Take a look at three performances that propelled the Cats to an important win over North Melbourne on the weekend.  

1. Bowes’ Blankets Davies-Uniacke 

Another week saw another subtle masterstroke from Chris Scott, sending Jack Bowes to Luke Davies-Uniacke in the second half to limit the impact of North’s most dangerous player.   

Davies-Uniacke was dominant in the opening half collecting 22 disposals and five clearances, the Cats held a 14 point lead at the main break but needed to find an answer for the star Kangaroo. 

Enter Jack Bowes.

Getting the important match-up, Bowes limited his impact on the contest with Davies-Uniacke collecting just nine disposals and one clearance in the second half.  

Bowes himself also got dangerous for the Cats, collecting 20 disposals and laying a game-high nine tackles. The move also allowed Tom Stewart to roam across half back. 

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Jack Bowes Highlights | Round 20

Jack Bowes played a sacrificial role in the second half helping curtail Luke Davies-Uniacke to only one clearance in that time.

 2. Henry and Stewart Put on an Intercept Clinic  

The Cats two best intercept defenders this season did their thing once again on the weekend, with Tom Stewart and Jack Henry combining for 10 intercept marks and 23 intercept possessions.  

Henry took six intercept marks against North Melbourne, taking his tally to 47 for the season which currently ranks 13th in the AFL.  

Only one Cat has taken more than six intercept marks in a game this year (Stewart in Round 2), showing how important Henry’s performance was against the Kangaroos.  

Tom Stewart took four intercept marks of his own on Saturday, sitting on 48 for the season which ranks first at Geelong and 11th across the entire competition. 

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AFL Highlights | Round 20

The Kangaroos and Cats clash in round 20

3. The Importance of Shannon Neale 

A lot of his hard work doesn’t appear on the stat sheet, but Shannon Neale had a profound impact in Geelong’s win over North Melbourne.  

When Neale missed last week, the Bulldogs were able to take 26 intercept marks as a team with Rory Lobb (six intercept marks) and Buku Khamis (five intercept marks) leading the way.  

In the last two games that Neale has featured in (North Melbourne and Collingwood), the Cats have only conceded 21 intercept marks combined.  

HOBART, AUSTRALIA - JULY 27: Shannon Neale of the Cats celebrates a goal during the round 20 AFL match between North Melbourne Kangaroos and Geelong Cats at Blundstone Arena, on July 27, 2024, in Hobart, Australia. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

The Kangaroos on the weekend were only able to take nine intercept marks as a team.

A big factor is the ability of Shannon Neale to bring the ball to ground, flying for marks and crashing packs when the Cats are out of position.  

The flow on effect is the Cats small forwards can then go to work when the ball hits the ground, with Tyson Stengle (three goals), Ollie Dempsey (three goals) and Shaun Mannagh (two goals) all benefitting from Neale’s impact.  

Neale’s second efforts at ground level were also impressive, laying four tackles and booting a goal as he continues to show his importance to the Geelong side.