|
GEELONG LOSES ANOTHER MATCH ON THE ROAD; WOJCINSKI
CLEARED OF SERIOUS KNEE DAMAGE Geelong travelled to Perth to play the West Coast Eagles for premiership points and the United Way shield, taking along some extra passengers. Nathan Ablett made the trip over as a learning experience, while Matthew Egan travelled as an emergency. WEST COAST 3.2, 5.6, 9.9, 12.12 (84) DEFEATED GOALS READ COMPREHENSIVE MATCH REPORT Before the first bounce, Egan came into the side for his second game, replacing Peter Riccardi - diagnosed with a mysterious back complaint. The match began under fading sunlight, before a crowd of about forty thousand. Underdone Captain Steven King again started the game on the bench, recruit Brad Ottens having first crack at the centre bounce. The Eagles took a eight point lead into the quarter time break, during which Ablett was spoken to at length by coach Mark Thompson. Ashley Hansen continued to be a pain for the Cats, kicking his third goal seven minutes from half time. A short time later Scarlett was moved onto Hansen, replacing Egan. King started the second half on the field, and his team started off playing a possession game, taking nearly a dozen short kicks and uncontested marks to chip the ball up the ground. Ultimately it was the Eagles who kicked the first goal of the half through Quinten Lynch. Geelong's first goal for the half came from Cameron Ling, who was relatively quiet in the first half, getting on the end of a Kane Tenace run. A short time later Henry Playfair missed a chance, although he came under heavy West Coast pressure. Shannon Byrnes, who like Tenace had been running down the wing taking a bounce or two, combined with Kent Kingsley to kick a running goal to put the Cats into the lead for the first time since the eighteen minute mark of the first quarter. Geelong's hard work was undone, after the Eagles kicked two quick goals - the first one to a clever Michael Braun, the second to Andrew Embley, from another mark in front of goal - the Eagles' lead out to ten points. 'Jimmy' Bartel may face some time on the sidelines; Bartel tripped up West Coast Eagle Andrew Embley in the third quarter. Bartel was not reported at the time but will certainly come under video scrutiny. Hansen's fourth goal put the result almost certainly beyond doubt - the margin the most all game, twenty six points - and the Cats didn't even look like kicking a goal. Harley, playing up forward, continued to be denied what looked like either fair marks or free kicks due to having his arms chopped. Byrnes second goal gave his team and supporters a glimmer of hope - indeed he seemed to be keeping the team alive almost single handedly. The Eagles earned their second win of the season in Chad Fletcher's one hundredth game - the final margin 22 points. After the good news earlier in the week of the historic final payment on the Multi Million dollar debt the Costa-Cook administration took over in mid 1999, the on field team yet again had no premiership points to bring home after an interstate trip. MOLONEY WATCH Brent Moloney's second game for Melbourne was much like his first, a good effort. Moloney is finally getting a starting game, and his long kicking has helped the Demons to their perfect record thus far. This Friday night the Demons host the Cats at the MCG in one of the matches of the round. Moloney will be keen to show the Cats' match committee that he's the one who got away. |
SHANNON BYRNES, PICTURE AGAINST THE TIGERS LAST WEEK, WAS GEELONG'S BEST
FORMER CAT TURNED DEMON BRENT 'BEAMER' MOLONEY, PICTURED LAST SEASON, IRONICALLY AGAINST MELBOURNE AT SKILLED STADIUM
|
|
