AFL ROUND 6 2007: CATS DESTROY TIGERS, RECORD HIGHEST SCORE OF THE CENTURY; VFL TEAM HAS ANOTHER WIN

Ben Jensen, Originally published 6 May 2007 GEELONG thrashed Richmond by 157 points at Telstra Dome this evening. The Cats destroyed the Tigers, who were never in it; in fact the game was virtually over 10 minutes in as Geelong piled on ten goals to Richmond’s one in the first quarter.

Geelong’s score of 222 points (35 goals, 12 behinds) is the ninth highest all time score. Geelong holds the AFL/VFL record, with 37.17 (239) against the then Robert Walls coached Brisbane Bears in round 7 1992. It is the first time any team has scored more than 200 points since 1995 (some would say it is the highest score this century).

FOUR players kicked four goals (Paul Chapman, Nathan Ablett, Tom Hawkins and back pocket Andrew Mackie), and three players three (Travis Varcoe, Gary Ablett and Cameron Ling. Seven other goalkickers kicked two or less, a total of fifteen in all. Hawkins’ first three goals all came in the third quarter after spending much of the first half on the bench; the fourth was the icing on the cake.

GEELONG 10.2 (62) 20.6 (126) 29.9 (183) 35.12 (222) DEFEATED
RICHMOND 1.0 (6) 2.7 (19) 5.9 (39) 9.11 (65)

GOALS
GEELONG: P. Chapman 4, N. Ablett 4, T. Hawkins 4, A. Mackie 4, T. Varcoe 3, G. Ablett 3, C. Ling 3, S. Johnson 2, C. Mooney 2, D. Johnson 1, B. Ottens 1, J. Selwood 1, C. Enright 1, J. Bartel 1, K. Tenace 1
RICHMOND: C. Hughes 3, M. Richardson 2, S. Tuck 2, M. White 1, K. Pettifer 1

BEST:
GEELONG: G Ablett, Milburn, Mackie, Bartel, Corey, N Ablett, Ling, S Johnson, Ottens, Selwood.
RICHMOND: Foley, Raines, Tuck, Hughes.

Gary Ablett was best on ground, leading the game from start to finish, along with Paul Chapman (who only played the first half – see below). Darren Milburn had one of his best games all year, rebounding almost any sortie the hapless Tigers took forward. Fellow Backmen Andrew Mackie (who kicked three goals) and Matthew Scarlett were also up there.

In the midfield and pushing up from half forward, along with Ablett and Chapman, Jimmy Bartel, Joel Corey, Joel Selwood and Travis Varcoe toweled their opponents. And of course, the prodigal son, Steve Johnson, was a class above the rest as he has been in the VFL all season. Johnson setup the first goal and from then on played a good, team game, and kicked two goals himself.

Cameron Ling, acting skipper for the fifth game, kicked his second bag of three goals in two weeks, and is almost back to his stellar 2004 season best. Brad Ottens and Mark Blake justified their retention at former skipper Steven King’s expense.

Such was the magnitude of this victory, it is difficult to describe the match other than to use hyperbole such as ‘destroyation’ and ‘annihilation’. Richmond simply had no chance, and were lucky to score at all in the first quarter. In the second quarter the Cats kicked another ten goals to the Tigers’ one goal, however the Tigers did manage seven behinds.

Paul Chapman was one of Geelong’s livewires earlier on in the game, but went off just before half time in a precautionary measure due to his troublesome hamstring injury. Matthew Egan was also forced from the field. David Johnson, nearly KO’d in the first quarter after colliding with Matthew Scarlett, returned to the field, bandaged, and even kicked a goal in the second term.

Over half time, the hype built up in the press, commentary boxes and several thousand households, as we consulted our record books and Googled for the record books. The Cats would have a crack at their own record in the second half. But it wasn’t quite to be.

After a nine goal third term, helped by Hawkins’ 3, Geelong was on track for the record at three quarter time, but still needed just under ten goals (57 points) to beat the record. Richmond actually mounted something of a futile face saving effort in the later quarter, kicking three of the first four goals. But Geelong still kicked six goals to Richmond’s four to round out a 157 point thumping.

Next Sunday Geelong host tainted Premier West Coast at Skilled Stadium.

VFL TEAM CONTINUES GOOD FORM

THE BENDIGO BANK CATS continued their good run in the VFL, easily defeating the Casey Scorpions at Casey Fields. The day wasn’t so good for former skipper Steven King, however, who was reported for tripping (Not the Ben Cousins type trip, with the leg).

VFL ROUND FIVE 2007

GEELONG 4.9 8.11 17.15 22.21 (153) DEFEATED
CASEY 0.3 3.3 8.4 11.6 (72)

GOALS
GEELONG: S. Byrnes 4, C. Gardiner 3, T. Grima 3, J. McGuane 2, M. Stokes 2, B. Prismall 2, S. King 2, M. Spencer, N. Djerrkura, J. Hunt, R. Gamble
CASEY: S. Birss 3, T. Makepeace 2, J. Sweeney 2, K. Matthews 2, D. Biagi, F. Watts

BEST
GEELONG: S. Byrnes, M. Stokes, C. Gardiner, S. King, M. Rooke, J. Hunt
CASEY: K. Matthews, S. Garrubba, J. Wall, S. O”Bryan, S. Harrison, D. Armitage