Triple winning start to weekend for Cats

Geelong Cats v Brisbane Lions, AFL 2022 round 4 Ben Jensen THE CATS won their third match of the season beating the hitherto undefeated Lions on Friday night at Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium. Geelong led for most of the match but Brisbane led at three quarter time thanks to a four goals to three third quarter. Tom Hawkins kicked five goals including the match winner, taking an early lead in the AFL’s goalkicking race which he won last season. Earlier in the VFL the Cats defeated the Lions by seven points and on Saturday morning/early afternoon the VFLW capped off a winning weekend, beating Collingwood by 35 points.

Before the first bounce the Cats made two changes losing 2021 best and fairest Tom Stewart to gastro and ruckman/forward Esava Ratugolea due to an ankle injury, replaced by Gryan Meiers and Quinton Narkle. Narkle would himself be subbed out of the match in the third quarter with his own ankle injury. The Cats now have an extended break until their away fixture against Hawthorn at the MCG on Easter Monday; Friday night’s best on ground former Hawks Isaac Smith will be looking to get one-up on his former teammates.

AFL 2022 ROUND FOUR
GEELONG CATS V BRISBANE LIONS
FRIDAY 8 APRIL 2022, 19:50 AEST
GMHBA STADIUM

GEELONG CATS: 2.2, 7.6, 9.8, 11.14 (80) DEFEATED
BRISBANE LIONS: 2.2, 6.3, 10.3, 11.4 (70)

GOALS
GEELONG CATS: Hawkins 5, Bews, Cameron, Dahlhaus, Narkle, Smith, Stengle
BRISBANE LIONS: Daniher 3, McStay 3, Cameron 2, Fullarton, Rayner, Starcevich

BEST
GEELONG CATS: Smith, Hawkins, Tuohy, Blicavs, Duncan, Dangerfield
BRISBANE LIONS: McStay, Neale, Adams, Daniher, Andrews, Rich

INJURIES
GEELONG CATS: Quinton Narkle (ankle)
BRISBANE LIONS: Nil

CHANGES
GEELONG CATS: Tom Stewart (gastroenteritis) and Esava Ratugolea (ankle); replaced in selected side by Quinton Narkle and Gryan Miers
BRISBANE LIONS: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
GEELONG CATS: Zachary Guthrie, replaced Quinton Narkle in third term
BRISBANE LIONS: Deven Roberson, not used

REPORTS
GEELONG CATS: Nil
BRISBANE LIONS: Nil

CROWD: Not sure as no figures released, but more than 20,000 and less than 25,000 at GMHBA Stadium, Kardinia Park, Geelong

PREDICTIONS
Ben – Cats 16 points
Oscar – Lions 4 points
Cassie – Lions 19 points

UMPIRES
FIELD Nick Foot, Brendan Hosking, Simon Meredith EM: David Harris
BOUNDARY Christopher Gordon, Chris Esler, Damien Main, Matthew Tomkins
GOAL Adam Wojcik, Matt Maclure EM: David Rodan

PREDICTIONS
Ben – Cats 21 points
Oscar – Cats 7 points
Cassie – Cats 17 points

GEELONG CATS – SELECTED SIDE
IN: M O’Connor
OUT: J Selwood (managed), S Higgins (concussion)

B: J Henry, S De Koning, T Stewart
HB: J Kolodjashnij, M Blicavs, M O’Connor
C: M Duncan, B Parfitt, I Smith
HF: Z Tuohy, T Hawkins, T Stengle
F: E Ratugolea, J Cameron, B Close
FOLL: R Stanley, P Dangerfield, C Guthrie
INT: J Bews, T Atkins, M Holmes, L Dahlhaus
EMER: O Dempsey, G Miers, Z Guthrie, Q Narkle

BRISBANE LIONS – SELECTED SIDE
IN: T Fullarton
OUT: O McInerney (suspended), H Sharp (omitted)

B: D Gardiner, H Andrews, M Adams
HB: B Starcevich, D Rich, C Ah Chee
C: J Berry, D Zorko, H McCluggage
HF: Z Bailey, D McStay, L McCarthy
F: C Rayner, J Daniher, C Cameron
FOLL: D Fort, J Lyons, L Neale
INT: M Robinson, N Cockatoo, T Fullarton, N Answerth
EMER: D Robertson, J Madden, R Lester, J Payne