Patrick Dangerfield rises to the occasion in super Geelong debut, writes Mark Robinson

PATRICK Dangerfield was truly epic against Hawthorn. So much so, is it really foolish to ask: Was this the greatest first game played by an ­individual for his new club?

Patrick Dangerfield. Picture: Colleen Petch.

PATRICK Dangerfield was truly epic.

So much so, is it really foolish to ask: Was this the greatest first game played by an ­individual for his new club?

John Coleman kicked 12 goals on debut for Essendon in the shadows of Word War II and footy folklore has it that it was THE game for all ages.

Dangerfield was a superhero of a different kind on Monday.

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In the final quarter, as two mighty sluggers went at each other at the MCG, Dangerfield was the inspiration on Round 1 of a seriously ­promising premiership campaign for Geelong.

The Cats beat the Hawks by 30 points and that was after withstanding a menacing ­opponent through the third quarter and, half of the final quarter.

Dangerfield had 43 possessions — 21 contested — five tackles, seven clearances and 10 inside 50s.

Read that again.

He also took the mark of the day, won hair flick of the day, was the most exhausted, was the most inspiring and ­influential, and was clearly by anyone's reckoning the best player on the ground.

Round 1 was a thrill-a-minute for all, punctuated by the misery of both Collingwood and Fremantle who suffered heavy defeats, but nothing compared to what was delivered on Easter Monday.

Dangerfield was astonishing. It is said, and Dangerfield said it himself, a single player — no matter how influential or inspirational — cannot achieve on his own.

It's true, but Dangerfield ­almost destroyed that theory yesterday. His final quarter was superhero-ish.

He was Superman, Batman, The Hulk and The Flash all rolled into a compact No. 35.

Patrick Dangerfield takes a screamer in the fourth quarter. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

One minute he was on the wing laying a crunching tackle and the next he was sweeping the ball from a clearance with trademark burst and power.

His ability to activate one, two and three efforts at full pace was brutal and he would hurt himself and the ­opposition.

With the game in the ­balance in the final quarter, he limped to full-forward with a leg injury.

It was either from a knock or lactic acid build up, for he could barely haul ­himself to position.

Dangerfield surely named Mayor of Geelong after this game! #AFLCatsHawks

— Lachie Neale (@LachieNeale27) March 28, 2016

Paddy Dangerfield. Wow #AFLCatsHawks

— Jack Lonie (@jacklonie_13) March 28, 2016

Danger is unstoppable today.. #AFLCatsHawks

— Jayden Laverde (@JaydenLaverde) March 28, 2016

Incredibly, at the next ­contest he manoeuvred Ben Stratton out of the way and took the mark, but the inspiring became the deflating when he kicked a behind.

At the next foray forward, he climbed on top of Stratton again and took a hanger. Again, the inspiring became the deflating when he kicked another behind.

From there on, the Cats kicked away. They kicked the last four goals of the game.

Somewhere in all of that, Dangerfield had another shot at goal — after cleanly gathering a fiercely punched Hawthorn spoil that came from his own skied centring kick from the boundary — and hit the post.

Will Langford tries to put the clamps on Patrick Dangerfield, who starred in his Cats debut with 43 disposals. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

There were some remarkable moments in the final quarter, such as Lachie Henderson's game-breaking goal in his first game of the club, Josh Caddy's goal and Jordan Murdoch's tackle on Sam ­Mitchell, one of several monster tackles laid by Murdoch.

Pleasing, too, was another recruit in Zac Smith, a big strapping lad with a Full Metal Jacket hairdo and attitude, who kicked three goals and threw himself at every contest he could.

There was Joel Selwood's game after a dismantled pre-season, Mark Blicavs in the, in the ... let's say on-ball. There was Lincoln McCarthy and Darcy Lang with five goals between them as small forwards.

There was Caddy's seven clearances. And there was even more love for Jimmy Bartel if that was possible.

But none of it compared to Dangerfield.

He had an array of opponents, including Mitchell, Will Langford and Shaun Burgoyne, but the beauty of the banished tagger is that the best can compete without in-your-face tactics.

Dangerfield was freaky and inspiring and irrepressible. It was blessed day in more ways than one.

Originally published as Patrick Dangerfield rises to the occasion in super Geelong debut, writes Mark Robinson