Close to the top

You can’t help but cheer for every player playing their first game to kick a goal with their first kick. The “First Game, First Kick, First Goal” club is one that seems to swell in ranks each year, but often the debutant is a young player who’s just trying to get a kick in their first game, let alone a goal. But for Brad Close on Monday night it was a mere 65 seconds from opening siren to first goal in the Hoops. In fact, that amount of time meant that Close’s first goal was the eighth quickest goal in the AFL since records have been taken. And whilst his 65 seconds was extremely impressive, it’s not a shadow on the quickest ever first goal which former Cat Mitch Brown scored in his first game in just 36 seconds.

Steady ship with no captain at the helm

He’s the club greatest ever captain, most courageous player ever and has put the Cats on his back too many times to even count but apparently it isn’t panic stations when Joel Selwood misses a game for the Cats. Prior to last night’s game, the Cats had a 75% winning record with Joel since 2007 and a 72.85% winning record when he does. This quirk is not something the Cats want to keep putting to the test though as they hope to welcome back Selwood for Saturday night’s clash with West Coast.

Spreading the load

All clubs long for their midfield to bat deeper than the top two or three midfield stars that they have. And the Cats are no exception. Whilst the skill and brilliance of Joel Selwood, Patrick Dangerfield and Gary Ablett are beyond doubt, the Cats know they need more contributions than those three to make it to the biggest day in the football calendar. In the up and down season that is 2020, two Cats in particular, Cam Guthrie and Sam Menegola, are showing the consistency and poise that the Cats would love to have complementing their bigger known stars. In 2020, Guthrie is averaging 20.1 disposals, 4.4 marks, 3.9 tackles and 3.8 clearances to go along with being ranked seventh in the AFL for stoppage clearances. Similarly, Menegola is averaging 20.4 disposals, 4.9 marks and two clearances per game whilst also being ranked 16th in the AFL for uncontested possession. Eight games in and both players are providing value that the Cats will hope extends deep into finals.

Does Hawkins have Gremlin in his veins?

Okay, so those not old enough to remember the cult 80s movie Gremlins, the basic premise you need to know about them is to not add water! And it would seem that it’s best not to get the Cats big man Tom Hawkins wet. Unlike most key forwards that see rain on the radar and are automatically re-classified as decoys or just there to get the ball to ground, Hawkins has made a career out of being equally dangerous in the wet or dry. Hawkins was the best forward on the ground on Monday night finishing with three goals, 12 disposals and five marks. The performance and conditions brought back memories of Hawkins’ six goal performance against Brisbane at a rain-drenched GABBA in 2012.