Cats win thriller over Tigers, Stewart suspended, Richmond slide outside top eight

Geelong Cats v Richmond Tigers, AFL 2022 round 15 Ben Jensen GEELONG defeated Richmond by three points on Saturday at the MCG thanks to some late minute brilliance by Tyson Stengle and Jack Henry, securing a spot in the top four and consigning the Tigers to ninth spot on the AFL ladder. The match was not without controversy after Geelong backman Tom Stewart flattened Richmond’s Dion Prestia with a hip and shoulder and saw the latter subbed off with concussion. Stewart was not reported on the night but was sent to the AFL Tribunal by the AFL Match Review Officer, ultimately receiving a four-match suspension on Tuesday night.

Former Tiger Stengle’s three goals were equal top for the match, along with Jeremy Cameron, Shai Bolton and Tom Lynch who also each booted three goals. Henry’s two each came from set shots, the second goal of the match and the last, in a welcome return after not playing since round 8. In the AFL Coaches Association (AFLCA) awards Liam Baker led with nine votes, we anticipate four from Damien Hardwick and five from Chris Scott; Stengle had six votes. Stewart widely seen as best on ground was given four votes presumably from Scott and zero from Hardwick while Scott Mark Blicavs was awarded five votes by one coach.

At the tribunal the Cats tried to get the suspension reduced to three matches but didn’t convince the tribunal. A note of trivia, Stewart’s advocate, Ben Ihle QC, is best known for his role in the Victorian Hotel Quarantine enquiry. No amnesia was exhibited in this hearing however Stewart was not called upon to speak. Stewart will be eligible for selection again in round 20.

AFL 2022 ROUND FIFTEEN
GEELONG CATS V RICHMOND TIGERS
SATURDAY 25 JUNE 2022, 16:35 AEST
MCG

GEELONG CATS: 5.2, 8.5, 9.8, 13.11 (89) DEFEATED
RICHMOND TIGERS: 2.0, 5.3, 10.7, 13.8 (86)

AFL COACHES ASSOCIATION VOTES: 9 Liam Baker, 6 Tyson Stengle, 5 Mark Blicavs, 4 Tom Stewart, 2 Cameron Guthrie, 2 Tom Lynch, 1 Zach Tuohy, 1 Jeremy Cameron

GOALS
GEELONG CATS: Stengle 3, Cameron 3, Henry 2, Blicavs, Miers, Smith, Tuohy, Close
RICHMOND TIGERS: Bolton 3, Lynch 3, Maurice Rioli 2, Baker, Martin, Edwards, Ralphsmith, Clarke

BEST
GEELONG CATS: Stengle, Cameron, Stewart, Duncan, Guthrie, Atkins
RICHMOND TIGERS: Baker, Bolton, Vlastuin, Lynch, Pickett, McIntosh

INJURIES
GEELONG CATS: Nil reported
RICHMOND TIGERS: Prestia (concussion)

CHANGES
GEELONG CATS: Gary Rohan (ill) replaced in selected side by Zach Guthrie
RICHMOND TIGERS: Ivan Soldo replaced in selected side by Hugo Ralphsmith

SUBSTITUTES
GEELONG CATS: Cooper Stephens, not used
RICHMOND TIGERS: Ivan Soldo, replaced Presctia in first quarter

REPORTS
GEELONG CATS: Nil; after match Tom Stewart reported by AFL Match Review Officer
RICHMOND TIGERS: Nil

CROWD: 59,335 at MCG

UMPIRES
FIELD Justin Power, Andrew Stephens, Hayden Gavine EMER: Matthew Young
BOUNDARY Patrick Cran, Damien Main, Shane Thiele, Simon Blight
GOAL Luke Edwards, Matt Maclure EMER: Dylan Benwell

PREDICTIONS
Ben – Cats 6 points
Oscar – Cats by 12 points
Cassie – Tigers by 22 points

GEELONG CATS – SELECTED SIDE
IN: M Holmes, J Henry, G Rohan
OUT: Z Guthrie (managed), C Stephens, L Dahlhaus (both omitted),  F Evans (sub)

B: T Stewart, S De Koning, T Atkins
HB: J Bews, M Blicavs, J Kolodjashnij
C: M Duncan, C Guthrie, I Smith
HF: Z Tuohy, J Cameron, G Miers
F: B Close, T Hawkins, T Stengle
FOLL: R Stanley, J Selwood, M Holmes
INT: J Henry, M O’Connor, S Menegola, G Rohan
EMER: C Stephens, Z Guthrie, L Dahlhaus, S Neale

RICHMOND TIGERS – SELECTED SIDE
IN: D Martin, J Ross, I Soldo
OUT: K Lambert, T Cotchin, N Balta (all injured), H Ralphsmith (omitted)

B: D Grimes, R Tarrant, N Broad
HB: L Baker, N Vlastuin, D Rioli
C: M Pickett, J Short, K McIntosh
HF: M Rioli, J Clarke, S Bolton
F: J Riewoldt, D Martin, T Lynch
FOLL: T Nankervis, D Prestia, J Ross
INT: J Gibcus, S Edwards, J Graham, I Soldo
EMER: B Miller, H Ralphsmith, T Dow, J Aarts