The Geelong Cats and Sydney Swans, two minor premiership contenders, go head-to-head in a Friday Night blockbuster. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:50pm (AEST).
Geelong have surged back towards the top of the ladder after a disappointing 2015 season and currently sit in second place atop a logjam of six teams with a 10-4 record.
Their last six outing have been confusing. The Cats claimed the scalps of GWS, North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs, while also faltering to Collingwood, Carlton and St Kilda.
Geelong have won all four games at Simonds Stadium this season by an average of 61 points, and Chris Scott would be after another dominant display on their impenetrable home deck.
Sydney, on the other hand, are also in the top four with that common 10-4 record, but are just starting to falter at a very inopportune time.
A heartbreaking loss to the Bulldogs last week, their second this season from the last kick of the game, made it two losses in three outings for the Swans as they struggle to deal with the serious injury to key ruckman/forward Kurt Tippett.
With Geelong and Hawthorn in successive weeks, Sydney face the very real prospect of falling all the way to eighth given the tightness of this season’s finals race.
They’ll need to dig very, very deep to get a win away to Geelong.
After having their record home winning streak snapped by the Swans in 2011, the Cats have reasserted their dominance at the ground, winning their last three home games against Sydney by an average of 37 points.
The home team was won six of the last eight contests between these sides.
Prediction
While Geelong have been poor against lesser sides in 2016, they’ve been very effective against fellow contenders. Kardinia Park is once again one of the hardest places to travel to in football, and so the Cats deservedly start favourites in this one.
Cats by 14 points
Be sure to join The Roar from 7:50pm (AEST) to follow all of the action in this clash between two of the AFL’s genuine contenders.
Kevin lee
Guest
Cats bombed the ball into forward 50. Didn't take many marks. Once the ball came to ground they were swamped by Swans more agile smaller players. Hawkins not in form. Clark rusty first game back. Next week game will be huge.
Stirling Coates
Editor
GEELONG CATS v SYDNEY SWANS THE ROAR AFL MVP VOTES 3 VOTES - Dane Rampe (SYD) - Defenders don't get enough credit, but Rampe deserves the votes for his game tonight. Finished with 23 touches, at 91% effectiveness, six intercept marks and eight rebound 50s. 2 VOTES - Kieren Jack (SYD) - A hallmark performance for a captain playing in his 200th. 24 disposals, ten tackles, five clearances and a match-high three goals. 1 VOTE - Patrick Dangerfield (GEE) - Had us reaching for the record books with 18 first-term touches, but fell away after that. Still managed to collect 34 touches, ten inside 50s, seven clearances and a goal.
Stirling Coates
Editor
GEELONG CATS v SYDNEY SWANS FULL TIME REPORT Geelong Cats - 9.6 (60) Sydney Swans - 15.8 (98) GOAL KICKERS Cats: Menzel 2, Hawkins 2, Cockatoo, Smith, Enright, Murdoch, Dangerfield Swans: Jack 3, Towers 2, Papley 2, Franklin, Mills, Jones, Hewett, Parker, Lloyd, Richards, Kennedy DISPOSAL LEADERS Cats: Dangerfield 34, Mackie 28, Duncan 24 Swans: Mitchell 33, Hannebery 31, Parker 27 TEAM STATS: Disposals: Swans 373, Cats 337 Contested Possessions: Swans 157, Cats 153 Tackles: Swans 76, Cats 75 Inside 50s: Cats 51, Swans 43 Clearances: Swans 35, Cats 34
Stirling Coates
Editor
SIREN After a tumultuous week for their co-captain, the Sydney Swans are able to pull out arguably their most impressive performance of the season - dismissing Geelong by 38 point on their home deck. This is just Geelong's second 30+ point defeat at home since 2006. GEE - 9.6 (60) SYD - 15.8 (98) FULL TIME
Stirling Coates
Editor
GOAL SWANS Luke Parker takes the mark just outside 50, right on the boundary, and after taking his 30 seconds decides instead to kick it sideways to the lonesome Kieren Jack. He butchered his first attempt at goal number three, but this time he's able to slot the set shot and cap off a superb evening. GEE - 9.6 (60) SYD - 15.8 (98) Q4: 2'
Stirling Coates
Editor
