Geelong Cats
65
Match Complete
GWS Giants
84
| Fourth Quarter | ||||
| S. Higgins |  | 25:06 | ||
| 23:48 |  | H. Himmelberg | ||
| M. Holmes | | 22:16 | ||
| 21:06 | | T. Bruhn | ||
| E. Ratugolea | | 18:30 | ||
| 14:46 | | H. Perryman | ||
| Rushed | | 13:55 | ||
| Z. Tuohy | | 12:27 | ||
| J. Clark | | 10:17 | ||
| R. Stanley | | 6:52 | ||
| Rushed | | 4:56 | ||
| B. Parfitt | | 3:49 | ||
| 6.10 (46) | Third Quarter [+] | 11.5 (71) | ||
| T. Stewart | | 30:55 | ||
| J. Henry | | 0:35 | ||
| E. Ratugolea | | 23:19 | ||
| 21:32 | | T. Taranto | ||
| J. Henry | | 16:08 | ||
| 12:37 | | T. Greene | ||
| 7:44 | | C. M. Brown | ||
| 6:07 | | T. Greene | ||
| 4:07 | | H. Himmelberg | ||
| 3.9 (27) | Second Quarter [+] | 7.4 (46) | ||
| Rushed | | 29:54 | ||
| Rushed | | 27:08 | ||
| Rushed | | 26:07 | ||
| B. Close | | 20:39 | ||
| 18:33 | | T. Greene | ||
| 17:06 | | T. Taranto | ||
| J. Selwood | | 15:14 | ||
| T. Hawkins | | 12:20 | ||
| M. Blicavs | | 6:32 | ||
| T. Hawkins | | 4:27 | ||
| 2:33 | | M. Buntine | ||
| 1:13 | | Z. Sproule | ||
| 1.3 (9) | First Quarter [+] | 4.3 (27) | ||
| 30:44 | | I. Cumming | ||
| Rushed | | 29:44 | ||
| 25:47 | | C. M. Brown | ||
| 24:07 | | H. Himmelberg | ||
| 22:24 | | M. Buntine | ||
| 19:47 | | T. Greene | ||
| 15:00 | | T. Greene | ||
| S. Menegola | | 12:13 | ||
| 10:18 | | X. O'Halloran | ||
| M. Holmes | | 2:24 | ||
| J. Kolodjashnij | | 0:37 | ||
Round 21 begins with the Geelong Cats looking to take top spot – for the night, at least – against a GWS Giants outfit hoping to keep their finals hopes alive. Follow the action from GMHBA Stadium with live scores on The Roar from 7:50pm (AEST).
Eleven wins from their last twelve games, and five on the trot, means the Cats are premiership favourites heading into the final stretch of the home-and-away season. Last year’s runner-up are packed to the rafters with power, boast experience at both ends, and are right up there with the Western Bulldogs as the team to beat this year.
They weren’t at their best against the improving North Melbourne in Round 20, but never truly looked like losing, a 20-point victory secured despite managing just eight goals in Tasmania. They are yet to lose at their GMHBA Stadium fortress in 2021.
The Giants are half a game out of the eight at the moment, thanks to their loss to Port Adelaide last week, and remain well and truly in the hunt for finals – if they’re good enough. However, it’s hard to see them making any sort of impact in September given their inconsistency and a growing injury list.
Carnage has hit the Giants ahead of this clash, with seven players – including tough midfielders Jacob Hopper and Tom Green, ruckman Shane Mumford and key back Phil Davis – ruled out of the trip to Geelong. An eighth, star midfielder Josh Kelly, is also a late out with quad tightness to continue Leon Cameron’s selection nightmare.
Meanwhile, the Cats have chosen now to give veteran wingman Isaac Smith his first rest of the year.
