AFL Round 3 Brisbane v Geelong: News, analysis and fallout from Lions comeback win over Cats

Saturday night was eerily similar to last year’s preliminary final – but this time it was domination in slow motion by the Lions. So, what does it really tell us about the Cats? DAN BATTEN looks for the answer.

It was eerily similar to last year’s preliminary final – except unlike that classic, this wet weather slog definitely won’t be going in the time capsule.

Geelong had a 19-point lead at the MCG last September and by three-quarter time, Brisbane led by two. The Lions ran out 10-point victors.

This time, the Cats led by 32 points in the second term and 26 points at the main break, with the Lions pulling off a 28-point turn around in a quarter of footy to take a one-point lead into the final change. The Lions won this one by nine points.

This time, it was domination in slow motion.

Geelong brought relentless pressure in the first half – it laid 10 inside 50 tackles in the first quarter alone – and when the Cats did win the footy, they got numbers to the contest, went long and direct, and were far cleaner by foot than the Lions.

That all changed as conditions dried up after halftime.

As the Lions did in the preliminary final, they got their uncontested marking game going. They took 40 uncontested marks in the third term compared to just 28 of them in the first half – and obliterated the Cats in the territory battle with 20-4 inside 50s.

If it weren’t for a couple of desperate Zach Guthrie intercept marks, it would have been even more of a disaster.

Tom Atkins fires out a handpass under pressure from Josh Dunkley. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos

Led by speedster Max Holmes, inspirational skipper Patrick Dangerfield and distributor Lawson Humphries, the Cats managed to rally in the fourth quarter. Dangerfield slotted a crucial set shot from the paint and minutes later had claret coming from his face.

But after being up in the clearances to three-quarter time, the Cats were well beaten in the final quarter as the Lions continued to pile the pressure on the Geelong defence.

This was all while dual Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale struggled to have any impact on the contest after a successful tagging job from Tom Atkins, who had a big influence at the coalface with 14 tackles and seven clearances.

The inside 50 count was almost as one-sided in the fourth quarter – 19-10 in the Lions’ favour.

That is 39-14 in the second half. No wonder the Lions booted 7.6 to the Cats’ 2.1.

The Jekyll and Hyde halves underline the significant gap between Geelong’s best and worst.

It was the opposite result last week: a poor first half followed up by a gallant fightback in their upset defeat to the Saints.

And while the defensive efforts of Connor O’Sullivan and Oisin Mullin — who played arguably his best games in the hoops — and Bailey Smith’s ball-winning (but not his ball-use, going at 25 cent efficiency) were positives to take from the loss, there are several important Cats that need to find form.

Max Holmes from 50 with the wet footy 💪#AFLLionsCatspic.twitter.com/hljBbj42Tw

— AFL (@AFL) March 29, 2025

Dayne Zorko celebrates a final-term goal. Picture: Albert Perez/AFL Photos

Patrick Dangerfield came off second best in a head clash. Picture: Albert Perez/AFL Photos

Ollie Henry’s quiet start to the year continued.

He started the game with a bang on Harris Andrews, but from there the man mountain was able to win plenty of key intercepts as Henry managed just two touches after halftime.

Spearhead Jeremy Cameron has also had his colours lowered in the opening three rounds.

He was the lowest-ranked Cat on the ground – besides substitute Mitch Knevitt - with eight touches on Saturday night.

Cameron kicked three goals in the second-half against Fremantle when the game was dead and buried, but has managed just three majors in his other 10 quarters this season.

Sam De Koning appears close to a new deal with the Cats but the decision to tactically sub the ruck-defender out of the game was telling.

The 204cm big man dropped marks and was unable to have much influence in his new-found ruck role despite Oscar McInerney being a late out – yet another similarity to the preliminary final, given he missed half of that epic with a shoulder injury.

De Koning’s best work across the match was in the defensive 50 when evergreen veteran Mark Blicavs was in the ruck.

Will the Cats turn to Rhys Stanley again after a strong VFL performance, go with Blicavs or stick to the De Koning experiment?

After Rowan Marshall took the Geelong to the cleaners last week, a nightmare match-up against Melbourne’s Max Gawn looms next Friday night.

And while the Demons are battling at 0-3, the Cats must bridge the gap between their best and worst or its premiership hopes will start to slip away with Adelaide (away), Hawthorn, Carlton, Collingwood and GWS (home) awaiting them.

Bruce Reville and Jhye Clark compete for the footy. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos

Scoreboard

BRISBANE 2.2 3.4 7.7 10.10 (70)

GEELONG 3.4 7.6 7.6 9.7 (61)

GOALS:

Lions: C. Cameron, Rayner, W. Ashcroft, L. Ashcroft, Hipwood, Morris, Reville, Bailey, Zorko, Berry

Cats: Dangerfield 2, O. Henry, Dempsey, J. Cameron, Blicavs, Holmes, Close, Clark

MARCO MONTEVERDE’S BEST:

Lions: W. Ashcroft, McCluggage, Andrews, Dunkley, Bailey

Cats: Smith, Holmes, Miers, Dangerfield, Bowes

INJURIES:

Lions: Lohmann (ankle)

Cats: None

CROWD: 27,966 at the Gabba

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

MONTEVERDE’S VOTES

3. W. Ashcroft (Lions)

2. H. McCluggage (Lions)

1. B. Smith (Cats)

Originally published as AFL Round 3 Brisbane v Geelong: News, analysis and fallout from Lions comeback win over Cats