1. Dangerfield is still hunting Charlie
Going into Friday’s game, Patrick Dangerfield was the clear favourite to win the Brownlow Medal and his performance against Fremantle will have done little to change that. If he didn’t get the three votes, then he must have got two. 31 possessions and four goals says it all. During the first half it looked as though Michael Barlow might go kick-for-kick with the Geelong superstar as the pair battled in midfield, but it was when Dangerfield went forward, and was marked by Cam Sutcliffe, that he was at his most dangerous. He finished the first half with 18 possessions and three goals. Barlow, meanwhile, had 17 possessions, but his night came to a premature end just a few minutes after the long break. Dangerfield spent plenty of time forward in the second half, kicking only one goal, though he was no less exciting to watch.
2. How can you pick which Freo will turn up?
It’s tough to know what to make of the Dockers. They were abjectly disappointing against both Melbourne and Collingwood but, before that, the performance against Port Adelaide was full of encouraging signs. Against Geelong – their first top-eight opponents since Hawthorn in the middle of May – there were again some positives for the home side. Connor Blakely continues to develop as a midfielder, Sam Collins looks more assured in defence every week and Matt Taberner’s work rate will, eventually, stand him in good stead. Their desire was also evident, both in the first quarter and again in the last, when they threatened to pinch the four points. But it’s still Freo’s skills that let them down. Long-suffering Dockers fans wouldn’t know whether they should be optimistic about the future or whether they should consider dropping their membership for 2017.
3. Tomahawk was poor… again
If Tom Hawkins was off his best against Sydney last week, then he wasn’t within 100 miles of it against Fremantle. Geelong coach Chris Scott backed the big forward during the week, but would have been disappointed with the way he responded in Perth. Opposed to much-maligned Dockers defender Zac Dawson, Hawkins had just one mark and one kick during the first half. He rarely found himself in the same postcode as the ball, despite Geelong giving him plenty of opportunities with 31 forward-50 entries. He started the second half a little better, taking a couple of early marks and he kicked the sealer half-way through the final term. But, to put it bluntly, he was ordinary.
4. Injuries to Henderson and Barlow soured the contest
Of two crucial third term injuries Lachie Henderson’s was the most spectacular. About half-way through the quarter, he bravely ran with the flight of the ball in an attempt to mark, but collected Chris Mayne’s hip and was knocked out before his head hit the ground. He was taken off on a stretcher, giving a thumbs-up after he came to. Michael Barlow’s incident was no less serious. The Fremantle midfielder, whose career has been revitalised since he returned to the side as a tagger, suffered a serious injury to his left shoulder shortly after half-time. He struggled on for a few minutes, but eventually disappeared into the club’s rooms. When he emerged, it became clear his night was over.
5. Josh Cowan finally made it back to the AFL … again
Few young players survive on an AFL list with the injury problems Josh Cowan has had since being drafted with the 56th pick of the 2009 Draft. The 25-year-old made his debut in the middle of 2011, playing just three games before a horrific run of hamstring and Achilles injuries saw him sidelined until early last year. When Cowan finally earned a recall he re-injured his hamstring, though he was able to fight his way back into the Geelong side for the last game of the season. Against Fremantle, he made his first AFL appearance for 2016, and started well. Though he faded in the third quarter and finished with only 11 possessions, Cats fans will have been pleased to see him make his way back to the big stage.
