CATS OVERCOME POOR START TO BEAT MAGPIES, SETS UP SHOWDOWN WITH GIANTS
Ben Jensen 19 August 2017

AFL 2017 ROUND 22: COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES V GEELONG CATS THE CATS overcome a pretty horrible start and poor kicking for goal to beat the Magpies by just under two goals. Collingwood led by 23 points at quarter time and it looked like yet another occasion when Nathan Buckley's side, who are well down the ladder, would get the better of Geelong. But led by Patrick Dangerfield the Cats fought back to be just behind at half-time, and hit the front early in the third quarter with their fourth goal in a row. The Magpies weren't done yet though, the Cats lead stretched to nearly two goals at one point but two goals to round off the third term put the Magpies back in front by four points. The crowd of just under 48,000 were treated to an arm wrestle of a final quarter, the Cats kicking the only two goals of the quarter at the fifteen and eighteen minute mark- Dangerfield kicking the first from well outside fifty on the run and Jordan Murdoch the sealer from a set shot not far from goal.

Dangerfield can't win the Brownlow now but will surely poll well, today he kicked his thirty-seventh goal of the season. Next week Tom Hawkins returns from his two-week suspension, not that his absence has caused complete disarray with Wylie Buzza handling himself very well today and last week Rhys Stanley didn't do too badly either. Simiarly in the midfield the absence of skipper Joel Selwood is much more pronounced though Cameron Guthrie and Sam Menegola have been better in recent weeks covering quite well. A win over GWS and the Cats are assured of second spot on the ladder and a home* final first up, with a loss meaning they would play GWS again the following week in Sydney, or should GWS end up on top (less likely but possible), would have to play in Adelaide. You'd have to say the Cats are every chance of finishing second now especially playing the last game at home- next Saturday night. Earlier in the day the VFL side had a 5 point win over Collingwood at Victoria Park.

GEELONG: 2.2, 6.5, 8.6, 10.10 (70) DEFEATED
COLLINGWOOD: 6.1, 7.2, 9.4, 9.5 (59)

GOALS
GEELONG: Dangerfield 2, Murdoch 2, Menegola 2, Parsons, Buzza, Bews, Taylor
COLLINGWOOD: Cox 2, Hoskin-Elliott 2, Broomhead 2, Moore, Sidebottom, Blair

BEST
GEELONG: Dangerfield, Menegola, Duncan, Tuohy, Stewart, C.Guthrie
COLLINGWOOD: Adams, Howe, Cox, Moore, Scharenberg, Hoskin-Elliott

INJURIES
GEELONG: -
COLLINGWOOD: Adams (head)

CHANGES
GEELONG: Nil
COLLINGWOOD: Nil

UMPIRES:
FIELD: Nicholls, Harris, Jeffery EM:
BOUNDARY: B
GOAL:

CROWD: 47,889, MCG, Melbourne

VFL 2017 - ROUND 18

COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES V GEELONG CATS

SATURDAY 19 AUGUST 2017, 10:45 AEST

VICTORIA PARK

TEAMS AND DETAILS

GEELONG 1.4, 6.7, 9.7, 11.10 (76) DEFEATED
COLLINGWOOD 1.2, 3.6,6.14, 9.17 (71)

GOALS
GEELONG: T. Atkins 2, J. Cunico 2, R. Gardner, R. Abbott, D. Capiron, A. Black, S. McLachlan, J. Gow, L. Webb
COLLINGWOOD: K. Kirby 3, L. Keeffe 2, J. Hellier, K. Beveridge, N. Gray, J. White

BEST
GEELONG: T. Atkins, R. Abbott, J. Cunico, A. Black, D. Lang, J. Gow
COLLINGWOOD: K. Beveridge, J. Blair, J. White, J. Hellier, L. Keeffe, K. Kirby

GROUND: Victoria Park, Collingwood