Cats celebrate 2022 premiership with trashing of Swans

Geelong Cats v Sydney Swans, AFL 2023 round 6 Ben Jensen THE Grand Final rematch was not dissimilar from the 2022 affair itself, the Cats running out winners by 93 points. The night was a celebration from start to finish, beginning with all VFL/AFL premiership cups being brought in followed by the premiership flag. The festivities continued with Tom Hawkins and Coleman Medal leader Jeremy Cameron kicking five goals apiece. Before the bounce it was announced Jonathan Ceglar would miss for personal reasons, replaced by Sam Simpson. It later emerged Ceglar welcomed a new child into the world. Simpson, who had not played since 2021 due to a litany of injuries in 2022, had a perfect return kicking two goals including the first of the match.

The win was another big percentage booster for the Cats, at just under 138% second only to ladder leader St Kilda. They play Essendon next Sunday who will be coming off a five day break; imagine if Kevin Sheedy was still in charge! The VFLW side beat Footscray by 28 points on Saturday earning them top spot, equal with second-placed Port Melbourne but ahead by a mile on percentage – 243% to 133%!

AFL 2023 ROUND SIX
GEELONG CATS V SYDNEY SWANS
SATURDAY 22 APRIL 2023, 19:25 AEST
GMHBA STADIUM

GEELONG CATS: 6.3, 11.3, 18.5, 20.10 (130) DEFEATED
SYDNEY SWANS: 2.0, 5.4, 5.5, 5.7 (37)

GOALS
GEELONG CATS: Hawkins 5, Cameron 5, Simpson 2, O. Henry 2, Close 2, Blicavs, Dangerfield, Rohan, Tuohy
SYDNEY SWANS: Hayward 2, Papley, Heeney, Stephens

BEST
GEELONG CATS: Dangerfield, Cameron, Blicavs, Hawkins, C.Guthrie, Holmes
SYDNEY SWANS: Warner, Parker, Gulden, Lloyd

INJURIES
GEELONG CATS: Nil reported
SYDNEY SWANS: M Roberts (knee)

CHANGES
GEELONG CATS: Jonathan Ceglar (replaced by Sam Simpson)
SYDNEY SWANS: –

SUBSTITUTES
GEELONG CATS: Mitch Knevitt; replaced Cam Guthrie in the fourth quarter
SYDNEY SWANS: Will Gould; replaced Matt Roberts in the second quarter

REPORTS
GEELONG CATS: –
SYDNEY SWANS: –

CROWD: 23,134 at GMHBA Stadium

UMPIRES
FIELD Daniel Johanson, Matt Stevic, John Howorth, Brent Wallace
BOUNDARY Tim Lougoon, Damien Main, Nicholas Phillips, Kieran Ferguson
GOAL Luke Edwards, Simon Plumridge EMER: Matthew Maclure

PREDICTIONS
Ben – Cats 21 points
Oscar – Cats 16 points
Cassie – Cats 38 points

GEELONG CATS – SELECTED SIDE
IN: Gary Rohan, Jon Ceglar
OUT: Tyson Stengle (broken arm), Rhys Stanley (fractured eye socket), B Parfitt (subsitute)

B: E Ratugolea, S De Koning, T Stewart
HB: J Kolodjashnij, M Blicavs, Z Guthrie
C: I Smith, M Holmes, Z Tuohy
HF: M Duncan, T Hawkins, G Rohan
F: O Henry, J Cameron, B Close
FOLL: J Ceglar, T Atkins, P Dangerfield
INT: J Bowes, M O’Connor, C Guthrie, G Miers
ENER: B Parfitt, M Knevitt, T Bruhn, S Simpson

SYDNEY SWANS – SELECTED SIDE
IN: A Francis, R Clarke
OUT: J Amartey (Injured), Co Warner (Omitted), W Gould (Sub)

B: B Campbell, R Fox, H Cunningham
HB: O Florent, J Lloyd, N Blakey
C: D Stephens, C Mills, J McInerney
HF: E Gulden, W Hayward, J Rowbottom
F: I Heeney, L McDonald, T Papley
FOLL: P Ladhams, L Parker, Ch Warner
INT: M Roberts, A Francis, R Clarke, H McLean
EMER: Co Warner, W Gould, A Sheldrick, L McAndrew