Cats finish home and away season on a high, belting Gold Coast Suns

Ben Jensen 25 August 2018, AFL Round 23 2018, Geelong Cats v Gold Coast Suns GEELONG as expected delivered the Gold Coast Suns a belting, winning by 102 points on a sunny afternoon at GMHBA Stadium. The poor old Suns were never in the contest but put up a little bit better effort than the Dockers did last weekend. Tom Hawkins was restricted to two goals but did also score three behinds; the leading goalkickers on the day were Patrick Dangerfield with four, Tim Kelly with three while Gary Ablett, Dan Menzel, Jordan Murdoch and Sam Menegola like Hawkins kicked two.

The Cats got through largely unscathed although Cameron Guthrie was forced from the ground late in the game, recently re-appointed coach Chris Scott saying he would definitely be all right for the Cats’ first final in two weeks (there’s now a week off) and if they played next Friday night in theory he’d be OK. Defender Jake Kolodjashnij wasn’t included in the injury list but suffered a cut to his head after ploughing into fellow tall defender Lachie Henderson’s midriff in the opening minute of the game. Henderson was heavily winded and in the third quarter was heavily bumped but again OK. Gold Coast made one late change with Ben Ainsworth left out with a hip injury, replaced by emergency Josh Schoenfeld.

Right now the Cats sit in seventh spot ahead of Melbourne who play sixth-placed GWS at the MCG on Sunday. Sydney lost to Hawthorn tonight and are in fifth spot. If Melbourne beat the Giants they’ll finish fifth and will host a final against the Cats. If GWS win they will finish fifth and the Cats will play a sixth-placed Sydney at the SCG. As Tom King of KRock pointed out should there be a draw between the Dees and GWS the Giants will still overtake the Swans into fifth spot but the Cats will tumble down the eighth – and it’ll be a GWS v Geelong clash in Sydney at their Olympic Park venue.

Unfortunately both VFL sides lost at Box Hill today, the VFL Women losing to a Hawthorn side and the men losing to Box Hill. Both finish in the top four; the men third and women fourth. It was the mens’ first loss since round 6 against Collingwood in May and cost the Cats a home final. The women have only lost three games for the season and today was their first loss since round 9 against NT Thunder in early July.

GEELONG CATS: 4.6, 12.8, 17.8, 22.10 (142) DEFEATED
GOLD COAST SUNS: 2.3, 3.2, 4.8, 5.10 (40)

GOALS
GEELONG: Dangerfield 4, Kelly 3, Hawkins 2, Ablett 2, Menzel 2, Menegola 2, Murdoch 2, Abbott, Blicavs, S. Selwood, Tuohy, Duncan
GOLD COAST SUNS: Sexton, Scheer, Schoenfeld, Crossley, Lyons

BEST
GEELONG: Dangerfield, Ablett, Kelly, Duncan, Hawkins, Stewart, J. Selwood, S. Selwood
GOLD COAST SUNS: Barlow, Harbrow, Bowes, Weller

INJURIES
GEELONG: Cameron Guthrie (leg)
GOLD COAST SUNS: Jack Leslie (knee)

CHANGES
GEELONG: –
GOLD COAST SUNS: Ben Ainsworth (hip) replaced in selected side by Josh Schoenfeld

REPORTS
GEELONG: –
GOLD COAST SUNS: –

UMPIRES: Donlon, Gavine, Williamson

CROWD: 28,004, at GMHBA Stadium, Kardinia Park, Geelong

GEELONG CATS TEAM
IN: Jed Bews
OUT: Jackson Thurlow Kolodjashnij

B: Jake Kolodjashnij, Lachie Henderson, Tom Stewart
HB: Jed Bews, Harry Taylor, Zach Tuohy
C: Mark Blicavs, Joel Selwood, Jordan Murdoch
HF: Sam Menegola, Gary Ablett, Mitch Duncan
F: Daniel Menzel, Tom Hawkins, Jack Henry
FOLL: Ryan Abbott, Patrick Dangerfield, Tim Kelly
INT: C Cameron Guthrie, Mark O’Connor, Brandan Parfitt, Scott Selwood
EMER: Quinton Narkle, Sam Simpson, Jackson Thurlow, Zac Smith

GOLD COAST SUNS TEAM
IN: –
OUT: –

B: Jesse Joyce, Steven May, Jarrod Harbrow
HB: Callum Ah Chee, Jack Leslie, Jacob Heron
C: Michael Barlow, David Swallow, Lachie Weller
HF: Nick Holman, Brayden Crossley, Alex Sexton
F: Ben Ainsworth, Sean Lemmens, Aaron Young
FOLL: Jarrod Witts, Jack Bowes, Touk Miller
INT: Michael Rischitelli, Brayden Fiorini, Jarryd Lyons, Brad Scheer
EMER: Jack Scrimshaw, Max Spencer, Jacob Dawson, Josh Schoenfeld

VFL 2018 – ROUND 21
BOX HILL HAWKS V GEELONG CATS
SATURDAY 25 AUGUST 2018, 14:00 AEST
BOX HILL OVAL

BOX HILL HAWKS: 2.2, 2.6, 8.8, 14.9 (93) DEFEATED
GEELONG:  3.5, 5.7, 8.10, 10.12 (72)

