CATS MURDER BOMBERS AT ETIHAD
Ben Jensen 21 July 2012

By Ben Jensen twitter.com/thecattery AFL GEELONG CATS V ESSENDON BOMBERS GEELONG absolutely monstered Essendon last night at Etihad in front of 50,066. The Cats were back to the form we've come to expect the past six seasons while the Bombers, with Mark Thompson in the coaching box were ordinary. Geelong doubled Essendon's score exactly, winning by 67 points.

Tom Hawkins had another dominant week over his direct opponent but unlike last week was on target last night, booting five goals and dishing off another in a demonstrative display of a power forward. Youngster Jordan Murdoch kicked his first career goals in game number two and Billie Smedts was all class with three himself. Harry Taylor kicked two in a row, both with banana kicks on his trusty left boot.

Steve Johnson had a good game, owning whatever opponent who attempted to man him, but was subbed off in the third quarter by Cameron Guthrie after picking up a thigh injury. Club officials say they're confident he will play next week against Adelaide.

For the Bombers there wasn't a lot of joy though their big players including David Hille and Tom Bellchambers held their own, Bellchambers kicking three goals. In a note of trivia three of the four boundary umpires were named Morrison or Morris.

GEELONG: 4.5, 9.7, 15.11, 20.14 (134) DEFEATED
ESSENDON: 2.1, 5.4, 8.5, 10.7 (67)

GOALS
GEELONG: Hawkins 5, Smedts 3, Johnson 2, Murdoch 2, Taylor 2, Chapman 2, Duncan, Mackie, Motlop, Walker
ESSENDON: Bellchambers 3, Crameri, Davey, Dell'Ollio, Gumbleton, Jetta, Monfries, Myers

BEST
GEELONG: Duncan, Johnson, Smedts, Selwood, Mackie, Hawkins, Corey, Kelly
ESSENDON: Myers, Bellchambers, Stanton, Watson, Heppell

CHANGES
GEELONG: Nil
ESSENDON: Nil

INJURIES
GEELONG: Steve Johnson (groin, RHS)
ESSENDON: Nil

UMPIRES:

FIELD: Brett Rosebury (8) Mathew Nicholls (15) Sam Hay (20) EM: Heath Ryan (14)
BOUNDARY: Chris Morrison, John Morris, Tim Morrison, Gerard Large
GOAL: Chelsea Roffey Luke Walker EM: Peter Gonis

CROWD: 50,066 at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne Docklands

PRE-MATCH TIP: Pathetic, of little faith we were! "You don't want to know. Cats will struggle again."

VFL ROUND 17
GEELONG HAS THE BYE