Geelong vs. Fremantle – Round 22 match review

Geelong 14.10 (94)
Fremantle 8.6. (54)

Geelong has regained some form defeating the Dockers by 40 points. The game was played in wet and windy conditions down at skilled stadium. Fremantle was never really in the contest while Geelong looked to regain some much needed form going into the first week of the finals. The Cats welcomed back Brad Ottens who made a good return while the backline looked settled, while James Kelly also played well in his return to senior football. All the big names were there for the Cats who had too many winners across the ground. The Dockers need to learn how to travel going forward but they were able to finish of the game well. Geelong shut up shop in the final quarter as they began to look to next week and finals football.

Big Moment -
In a game where the Cats looked in control for most of the day it was the second term into the breeze that really set up the win. The most promising part of the quarter was the efforts of Tom Hawkins who presented well in the second term and kicked a great goal after a strong contested mark.

Key Players for Geelong –

Matthew Scarlett – Forever cool in a crisis down back Scarlett had a field day against the racking up 34 disposals for the game at effectiveness of 91%. The Dockers played into the hands of the All Australian defender who was just able to position himself better as the ball was bombed forward constantly to ill effect.

Gary Ablett – Continuing his recent good form racking up 35 disposals for the game 15 of these being contested. Managed 8 clearances, 5 tackles and 3 inside 50s. His game impressed me a lot considering he was receiving a lot of noticeable attention at every contest.

Tom Hawkins – One of his best games in recent times. Only had 11 disposals for the match but the most impressive part was his 3 goals straight and the work he was doing off the ball. One passage of play sticks out when Hawkins dived for a smother and then followed up to lay a big tackle.

Key Players for Fremantle –

Matthew Pavlich – Played most of the game up the field which meant he didn’t have a lot of impact on the scoreboard. In saying this though he was the leading disposals winner for the Dockers with 19. 8 tackles, 3 clearances and also 5 inside 50s. Ideally Pavlich needs to be forward.

Aaron Sandilands – Didn’t have a great disposals efficiency but he did have an impact on the game which many Fremantle players struggled to do. 17 disposals, 10 contested including 6 individual clearances. 33 hit outs for the big man which was more than the Cats could manage.

Musings from the Match

• A lot of free kicks in the ruck contest today. A really hard rule to work out especially when the ruckmen themselves look around wondering who received the free kick.
• On Free kick the first two were to Fremantle before the ball had been bounced. No-one could really work out what they were for and both were given to Ballantyne around the 50 meter line for the Dockers. So it did take a good 5 minutes before there was a centre bounce.
• Good hit out in the first half of the match for the Cats next week. Ottens, Kelly and Harley all made triumphant returns to senior football and really made Geelong look a better side.
• A lot of holding off the contest for the match, but not many free kicks being paid to either team.
• Geelongs backline dominated the disposals especially in the first half. Milburn and Scarlett both had days out.
• Fremantle really need to learn to travel and be competitive interstate.
• Dodd was reported for charging Gary Ablett in the 2nd quarter.

SuperCoach
Geelong managed to have 8 players who scored above one hundred points for the game which was very impressive. The standouts being Scarlett (154), Ablett (146) and Milburn with 134. Only disappointments were Andrew Mackie who could only manage 51 while Rooke gathered 29. Only two Freo players scored over 100 points them being Pavlich and Tarrant. The rest of the team didn’t fair so well notably Sandilands who could only muster 56 due to his disposal efficiency.

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