Day out for Cats in Canberra

Greater Western Sydney Giants v Geelong Cats, AFL 2022 round 8 Ben Jensen JEREMY CAMERON kicked five goals in Geelong’s crushing win over Greater Western Sydney in Canberra on Saturday. Cooper Stevens and Mitch Knevitt made their AFL debuts for the Cats, neither setting the world on fire but accounting themselves well.

The Cats led for the entire game, the Giants never appearing in it, versatile defender Mark Blicavs taking ruck duties in the absence of usual ruckman Rhys Stanley, a late withdrawal. Zach Guthrie replaced Stanley in the selected side, while Knevitt was named medical substitute and replaced Jed Bews in the second quarter to make his AFL debut.

Geelong’s best was certainly Blicavs, given a perfect ten in the AFL Coaches Association award by the two coaches. Patrick Dangerfield enjoyed himself in his comeback from injury, not making the Cats’ best players but given votes in media awards. Tyson Stengle kicked a bag of three goals, taking his season tally to sixteen. The fifty-three point win leaves the Cats in fifth place.

AFL 2022 ROUND EIGHT
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY GIANTS V GEELONG CATS
SATURDAY 7 MAY 2022, 16:35 AEST
MANUKA OVAL

GEELONG CATS: 4.3, 6.7, 8.11, 12.16 (88) DEFEATED
GWS GIANTS: 2.2, 3.5, 3.9, 4.11 (35)

GOALS
GEELONG CATS: Cameron 5, Stengle 3, Close, Z.Guthrie, Hawkins, Narkle
GWS GIANTS: Greene 2, Himmelberg, Hogan

BEST
GEELONG CATS: Duncan, Cameron, Blicavs, C.Guthrie, Stengle, Z.Guthrie
GWS GIANTS: Cumming, Whitfield, Ward, Green, Taranto

INJURIES
GEELONG CATS: Jed Bews (concussion)
GWS GIANTS: Nil reported

CHANGES
GEELONG CATS: Nil
GWS GIANTS: Rhys Stanley, replaced by Zach Guthrie

SUBSTITUTES
GEELONG CATS: Matt de Bore (not used)
GWS GIANTS: Mitch Knevitt, replaced Jed Bews (second quarter)

REPORTS
GEELONG CATS: Nil
GWS GIANTS: Nil

CROWD: TBA at Manuka Oval, Canberra

UMPIRES
FIELD Nicholas Brown, Hayden Gavine, Andrew Heffernan EMER: Samuel Nippress
BOUNDARY Benjamin Fely, Tim Lougoon, Josh Mather, Michael Barlow
GOAL Dylan Benwell, Daniel Hoskin EMER: Steven Piperno

PREDICTIONS
Ben – Cats 17 points
Oscar – Giants 12 points
Cassie – Giants 7 points

GEELONG CATS – SELECTED SIDE
IN: P Dangerfield, C Stephens, F Evans, Q Narkle
OUT: O Dempsey (omitted), J Selwood, M Holmes, S Higgins (all injured), L Dahlhaus (sub)

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

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY GIANTS – SELECTED SIDE
IN: –
OUT: M de Boer (sub)

B: L Keeffe, S Taylor, I Cumming
HB: A Kennedy, N Haynes, H Perryman
C: L Whitfield, C Ward, L Ash
HF: T Taranto, H Himmelberg, S Coniglio
F: B Hill, J Hogan, T Greene
FOLL: B Preuss, J Kelly, T Green
INT: M Flynn, C Hamilton, C Idun, F Callaghan
EMER: M de Boer, J Brander, J Riccardi, J Fahey