Geelong have secured their place in the top four heading into Finals after defeating West Coast by 93 points at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Jeremy Cameron was phenomenal finishing the day with an equal career high nine goals, Jack Bowes amassed 24 disposals and 12 score involvements while Max Holmes (26 disposals) and Zach Guthrie (24 disposals) both found plenty of the footy.
With a spot in the top four now locked in, the Cats will await results from GWS and Port Adelaide's final games to find our their final ladder position and their opponent for Week One of the Toyota AFL Finals Series.
Geelong's Dominance
It was a simply dominant first quarter from the Cats who led every major statistical category including disposals (+62), inside 50's (+3), clearances (+6) and contested possessions (+10).
Geelong continued to inflict plenty of damage on the scoreboard in the second term, piling on 10 goals in another sensational quarter of football to remarkably extend the lead to 100 points at half time.
It marked just the third time in AFL history that the Cats held a lead of 100 points or more at half time.
Cameron led the charge booting seven majors in the opening half, while Tom Atkins (16 disposals & five clearances), Max Holmes (16 disposals) and Jack Bowes (15 disposals & five tackles) were all prolific through the middle.
Zach Tuohy's Farewell
In his final game at GMHBA Stadium, Zach Tuohy ignited the crowd one last time with a beautiful snap to kick the Cats first goal of the third quarter.
Cameron followed suit shortly after with his eighth of the afternoon, but the Eagles managed to trim the margin to 84 points at the final break.
It was that man Cameron who got Geelong going again in the final term with his ninth goal, before Ollie Henry equalled his career high with a fourth major just moments later.
A Day to Remember for Cameron
By half-time, as part of a ludicrous stat-line, Cameron had seven goals from seven kicks. With the Eagles steadying the ship in the third term, delivery to Cameron in the second half was nowhere near as consistent as it was in the first, but he still managed to snag his eighth goal among West Coast’s 5.6 for the quarter. And with well over half a quarter to play, the superstar kicked his ninth goal – which unfortunately turned out to be his last for the match with Geelong unable to find him alone for a shot at what would’ve been a career-best haul of 10 goals. Cameron has kicked seven-goal hauls eight times in his career, while today was his second nine-goal haul – adding to his epic 9.5 against Gold Coast in Round 23 of 2019, which famously won him his maiden Coleman Medal. “It was an important win to have, because we know what sort of season it’s been. It’s all about playing your best footy at the right time of year, so it’s good to build on what’s we’ve already done,” Cameron told Fox Footy’s post-game.
A Dismal Day for West Coast
Saturday afternoon’s shellacking did nothing to strengthen interim coach Jarrad Schofield’s chances of securing the full-time job. In the first quarter alone, the Eagles were -61 for disposals, -20 for marks, -49 for uncontested possessions, -6 for clearances, and -9 for scores; already trailing by 44 points. Early in the first quarter, Schofield was forced to swing key forward Jake Waterman into defence just to stem the considerable bleeding. “‘Easy’ doesn’t do it justice; it was ridiculously easy (for Geelong),” Dunstall told Fox Footy in the second quarter as the Cats ballooned their lead to a game-high 65 points. “Any danger of some pressure?” Dunstall asked after Jeremy Cameron kicked his sixth goal from just his sixth kick of the Sherrin. Inexplicably, the Eagles trailed by 100 points at half-time, having already conceded 114 points. Almost humourously, the royal blue and yellow actually won the second half after their diabolical start to the match, outscoring the Cats by seven points. But unfortunately, it still didn’t void them of rightful, intense scrutiny towards the back end of the final quarter from Western Bulldogs great Brad Johnson. “I think there’s some players that are showing a little bit, and there’s some that have got a lot of work to do. They’ve got 12 months to really show the West Coast Eagles and the coaching staff what they can do in this competition,” Johnson explained. “It’s a really delicate situation think at the moment for West Coast, and what direction they take going forward with the players that they’ve got.” Johnson’s analysis is certainly warranted, with well-documented concerns over the club list’s youth outside emerging star and first-year player Harley Reid. And while how this result directly affects Schofield’s push for the top job remains to be seen, there’s no doubt that without the likes of Tom Barrass (who looks very likely to have played his final game at the club) and Jeremy McGovern down in defence, the Eagles look far, far away from the complete product.
What's Next?
The Cats have sent one last colossal statement to their fellow top eight rivals, destroying West Coast by 93 points at GMHBA Stadium. The Cats’ 26.12 (168) to West Coast’s 11.9 (75) leaves them exactly two per cent behind Port Adelaide in second place, with a Fremantle whipping of Port Adelaide keeping their tiny hopes of a home qualifying final alive. At the conclusion of the match, the empathic victory has shot the Cats into third place on the ladder, and will now stay there should GWS lose to the Western Bulldogs tomorrow afternoon in Ballarat.
