CATS STRUGGLE PAST TIGERS, WAIT ON OTTENS INJURY
Ben Jensen 9 April 2009

By Ben Jensen GEELONG V RICHMOND THE GEELONG CATS are licking their wounds tonight after struggling past Richmond in front of 22,288 at Skilled Stadium. While the pride of the Cats was damaged after being behind to the Tigers at one stage, the loss of ruckman Brad Ottens for at least four weeks, possibly six, is a blow to the Cats, with the number one ruckman baton now to pass to Mark Blake in the interim. The Cats led by thirty-one points at half time, however the Tigers outscored them eight goals to three to incredibly lead by one point at three-quarter time. When Joel Bowden slammed home the first goal of the final quarter it looked like the nightmare for the Cats would continue, however Ablett and Johnson put paid to that, booting three of the Cats' four goals to seal a shaky twenty-point win.

Ottens injured his right knee in a ruck contest towards the end of the first half, and while initial reports panickaly referred to a season ending injury, Cats coach Mark 'Bomber' Thompson confirmed the injury was not so serious. "It's a better result than we initially thought. We thought he had a posterior cruciate, which is the ruckman's curse. You don't like to see it. You know straight away when people can't get to their feet and walk or run they are in a bit of trouble. We had our fingers crossed and it's not completely bad news." In other injury news, draftee Mitch Brown sadly broke his leg in the VFL practice match against Collingwood earlier in the day. Ruckman Shane Mumford is also believed to be under an injury cloud, which may count against him in the battle with fellow backup ruckman Trent West to take Ottens' spot.

GEELONG 5.3, 8.9, 11.11, 15.15 (105) DEFEATED
RICHMOND 1.1, 4.2, 12.6, 13.7 (85)

GOALS
GEELONG: Johnson 4, Chapman 2, Hawkins 2, Corey, Mooney, Varcoe, Gamble, Enright, Rooke, Ablett
RICHMOND: Richardson 2, Brown 2, Morton 2, Schulz, Edwards, Bowden, Riewoldt, Foley, Hislop, Deledio

BEST
GEELONG: Johnson, Ablett, Corey, Enright, Taylor, Milburn
RICHMOND: Deledio, Richardson, Brown, Newman, Bowden, Tuck

CROWD: 22,288 at Skilled Stadium

UMPIRES: Nicholls, Stevic, Sully,

REPORTS
GEELONG: Nil
RICHMOND: Nil

INJURIES
GEELONG: Brad Ottens (knee)
RICHMOND: Nil; Richard Tambling replaced in selected side by Marc Polo