CATS HOLD ON OVER HAWKS, DANGERFIELD ON ICE - The Cattery - Unofficial Geelong Football Club Site

CATS HOLD ON OVER HAWKS, DANGERFIELD ON ICE
Ben Jensen 15 July 2017

AFL 2017 ROUND 17: GEELONG CATS V HAWTHORN HAWKS GEELONG held off Hawthorn thanks to five goals by Patrick Dangerfield and yet again Isaac Smith's inaccurate left boot. Dangerfield hurt his left leg when he had his kick smothered by Jarryd Roughead's leg in the first quarter which had media and fans alike speculating that he was either going to be fine or may not ever play again. He left the field but returned again not long later, but after avoiding kicking with the left leg he was eventually forced to and grimaced & hobbled away, down to full forward where he remained for most of the match. He finished with five goals and six behinds, the sixth coming with less than two minutes on the clock, and the Cats less than two goals in front. The Hawks through three hundred gamer Luke Hodge on his opposite foot from nearly fifty metres out snagged a goal with around 20 seconds left. They got the ball forward from the centre-bounce, Smith taking a mark around 40-45 metres out but for some reason playing on, his kick swinging through for a behind as the siren sounded, the Cats winning by three points.

Smith of course famously had a chance to win the qualifying final after the siren last season but did the same thing. It was a tough, physical game, the lead oscillating though the Cats were in front for most of the second half. Before the bounce Andrew Mackie and Scott Selwood were withdrawn, replaced by youngsters Sam Simpson and Zach Guthrie for their third games. The loss of Mackie was quite a big one, the Cats notably short of an experienced defender throughout the game. Simpson kicked his first ever goal, and did all right but he and Guthrie did struggle in the big game. Brother Cameron Guthrie copped a head knock from Luke Hodge but played out the game. All eyes will be on Dangerfield and whether he plays against his old side next Friday night at the Adelaide Oval.

GEELONG: 3.3, 6.7, 11.9, 13.10 (88) DEFEATED
HAWTHORN: 3.2, 7.6, 9.10, 12.13 (85)

GOALS
GEELONG: Dangerfield 5, Menzel 3, Stanley, Parfitt, Simpson, Tuohy, Selwood
HAWTHORN: Mitchell 2, Schoenmakers 2, Shiels, O'Brien, Breust, Smith, Burgoyne, Gunston, Langford, Hodge

BEST
GEELONG: Dangerfield, Henderson, Selwood, Menzel, Taylor, Duncan
HAWTHORN: Mitchell, Shiels, Gunston, Hodge, Henderson, Hartung

INJURIES
GEELONG: Dangerfield (left leg), C.Guthrie (head)
HAWTHORN: Sicily (ankle), Burgoyne (thumb)

CHANGES
GEELONG: Andrew Mackie and Scott Selwod replaced by Zach Guthrie and Sam Simpson
HAWTHORN: Nil

UMPIRES:
FIELD: Chamberlain, Meredith, Fleer EM:
BOUNDARY:
GOAL: EM:

CROWD: 70,345 MCG, Melbourne

GEELONG CATS	HAWTHORN
IN: Daniel Menzel, Scott Selwood OUT: Wylie Buzza (omitted), Zach Guthrie (omitted)	NO CHANGE
B: Jed Bews, Tom Lonergan, Zach Tuohy HB: Jake Kolodjashnij, Lachie Henderson, Andrew Mackie C: Steven Motlop, Joel Selwood, Cameron Guthrie HF: Brandan Parfitt, Harry Taylor, Jordan Murdoch F: Daniel Menzel, Tom Hawkins, James Parsons FOLL: Zac Smith, Mitch Duncan, Patrick Dangerfield INT: Mark Blicavs, Sam Menegola, Scott Selwood, Rhys Stanley EMER: Wylie Buzza, Zach Guthrie, Sam Simpson	B: Blake Hardwick, Kaiden Brand, Kurt Heatherley HB: Ryan Burton, James Sicily, Luke Hodge C: Isaac Smith, Tom Mitchell, Billy Hartung HF: Luke Breust, Jack Gunston, Liam Shiels F: Taylor Duryea, Jarryd Roughead, Ryan Schoenmakers FOLL: Ben McEvoy, Shaun Burgoyne, Daniel Howe INT: Will Langford, Ricky Henderson, Kade Stewart, Tim O'Brien EMER: Harry Morrison, Ty Vickery, Brendan Whitecross