GEELONG CATS RUN OUT ON TOP OF ST KILDA SAINTS
Ben Jensen 23 April 2017

AFL 2017 ROUND 5: ST KILDA SAINTS V GEELONG CATS GEELONG were well and truly tested by St Kilda today but left the Saints for dead from midway in the final quarter, booting eight goals to one. It was certainly not a perfect game but once again the Cats had excellent first and last quarters, an improvement on past seasons. Joel Selwood played a hell of a game, our favourite effort being in the last quarter where he set up the sealer by knocking the ball from his opponent's hand in the centre-square, which resulted in a goal several seconds later. Patrick Dangerfield was just as good and we honestly can't split them for our best on ground.

The ability of the Cats to run out a game was really on show, the Saints having no answer as the Cats piled on goal after goal in the final term. The Cats through Dangerfield kicked the first goal of the last term, followed a few minutes later by Nakia Cockatoo. Tim Membrey gave the Saints hope snatching back the lead but that was it as Dangerfield and Black kicked their second goals of the match, Duncan his first and Hawkins a pair. Selwood managed to turn a deep St Kilda kick-out into a Geelong goal to Cam Guthrie with thirty seconds to go, the final margin 38 points.

Next Sunday the Cats play Collingwood in a home game at the MCG. Menegola and James Parsons are chances to return along with Tom Ruggles while the chances of Rhys Stanley getting another run is an open question. We expect there may be some other rotations or players 'managed' after a number of hard games. The Magpies will only have a five day break as they play this ANZAC Day against Essendon, and haven't been getting results so far besides defeating Sydney in round three, adding to the possibility of the Cats resting at least one player.

The VFL Cats didn't have as good luck yesterday easily defeated at home by Port Melbourne, going down by 52 points. The VFL Cats play another home game next week, against the Casey Demons, a game that was to be covered on Channel 7 but due to the construction works that will no longer be the case. Jed Bews was named in the VFL best and was spotted with suspended Sam Menegola at Eastern Beach earlier this afternoon.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? GIVE US YOUR THOUGHTS BELOW

GEELONG: 6.1, 8.3, 11.8, 19.12 (126) DEFEATED
ST KILDA: 4.1, 8.5, 12.7, 13.10 (88)

GOALS
GEELONG: Menzel 2, Lang 2, Hawkins 2, Dangerfield 2, Cockatoo 2, Black 2, Horlin-Smith, Mackie, Guthrie, Taylor, Duncan, Selwood, Murdoch
ST KILDA: Minchington 3, Membrey 2, Steven, Riewoldt, Bruce, Acres, Ross, Weller, Dunstan, Newnes

BEST
GEELONG: Selwood, Dangerfield, Lang, Horlin-Smith, Tuohy, Blicavs
ST KILDA: Steven, Ross, Roberton, Minchington, Brown, Steele

INJURIES
GEELONG: TBC
ST KILDA: TBC

CHANGES
GEELONG: Nil
ST KILDA: Nil

REPORTS
GEELONG: Believe nil
ST KILDA: Believe nil

UMPIRES: Kenny Dalgleish, Jeffery, Ryan

CROWD: 33,884 at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne

VA

VFL 2017 - ROUND 2

GEELONG CATS V PORT MELBOURNE BOROUGHS

SATURDAY 22 APRIL 2017, 13:00 AEST

SIMONDS STADIUM

PORT MELBOURNE5.3, 8.7, 11.9, 13.18 (96) DEFEATED
GEELONG 1.3, 2.5, 5.7 6.8 (44)

GOALS
PORT MELBOURNE: D. Conway 2, J. O''Brien 2, C. Cain 2, T. Pinwill, E. Templeton, B. Hogan, D. Mascitti, T. O''Sullivan, B. Mihocek, B. Pearson
GEELONG: M. Hayball, J. Henry, B. Reid, J. Jones, W. Buzza, T. Atkins

BEST
PORT MELBOURNE: L. Waddell, D. Viojo-Rainbow, T. Gordon, E. Templeton, T. O''Sullivan, L. Tynan
GEELONG: J. Bews, J. Edwards, T. Atkins, S. McLachlan, R. Stanley, M. O''Connor