CATS STRUGGLE TO WIN OVER CROWS IN BARTEL'S 200TH GAME
Ben Jensen 14 August 2011

By Ben Jensen twitter.com/thecattery ADELAIDE CROWS V GEELONG CATS GEELONG struggled over the line to defeat Adelaide by just 11 points at AAMI Park this evening. After a sometimes-customary slow start to the match the Cats were lucky to draw level with the Crows by quarter time. They went behind again early in the second term but five unanswered goals gave them a handy buffer before the Crows further pegged back the lead, with the Cats ahead by 19 at half time.

The third quarter saw pretty tough but unattractive footy, in fact we fell asleep, to be rudely awakened by Adelaide's second goal roughly ten minutes in by Ivan Maric who ended up with two. Brad Ottens sent home a long one from outside fifty however which re-sparked the Cats, who finished the quarter well enough to remain three goals in front.

Adelaide threw everything at Geelong in the final term, but constant misses from the likes of Graham Johncock and others saw them finish just short. Shannon Byrnes, who came into the side as sub in place of Andrew Mackie, kicked two goals for the quarter after being 'activated', the first of the quarter and later on the sealer a few minutes from the full-time siren.

The Cats now have the week off with the Bye, before hosting the Swans at home on Saturday 27 August.

GEELONG: 2.3 8.7 11.10 14.12 (96) DEFEATED
ADELAIDE: 2.3 5.6 8.10 12.13 (85)

GOALS
GEELONG: Podsiadly 2, Johnson 2, Byrnes 2, Mooney, Ottens, Stokes, Wojcinski, Bartel, Chapman, Duncan, Selwood
ADELAIDE: Walker 3, Henderson 2, Maric 2, Petrenko 2, Wright 2, Dangerfield

BEST
GEELONG: Kelly, Johnson, Podsiadly, Bartel, Enright, Hunt
ADELAIDE: Sloane, van Berlo, Wright, Knights, Doughty, Johncock, Talia, Vince

INJURIES
GEELONG: Andrew Mackie (ankle) replaced in selected side by Shannon Byrnes, Vardy (hip)
ADELAIDE: Ben Rutten (flu) replaced in selected side by Shaun McKernan

UMPIRES:

FIELD: Shane Stewart (10) Mathew Nicholls (15)Sam Hay (20) EM: Corey Bowen (12)
BOUNDARY: Chris Bull Mark Hill Dillon Tee Shane Thiele
GOAL: Mathew Wilson Steven Axon EM: Steven Paunovic

CROWD: Approx 33,000 at AAMI Park, Adelaide