AFL pre-season: Top picks shine as Suns shock Geelong, but don't go writing the Cats off yet

It’s a tradition of every pre-season for the last decade: Geelong are written off as too old, too slow and coming to the end of their reign, only for the Cats to retain their place near the peak of the ladder when the real stuff starts.

You’d be crazy not to have some concerns about Chris Scott’s men after a 23-point loss to Gold Coast in ideal conditions in Queensland – and make no mistake, 30 scoring shots to 17 tells the story of the gap between the two sides on the night – but minus some key names including backline master Tom Stewart, and having rested Joel Selwood and Brandan Parfitt after half time, the Cats weren’t treating things all that seriously.

The same can’t be said of the Suns, though, who needed to show a sign of life after a devastating summer on the injury front. Written off by many already, a dominant midfield given first use by returning ruckman Jarrod Witts dismantled the Cats after half time, and a new-look forward line found a way to capitalise.

No side with Touk Miller in it should be on the bottom – having been rewarded for re-committing to the club with the captaincy, he seems capable of willing the Suns up the ladder all on his own.

Here’s what we learned from the last match of the AAMI Community Series.

Gold Coast 13.17 (95) defeated Geelong 11.6 (72) by 23 points at Metricon Stadium.

Even with no King, the Suns can find a way

The loss of rising star key forward Ben King with a season-ending knee injury was supposed to blow a sizeable hole in the Suns’ chances of being competitive in 2022. Having already struggled to boot goals last season, things were meant to only get worse without the man who booted a team-high 47, and who seemed to be only getting better.

But against the usually watertight defence of the Cats, the Suns showed a resourcefulness they’ve rarely shown across their history to find a way to score regardless. Inaccuracy bit hard early – they were 3.12 at one stage – the men in red, gold and blue could hardly miss in the second half, booting 10 of the last fourteen majors to canter to victory.

Key to the procession was an outstanding midfield led by Miller, which ripped apart the ageing Cats on the spread to generate a whopping 69-46 inside-50 discrepancy despite losing the overall disposals count. Penetrating by foot and willing to take risks, it resulted in even a threadbare forward line getting enough supply to boot a winning score.

If that can be the norm in 2022, the Suns will surprise many a mid-table side, and maybe even a few of the top dogs too.

Touk Miller of the Suns runs the ball during the AFL AAMI Community Series match between the Gold Coast Suns and the Geelong Cats. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Wayward top pick, swingman repay the forward faith

The identity of the two men who kicked the lions’ share of the Sun’s goals will have delighted coach Stuart Dew just as much as the result itself. Four goals from Ben Ainsworth and three from Jack Lukosius proved the difference, the pair’s smarts on the lead and accurate kicking for goal ensuring the midfield’s stellar work wasn’t wasted.

Ainsworth, taken with pick 4 in the 2016 draft, has shown glimpses across his five years of AFL life without ever truly threatening to break out. Heading into 2022, could this finally be the year he repays the faith?

The 24-year old was explosive on the lead and crafty when the ball hit the ground, making the most of the absence of Cats defensive lynchpin Tom Stewart to dictate terms inside 50. He loves a goal, is beautiful by foot and seems to relish the extra responsibility of being a key pillar for the year to come.

Just as impressive was swingman Jack Lukosius, who now appears certain to make the permanent move to the forward line hinted at in the Suns’ scratch matches. Deadly by foot, the pick 2 in the 2018 draft had found a home on the half-back line in recent years, but with no King, Dew has made the switch to add a mobile marking tall to the pillars of former Blue Levi Casboult and free agent Mabior Chol.

He’d only manage nine possessions – fewer than you’d like for a player with his effectiveness by foot, though he did only play half the game – but you couldn’t fault the results. He led for the ball hard, seems to judge the drop of the ball enough to thrive in attack, and is tall enough to command a key defender, which would enable his speed and mobility to cause real headaches.

The only missing link was goalsneak Izak Rankine, who finished goalless from only nine possessions of his own. But with the supply his midfield was generating, he’ll have his time.

Hold off on the obituaries, the Cats aren’t done yet

A loss to the lowly Suns wasn’t a great way for the Cats to finish the pre-season, especially off the back of last year’s preliminary final humiliation to Melbourne. But judging from their approach to the second half, Scott feels his team had nothing to lose and bigger fish to fry.

No Tom Stewart proved nothing – we knew from the end of last year that the Cats would be seriously vulnerable without the multiple All Australian’s steadying influence in defence. And it’s no coincidence either that the Suns’ second-half domination came after Joel Selwood, who racked up 16 disposals in the first half, was put in cotton wool.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of things for Scott to work on ahead of Round 1. Just like at the end of last year, the Cats’ possession game unravelled in the face of a Suns outfit willing to work hard and apply pressure on the ball-carrier. An un-Geelong-like 71 clangers was the result, while only generating 46 inside 50s for the game showed the Suns worked harder defensively as well.

The return of Mitch Duncan will help the Cats spread more effectively, which will in turn fix the inside-50 conundrum. And once it’s there, Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron (three goals) are still a one-two punch that will give opposition defences nightmares.

Their days of contending for the premiership might be over, but the Cats should still well and truly be in the finals mix. The cliff is indeed getting closer, but it’s probably still another year away.