Preview: Cats vs Hawks
Check out what's in store for the Cats this Saturday night before they battle it out against the leaders of the competition
Geelong vs Hawthorn
The Cats rebounded well from their shock loss to the Brisbane to defeat Fremantle by 41 points last week, in front of a capacity crowd at Simmonds Stadium. Geelong maintained a high intensity for the full four quarters, relentless in their tackling pressure and enthusiasm for the contest. It is going to take an equally consistent and ferocious effort to overcome ladder leaders Hawthorn, who have won their last 12 matches.
The Hawks boast the most potent forward line in the league, with Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead both coming of four goal games, Jack Gunston converting over 92% of set shots, and Cyril Rioli a possible addition to their arsenal. Geelong defenders Harry Taylor, Corey Enright and Andrew Mackie have all been in good form but will have their work cut out for them against this formidable opponent.
Steve Johnson missed the round one clash between the two teams due to suspension and will again be unavailable after his high bump on Lion Pearce Hanley. Johnson will be sorely missed, as will Geelong veteran Paul Chapman, whose pact to never again lose to Hawthorn after the 2008 Grand Final was this week confirmed by Cameron Ling and Tom Harley to be fictitious. The “pact” and the “Kennett curse” are now part of football folklore, adding to the excitement and anticipation every time these clubs meet. The two top placed teams in the competition, Geelong and Hawthorn have aspirations for September glory and their contest on Saturday night is certain to meet expectation.
Last Time They Met
Round 1, 2012, MCG
GEELONG 13 - 15 - 93
HAWTHORN 12 - 14 - 86
76,300 people saw Geelong battle the Hawks on Easter Monday at the MCG, now a staple fixture in the football calendar. The Cats started match with 5 behinds, kicking their first goal 23 minutes into the opening term. Hawthorn outplayed Geelong in the first quarter and continued their dominance to lead by 30 points with three minutes left until half time. With the match slipping away the Cats responded and kicked the next 6 goals. They lead by 2 points at the final break with the match poised for yet another nail biting finish. Geelong scored the first three goals of the last quarter but couldn't land the finishing blow. They conceded two in a row late in the match but held off the fast finishing Hawks to win by seven points.
Players to Watch
HARRY TAYLOR vs JARRYD ROUGHEAD
Hawthorn big man Jarryd Roughead has been the most dominant forward in the competition over the past two months, kicking 28 goals in his last seven games. He is 193cm tall with a big leap and very strong hands, utilised as a key defender, a ruckman and a marking forward in recent seasons. A ruptured achilles early in 2011 threatened to prematurely end Roughead's career but he has lost none of his strength or athleticism and is on track to match the 75 goals he kicked in Hawthorn's premiership winning season. Harry Taylor is coming off a best on ground performance against Fremantle and is the Geelong defender most capable of nullifying Roughead. Taylor has taken 10 marks in each of his last two matches and is 5th in the AFL for marks this season, averaging over eight a game. He has the aerial ability to combat Roughead, the best mark in the Hawthorn side, while Tom Lonergan is most likely to take the other member of the Hawk's dangerous duo, Lance Franklin, after holding him to just two goals in round one.
JOEL SELWOOD vs SAM MITCHELL
Before round one this year both Selwood and Mitchell had polled Brownlow votes in four of the last eight home and away matches between Hawthorn and Geelong. The two are likely to have received votes from the umpires yet again for their efforts last time the two clubs met. Mitchell gathered a game high 37 disposals and Selwood was the best for the Cats with 33. Mitchell has incredible agility and core strength, making him very difficult to tackle. He is equally skilled on either side of his body and his ability to find a team mate in heavy traffic is second to none.
Hawthorn are ranked second in the AFL for clearances, with Mitchell currently second at the club for clearances at centre bounces and around the ground, despite playing significant portions of games across half-back this year. Selwood is the best clearance player for the Cats, but stoppages have been an area of weakness for the team, currently ranked ninth in the competition. The Geelong captain was limited to just 13 disposals by tagger Ryan Crowley last week but he will be certain to bounce back for the Saturday night blockbuster, averaging 28 disposals against the Hawks over his career. Selwood against Mitchell will be a battle of elite on-ballers, reflective of a high quality contest between the two top teams.
Did You Know?
There has been a great deal of media and public interest in the Cat’s unbeaten streak against Hawthorn since the 2008 Grand Final. The two clubs have played 10 times since the Hawks took out the flag in 2008, with Geelong emerging victorious in each contest. In eight of those matches the margin was less than 10 points, with five of the results decided by less than a goal.
The 10 game winning streak is the longest Geelong has had against Hawthorn but far from the longest in the club’s history. In the last 30 years the Cats have won 10 games in a row against Richmond (1990-1996) and Melbourne (1994-2000) and 11 in a row against the Western Bulldogs (1988-1994). Back in 1925, Geelong started a winning run against North Melbourne that lasted 14 years, finally ending in 1