SC: 51
DT: 54
3 Jimmy Bartel lined up along side Johnson and Corey in the first centre bounce in a move aimed at correcting Geelong’s recent weakness in clearances. With 3 rebound 50s and 4 inside 50s, Bartel was influential all over the ground. He was one of Geelong’s best, gathering 27 possessions and kicking 1 goal.
SC: 131
DT: 112
4 Andrew Mackie collected 23 disposals in a fine performance across half back. He took 7 marks playing most of the game on smaller opponents. Mackie’s willingness to work into space when Geelong won the ball was first rate and, as a result, 18 of his possessions uncontested.
SC: 84
DT: 82
7 Harry Taylor was unstoppable against the Power, leading the possession tally at half time with 18 and finishing the match with 29. He exposed a lack of height in the Port Adelaide forward line, taking 10 uncontested marks. Taylor rebounded out the back 50 on 7 occasions and, with a disposal efficiency of 89.7%, provided excellent transition out of defence for the Cats.
SC: 134
DT: 113
8 Josh Hunt again started the match as the substitute in just his second game back from injury. Hunt had 1 disposal in the last quarter after he was brought into the match for Joel Selwood at the final break. Most importantly, Hunt was able to gain much needed match practice after an interrupted start to the season.
SC: 4
DT: -1
11 Joel Corey started the game in the centre and played through the midfield early in the match. After a sensational 7 goal to zero first term from the Cats, Corey returned to the more defensive position he has occupied this year, taking 5 marks. The veteran had 9 handballs and 6 kicks, a smaller output than last weeks impressive 30 possession performance.
SC: 59
DT: 60
12 Trent West had 11 disposals and 17 hit outs in Geelong’s convincing win over Port Adelaide, celebrating his 50th AFL game in style. West struggled to break into the Geelong senior side early in his career but has cemented the primary ruck position over the last 3 seasons. He has excellent positional understanding and dogged competitiveness, both of which were on display against the Power.
SC: 75
DT: 55
13 Tom Lonergan continues to be a pillar in defence for Geelong, regularly taking the opposition’s most dangerous key forward. Jay Shultz kicked 3 goals but 2 were added very late in the final term when the result was beyond doubt. Lonergan was able to stop him having any real influence on the match and get 8 disposals and 2 rebound 50s himself.
SC: 34
DT: 20
14 Joel Selwood had 18 disposals before being substituted for Josh Hunt at 3 quarter time. Thanks to a 62 point lead at the last change, the coaching and medical staff were able to err on the side of caution with Selwood, who hurt his ankle in the 3rd quarter. An unlikely choice to wear the red vest, Selwood had a disposal efficiency of 88.9% and was just as effective in the contest with 5 clearances and 5 tackles.
SC: 91
DT: 75
15 Jordan Schroder is growing in confidence on the back of 3 successive AFL games. The young Cat looked comfortable playing at the highest level, gathering 11 disposals in the forward line. Schroder displayed good awareness in front of goals and excellent finishing skills, assisting in 1 major score and kicking 2.
SC: 60
DT: 49
20 Steve Johnson was backing to his blistering best, collecting a game high 33 disposals after a week on the sidelines with injury. Experienced tagger Kane Cornes had the role of shutting down Stevie J but could not curtail his influence. Johnson took Cornes deep into the forward line, kicking a goal 7 minutes into the first term, and added 2 goal assists later in the match. He was equally effective through the midfield with 7 clearances, more than anyone else on the ground
SC: 151
DT: 144
22 Mitch Duncan collected 12 kicks and 9 handballs with a disposal efficiency of 85.7%. He had 3 rebound 50s and 3 inside 50s, evidence of his hard work to assist in both attack and defence. Duncan took a one handed mark in the final quarter that topped off a strong performance and will make a nice addition to his highlights reel.
SC: 95
DT: 97
26 Tom Hawkins played his best game for the year, taking all 5 of his marks inside 50 and booting 6 goals. Hawkins dominated opponent Alipate Carlile, displaying the brute strength and contested marking ability that earned him selection as the All-Australian centre half forward last season.
SC: 105
DT: 88
27 Mathew Stokes was tagged by Port’s Tom Logan, testament to the incredible impact Stokes has had since moving into the Geelong midfield. Despite the closer attention, Stokes was able to gather 28 possessions. With a disposal efficiency over 80%, he was influential when in possession. Stokes also worked hard defensively, with 4 rebound 50s and 5 tackles.
SC: 92
DT: 103
28 Allen Christensen accumulated 11 kicks and 16 handballs playing through the midfield. He took 5 marks, pushing hard into space when Geelong was in possession. Christensen worked just as hard when Port Adelaide had the ball, chasing ferociously and laying a game high 7 tackles.
SC: 98
DT: 110
29 Cameron Guthrie gathered 9 kicks and 10 handballs in a strong 4 quarter performance. He capably covered bigger and more experienced opposition, freeing up fellow defenders to rebound out of the back line. Guthrie was also able to provide offensive drive himself, making timely runs off his direct opponent to put the Cats inside 50 on 2 occasions.
SC: 52
DT: 63
31 James Podsiadly out-muscled and out-classed the Port Adelaide defence, kicking 4 goals in one of his best games this year. Podsiadly was damaging in the forward half of the ground with 14 possessions and 3 inside 50s. Tackled as he kicked his 3rd goal, Podsiadly hyper-extended his knee but was able to play out the match unimpeded.
SC: 89
DT: 83
32 Steven Motlop was electrifying against the Power, gathering 21 possessions and sending the Cats inside 50 an unrivalled 7 times. He ran rings around the opposition, displaying incredible acceleration and ability to change direction at speed. Motlop was the best small forward on the ground, kicking 2 goals and providing 3 goal assists.
SC: 113
DT: 74
40 Jackson Thurlow put in a strong defensive effort, gathering 8 disposals across half back in just his 3rd game of AFL football. He had a disposal efficiency of 87.5% and was able to push forward late in the game to score his 1st goal for the Cats.
SC: 31
DT: 29
43 George Burbury impressed in his AFL debut, collecting 9 kicks and 3 handballs as a mid-sized forward. Elevated from the rookie list, the young Tasmanian applied great pressure in the forward line, laying 5 tackles. Burbury kicked a goal in the 3rd quarter and showed great game awareness later in the term, palming the ball to Podsiadly who kicked his 4th goal for the match.
SC: 47
DT: 49
44 Corey Enright was one of Geelong’s best, gathering 25 disposals across half back. He took 10 marks against an undersized Port Adelaide attack, able to pick off their forward entries with ease. Enright is currently ranked 5th in the AFL for marks, averaging 7.7 per game.
SC: 102
DT: 101
46 Mark Blicavs has truly elite endurance and incredible agility for a player of his size. This unique combination of abilities has allowed Blicavs to pioneer a a new role as an unimpeded 3rd man into most ruck contests around the ground. Yet to miss a game this year, Blicavs lead Geelong with 20 hit outs. He added 13 disposals and 5 marks in another excellent performance for the Cats.
SC: 100
DT: 84
