2 BILLIE SMEDTS was the starting substitute, forced to sit on the pine until 20 minutes into the third term. Swapped for ruckman Trent West, he was an injection of leg speed and gathered four disposals playing primarily as a forward. One touch came in the form of a clearance when competing in at the centre bounces. Late in the game he marked a perfectly placed long pass from Motlop, ran into open goal and kicked the Cats to within 12 points.
DT: 26
SC: 25

3 JIMMY BARTEL started the match in defence, where he accumulated 14 disposals in the first half. The Cats were down by 20 points after two quarters of football so Chris Scott sent Bartel forward, one of several positional changes made over the long break. He continued to win the ball in the forward half, at times our most dangerous marking target. Bartel also competed at centre bounces and finished the game with 25 possessions and three clearances.
DT: 90
SC: 94

4 ANDREW MACKIE was forced to do a lot of aerial defending against North Melbourne’s arsenal of big marking targets. He competed well, collecting a total of 15 disposals. Geelong played a loose man behind the ball and, in an effort to confuse the Kangaroos, they regularly changed which Cat competed without an opponent. Mackie was effective when in the role and pushed forward to kick inside 50 four times.
DT: 66
SC: 78

5 TRAVIS VARCOE struggled to get his hands on the ball in the first term but made three tackles, a valuable attribute Chris Scott highlighted in an interview pre-match. He kicked the Cats into the lead 15 minutes into term two, the final link in a fast, end to end transition. Varcoe drifted in and out of the match, amassing just the eight disposals. He went inside 50 with three of those possessions and totalled six tackles for the game.
DT: 50
SC: 57

7 HARRY TAYLOR was isolated as the loose defender for much of the first term, free to take five uncontested marks by quarter time. North Melbourne endeavoured to make Taylor more accountable but he managed to tally 15 disposals and rebounded defensive 50 on five occasions. His spoiling and defensive work was strong, leading the Cats for 1% efforts. Taylor pushed forward in the final seconds of the game to kick a goal that effected the margin but not the outcome.
DT: 70
SC: 92

8 JOSH HUNT was given the job on Lindsay Thomas from the opening bounce, battling the in-form forward for the entire night. Thomas had kicked a bag of six only two weeks before and went into the match sitting seventh on the Coleman Medal table. Hunt collected 15 touches while holding his opponent to just one goal. He completed well at ground level and was too strong in the air, taking five marks.
DT: 55
SC: 62

9 JAMES KELLY had 15 disposals and left day light between himself and the next most prolific tackler. He won three clearances and entered the forward 50 four times, but it was his physical pressure that was most important. The only player to reach double figures, Kelly hunted the Kangaroos and made 14 tackles.
DT: 102
SC: 79

11 JOEL COREY kept a cool head in a high intensity contest, collecting 16 disposals. Playing less time in the heart of midfield, the Geelong veteran made the most of his opportunities and was 87.5% effective with his possessions. He had an impact all over the ground, adding three clearances, three rebound 50s and three inside 50s.
DT: 55
SC: 81

12 TRENT WEST replaced injured team mate Dawson Simpson for his first senior appearance in seven weeks. He found the high tempo game hard work, winning 14 hit-outs and gathering seven disposals. West was subbed out of the game for Billie Smedts with 10 minutes to go before three quarter time. The best ruck arrangement for the Cats remains uncertain, so West, a premiership ruckman, still has an opportunity to make the position his own.  
DT: 29
SC: 28

13 TOM LONERGAN lined up against Drew Petrie, freeing Harry Taylor to play long periods without a direct opponent. Lonergan added Petrie to the growing list of key forward he’s outplayed, limiting the Kangaroo to just three marks. Lonergan only collected two disposals but held Petrie, who is currently ninth in the Coleman Medal race, to one goal.
DT: 24
SC: 12

14 JOEL SELWOOD was one of the Cats’ best, attacking contest after contest to gather 24 disposals. His physicality was first rate, making seven tackles and matching the high intensity set by North Melbourne. Running back into a marking contest in the second term, Selwood back-flipped and fell heavily onto the ground. The young captain bounced straight back up, setting the standard for his team to follow. He had an impact at stoppages, winning four clearances, and sent Geelong inside forward 50 on seven occasions.    
DT: 98
SC: 103

