CATS HOLD ON TO BEAT BLUES
Ben Jensen 20 May 2011

By Ben Jensen twitter.com/thecattery GEELONG CATS V CARLTON BLUES GEELONG honoured Bob Davis tonight before defeating Carlton in an entertaining encounter at Etihad Stadium in the first game of Indigenous Round. Fittingly for the Cats it was largely the work of Travis Varcoe and Matthew Stokes in the third term that saw them through. Varcoe kicked three for the quarter and Stokes two, and the Cats went ahead by seven points at the final break. Earlier, it was Carlton who dominated, leading by 20 points at one stage. The Cats finally tied the game up just before half time, much to the dismay of the rabid Carlton fans who packed into the former 'Phone Dome'. Geelong jumped to a 14 point lead after Varcoe and Stokes' work but the Blues did manage to tie the scores themselves but the Cats edged ahead once more.

The final quarter was a game of chess; the Cats looking like breaking the Blues apart but the tables turned with Chris Judd and Kade Simpson kicking the first two goals of the quarter and stole the lead back. But goals to Paul Chapman, Steve Johnson (his third) and finally a ripper of a contested mark and beautifully teasing swinging goal from James Podsiadly seemed to have sealed it for the Cats. Naturally it wasn't over just yet, Jarrad Waite skillfully caressing the ball home under pressure, a play created from Geelong's goalsquare. Waite (almost) had another the next minute, Darren Milburn touching the ball right on the line. Carlton then probably should have gone ahead for good. Ungainly ruckman Robert Warnock (predictably) missed a sitter with less than two minutes to go from a free kick, following which it was left to experienced Cats Matthew Scarlett, Corey Enright and Jimmy Bartel to run the final minutes down to hang on by two points.

The win makes eight from eight for the Cats, who it goes without saying hold onto top spot on the ladder. Next week it's off to the Gold Coast to meet up with young Gary Ablett who is set to play his 200th game.

GEELONG: 2.3 8.6 12.11 15.12 (102) DEFEATED
CARLTON: 4.3 8.6 11.10 14.16 (100)

GOALS
GEELONG: S Johnson 3 T Varcoe 3 J Bartel 2 M Stokes 2 P Chapman 2 B Ottens J Podsiadly T Hawkins
CARLTON: K Simpson 3 A Walker 2 J Garlett 2 J Waite 2 C Judd E Betts M Murphy N Duigan S O'hAilpin

BEST
GEELONG: J Selwood J Kelly P Chapman S Johnson J Bartel C Enright H Taylor
CARLTON: H Scotland M Murphy M Jamison B Gibbs C Judd J Laidler K Simpson

INJURIES
GEELONG: Nil
CARLTON: Nil

REPORTS: Nil

UMPIRES: Chris Donlon, Michael Vozzo, Jason Armstrong
CROWD: 48,429 at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne