Geelong Cats showed they are still going to be a factor in the premiership race after their win over the Brisbane Lions
Cats will never disappear.
All the prayers, predictions and prophecies of the opposition supporters were in vain.
They’re still there, nagging you, like the lawn you didn’t mow, the taillight you didn’t fix, or the dirty laundry staring at you from the laundry basket.
Their demolition of reigning premiers, just five days after Collingwood’s demolition, could be described as a statement, a grim reminder or simply the perfect execution of a well-planned mission.
The club, which has played in the preliminary finals in eight of the last 10 seasons and in three of the last six grand finals, will smell the flag once again.
That’s the only conclusion after throttling the Lions on Thursday night.
Cats coach Chris Scott was pleased with the performance but knows nothing memorable has been achieved in May.
“There’s still a lot of football to be played but we’re confident we’ll get better,” Scott said.
The Cats’ midfield is thought to be a weakness, but no one worth listening to outside Port Adelaide has yet to get that message across to them.
The combination, led by young ruckman Mitch Edwards, looks masterful on paper; Surrounded by bassists like rock star Bailey Smith, Tom Atkins, Tanner Bruhn, Shaun Mannagh and labelman Oisin Mullin.
Star running back Max Holmes sits on defense to be called upon when necessary, while Patrick Dangerfield simply walks up center when an old and occasionally wise head is needed.
Hugh McCluggage failed to exert his normal influence as Mullin kept double Brownlow medalist Lachie Neale quiet. Will Ashcroft was sensible, but when Geelong turned up the volume at the start of the third quarter, none of those stars could be heard over the din as the Cats’ lead grew to 42 points.
The Cats have lost clean sheets but have turned that into a strength over the last six weeks, picking up 31 points more than their opponents.
Mannagh, who broke the deadlock (a dirty word in some places) six weeks ago when he described the game against the Hawks on Easter Monday as “shocking”, is back with a vengeance.
He was superb in the second half, scoring three goals in a three minute and 50 second stretch; This was perhaps the most exciting sub-four-minute stretch since Roger Bannister ran his famous mile. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but it was still a great match, two of the goals came from aerial kicks. The Lions, outnumbered by junior defenders, had no answer.
A key development from the grand final was that the Cats had Tom Stewart back in the team, while the Lions were without the injured Dayne Zorko. Stewart, who missed last year’s decider due to a concussion, caught the signs and responded with interest in anything the Lions could score within 50 points. He was an extraordinary person.
The forward line is wildly unpredictable as he manages a defense that tries to put its foot down its opponents’ throats; Jeremy Cameron and Shannon Neale are the constants inside the 50 as the game’s best coach feeds players in the forward half, with Jack Henry playing a minor role as he returns from injury. Cameron hit three shots, bringing his season tally to 27; This was the same number he achieved after the 10th round last year. He finished 2025 with 88 goals.
The Lions will also be in contention, with coach Chris Fagan suggesting their hunger for competition is not a potential factor due to three successive six-day breaks as has been the case recently. He rightly said that there was no need to “press the panic button”. Fagan was aware the Lions had only lost to the Cats once in their previous five meetings leading up to the game. “Well done Geelong. They were great,” he said.
The truth is that the Cats have performed wonders with monotonous regularity over the last 20 years; Their intelligence and hard work are still the benchmark for most clubs in the competition. Next week they play at home against another team with the same reputation, Sydney, and that game will either improve Geelong’s position or confirm the truth that every opponent is tough.
The most concerning comment came in Bailey Smith’s post-game address to Channel Seven after another excellent 34-destroy performance.
“We don’t want to peak yet,” Smith said.
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