Cats finish off season with win over Blues in wet and windy conditions

AFL 2019 round 23 Geelong Cats v Carlton Blues, Ben Jensen GEELONG got their hands back onto top spot with their 68 point win over Carlton at GMHBA Stadium. Patrick Dangerfield played one of his most solid games of the season finishing with four goals and umpteen possessions. Quinton Narkle continues to justify his selection, wearing the indigenous jumper that he designed in an AFL match for the first time.

Recalled after a spell in the VFL ruckman Rhys Stanley got the Cats off to a good start, winning the ruck contest with a thumping hitout that Dangerfield pounced upon to kick the Cats’ opening goal with around 10 seconds elapsed. Zach Tuohy started deep in the forward line and made an impact early. By quarter time the Cats had a 25 point lead, about the time the heavens opened. Strong wind pushed the rain into the Hickey Stand where we stood; pleasant it was not! Geelong defied the scrappy conditions booting another seven goals to Carlton’s two, increasing their lead.

The third quarter saw the Blues actually outscore the Cats three goals to two – the Cats still well in control however. The final term played in fairly dry conditions (no fresh rain at least) was a procession, the Cats booting five more to the Blues’ two to push the final margin to 68 points. With Hawthorn beating West Coast in Perth that evening the Cats are guaranteed to play Collingwood in their first final regardless of who wins between Brisbane and Richmond today. Next weekend there are no AFL finals; they begin the week after.

AFL 2019 – ROUND 23
GEELONG CATS V CARLTON BLUES
SATURDAY 24 AUGUST 2019, 16:35 AEST
GMHBA STADIUM
MATCH PREVIEW

GEELONG CATS: 5.4, 12.5, 14.6, 19.15 (129) DEFEATED
CARLTON BLUES: 1.3, 3.8, 6.13, 8.13 (61)

GOALS
GEELONG CATS: Dangerfield 4, Ablett 3, Dahlhaus 3, Tuohy 2, Ratugolea, Kelly, Narkle, Duncan, Stanley, C.Guthrie, Miers
CARLTON BLUES: Kennedy, Cripps, Murphy, Deluca, McKay, O’Brien, Fisher, Walsh

BEST
GEELONG CATS: Dangerfield, Narkle, Ablett, Stewart, Dahlhaus, Stanley
CARLTON BLUES: Cripps, Curnow, Murphy, Walsh

INJURIES
GEELONG CATS: Nil reported
CARLTON BLUES: Ed Curnow (achilles)

CHANGES
GEELONG CATS: Nil
CARLTON BLUES: Nil

REPORTS
GEELONG CATS: –
CARLTON BLUES: –

CROWD: 31,669 at GMHBA Stadium, Geelong

UMPIRES
FIELD: McInerney, Mitchell, Ryan

Nine seconds!

What a start from Danger! 🔥#AFLCatsBlues pic.twitter.com/21ToCAzGQ0

— AFL (@AFL) August 24, 2019

GEELONG CATS TEAM
IN: Gary Rohan, Rhys Stanley
OUT: Tom Atkins (hand, Jake Kolodjashnij (hip)
B: Zach Tuohy, Mark Blicavs, Harry Taylor
HB: Mark O’Connor, Lachie Henderson, Tom Stewart
C: Mitch Duncan, Patrick Dangerfield, Cameron Guthrie
HF: Gary Ablett, Esava Ratugolea, Gary Rohan
F: Luke Dahlhaus, Tom Hawkins, Jack Henry
FOLL: Rhys Stanley, Tim Kelly, Joel Selwood
INT: Jed Bews, Brandan Parfitt, Gryan Miers, Quinton Narkle
EMER: Scott Selwood, Sam Menegola, James Parsons, Zac Smith

CARLTON BLUES TEAM
IN: Jacob Weitering, David Cuningham
OUT: Michael Gibbons (shoulder), Darcy Lang (ankle)
B: Nic Newman, Lachie Plowman, Will Setterfield
HB: Dale Thomas, Jacob Weitering, Sam Petrevski-Seton
C: Lochie O’Brien, Paddy Dow, Ed Curnow
HF: Matthew Kennedy, Harry McKay, Levi Casboult
F: Jack Silvagni, Patrick Cripps, Mitch McGovern
FOLL: Matthew Kreuzer, Marc Murphy, Sam Walsh
INT: Kade Simpson, Zac Fisher, David Cuningham, Josh Deluca
EMER: Hugh Goddard, Andrew Phillips, Liam Stocker, Cameron Polson

“It was fun for me, I’d never played forward until last week” 😺 Zach Tuohy enjoyed his two goals in the big win over the Blues. #AFLCatsBlues #WeAreGeelong pic.twitter.com/CzmplP31R0

— Geelong Cats (@GeelongCats) August 24, 2019