Tom Hawkins returns to form as Geelong makes light work of Carlton

CARLTON booted three of the first four goals before Geelong got going. And that was all she wrote, as the Cats embarked on the sort of domination that has been rare in 2017.

A flying Patrick Dangerfield shovels out a handball. Pic: Michael Klein

CARLTON went 18 minutes without a forward 50m entry in the first quarter against Geelong at Etihad Stadium.

That was after the Blues booted three of the first four goals, and grabbed an 11-point lead. They looked excited, and eager, and clean, and unattended by inattentive Cats who seemed content just to be out of the wild winds causing havoc around the state.

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But those three goals then remained Carlton’s only score until well in to the second term as Geelong realised they were second on the ladder, and embarked on the sort of domination that has been rare in 2017.

It may however become more common place against a young Blues outfit for whom the season’s finishing line seems within tantalisingly close reach.

It’s supposed to be one of the closest seasons ever; any team can win any week.

Tom Hawkins had his best game of the season. Picture: Getty Images

But the power shift was on at Etihad Stadium, as the top four continues to be a work in progress the Cats sniffed a kill on an easy deck and went whack before easing off late and coasting in to next week when Sydney will present an entirely different beast.

The breakdown at the end of the opening stanza suggested a boys against men contest, and maybe tough to gauge whether the Cats had rebounded from what could only be described as fair to middling form of late.

On top of the continued absence from their own forward 50m zone — the final inside 50 count being 22-6 Geelong’s way when the first term siren blew — the Blues also only had three disposals close to goal. They were those three goals they kicked.

Up the other end the Cats were raffling the ball close to the sticks, and had 31 possessions inside the forward 50m, and eight marks, just in the first quarter. It was 48 handball receives to just 15 in favour of Geelong too. You don’t get that much free ball at training.

It took eight Carlton players, that’s eight, to rack up the same amount of touches as Brownlow favourite Patrick Dangerfield, who opened with 10. And Paddy, even by awesome injury-free standards, wasn’t actually that good.

The Cats star could also come under scrutiny from the AFL’s match review panel after laying a heavy tackle on Blues ruckman Matthew Kreuzer, the incident leaving the big man dazed and unable to the field.

Levi Casboult booted three goals and was arguably the Blues’ best. Pic: Michael Klein

That 11-point lead Carlton had after the opening nine minutes had become a 19-point deficit by quarter-time, and that was all she wrote.

You can forget everything that happened after that, except maybe that Tom Hawkins got back to form with six goals, because it was low intensity, stat-building, jog- around-a-bit, take some easy marks, morale boosting footy for Geelong.

There wouldn’t have been a lot of dirty knees in the change rooms post-match. It was a game without sting.

Tackles were laid, bumps were dished out, there were plenty of physical contests too. But none had any real oomph, no consequence beyond keeping the ball moving, and the game going. They have to play four quarters.

Geelong's Scott Selwood stiff arms Carlton's Dale Thomas. Picture: Michael Klein

It wasn’t that the Cats, with so much to look forward to in September, were playing in preservation mode. They just didn’t have to extend themselves, because the Blues weren’t making them.

Even a final quarter goal to Geelong’s Nakia Cockatoo, his third, after beating two Blues to the ball, went uncelebrated beyond an exhale as he slowed after running in to score.

He could have said “meh” and shrugged his shoulders instead. That would have been about right.

Nakia Cockatoo grimaces after re-injuring a hamstring in the final quarter. Pic: Michael Klein

GEELONG 5.7 9.10 13.12 18.15 (123) def CARLTON 3.0 4.3 5.8 8.10 (58)

Goals: Geelong: T Hawkins 6 J Murdoch 3 N Cockatoo 3 P Dangerfield 2 Z Smith 2 M Duncan W Buzza.

Carlton: L Casboult 3 H McKay 2 C Curnow J Silvagni M Wright. Umpires: Jacob Mollison, Ray Chamberlain, Leigh Haussen.

Best: Geelong: Hawkins, Smith, Dangerfield, S Selwood, Duncan, Stewart

Carlton: Murphy, Docherty, Simpson, Petresvki-Seton, Curnow, Casboult

Official Crowd: 35,460 at Etihad Stadium

RUSSELL GOULD’S VOTES

3. Tom Hawkins (Geelong)

2. Zac Smith (Geelong)

1. Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong )

Originally published as Tom Hawkins returns to form as Geelong makes light work of Carlton