors in a practice match at GMHBA Stadium and kicked two goals in five minutes against Casey on Friday afternoon. They were impressive finishes, one a gather and snap in traffic that fortuitously bounced through, and the other a set shot from long range. Took a strong contested mark in the second half that set up Kye Annand inside 50, and seven of his nine disposals turned into scores.

PDG 😤 De Grandi ignites the Cats at the end of the half #WeAreGeelongpic.twitter.com/dntRTjiD17

— Geelong VFL (@GeelongVFL) April 4, 2025

Marcus Herbert

26 disposals, 18 kicks, 11 contested possessions, seven marks, six clearances, six tackles, six score involvements, 106 SuperCoach points

Another typical Herbert performance through the midfield, working hard on the inside and the outside and impacting defensively. Although an impressive candy sell became a turnover after he fumbled the ball straight into the hands of Casey in the defensive 50.

Charlie McCartin

14 disposals, five rebound 50s, five intercepts, three intercept marks, 65 SuperCoach points

The mid-season draft hopeful didn’t have a massive game down back but had a key moments late in the match, with a great spoil back with the flight and an intercept mark – finishing with three of those for the game. The brother of Paddy and Tom McCartin strong start with seven disposals and five marks to quarter time, albeit one turnover kick into the middle put the Cats defence on the back foot.

Kye Annand

12 disposals, 10 hit-outs (three to advantage) two contested marks, 2.1, 66 SuperCoach points

Annand’s aerial ability stood out in more ways than one in his VFL game of the season. The Ocean Grove ruck-forward cost the Cats a goal and lost his jumper after Demons players got stuck into him for an overly ambitious leap that took out Jack Billings. That brain fade in the second term – which could be looked at by the match review – cost the Cats a goal, but he lifted after this. Annand took a couple of impressive leaping marks, taking a strong grab deep in attack before slotting the goal. He finished with two majors and had an impact rotating into the ruck.

Originally published as Geelong VFL Round 3: Geelong midfielder Jhye Clark responds to omission as Oli Wiltshire, Nathan Kreuger impress