3 JIMMY BARTEL has spent a lot of the season inside Geelong’s attacking half and played almost exclusively as a forward on Saturday night. He took five marks and made five tackles along with 16 disposals for the match. Bartel kicked a goal in the third term after marking unopposed 20m out and also provided three goal assists.
DT: 84
SC: 76

4 ANDREW MACKIE battled Giant Rhys Palmer, who tried to limit his rebounding influence in a defensive forward role. The ploy was relatively successsful, with Mackie prevented from generating attacks from the back half. He still made a valuable contribution, collecting 18 touches and taking six marks.
DT: 84
SC: 67

5 TRAVIS VARCOE delivered another strong performance, meeting the requirements of his new role in the back six. He ran forward opportunistically and collected his 17 possessions all over the ground. At no point, however, did Varcoe chase kicks at the expense of his defensive responsibilities, which is a facet of his game that has improved dramatically.
DT: 49
SC: 54

7 HARRY TAYLOR was simply outstanding, collecting a career-high 30 disposals in a key defensive position. Up against the Giants’ emerging three-pronged attack, Taylor dominated aerial contests, taking nine marks and making eight spoils. He intercepted forward entries with ease and rebounded defensive 50 five times.
DT: 110
SC: 125

9 JAMES KELLY collected 21 disposals, predominantly in the back half. He did not make a tackle on Saturday, which is usually a feature of Kelly’s game. The Giants are the top ranked side in the AFL for total clearances and Kelly was able to impose himself physically around stoppages, winning two clearances.
DT: 54
SC: 54

13 TOM LONERGAN played on talented young Giant and 2013 All-Australian Jeremy Cameron.He averaged three goals a game last season, but Lonergan was able to restrict him to just one at Spotless Stadium. The Geelong defender managed to win 12 disposals himself, executing with 75% efficiency.
DT: 36
SC: 42

14 JOEL SELWOOD led from the front with a game-high 39 disposals, his largest tally this year. He was dominant in the middle of the ground and even better forward of centre, providing five inside 50s and taking four of his eight marks within the attacking arc. Selwood was wasteful with his scoring chances early but kicked a goal when his team needed it most, splitting the middle from outside 50m after three unanswered GWS goals in the fourth quarter.
DT: 140
SC: 147

16 DAWSON SIMPSON was given the opportunity to mount his case for a position in the Cats’ best 22 after Marc Blicavs was rested for the game. He worked to threatening positions, taking two of his three marks inside 50, but had little effect at ground level. He scored a goal with one of his five possessions before he was substituted for Brad Hartman 10 minutes into the final term.
DT: 45
SC: 63

17 HAMISH McINTOSH matched fellow ruckman Dawson Simpson in both possession count, five, and total hit-outs, 20. McIntosh has been in excellent form over the past few weeks, accumulating high disposal numbers and providing a tall marking option in the forward line. He was quiet by comparison on Saturday night but still made a valuable contribution.
DT: 41
SC: 40

20 STEVE JOHNSON was clearly one of the best afield, tallying 30 disposals and taking a game-high 12 marks. His work rate was enormous, particularly during Geelong’s lapse in the second quarter. After missing early chances, Johnson scored brilliant snap goal close to the boundary, one of three he kicked for the match. He was just as important in the back half, leading the way with six rebounds 50s.
DT: 145
SC: 141

21 JORDAN MURDOCH gathered just 10 disposals but made the most of his opportunities, executing with 80% efficiency. The speedy young forward averages a goal per game this season and contributed to the scoreboard again on Saturday. Benefiting from the insurmountable strength of Tom Hawkins, Murdoch received the handball after Hawkins brushed two would-be tacklers aside and snapped a goal with his wrong right foot.
DT: 48
SC: 49
22 MITCH DUNCAN accumulated 25 touches against the Giants, the sixth time he has tallied 25 or more this season. He won the ball all over the ground and found a teammate with 88% of his disposals. Duncan scored the Cats’ sixth consecutive goal in the third quarter with an excellent running shot from 50m out.
DT: 93
SC: 89
23 JOSH CADDY performed well in just his third full game after a lengthy absence with injury. The young Cat is a powerful player and imposed himself with three tackles and three clearances. Under enormous pressure he kicked a 45m goal from one step early in the third term. Five minutes later there was nobody to pressure him when he marked inside 50 and played on to kick his second.
DT: 67
SC: 82

25 JARED RIVERS was outsized but not outmatched playing on number one draft pick Tom Boyd. Conceding 10kg and nearly 10cm to the talented forward, Rivers managed to take seven marks and collect 14 touches. He was injured by friendly fire in the final term when Harry Taylor dragged him down from a marking contest, after which point Boyd managed to score two goals.
DT: 54
SC: 71

26 TOM HAWKINS enjoyed a good battle with GWS co-captain Phil Davis, who proved more capable than most the compete with the big Cat in marking contests. Hawkins took some time to get on the scoreboard but he finished the game with 15 disposals, eight marks and two goals.
DT: 80
SC: 89

27 MATHEW STOKES did not miss a beat in his return game after a three week ankle injury. Stokes has an uncanny ability to find the football and tallied 28 disposals on Saturday, a touch above his 2014 average of 26.8. He disposed with 85.7% efficiency, winning three clearances and kicking inside 50 on five occasions.
DT: 94
SC: 101

29 CAMERON GUTHRIE was issued a defensive midfield role on GWS co-captain Callan Ward, a largely unheralded but elite onballer. Ward gathered 30 disposals and Guthrie was able to match his output, with 27 possessions and a goal. He regularly broke through the middle of the ground with pure foot speed and kicked inside 50 four times to set up scoring opportunities.
DT: 91
SC: 99

32 STEVEN MOTLOP is rapidly reaching top form and set to peak for the lead in to September. He gathered 28 disposals against the Giants and was one of Geelong’s most effective playmakers. Motlop had the aerobic capacity to contribute all over the ground and still retained the energy to break away from opponents and break the game open. He was creative in the centre and kicked into attacking 50 eight times, a game-high.
DT: 99
SC: 82

33 GEORGE HORLIN-SMITH provided a perfect balance to Motlop and other creative players in the midfield, particularly at stoppages. He won 17 of his 23 possessions in a contest and still managed to dispose with 82.6% efficiency. Horlin-Smith led the Cats with six clearances, displaying strength and balance to gain clean possession in heavy traffic.
DT: 74
SC: 104

36 BRAD HARTMAN was a late inclusion to play his fourth AFL game, replacing Allen Christensen who was struck down with the flu. Hartman was the starting substitute in his third consecutive senior game, spending most of the game on the Geelong bench. He didn’t get a possessions playing just 16% of game time after he was activated for Dawson Simpson midway through the last quarter.
DT: 0
SC: 0

39 SHANE KERSTEN was shadowed by his opposing number 39, Tim Mohr, for most of the game.  He tallied eight disposals for the match and managed one behind. Kersten’s two marks, while both inside 50, don’t reflect the contribution he gave in the air and his structural significance. He always forced the ball to ground, often to the advantage of an approaching teamate, and his work in tandem with Tom Hawkins holds great promise for the future.
DT: 42
SC: 40

44 COREY ENRIGHT started the game on a wing and was rarely out of the play. Utilised in both the defensive arc and in the middle, Enright accumulated a season-high 30 possessions. He swept across the back line to intercept Giant entries, taking six of his seven marks and gathering 21 disposals unopposed. Enright has made a habit of creeping forward this year, but could not capitalise on his two scoring chances.
DT: 102
SC: 118