By Danny Russell
Patrick Dangerfield is facing weeks on the sidelines after the inspirational skipper suffered yet another hamstring strain in Geelong’s stirring 13-point victory over Carlton at the MCG.
Dangerfield hobbled from the ground during the third term and is almost certain to miss the unbeaten Cats’ coming clash with Melbourne at the MCG this Saturday night.
“I just know it is a hamstring,” Geelong coach Chris Scott said after the game. “I could speculate, but I don’t think that helps. The club will give a little bit more detail as the week goes on, but I am not sure at the moment.”
The win was Geelong’s seventh straight without loss and following back-to-back wins against last year’s preliminary finalists, they are certainly the team to beat.
Dangerfield, who started the game forward, helped arrest Carlton’s early midfield dominance and was near best on ground with 16 possessions and a goal when he felt for his leg.
“I didn’t sit down and rate all the players, but we thought he was one of the most influential players on the ground until he went off, so clearly it left a big hole,” Scott said.
While Dangerfield’s injury was the sore point, Jeremy Cameron’s heroics in front of goal were symbolic of Geelong’s composure against a hungry but wasteful Blues outfit.
Cameron brought up his 600th career goal against the Blues with a brilliant piece of roving from a forward ruck contest that allowed him to swing out onto his left foot and snap a goal – his second for the match.
Then when Carlton made a late charge, and closed within eight points deep into the last quarter, bringing the frustrated Blues crowd to life, up bobbed Cameron again.
He marked 30m in front of goal and kicked the sealer, his fifth for the match. Across his 237 games, he has kicked 471 goals for Greater Western Sydney and now has 176 for the Cats.
The match-winning big forward was tireless as he stretched the Carlton defence, continually pushing high up the ground and then turning and dashing towards goal like a greyhound in pursuit of a lure.
Carlton coach Michael Voss will walk away from the game encouraged by his side’s endeavour, but rueful of missed opportunities and Geelong’s ability to create turnovers and open up their defence.
“There were some critical moments we didn’t get right, and we certainly didn’t defend the way we expect,” Voss said.
Michael Voss.Credit: AFL Photos / Getty Images
“They were just super efficient. We had 66 inside 50s and they had 45. If you had asked me that before the game, I would have said that I thought the game was in a pretty good place, but we just conceded too many shots on goal from those 45 (Geelong) entries, and they were good enough to be able to finish.
“In essence, that is pretty much how the game was made up.”
The Blues have a six-day turnaround before facing the Magpies on Friday night, and expect to welcome back Adam Cerra and maybe Mitch McGovern.
Sam Walsh was enormous against the Cats with 31 possessions, while brave skipper Patrick Cripps had 29 disposals.
The Blues kicked 2.8 in the first term and could never balance the books. That is not premiership, or even finals-winning, football.
“We certainly got plenty of looks through the middle of the ground and our mids gave us plenty of drive … so there is no issue there,” Voss said.
“(But) I don’t want us to settle (on it) being a good effort or that it was close. It was unacceptable. We have to be better.
“Geelong is currently on top of the ladder, but we would like to think that we benchmark ourselves off our own standards, and we fell below those standards on defending.”
Carlton had their chances. The game was up for grabs heading into the final term, but the Blues, trailing by 11 points, kicked three-straight points. At that stage, they were only eight points in arrears.
But, as was the pattern of the game, Geelong were able to defy the run of play and then kicked the next four straight to take control of the game.
Geelong’s accuracy was as good as Carlton’s was bad. It helps when you have the likes of Gryan Miers delivering to your forwards. He continues to be the league’s best kick inside 50m.
Zach Tuohy was an unlikely hero for Geelong with three goals, while Tom Hawkins didn’t register a major before a record home game crowd of 87,775 for the Cats.
Geelong’s great wall of defence continues to hold allcomers at bay, even without Tom Stewart against Carlton. The Cats’ back six, led by Max Holmes and Mitch Duncan, were the unsung heroes.
They would have made a meteorologist proud, weathering storm after storm. Then they launched devastating counterattacks.
Holmes had 26 possessions across half-back, while Duncan amassed 24 disposals. The Cats’ back half was complemented by the return of Cam Guthrie, who has been out of the game for 12 months but managed 27 possessions in his first game back.
“It helps when you get a touch early and then you take a hanger and (are then) involved in our goal,” Scott said.
“Look, I understand that it might have been perceived as a bit of a risk to bring him back. I know it’s a lovely line to say .… [he] hasn’t played AFL footy for a year.
“But his preparation was geared from a long way out to come straight back into AFL football.”
Guthrie and brother Zach, alongside Jack Henry and Sam De Koning, helped form a formidable wall. They were able to mark, mop up and thwart what threatened to be, at times, an onslaught.
If sides are to beat this Geelong side, they are going to need to devise a better way forward. And try and hold the Cats on turnovers and counterattacks.
