Brimming with confidence and in ominous form, Geelong have powered into the AFL finals on the back of successive triple-figure victories after thumping Gold Coast by 102 points.
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Final score
Geelong Cats 22.10.142
Gold Coast Suns 5.10.40
The Geelong Cats will be out to pile on a big win and improve their spot in the top eight when they take on the struggling Gold Coast Suns. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 1:45pm (AEST).
After Port Adelaide fell to Essendon in dismal circumstances yesterday, Geelong’s position in the top eight, provided they don’t lose by almost 300 points (this is a joke, it won’t happen), is secure.
The Cats currently sit in eighth spot, but have the potential to move into seventh should they win, the Demons lose and the points turnaround be about the 40 mark, although, pending on other results, there may be very little difference finishing seventh and eight.
The three teams likely to finish fifth and sixth are Collingwood, Hawthorn and the Sydney Swans. A trip to Sydney will hardly be easy, but then, neither will the other two options.
With it being impossible to tell which of those sides are going to finish where, Geelong will just aim to take care of business in a big way to make a statement ahead of the finals this afternoon.
They have an opportunity to get their combinations working and pile on the points as well, with the Suns in all sorts and right down the bottom of the ladder.
The Cats come into this one on the back of two straight losses though against Richmond and Hawthorn, which will concern them heading into September.
The inconsistent nature of their season leaves the Cats without favouritism heading into September, but that may suit them yet with so many dangerous players in the midfield, led by Gary Abblett who plays against his old club in this one. He had a field day last time out against them as well as the Cats ran up an 85-point win on the Gold Coast.
While the Cats form has been up and down, the Suns have been downright woeful. They recorded the upset of the season against the Sydney Swans back in Round 18, but have since lost to Carlton, Melbourne by 96 points, and Richmond heavily.
They were better last week in the Q-Clash, only falling to Brisbane by four points, but it still doesn’t strike of a side who are likely to win on one of the toughest road trips in the competition.
Prediction
This could get pretty ugly. Geelong won’t lose to the Suns, particularly at home and wanting another big hit out before the finals to find some goal-scoring form.
Cats by 90 points.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of this match from 1:45pm (AEST) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.
tom
Guest
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User
Roar Rookie
As expected ?
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thanks for joining me this afternoon on The Roar for our live coverage of the 2018 AFL season as the Geelong Cats thumped the Gold Coast Suns. Hopefully you enjoyed the coverage. Right now, it's time to join Sarah Wildy for Fremantle and Collingwood. I'll be back at 5:35pm (AEST) for Game 2 of the Bledisloe Cup between New Zealand and Australia. Bye for now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thoughts on the game Roarers?
Scott Pryde
Expert
FULLTIME The Geelong Cats have run out convincing 102-point winners over the Gold Coast Suns to enter the finals on back-to-back drubbings. After hammering Fremantle last week, Geelong were back at home and back on top. While the Suns competed hard early in the game, they struggled to hang in during the second quarter as the Cats ran away to a 60-point lead with Patrick Dangerfield and Gary Ablett the stars of the show. The Suns continued to fall away with Dangerfield ending the contest on 34 disposals and four goals. He led the way, but they had a complete team effort with Mitch Duncan and Joel Selwood going brilliantly out of the middle, while Tim Kelly also had three goals. Geelong do have issues though. They missed a lot of easy opportunities, particularly in the first half and could have quite easily had a bigger lead going into both quarter and halftime. The game ends a poor season for the Suns, who will finish in 17th place, while the Cats have left themselves alive with a chance of finishing seventh, pending on the result of Melbourne tomorrow. Cats 22.10 (142) Suns 5.10 (40)
User
Roar Rookie
Training loads, pre finals conditioning, ability to win @ 80% all combined with lessons learnt last season about a deep finals campaign Pete is what it indicates to me. Unless they drop their first final I read nothing into it at all
Birdman
Roar Rookie
2 bruise free games and a bye running into finals. Not the best prep?
Scott Pryde
Expert
FULLTIME Stewart with one last mark in the defensive goal square and that'll just about do it as the Geelong Cats run out convincing 102-point winners over the Suns at home. Geelong enter the finals coming off back-to-back thumpings. They won't play at home again this year, but they have found their attacking touch heading into September. For the Suns, it ends an embarrassing season. Another one at that. Cats 22.10 (142) Suns 5.10 (40)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 1' The Suns searching for one more goal here, but they can't find a way through at the moment. Geelong come up with it in their defence again and then look to work it up the right wing. Cats 22.10 (142) Suns 5.10 (40)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 2' This game is just winding down now. All the air has just about gone out of it with neither team able to hold onto the thing for long enough to create a genuine scoring opportunity. Cats 22.10 (142) Suns 5.10 (40)
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
True Matti but that Geelong loss ages ago yeah? I tell you Matti Tigers peaked early. Take their belting of the Suns away, they have not had impressive form heading into finals. Cats on the other hand one feels are timing their run beautifully. Tigers are very gettable week one of finals.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 4' Geelong now have all sorts of space down the right side of the ground. Blicavs with a great run and he kicks it into the middle, but Duncan can't handle the mark with the Suns clearing once more. Cats 22.10 (142) Suns 5.10 (40)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 6' Well, it had cracked open up the middle there again for the Cats, but they can't make anything of it with a pass off the money. The Gold Coast go back up the ground, then there is a stoppage outside 50. Cats 22.10 (142) Suns 5.10 (40)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 7' - BEHIND SUNS Just a point for the Suns. Cats 22.10 (142) Suns 5.10 (40)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 8' Where is the defence? That's awful. Geelong easily up the left, then Kelly with space puts it to the forward pocket for Ryan Abbott to take a mark of his own. It'll be a difficult shot and goes across the face for a point. Cats 22.10 (142) Suns 5.9 (39)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 9' - BEHIND SUNS Back inside 50 for the Suns. Ball over the boundary here, then Ah Chee to Holman who dribbles it towards the goal square, before there is a deliberate hit over the boundary from the Cats. From the throw-in, a shot hits the post. Cats 22.9 (141) Suns 5.9 (39)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 10' - GOAL SUNS, JARRYD LYONS Well, that came out of nothing. Scheer got it on the edge of the 50, fired it into a vacant slot in front of goal and it took a friendly bounce up to Lyons who slotted it through. Cats 22.9 (141) Suns 5.8 (38)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 11' The Suns back inside 50, but they have no one there, so Taylor takes the mark and then works to the left with the Cats getting out of the 50 before O'Connor beats one but handballs to ground. From the scramble, Kelly goes up the ground and Dangerfield is there but can't mark. Cats 22.9 (141) Suns 4.8 (32)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 11' - GOAL CATS, MITCH DUNCAN And the lead gets bigger. Sloppy kick from May I think it was, then Duncan slots the goal from 50 out. Cats 22.9 (141) Suns 4.8 (32)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Q4 12' - BEHIND CATS Geelong with a free kick off the bounce, then it's fired into the 50. Henry took a leap, but Hawkins will come down with the mark as cool as you like about 35 out and almost straight in front. This is embarrassingly bad for the Suns. Hawkins misses to the left though. Cats 21.9 (135) Suns 4.8 (32)