Darcy Fort kicks three goals in AFL debut as Cats beat Bulldogs

GEELONG was pushed but withstood a challenge from the Western Bulldogs in front of a huge crowd at GMHBA Stadium in a twilight match winning by 44 points and kicked their highest score of the season to date maintaining top spot on the ladder. Debutante ruckman Darcy Fort got his career off to a great start kicking three goals. Before the first bounce there was a late change, but not who we expected; Gary Rohan who was concussed in last Sunday’s win over the Kangaroos lined up but Rhys Stanley did not – replaced by Ryan Abbott. Like fellow rookie ruckman Fort he knew where the goals were kicking one – his namesake Tony Abbott wasn’t as lucky though, losing his seat of Warringah to Zali Steggall.

The crowd was fantastic – 31,373, and you certainly knew it – barely a spare seat and plenty of noise and deep queues to get in and for refreshments. The Cats won the first two quarters but only won the second on the strength of three goals before half time. The Bulldogs looked in fairly good nick but had lacked the finishing ability – in the third they were much sharper kicking five goals three to the Cats’ four goals two – Marcus Bontempelli snagging two of them in entertaining fashion.

The margin at the final change was just 15 points in favour of the Cats – when the Bulldogs kicked the first of the final term it was well and truly on, but from there on it was all Geelong. The Cats kicked the final six goals of the match – and defender Tom Stewart took the mark fo the match and a mark of the year contender (see video below). Patrick Dangerfield by now had taken off his boots due to an ankle injury – after the match coach Chris Scott seemed confident he’d play but nonplussed if he was to miss the trip to the Gold Coast next weekend.

The Cats play the Suns on Saturday night at Metricon Stadium.

TOM STEWART THAT IS INSANE!

He loved it too!#AFLCatsDogs pic.twitter.com/vps2oyOdsl

— AFL (@AFL) May 18, 2019

AFL 2019 – ROUND 9
GEELONG CATS V WESTERN BULLDOGS
SATURDAY 18 MAY 2019, 16:35 AEST
GMHBA STADIUM MATCH PREVIEW

Gary Ablett liked this one!#AFLCatsDogs pic.twitter.com/WVtdhHEPu9

— AFL (@AFL) May 18, 2019

How good was this from the Cats?

Although Danger might have fended off a ghost here! #AFLCatsDogs pic.twitter.com/5POhPmJtP8

— AFL (@AFL) May 18, 2019

GEELONG CATS: 6.2, 11.4, 15.6, 21.7 (133) DEFEATED
WESTERN BULLDOGS: 4.1, 7.6, 12.9, 13.11 (89)

GOALS
GEELONG CATS: Hawkins 4, Rohan 3, Fort 3, Duncan 3, Ablett 2, Dangerfield, Parfitt, Guthrie, Abbott, Miers, Constable
WESTERN BULLDOGS: Bontempelli 2, Wallis 2, McLean, Trengove, Johannisen, Naughton, Lloyd, Gowers, Hunter, Liberatore, Richards

BEST
GEELONG CATS: Duncan, Dangerfield, Hawkins, Selwood, Stewart, Ablett
WESTERN BULLDOGS: Macrae, Wallis, Bontempelli, McLean

INJURIES
GEELONG CATS: Patrick Dangerfield (right ankle)
WESTERN BULLDOGS: Matthew Suckling (right calf & achilles)

CHANGES
GEELONG CATS: Rhys Stanley replaced in selected side by Ryan Abbott
WESTERN BULLDOGS: –

REPORTS
GEELONG CATS: –
WESTERN BULLDOGS: –

CROWD: 31,373 at GMHBA Stadium, Kardinia Park, Geelong

UMPIRES:
FIELD: Nick Foot, Brett Rosebury, Jacob Mollison EM: Sam Hay
BOUNDARY: Patrick Dineen, Matthew Tomkins, Damien Cusack, Chris Esler
GOAL: Matthew Maclure, Chelsea Roffey, EM: Adam Wojcik

GEELONG CATS TEAM
IN: Joel Selwood, Darcy Fort
OUT: Esava Ratugolea (managed), Tom Atkins (hip)
NEW: Darcy Fort

B: Jake Kolodjashnij, Jack Henry, Tom Stewart
HB: Mark Blicavs, Harry Taylor, Mark O’Connor
C: Tim Kelly, Patrick Dangerfield, Mitch Duncan
HF: Gary Rohan, Gryan Miers, Tom Hawkins
F: Gary Ablett, Luke Dahlhaus, Charlie Constable
FOLL: Rhys Stanley, Cameron Guthrie, Joel Selwood
INT Zach Tuohy, Jordan Clark, Brandan Parfitt, Darcy Fort
EMER: Esava Ratugolea, Ryan Abbott, James Parsons, Sam Simpson

WESTERN BULLDOGS TEAM
IN: –
OUT: –
NEW: –

B: Jason Johannisen, Fletcher Roberts, Hayden Crozier
HB: Caleb Daniel, Zaine Cordy, Easton Wood
C: Lachie Hunter, Tom Liberatore, Ed Richards
HF: Billy Gowers, Aaron Naughton, Sam Lloyd
F: Toby McLean, Marcus Bontempelli, Mitch Wallis
FOLL: Jackson Trengove, Josh Dunkley, Jack Macrae
INT: Matthew Suckling, Bailey Smith, Will Hayes, Lachie Young
EMER: Lewis Young, Rhylee West, Patrick Lipinski, Bailey Williams

Reasonable finish from the Danger man!#AFLCatsDogs pic.twitter.com/BmO9jH2QZO

— AFL (@AFL) May 18, 2019

The Barwon Boys – Tom Stewart interviews Darcy Fort after he made a memorable debut tonight!#StandProud #WeAreGeelong pic.twitter.com/siNTdeXLmU

— Geelong Cats (@GeelongCats) May 18, 2019