The performance of Cats premiership player Mathew Stokes (41 disposals, 1 goal) and new recruit Daniel Menzel (15 disposals, 3 goals, 6 behinds) were the major highlights in a game where the Bendigo Bank Cats could have easily won by a much larger margin - kicking an inaccurate 13 goals, 24 behinds after quarter time.
After last week’s disappointing loss to the Box Hill Hawks, the Bendigo Bank Cats started the match looking a much faster, stronger, and competitive unit and showed why many experts tipped them as a finals contender during the pre season.
Highlights from the first term included the forward pressure and impressive skills of AFL star Matthew Stokes and the first game of the popular rookie Ranga Ediriwickrama who showed great poise and skill to kick his first VFL goal from his first kick.
The defensive pressure of second year player Taylor Hunt and Jeremy Laidler helped keep Frankston scoreless throughout the dour first term. A moment of brilliance from young gun Daniel Menzel gave the Cats fans something to cheer about as he ducked and weaved past his opponent to kick an impressive on the run goal giving the Cats a 19 point advantage going into quarter time.
Missed opportunities cost the Cats an opportunity to go into half time with a more sizeable lead, as they kicked 2 goals and 11 behinds for the quarter to go in only 30 points ahead.
The main goal kicking culprits for the Cats were Trent West who took four contested marks inside 50 for 3 behinds and Ben Johnson who looked dangerous all quarter for only a 2 behind return. The Cats dominance through the middle continued as key players Nathan Djerrkura, Allen Christensen and Ben Raidme ran rings around their respective opponents. The continued run and class or Stokes along with the dominance of Simpkin, Laidler and Hunt gave the Cats a strangle hold on the contest going into the second half.
The ‘goal kicking curse’ continued for the Bendigo Bank Cats at the beginning of the third term as Menzel ran into an open goal and sprayed it to the right hand side for a behind as the confidence of the Cats kicking continued to spiral out of control.
Nathan Vardy continued to emerge as a key position forward prospect during a third term where forward entries continued to flow. Taylor Hunt (28 disposals, 1 goal), Ben Raidme (24 disposals), Mitchell Cuthill (17 disposals) and captain Matthew Firman (21 disposals) dominated the ‘premiership quarter’ as Geelong kicked 4 goals, 7 behinds to the Dolphins 1 goal, 2 behinds to go into the final quarter 53 points in front.
The Cats finished off their dominate display with a 7 goal quarter to run out 91 point winners on a windy and wet afternoon at Skilled stadium. The contributions of Matthew Stokes, Trent West (21 disposals, 10 marks), Ryan Gamble (24 disposals, 6 marks) and Jonathan Simpkin (36 disposals, 12 marks) all went a long way to securing the Cats first win for the 2010 season.
After two losses in the opening two rounds of the 2010 season, the Cats are on the board and showing a number of very positive signs. One big positive is the on going form of Daniel Menzel who continued his stellar form on Saturday with another dangerous and creative match in the forward line.
After the match Menzel was asked about how he had fitted into the Geelong way of life, “It’s been a great place to come into, I really do love it here and all the boys at the club have been so welcoming. I really am enjoying it”.
Menzel also spoke about his transformation from a defender to a forward in the early rounds of the 2010 season, “I played a fair bit of footy up forward in my junior days so it is not unusual for me. It would have been nice to kick a bit straighter today but the conditions were a bit difficult - especially early.”
The Cats will look to make it two in a row as they tackle the in form Bendigo Bombers (2 wins, 1 loss) in a curtain raiser to the AFL game at Skilled Stadium next Sunday at 9:40 am.
Geelong Cats 16-25-(121)
Frankston 4-6-(30)
Goals: Menzel 3, Vardy, Simpkin, Rock 2, Djerrkura, Christensen, T.Hunt, Ediriwickrama, B.Johnson 1.
Best: Stokes, Simpkin, Gamble, West, T.Hunt, Firman
Injuries: Nil
Reports: Nil
Venue: Skilled Stadium
