The VFL Cats have begun Easter Monday with a 55-point loss to the Box Hill Hawks, on a cold and wet afternoon at the MCG.
Geelong fielded a vastly different team to the one that faced Gold Coast last Sunday, including an entirely new starting midfield for coach Mark Corrigan to work with.
The Cats lost some of their AFL experience this week with Jake Kolodjashnij (AFL), Brandon Parfitt (AFL) and Shannon Neale (Injury) all missing from the round two side.
But the VFL Cats also gained some handy additions, with Tanner Bruhn and Cooper Whyte returning from AFL duties to bolster the Geelong team. James Willis returned for his first game of 2023, with the 2021 draftee adding further depth to the Cats midfield.
Geelong conceded the first four goals of the game to the Hawks, but found themselves trailing by just 16-points at the first break.
The Cats lost the clearance battle 11 to 6 in the opening term, but finished with more Inside-50’s (13 to 10) as they dominated around the ground. Geelong were unable to capitalise on their forward half dominance until VFL captain, Angus Byrne slotted the team’s opening goal after the quarter-time siren.
The match turned into a contested slog in the second quarter, as rain continued to drench the MCG.
Geelong fell 29-points behind at the main break, only managing to convert one of their nine scoring shots in the opening half. The Cats stayed level with Box Hill in most of the major statistical categories, but lacked the polish in front of goal in tough conditions.
As the rain fell in the first half, the cream rose to the top for Geelong with Sam Simpson and Tanner Bruhn dominating in the engine room. Ollie Dempsey was strong for the Cats, while new addition Brayden Ham found plenty of the footy out on the wing.
Geelong were unable to stick with Box Hill after half-time, with the Hawks piling on seven goals to one in the third quarter as they reached an unassailable lead by the final break.
The Cats managed to wrestle back some momentum in the final quarter, booting five-goals to the Hawks three. Geelong battled hard all day, providing them a platform to build on heading into round four.
Sam Simpson was one of Geelong’s best throughout the day, ending the game with 25-touches in his best performance of the 2023 season. Simpson was particularly prominent in a strong opening half, gathering 19 disposals and three clearances after starting in a high half-forward role for Geelong, rotating through the midfield at times as he edges closer to an AFL return.
Tanner Bruhn responded strongly in his return to the VFL, finishing with 34-possessions and seven clearances as he provided some class through the middle of the ground. Bruhn added 17 possessions of his own in the first half, eclipsing 30-disposals for the game just 10-minutes into the final term.
Ollie Dempsey relished the opportunity to play higher up the ground, collecting 25 disposals for the Cats which included a match high 10-marks. The lively half-forward spent more time through the middle of the ground, attending plenty of stoppages and finding contested possessions throughout the match.
For the VFL-Listed players, Brayden Ham enjoyed his best outing in the hoops as he gathered a game-high 35 possessions. Harry Benson continued his bright start to the season, collecting 22-disposals and five clearances while Jye Chalcraft found plenty of the football in the second half.
The VFL Cats will face Werribee in round four at Avalon Airport Oval, from 1:05pm on Saturday.
GEELONG 1.4 1.8 2.9 7.10 (52)
BOX HILL 4.2 6.7 13.8 16.11 (107)
GOALS: Smith, Lucas, Byrne, Knevitt, Feely, Christie, Chalcraft 1
DISPOSALS: Ham 35, Bruhn 34, Dempsey, Simpson 25, Chalcraft 23