19 TAYLOR HUNT was given a tagging role, for the first two terms on Daniel Wells, and then against Brent Harvey. It was a game to forget for Hunt, conceding three goals to Wells and battling against Boomer after half time. Harvey had 24 disposals by the major break and it was a commendable contest from Taylor Hunt to allow him only 13 more. He worked hard and gathered eight disposal but struggled to impede the two North Melbourne veterans.
DT: 27
SC: 32

20 STEVE JOHNSON was a stand out performer in the first quarter, leading the Cats with eight touches. He amplified his effort to win 10 more in the second term and kick an import late goal to end a run of five unanswered majors from North Melbourne. Johnson sent Geelong inside 50 seven times and was their biggest ball winner. He was, however, uncharacteristically sloppy when in possession and responsible for some crucial turn overs.   
DT: 112
SC: 106

22 MITCH DUNCAN made a relatively quiet start to the match, struggling to win clean possession. He stoop up in the third quarter, easing a 20 point half time deficit with the all important first goal. As the Cats wrestled back momentum, Duncan’s work rate and intent lifted and he was rewarded with his second goal for the term. He finished the match with 23 possessions and six marks.
DT: 100
SC: 90

23 JOSH CADDY continues to improve every time he puts on a Geelong jumper. He accumulated 16 disposals as a forward, playing short bursts through the midfield. Caddy has a big body for a young footballer and he is beginning to throw his weight around, breaking through tackles and clutching five marks. He also won four clearances using his strength and speed around stoppages, equalling his captain as the Cats’ best.
DT: 71
SC: 65

26 TOM HAWKINS started in imposing fashion, troubling the North Melbourne back line with his physical strength. He won an important free kick in the first term when competing against three opponents, two of whom felt the need to each hold an arm to overcome the big Cat. Hawkins scored his only goal in similar circumstances, winning prime position to take a mark before being held on to. He became a predictable target that the Kangaroos zoned off to cover, limiting Hawkins to 10 disposals and just two marks, despite the strong start.
DT: 39
SC: 42

27 MATHEW STOKES kicked the first goal of the match less than three minutes after the opening bounce. He made five tackles playing a similar role to last week, rotating between the forward pocket and the centre. He collected 24 possessions but struggled to penetrate, forced to handball 17 times to escape a suffocating Kangaroo midfield.
DT: 96
SC: 104

29 CAMERON GUTHRIE was outsized but not outmatched when competing against taller opponents. It is a role Guthrie has become familiar with this year and his aerial defence did not let him down. He has the confidence to attack the ball at ground level, winning three clearances, and was effective with 13 of his 16 possessions.
DT: 54
SC: 59

30 NATHAN VARDY played most of the first half as a key forward, leaving the ruck duties to Trent West. He kicked two goals for the match, benefiting from an inconclusive camera angle in the second term when his set shot was reviewed. Vardy collected nine disposals and competed against experienced opponent Todd Goldstein to win four hit-outs in the final quarter.  
DT: 47
SC: 73

32 STEVEN MOTLOP helped get the Cats off to a great start, kicking two goals in the first 15 minutes. He has a great capacity to cover the ground and worked hard to win 21 touches a stay involved in the play. Motlop showed the usual amount of brilliance around goal, adding six inside 50s and a third major. He was equally dangerous further out, drilling passes to leading targets and regularly finding team mates with long kicks.
DT: 92
SC: 103

44 COREY ENRIGHT had a productive game in defence, regularly allowed to play without an opponent in the first half. He and Harry Taylor rotated as the loose defender, leading the Cats with eight marks and five rebound 50s each. The experienced Enright collected 24 possessions but was not allowed a free reign in the second half, forced to dispose under immense North Melbourne pressure.
DT: 102
SC: 92

46 MARK BLICAVS played a utility role, primarily on a wing or across half forward. He was not able to utilise his aerobic ability because the Kangaroos hunted the ball in numbers and cramped the young Cat. Blicavs’ collected seven possessions and added eight hit-outs when he was rotated through the ruck.
DT: 39
SC: 31