Cats win top of table clash with Demons

Geelong Cats v Melbourne Demons, AFL 2022 round 17 Ben Jensen GEELONG were too good for Melbourne last night at GMHBA Stadium, after an arm wrestle in the first half and much of the third term finally breaking free of the Demons with a four goals to two final quarter to celebrate Isaac Smith’s 250th game. On a cold night big forwards Tom Hawkins, Jeremy Cameron and Ben Brown were quiet with just the one goal to Hawkins and Brown with the Coleman medallist leader Cameron goalless. Gary Rohan threw himself at the ball with abandon all night and finished with two goals, as did Cam Guthrie and Mitch Duncan. For the Dees Christian Petracca led with three goals their only multiple goal-kicker.

The 28 point win was more than enough of a percentage boost for the Cats to overtake the Demons in top spot of the AFL ladder; the Cats now leading with 136.1% over the Demons on 133.4%. Melbourne are a very slim chance of being overtaken by the Brisbane Lions this round, given the Lions had to make ten changes due to injury and Covid and sit on 126.9%, with Fremantle futher back on 121.3%. Next round Geelong plays Carlton at the MCG on Saturday night while Melbourne have an extra day’s rest before playing Port Adelaide in Alice Springs on Sunday. Why on earth the reigning premier is selling a game interstate (or inter-territory) I cannot answer but it’s a funny old game at times.

AFL 2022 ROUND SEVENTEEN
GEELONG CATS V MELBOURNE DEMONS
THURSDAY 7 JULY 2022, 19:20 AEST
GMHBA STADIUM, GEELONG

GEELONG CATS: 3.3, 5.8, 8.12, 12.19 (91) DEFEATED
NORTH MELBOURNE KANGAROOS: 3.1, 5.4, 7.6, 9.9 (63)

AFL COACHES ASSOCIATION VOTES: 8 Cameron Guthrie (Geelong), Mitch Duncan (Geelong), Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong), 2 Christian Petracca (Melbourne), Tom Atkins (Geelong), 1 Clayton Oliver (Melbourne), Mark Blicavs (Geelong)

GOALS
GEELONG CATS: Rohan 2, C Guthrie 2, Duncan 2, Atkins, Close, Holmes, Smith, Hawkins, Stengle
MELBOURNE DEMONS: Petracca 3, Fritsch, B Brown, Oliver, Neal-Bullen, Bedford, Pickett

BEST
GEELONG CATS: Dangerfield, Atkins, Duncan, Guthrie, Selwood, Smith
MELBOURNE DEMONS: Viney, Oliver, May, Brayshaw, Petracca, Gawn

INJURIES
GEELONG CATS: Nil reported
MELBOURNE DEMONS: Clayton Oliver (sore thumb)

CHANGES
GEELONG CATS: Nil
MELBOURNE DEMONS: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
GEELONG CATS: Quinton Narkle (not used)
MELBOURNE DEMONS: Jayden Hunt (not used)

REPORTS
GEELONG CATS: Nil
MELBOURNE DEMONS: Nil

CROWD: TBC at GMHBA Stadium, Kardinia Park, Geelong

UMPIRES
FIELD Justin Power, Simon Meredith, Robert Findlay EMER: David Harris
BOUNDARY Mitchell Le Fevre, Michael Saunders, Michael Marantelli, Adam Coote
GOAL Matt Maclure, Adam Wojcik EMER: Stephen Williams

PREDICTIONS
Ben – Cats 11 points
Oscar – Draw
Cassie – Not received in time

GEELONG CATS – SELECTED SIDE
IN: S De Koning, J Selwood
OUT: Q Narkle (omitted), S Higgins (sub), J Kolodjashnij (injured)
B: Z Guthrie, S De Koning, J Bews
HB: J Henry, M Blicavs, Z Tuohy
C: M Duncan, J Cameron, I Smith
HF: T Atkins, T Hawkins, P Dangerfield
F: B Close, G Rohan, T Stengle
FOLL: R Stanley, C Guthrie, J Selwood
INT: S Menegola, M Holmes, M O’Connor, G Miers
EMER: F Evans, Q Narkle, M Knevitt, S Neale

MELBOURNE DEMONS – SELECTED SIDE
IN: L Jackson, M Gawn
OUT: S Weideman, M Brown (both omitted), A Tomlinson (sub)

B: H Petty, J Lever, S May
HB: C Salem, M Hibberd, J Bowey
C: A Brayshaw, C Oliver, E Langdon
HF: K Pickett, L Jackson, T Bedford
F: A Neal-Bullen, B Brown, C Spargo
FOLL: M Gawn, C Petracca, J Viney
INT: J Harmes, J Jordon, B Fritsch, T Sparrow
EMER: J Melksham, A Tomlinson, S Weideman, J Hunt