The last quarter has been somewhat of a non-event with the sting out of the match. Sydney very content to savour the win, and Geelong not really able to muster much of a last quarter rally. GEE - 9.6 (60) SYD - 14.8 (92) Q4: 4'
Stirling Coates
Editor
Jake Lloyd with a hurried snap forward from the wing and it lands in the lap of Kieren Jack. He'll take his time, looking for a third in his 200th, but he ends up running out to improve the angle too far, and his kick misses the lot. GEE - 9.6 (60) SYD - 14.8 (92) Q4: 5'
Stirling Coates
Editor
Nakia Cockatoo has looked dangerous at times this evening, but he's also tried to play the hero on a few too many occasions. The big one was in the third quarter, when he ignored Joel Selwood in space and ended up getting tackled. GEE - 9.6 (60) SYD - 14.8 (92) Q4: 6'
Stirling Coates
Editor
GOAL CATS The Cats do well to overcome a few slip-ups along the wing, with the kick to the leading Tom Hawkins in the pocket a beauty. Kicking from just inside 50 on a tough angle, he gets the left to right working very, very well. A nice goal late for Hawkins, who has had an otherwise wretched evening. GEE - 9.6 (60) SYD - 14.8 (92) Q4: 7'
Stirling Coates
Editor
GOAL SWANS Ted Richards and Jake Kolodjashnij engage in one of the slowest foot races we've seen, and Richards wins after Kolodjashnij incorrectly assumes the ball has travelled out. He hands in to Gary Rohan, Tom Papley takes a superb mark in the goal square running back with the flight, and dobs the easy set shot to, in all likelihood, shut the door on this contest. GEE - 8.6 (54) SYD - 14.8 (92) Q4: 9'
Stirling Coates
Editor
BEHIND CATS Sydney just starting to let their foot off the pedal, and Geelong still believe they're a chance. Long kick to the forward pocket for Geelong catches the Sydney defenders off-guard, and Joel Selwood is able to take the mark. He wastes no time with the kick, but he should've prepared a little better, with the snap curling off to the near side. GEE - 8.6 (54) SYD - 13.8 (86) Q4: 11'
Johnybulldog
Guest
Reckon my bet on swans @ 15 at start of season is looking bloody goodes gents :)
Stirling Coates
Editor
Zak Jones is pinged for a rather obvious deliberate out of bounds and the Geelong fans, who feel they've been hard done by tonight, give probably the loudest cheer of the evening. GEE - 8.5 (53) SYD - 13.8 (86) Q4: 13'
Stirling Coates
Editor
Patrick Dangerfield has played a lone hand in the midfield for Geelong this evening with 31 disposals. No other Geelong midfielder, not even Joel Selwood, has had 20 touches. Mitchell, Hannebery, Parker and Kennedy all with 20+ for Sydney. GEE - 8.5 (53) SYD - 13.8 (86) Q4: 14'
Stirling Coates
Editor
GOAL CATS Patrick Dangerfield receives in the centre square, goes for a run and just casually pulls the trigger from 45 out! They go upstairs to make sure it didn't hit the post, and the review comes back as a goal. Geelong still with a pulse. GEE - 8.5 (53) SYD - 13.8 (86) Q4: 15'
Stirling Coates
Editor
GOAL SWANS Callum Mills with a superb daring spoil in the middle of the ground sends Sydney forward once more, and Josh Kennedy's low kick inside 50 finds the sliding Dean Towers. Kicking from just on 50 on a moderate angle, his kick has the line and the length! Swans by 39! GEE - 7.5 (47) SYD - 13.8 (86) Q4: 15'
Stirling Coates
Editor
BEHIND SWANS Dane Rampe with yet another counterattack for Sydney, and eventually it ends up with Tom Mitchell on his own on the wing. He finds Lance Franklin on a long lead, and Franklin is able to get it into James Rose in the pocket. Slack defending from Geelong, but Rose's set shot is very poor, well across the face from 15 out. GEE - 7.5 (47) SYD - 12.8 (80) Q4: 16'
Football Head
Roar Rookie
I know right, how have Geelong had more free kicks? Absolutely ridiculous
Stirling Coates
Editor
16 disposals and a goal for Callum Mills, and he's been rock solid down back. Could this be the week he earns the Rising Star nomination? GEE - 7.5 (47) SYD - 12.7 (79) Q4: 17'
Stirling Coates
Editor
BEHIND CATS Geelong win the centre clearance and the kick hits up Patrick Dangerfield on the lead. He's playing on Dane Rampe now, but on this occasion his set shot is wide, short and helped over the line by Sam Naismith. GEE - 7.5 (47) SYD - 12.7 (79) Q4: 18'