Game information
Opening bounce: 7:50pm (AEST)
Venue: GMHBA Stadium, Geelong
TV: Channel Seven, Fox Footy
Live stream: Kayo Sports, Foxtel Now, Foxtel Go
Betting: Cats $1.12, Giants $6.10 (odds via PlayUp)
Teams
Geelong Cats
B: 38 Jack Henry, 46 Mark Blicavs, 15 Nathan Kreuger
HB: 44 Tom Stewart, 39 Zach Guthrie, 8 Jake Kolodjashnij
C: 9 Max Holmes, 29 Cameron Guthrie, 2 Zach Tuohy
HF: 40 Luke Dahlhaus, 17 Esava Ratugolea, 4 Shaun Higgins
F: 35 Patrick Dangerfield, 26 Tom Hawkins, 23 Gary Rohan
FOL: 1 Rhys Stanley, 14 Joel Selwood (c), 3 Brandan Parfitt
I/C: 6 Jordan Clark, 24 Jed Bews, 27 Sam Menegola, 45 Brad Close
EMG: 7 Isaac Smith, 18 Charlie Constable, 19 Quinton Narkle, 31 Francis Evans
IN: Max Holmes, Nathan Kreuger (R20 medical sub)
OUT: Isaac Smith, Quinton Narkle
GWS Giants
B: 42 Jake Stein, 15 Sam Taylor, 13 Isaac Cumming
HB: 36 Harry Perryman, 19 Nick Haynes, 7 Lachie Ash
C: 33 Xavier O’Halloran, 24 Matt de Boer, 6 Lachie Whitfield
HF: 16 Brent Daniels, 27 Harry Himmelberg, 4 Toby Greene (c)
F: 14 Tim Taranto, 26 Jake Riccardi, 28 Zach Sproule
FOLL: 32 Kieren Briggs, 8 Callan Ward, 5 Tanner Bruhn
I/C: 21 Matt Buntine, 39 Connor Idun, 45 James Peatling, 46 Callum Brown
EMG: 9 Ryan Angwin, 10 Jacob Wehr, \34 Nick Shipley
IN: Matt de Boer, Kieren Briggs, Zach Sproule, Jake Stein, Jake Riccardi, Callum Brown, Tanner Bruhn (R20 medical sub)
OUT: Daniel Lloyd, Jacob Hopper, Jesse Hogan, Phil Davis, Sam Reid, Shane Mumford, Tom Green
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
So I’m reading the boys club at the moment and I genuinely think we may be heading for a player strike
pablocruz
Roar Rookie
Geelong's home ground advantage is the greatest in the comp given the idiotic ground dimensions.
O M
Roar Rookie
Damn right Pablo! Cats have finally picked up some injuries to key Players and are suddenly looking very shaky. Could be once again they’ve peaked too early after a dream run with injuries throughout and will fall away at the pointy end of the Year. The Premiership will come from the Demons or Bulldogs with my money going towards the Doggies.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
True but they’ve done a better than the suns and even brisbane to an extent
pablocruz
Roar Rookie
Now that's the soft underbelly of Geelong that I've been talking about! No lay down misere at all. Confrontational footy beats them 9 times out of ten and the other fancied teams are all capable of just that. The 'squealing' about Danger's injury is dripping with irony and indicative of their inability to 'take it'.
pablocruz
Roar Rookie
I've suspected that for some time, now.
Maxy
Roar Rookie
my only conclusion why he would come up with that comment is that he is 8 years old
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
Hahaha would you expect anything less.
pablocruz
Roar Rookie
Yet it's okay for Danger to take out opposition players. Good grief, cry me a river.
pablocruz
Roar Rookie
Yep. He knew it all then, didn't he?
pablocruz
Roar Rookie
Geelong can be bullied into submission with ease. Still can't buy a flag and God knows they can't develop their own to win one.
pablocruz
Roar Rookie
Nup. That prize goes to your mob.
Maxy
Roar Rookie
It's long enough that I cant remember it anymore
Windrince
Roar Rookie
Um, what?
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
2007 not so long ago Power.
Maxy
Roar Rookie
It is like treading water for them though, quality picks in quality player out each year it seems.kelly maybe this year
O M
Roar Rookie
Finally the Cats may find out what it's like to have to deal with injuries to multiple key Players for a change....and it's at the wrong end of the year for them too!
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
The thing that I think that is fearsome about the giants is they have two first round picks thanks to the pies ineptitude so it gives them a great spring board for a pursued challenge
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
https://youtu.be/sG1IH1vCvko
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
They punched above their weight. I think oddly enough it’s because their forward line is bereft of stars so they’re unsure of who to match up on