Amazing Cats beat Port Adelaide and Government lockdowns

Port Adelaide Power v Geelong Cats, AFL 2021 round 13 Ben Jensen GEELONG fought not only the odds of a road trip to the Adelaide Oval but unusually punitive restrictions on their movement in the lead up to and day of the game to defeat the Power by 21 points. The Power trailed at three quarter time by ten points but after kicking the first three goals of the final term including a fifth goal to Connor Rozee led the Cats by nine points and seemed to be running on to another home ground win. But the Cats had other ideas.

It started with a deft tap from Tom Hawkins from a boundary throw in straight to Jeremy Cameron who swung immediately onto his trusted left boot for the first of three goals that would break the back of the Power. Cameron helped set Isaac Smith a couple minutes later who made no mistake 40m from goal to give the Cats back the lead; which Cameron extended thirty seconds later. There was more to come, but watch this crazy few minutes on the video below!

⚠️ Forty-six seconds of mayhem ⚠️ These three @GordonTAFE goals in under a minute broke open the match #GeelongStrong pic.twitter.com/EUAm5zs2Cj

— Geelong Cats (@GeelongCats) June 12, 2021

After a slight lull in proceedings the Cats slammed on two more goals, Cameron booting his fifth and Hawkins his fourth, the lead blowing out to a game-high 22 points. The Power’s Lachie Jones kicked his first AFL goal to give the home fans something to celebrate before they headed for the exits, while Gary Rohan kicked his fourth goal and the final of the match with just over 90 seconds left on the clock.

After the match coach Chris Scott and players such as Cameron gave some insight into the lead up; players sleeping under tables as they passed time in Adelaide awaiting results of Covid tests and being unable to roam outside the assigned four walls for the day. This came after home or hotel isolation in Geelong imposed by South Australian Government conditions, including a dawn flight from Avalon Airport. The Cats were then supposed to fly back that evening but as fog descended over Adelaide those plans were put on ice, with a mercy dash via bus discussed but mercifully the Cats ended up staying in a hotel for the night much to the chagrin of Jeremy Cameron’s dog who was expecting him home.

This Friday night Geelong plays at home game at GMHBA Stadium in Covid-free Geelong but by Victorian Government order, no crowds will be allowed, while Geelong and regional Victorian residents are free to travel to watch matches in other states; make of that what you will. A VFL curtain-raiser will be played against Footscray. Still no word on the VFLW, the second placed Cats likely to resume but on a yet to be determined date, the opponent equal premiership favourite Collingwood.

AFL ROUND 13 2021
PORT ADELAIDE POWER V GEELONG CATS
THURSDAY 10 JUNE, 19:40 AEST
ADELAIDE OVAL
MATCH PREVIEW

GEELONG 4.3, 8.5, 11.8, 17.10 (112) Defeated
PORT ADELAIDE 5.1, 8.2, 10.4, 14.7 (91)

GOALS
GEELONG CATS: Cameron 5, Hawkins 4, Rohan 3, Parfitt 2, Smith, Duncan, Henderson
PORT ADELAIDE POWER: Rozee 5, Dixon 4, Georgiades, Powell-Pepper, Farrell, Wines, Jones

BEST
GEELONG CATS: Cameron, Hawkins, Rohan, Stewart, Duncan, Parfitt
PORT ADELAIDE POWER: Rozee, Wines, Dixon, Boak, Gray

INJURIES
GEELONG CATS: Nil reported
PORT ADELAIDE POWER: Malcolm Marshall (concussion)

CHANGES
GEELONG CATS: Cameron Guthrie (shoulder) replaced by Zach Guthrie; Mark Blicavs (calf) replaced by Rhys Stanley
PORT ADELAIDE POWER: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
GEELONG CATS: Quinton Narkle (not used)
PORT ADELAIDE POWER: Boyd Woodcock; who replaced Marshall)

REPORTS
GEELONG CATS: Nil
PORT ADELAIDE POWER: Nil

CROWD: 28,718 at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

GEELONG CATS – SELECTED SIDE
IN: Patrick Dangerfield, Mitch Duncan, Mark O’Connor, Mark Blicavs
OUT: Rhys Stanley, Zach Guthrie, Jordan Clark, Quinton Narkle, Max Holmes (all omitted)
B: Bews, Henderson, Henry
HB: Tuohy, Stewart, Kolodjashnij
C: Smith, Dangerfield, Menegola
HF: Parfitt, Cameron, Atkins
F: Dalhaus, Hawkins, Rohan
FOLL: Ratugolea, Duncan, Selwood
INT: O’Connor, Higgins, Blicavs, Close
EMER: Z.Guthrie, Narkle, Holmes, Stanley

PORT ADELAIDE POWER – SELECTED SIDE
IN: –
OUT: Fantasia (knee)
B: Burton, McKenzie, Aliir
HB: Jones, Jonas, Byrne-Jones
C: Houston, Wines, Amon
HF: Georgiades, Marshall, Motlop
F: Rozee, Dixon, Gray
FOLL: Ladhams, Boak, Powell-Pepper
INT: Bonner, Farrell, Drew, Bergman
EMER: Woodcock, Frederick, Garner, Lienert

UMPIRES
FIELD Chris Donlon, Jeff Dalgleish, John Howorth EM: Giles Lewis
BOUNDARY Matthew Konetschka, Mark ‘Bomber’ Thomson, Sean ‘Spider’ Burton, Jason Moore
GOAL Peter Challen, Steven Axon EM: Daniel Hoskin