All Eyes On... Joel’s Record Collection
By the time Joel Selwood takes the field on Saturday against Collingwood, he will have celebrated his 33rd birthday and be playing his 311th game, so it’s no surprise that he’s beginning to stack up a few records along the journey.
Last week was his 100th game at Kardinia Park, and his 89th win at the ground. Pretty good. It was also his 211th game in charge of the Cats, placing him ahead of Michael Voss for the most games captained in AFL/VFL history with only names like Whitten, Riewoldt, Reynolds and Kernahan remaining ahead of him.
This weeks’ broken record is a joint one with his great mate Tom Hawkins, where the pair will pass Corey Enright & Jimmy Bartel for the 11th most games played as teammates in League history, sharing the podium with Bombers Simon Madden and Garry Foulds on 271 games.
But if anyone thinks this is some kind of John Farnham, KISS-style farewell tour here’s last week’s stats: 39 disposals, 17 contested, seven tackles, ten clearances, four inside 50s, six score involvements. And probably three Brownlow votes.
All Eyes On… Centre Square Blitz
If the skipper didn’t get the votes last week, it just might have been Mark Blicavs who put in an almighty performance in the ruck against the Suns.
Sharing the duties with Esava Ratugolea, he picked up 34 hitouts and six clearances to go with 18 disposals, six marks, and six tackles. Once the ball hits the deck, Blicavs has been collecting most of his possessions in the back half, while Big Sav has been getting them in the middle, highlighting the chemistry that’s already developed between the two big men.
The big challenge this week will be Collingwood colossus Brody Grundy who has hit some form and was the key reason the Pies almost knocked over premiership fancies Port Adelaide last week.
If the Cats are going to feed the three-headed monster up forward they’ll need to win the middle, and this is where it will begin.
All Eyes On… 50 for Lukey Dahl
The energetic former Leopold Lion will play game number 50 in the hoops this weekend since crossing from the Western Bulldogs ahead of the 2019 season.
He’s the ultimate team man, Dahl, and his teammates love him for it as this video shows, and that’s playing out on the stats sheet this season where he has been elite in team first-metrics like forward pressure, where he ranks #2 at the Cats this season.
In his time at Whitten Oval, the 28-year-old played predominantly as an in and under midfielder who swung forward, whereas at the Cattery he’s settled into a high half-forward role. His energy and attack on the footy is contagious and these numbers highlight his value.
- #2 for FWD Half pressure
- #6 for pressure
- #3 for F50 tackles
- #6 for creating a turnover that results in score
- #2 for IN50 kick retention
It’s not a traditional milestone, but well worth a tip of the hat. Go well, Lukey.
All Eyes On… Fast & Furious Pies
There’s been a touch of Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto to the Pies this year, living a quarter-mile at a time.
Their fast starts have gone a bit unnoticed, but they’ve come out genuinely blazing against quality opposition like Port Adelaide, Sydney, West Coast and Brisbane at different points this season. Granted, on most occasions they’ve fallen by the final bell, but with key players like Grundy, Darcy Moore and Taylor Adams putting in big performances against the Power, it’ll be a confident Magpie outfit that runs onto the MCG on Saturday afternoon.
Their performance in the first term against the Power was notable not just for their scoreboard pressure but their work on the other side of the footy, where they kept the Power scoreless. Much like the Cats against the Swans a few weeks back, by game’s end they had beaten them in a roll call of key metrics, including inside 50s and clearances, but fell painfully short on the scoreboard.
The good news is after detours to the Gabba and Optus Stadium, it’ll be back to the MCG for the first time since 2019, where every game has been played between the two sides since 2006, and the Cats have won the last three