GOALS
BOX HILL HAWKS: M. Lewis 5, A. Moore 3, O. Hanrahan 2, B. Kilpatrick, M. Pittonet, W. Murphy, A. Brolic
GEELONG CATS: J. Jones 2, R. Gardner, S. Crameri, G. Miers, L. McCarthy, C. Constable, J. Cunico, Q. Narkle, Z. Smith

BEST
BOX HILL HAWKS: C. Glass, B. Whitecross, M. Lewis, N. Evans, A. Moore, M. Pittonet
GEELONG CATS: T. House, L. Fogarty, C. Constable, J. Cunico, J. Thurlow, Z. Smith

GEELONG CATS TEAM
IN: L. McCarthy, J. Cunico, T. Lang, G. Horlin-Smith, J. Thurlow, E. Ratugolea, C. Mitchell, A. Grace, S. Siggins
OUT: C. Floyd, W. Buzza, S. Dobson, J. Keras, T. McMullan

B: 18. C. Constable, 30. T. House, 51. J. Tsitas
HB: 39. Z. Guthrie, 40. J. Thurlow, 37. S. Simpson
C: 31. J. Cunico, 64. T. Atkins, 19. Q. Narkle
HF: 41. J. Jones, 20. R. Gardner, 6. L. McCarthy
F: 32. G. Miers, 36. S. Crameri, 34. J. Parsons
FOLL: 9. Z. Smith, 13. L. Fogarty, 33. G. Horlin-Smith
INT: 66. A. Grace, 15. M. Hayball, 55. L. Kiel, 78. J. McLachlan, 75. C. Mitchell, 17. E. Ratugolea, 56. B. Reid, 54. S. Siggins
23P: 76. T. Lang

BOX HILL HAWKS TEAM
IN: M. Pittonet, N. Lane, C. Jones, A. Moore, V. Adduci, B. Whitecross, C. Glass, J. Ceglar
OUT: M. O’Donnell, M. Knoll, D. Mirra, K. Heatherley

B: 64. T. Duryea, 61. T. O’Brien, 10. W. Hams
HB: 51. B. Whitecross, 44. C. Glass, 50. D. Willsmore
C: 43. C. Jiath, 2. A. Moore, 60. K. Lovell
HF: 36. D. Moore, 39. M. Lewis, 37. J. Ross
F: 7. A. Brolic, 57. J. Ceglar, 41. O. Hanrahan
FOLL: 56. M. Pittonet, 46. J. Cousins, 52. J. O’Rourke
INT: 8. V. Adduci, 13. N. Evans, 12. C. Jones, 11. B. Kilpatrick, 14. N. Lane, 1. L. Mackie, 17. T. Maloney, 3. W. Murphy
23P: 24. S. Parsons

VFL WOMENS 2018 – ROUND 16
HAWTHORN HAWKS V GEELONG CATS
SATURDAY 25 AUGUST 2018, 11:30 AEST
BOX HILL OVAL

HAWTHORN HAWKS: 1.1, 4.3, 5.5, 6.5 (41) DEFEATED
GEELONG:  1.1, 2.1, 2.3, 3.7 (25)

GOALS
HAWTHORN HAWKS: R. Beeson 2, S. Perkins 2, C. Dyett, R. Dillon
GEELONG: D. Orr, R. Cranston

BEST
HAWTHORN HAWKS: J. Van Dyk, R. Dillon, K. Ebb, S. Perkins, E. Mackie, M. Cann
GEELONG: M. Clifford, M. Keryk, K. Darby

GEELONG CATS TEAM
IN: T. Love, H. Trevean, H. Mangan, R. Benham, M. Fedele, M. Janssen
OUT:R. Cranston, A. Teague, E. Coventry, R. Goring, M. Keryk, K. Darby

B: 44. R. Goring, 40. A. Teague, 26. R. Pearce
HB: 25. E. Coventry, 1. J. Woollett, 34. A. McDonald
C: 4. C. Blakeway, 45. M. Keryk, 3. H. Burchell
HF: 2. D. Orr, 5. J. Ivey, 33. H. Trevean
F: 7. M. Clifford, 6. M. Boyd, 8. K. Darby
FOLL: 41. C. Stevens, 30. R. Cranston, 13. M. Fogas
INT: 23. I. Currenti, 11. M. Klingbeil , 17. H. Mangan, 10. L. Taylor
EMER: 27. R. Benham, 28. M. Fedele, 15. M. Janssen
23P: 53. T. Love

HAWTHORN HAWKS TEAM
IN: C. Dyett, N. Cormack , E. Mcilvena , S. Carroll, K. Henderson, J. Sibley
OUT:  O. Flanagan, E. Woods

B: 32. K. Ebb, 5. C. Perera, 11. D. Haines
HB: 25. M. Hutchins, 36. J. Van Dyk, 21. P. Randall
C: 12. T. Nestor, 1. E. Mackie, 13. E. Nixon
HF: 33. E. Gilder, 8. R. Beeson, 35. C. O’Donnell
F: 22. T. Luke, 28. S. Perkins, 7. P. McWilliams
FOLL: 19. L. Wotton, 24. R. Dillon, 6. J. Crockett-Grills
INT: 45. M. Cann, 26. C. Dyett, 40. E. Macdonald, 31. J. Sibley
EMER: 4. S. Carroll, 30. K. Henderson, 44. S. Kendall, 3. E. Mcilvena
23P: 53. N. Cormack