CATS RUN OUT BIG WINNERS OVER KANGAROOS
Ben Jensen 2 August 2014

AFL 2014 ROUND 19 GEELONG CATS V NORTH MELBOURNE KANGAROOS GEELONG struggled early in the first quarter but powered away and in a game that ebbed a flowed a bit, gave the Kangaroos a good old dust up in the end, winning by 32 points. Tom Hawkins booted three goals to draw to within one of leader Jay Schulz of Port Adelaide who has 52 for the season.

James Kelly was deservedly chaired off after his 250th game, after making his debut in the landmark 2002 season along with Jimmy Bartel, Steve Johnson and Gary Ablett. Kelly played a key role down back in shutting down the Roo forwards who looked dangerous early on.

The Cats looked to be taken a lead into quarter time but a goal by Steven Motlop was ruled to have hit the post after a video review, the Kangaroos booting the first two goals of the game but Geelong getting their act together in the final eight minutes. They dominated the second term with six goals to just the two from the Roos, at once stage kicking six unanswered goals.

The Kangaroos improved in the third, slashing the deficit that had crept up to near 40 points back to a few kicks. But they ran out of gas in the last, as Geelong forwards such as Hawkins really fired up and pushed the lead back to over 30 points with five minutes to play. The icing on the cake was Tom Lonergan's first goal of the season, to put the final win at 32 points.

Earlier in the day Dawson Simpson was confirmed as an in for Hamish McIntosh after not taking his place in the win over Sandringham in the VFL.

GEELONG: 2.6, 8.8, 11.12, 16.15 (111) DEFEATED
NORTH MELBOURNE: 2.7, 3.10, 8.14, 10.19 (79)

GOALS
GEELONG: Duncan 3, Hawkins 3, Caddy 2, Motlop 2, Selwood, Taylor, Kersten, Christensen, Bartel, Lonergan
NORTH MELBOURNE: Thomas 3, Black 2, Greenwood, Harvey, Dal Santo, Daw, Petrie

BEST
GEELONG: Christensen, Selwood, Duncan, Motlop, Bartel, Lonergan
NORTH MELBOURNE: Greenwood, Goldstein, Ziebell, Harvey, Dal Santo

CHANGES
GEELONG: Hamish McIntosh (ankle) replaced by Dawson Simpson
NORTH MELBOURNE: Nil

INJURIES
GEELONG: Nil
NORTH MELBOURNE: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
GEELONG: George Horlin-Smith; replaced Shane Kersten in the fourth quarter
NORTH MELBOURNE: Leigh Adams; replaced Aaron Mullett in the third quarter

UMPIRES

FIELD: Farmer, Banister, Rosebury EM: Fisher
BOUNDARY: Burrows, Haala, Coote, Marantelli
GOAL: Canning, Dixon EM: Venkataya

TIP: Cats by 37 points

CROWD: 32,564 at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne Docklands

GEELONG DRAW AFL SEASON 2014

On Friday, Geelong Football Club celebrated its 155th year, since a meeting was held on 18 July 1859 at the Victoria Hotel forming the club. Picture courtesy https://twitter.com/TheBlackCat1859.