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Key posts
- KEY POINT: Cats remain undefeated; Stengle’s mark raises questions
- Finlayson admits hom*ophobic slur, apologises to Essendon player
- AFL investigating alleged hom*ophobic slur
- KEY POINTS: Blues win it late
- Why the umpires gave Carlton a second shot at goal
- Who wins from here?
- Swans overcome scare to fend off Harley Reid-inspired Eagles
- HT: Fremantle 4.2 (26) to Carlton 3.5 (23)
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KEY POINT: Cats remain undefeated; Stengle’s mark raises questions
By Steve Barrett
GEELONG 14.11 (95) d WESTERN BULLDOGS 14.7 (91)
KEY POINTS
LIBBA THE LION HEART
The Western Bulldogs’ ferocious fightback from a 28-point deficit against Geelong was piloted by their long-time midfield prime movers Tom Liberatore and Marcus Bontempelli.
Liberatore pieced together one of the finest games of his remarkable career, finishing with 19 clearances - the equal-third highest recorded in VFL/AFL history - and 28 contested possessions - equal fourth-best all-time.
His tough goal on the back shortly after half-time reduced Geelong’s lead to three points.
Liberatore’s nose-over-the-footy toughness and elite hands in the clinches finished in back-to-back Bulldog goals late in the third term - the first one a wonderful 60m bomb from the great Bontempelli.
Bontempelli’s superb hands set up Rhylee West’s goal in the shadows of half-time, while the skipper’s penetrative long entry in the dying stages was marked by Bailey Williams, who sliced the deficit to four points.
CAT CAMEOS
The Cats extended their buffer beyond four goals late in the third quarter - only moments after their lead looked certain to be scaled back to 11 points.
Bulldogs speedster Laitham Vandermeer was sprinting into an open goal but missed his flying shot thanks in part to a magnificent chase down from Geelong’s similarly jet-heeled Max Holmes.
The Cats capitalised on Holmes’ solo brilliance by slickly transitioning the ball to the other end where Tyson Stengle kicked his controversial third.
He was awarded a mark on the goal line, despite the ball appearing to go over for a point, Dogs defender Ed Richards already preparing for the kick-in before being called back by the umpire.
With Jeremy Cameron getting off the chain but sabotaged by an off-kilter radar (2.4) and Tom Hawkins kept under wraps all game by Liam Jones, Stengle filled the scoreboard breach, snapping his third for the quarter and fourth of the match to stretch Geelong’s advantage to 28 points.
In the end, it was just enough, the Cats forced to scrap in their own end to ensure their 4-0 start to the season and further confirmation last year’s letdown was an aberration for the 2022 premiers, not a trend.
WRONG WAY RYLEY
Emerging young gun Ryley Sanders thought all his dreams had come at once when he sharked a tap from Tim English and sprinted away without a Cats opponent in sight.
The prized No.6 pick in last year’s draft took two bounces and set off towards the Cathedral End - before stopping in his tracks, U-turning and relaunching his run the other way, after his animated teammates made him realise he had run the wrong way. No damage was inflicted by the 19-year-old’s mishap, other than fleeting embarrassment.
KEY STATS
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That’s all we have for tonight
Thanks for joining us today everyone.
The Blues had a tight win over the Dockers and the Cats scored a close win over the Bulldogs.
We will be back in the afternoon tomorrow with another live blog, please join us then.
Bye for now.
‘Our boys persevered’: Beveridge
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge spoke to the media post game.
How do you sum up the night?
A back-and-forth game. Playing obviously a very good side in the Cats, and you need a fair bit to go right, and it was a night that was never really had any momentum, but pleasing in that our boys persevered, and we changed on the run a little bit, and challenged the Cats but probably did not get enough supply early in the game and Geelong probably owned the territory with what they were doing and got us with some of their clean open field play, but ultimately, it is a loss where... It could have been anyone, even though the margin was three goals in their favour most of the night, we are pleased we did not go away, and, obviously, if the game goes for a bit longer, you never know.
Late in the third quarter, 26 points behind, they have been here twice in two weeks, and two games this week, did you feel at three-quarter-time you were really coming?
Are you talking about the fatigue in their legs? I suppose it is in the back of your mind a little, but I was not putting it down to necessarily then dropping off, I just felt like we were a little bit away, and we missed two goals and they went all the way up the other end from kick ins and the one where Sammy and the one about Latham and we were not set up defensively on those longer, quicker points and they ripped it through. That was the game, so it felt like it was sliding doors to a degree, all night. I felt like centre bounce was a factor in the first half, and then our mids and rucks even that up but I never felt like we weren’t in it, and the boys, we need to pride ourselves in the fact that, no matter what the scoreboard is, we are not going to go away and that was the case tonight. I don’t know the Cats are going as far as their fatigue levels.
A magnificent game from Libba, the captain stands up, Liam Jones blanket Tomahawk, Sam Darcy kicks three goals, was it just those moments with their clean a position that made the difference tonight?
A little bit, some of the balls that slipped out, at centre bounce or stoppage or two, we went backwards initially and they came straight out the front stop that hurt, so I think those moments without the player to stop that because we had over committed, but was a factor in the game. There are positives in some of the individual games, and there was strong leadership and voice and follow through with actions for a lot of our players, so definitely a lot of positives. It is always difficult. But we will take the positive factors into this week and look to draw on them against the Bombers on Friday night.
