CATS NO GOOD IN THE WEST
Ben Jensen 31 May 2015

AFL ROUND 9 2015: WEST COAST EAGLES V GEELONG CATS GEELONG started off OK against West Coast today, only for West Coast to dominate, winning by fifty-six points. The Cats had the upper hand for much of the first quarter only to see the Eagles pepper the goals towards the end, inaccuracy giving the Cats the lead by a point at the first break. Only two goals were scored by either side in the second quarter but the Eagles had a staggering eleven behinds to the Cats' one to lead by just one point, leaving the match well and truly alive but there is no doubt the Cats were fortunate.

By three quarter time the second-placed Eagles had amassed twenty-one behinds, to lead by eighteen of them each side on three goals with Tom Hawkins economical whenever he found himself with the ball. But in the last quarter, which we didn't see as nightly bathing duties took precedence, just as well with the Eagles finally finding the right gear. West Coast kicked seven goals and just the three behinds to the Cats' one goal one behind to cement their second spot behind cross-town rivals Fremantle, while the Cats lick their wounds on the unforgiving flight across the Nullarbor; with just four wins from the first nine games, sitting in twelfth place ahead of the Kangaroos by 0.2%. Next up is Essendon on Saturday night at Etihad Stadium while West Coast will play North Melbourne on Sunday in Hobart.

WEST COAST : 2.6, 4.17, 9.21, 16.24 (120) DEFEATED
GEELONG: 3.1, 5.2, 9.3, 10.4 (64)

GOALS
WEST COAST: Kennedy 6, Hill 2, Naitanui 2, Sinclair 2, McInnes, Cripps, Shuey, LeCras
GEELONG: Hawkins 3, Johnson, Caddy, Gregson, Murdoch, Stokes, Kersten, Mackie

BEST
WEST COAST: Gaff, Priddis, Kennedy, McGovern, Naitanui, Shuey
GEELONG: Johnson, Enright, Hawkins, Caddy, Motlop, Mackie

INJURIES
WEST COAST: Not available
GEELONG: Stanley (knee), Clark (ankle)

SUBSTITUTES
WEST COAST: Brant Colledge, who replaced Jamie Bennell at three-quarter time
GEELONG: Matthew Stokes, who replaced Rhys Stanley at half time

CHANGES
WEST COAST: NIL
GEELONG: NIL

UMPIRES

Dalgleish, Farmer, Fisher

TIP: Cats by 5 points

CROWD: 37,676 at Subaco Oval, Perth