Tuesday, April 27
JAY CLARK

SOME would say it was footy poetry in motion. Others would say it was just a glimpse of things to come.

Either way, Kane Tenace's brilliant goal on the run, in the dying minutes of the third quarter in the Cats' clash with Fremantle on Sunday, was proof the kid can play.

Tenace took four bounces sprinting down the wing and played a one-two handball with Gary Ablett before slamming home a goal to keep the Cats within striking distance at the final change.

Taken with pick number seven in last year's national draft, Tenace gathered 17 possessions and four marks in the 26-point loss to the Dockers.

Rodney Eade said if it wasn't for Carlton's Andrew Walker's stellar debut against West Coast, the nation would be talking up Tenace as the AFL's best first-year talent.

``Walker was super on the weekend but Tenace is as good as any of the top-10 picks, including Cooney,'' Eade declared.

Eade said the Cats' coaching staff should continue to play Tenace ahead of David Spriggs as the Cats' swathe of midfielders compete for spots, with Brent Moloney also impressing in his return from suspension on Sunday.

Geelong Advertiser columnist Peter Keenan said Tenace was proving the good judges right.

``He's a Shepparton boy, very quick and he's tough, too,'' Keenan said.

``There might have been a couple of players taken before him, but don't worry, he's going to be a good player for Geelong.''

Keenan said Tenace had all the attributes of a premier on-baller.

``He's got awareness, he's got confidence and above all, he's got pace. He's as good a pick as any of them,'' he said. ``I knew about him and when I heard Geelong got him, I rang Bomber and told him they'd got the right one.''