KEY POINT: Cats remain undefeated; Stengle’s mark raises questions
By Steve Barrett
GEELONG 14.11 (95) d WESTERN BULLDOGS 14.7 (91)
KEY POINTS
LIBBA THE LION HEART
The Western Bulldogs’ ferocious fightback from a 28-point deficit against Geelong was piloted by their long-time midfield prime movers Tom Liberatore and Marcus Bontempelli.
Liberatore pieced together one of the finest games of his remarkable career, finishing with 19 clearances - the equal-third highest recorded in VFL/AFL history - and 28 contested possessions - equal fourth-best all-time.
His tough goal on the back shortly after half-time reduced Geelong’s lead to three points.
Liberatore’s nose-over-the-footy toughness and elite hands in the clinches finished in back-to-back Bulldog goals late in the third term - the first one a wonderful 60m bomb from the great Bontempelli.
Bontempelli’s superb hands set up Rhylee West’s goal in the shadows of half-time, while the skipper’s penetrative long entry in the dying stages was marked by Bailey Williams, who sliced the deficit to four points.
CAT CAMEOS
The Cats extended their buffer beyond four goals late in the third quarter - only moments after their lead looked certain to be scaled back to 11 points.
Bulldogs speedster Laitham Vandermeer was sprinting into an open goal but missed his flying shot thanks in part to a magnificent chase down from Geelong’s similarly jet-heeled Max Holmes.
The Cats capitalised on Holmes’ solo brilliance by slickly transitioning the ball to the other end where Tyson Stengle kicked his controversial third.
He was awarded a mark on the goal line, despite the ball appearing to go over for a point, Dogs defender Ed Richards already preparing for the kick-in before being called back by the umpire.
With Jeremy Cameron getting off the chain but sabotaged by an off-kilter radar (2.4) and Tom Hawkins kept under wraps all game by Liam Jones, Stengle filled the scoreboard breach, snapping his third for the quarter and fourth of the match to stretch Geelong’s advantage to 28 points.
In the end, it was just enough, the Cats forced to scrap in their own end to ensure their 4-0 start to the season and further confirmation last year’s letdown was an aberration for the 2022 premiers, not a trend.
WRONG WAY RYLEY
Emerging young gun Ryley Sanders thought all his dreams had come at once when he sharked a tap from Tim English and sprinted away without a Cats opponent in sight.
The prized No.6 pick in last year’s draft took two bounces and set off towards the Cathedral End - before stopping in his tracks, U-turning and relaunching his run the other way, after his animated teammates made him realise he had run the wrong way. No damage was inflicted by the 19-year-old’s mishap, other than fleeting embarrassment.
KEY STATS
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Cats are grinding out wins: Miers
Cats star Gryan Miers says his club’s ability to grind out wins is a promising sign for an attack on the premiership again.
The Cats are undefeated but as Miers noted, none of their wins have been huge so far.
“I think, so far, in our four wins, none of them have seen us smash teams, nothing has gone perfect and that is how you win premierships in my opinion, you win when it matters, play the right game when it matters because every week it is so different,” Miers told Channel Seven.
“It might be an outside game one week and next week it is contested, and we have got the job done when it mattered in the contest and it is pleasing that we have the confidence and it is what happened in 2022 as well.”
Miers also said he liked that his side’s fitness was being tested out, just as it was by the Bulldogs tonight.
“That’s the benefit of a long preseason, I am confident in how we are running out of games,” Miers told Channel Seven.
“Maybe last year we had a shorter preseason and may have missed out on some edges like this yet but we are running out the games really well, and last quarters have been pleasing.
“We are hanging in there and doing the job we need and it got closer than we would have liked but pleasing to be able to do what we wanted to do.”
Stengle decision might be a talking point
Tyson Stengle’s mark on the goal line, which was decided by a review, might be a talking point given that Stengle kicked a goal after it and the match has only been decided by four points.
The close up replay appeared to show a tiny part of the ball was still behind the line when he marked it but it was very, very close.
Just the second time Cats, Blues have started 4-0
It is just the second time in AFL/VFL history that Geelong and Carlton have started 4-0 according to respected sports statistician Swamp.
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Full time stats
FT: Geelong 14.11 (95) d Western Bulldogs 14.7 (91)
Geelong have outlasted the Western Bulldogs and kept their undefeated start going but not without a late scare.
The Bulldogs streamed through the middle just as the siren sounded but it was a night when they only led for a little over five minutes.
“We were fatigued late but managed to hang on,” Mark Blicavs told Channel Seven in his 250th game.
Williams gives Dogs one last chance
Bailey Williams has marked and goaled with a minute to go.
His conversion gives the Dogs one last chance.
Mark O’Connor tagging Marcus Bontempelli. He has one job.
Cats 95, Dogs 91 with 1.04 left.
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Treloar gives Dogs hope
Adam Treloar has found room and snapped a goal to keep his side right in the game.
It just seemed to be drifting away, now the Dogs are right back in it.
Peter Ryan noted earlier that the Cats have yet to win a last term this season.
Cats 93, Dogs 85 with six mins to go.
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