Geelong Cats stand strong against the Melbourne Demons at the MCG on a night of injury drama involving Patrick Dangerfield
Updated ,first published
Patrick Dangerfield has revealed he will likely need to take time off in the coming weeks to deal with a troublesome adductor injury and admitted Geelong faces the task of striking a delicate balance between protecting its captain and maintaining finals contention.
The Cats’ captain, who was left visibly uncomfortable in Friday night’s victory over Melbourne after a half-time incident, said he would undergo further medical assessment on Monday after feeling the problem worsened during the game.
“I’ll see the doctor on Monday and see where he is,” Dangerfield said. Age After the Cats won 18.9 (117) to 14.13 (97).
The veteran admitted he would ideally be given time to rest his injury, but said Geelong’s injury list and unstable ladder position meant the decision would not be easy.
“In an ideal scenario we probably would have had time to rest, but we had injuries at the wrong time. We just have to find a way,” he said.
Dangerfield insisted the problem was different from the serious groin injuries that had disrupted previous seasons and believed he could continue playing despite the increasing discomfort without causing further damage.
“This is actually an injury I’ve never had before. It happened by changing direction,” he said.
This cast the only significant shadow on one of Geelong’s most important victories of the season.
The Cats ended Melbourne’s previously unbeaten record at the MCG under Steven King and, in the process, produced another intriguing reminder that they are firmly in the premiership conversation.
With the finals just weeks away, the Cats appear to be preparing for September in the usual fashion.
“We can win – of course we can,” Dangerfield said.
“It’s about playing your best football at the most important time of the year and once you’ve built that, you ride that wave.
“It started a few weeks ago. We haven’t practiced it every time, but all you can worry about is the next moment and preparing yourself for the next big chapter.”
“There was a lot of racing tonight. It was pretty nice for us to do it the right way.”
That confidence was based on a devastating quarter that completely changed the contest.
Melbourne dominated the opening period and should have had a commanding advantage. The Demons controlled the area, won the battle around the ball and repeatedly created forward attacks, but their profligacy in front of goal proved costly. They could easily have taken a four or five goal lead, but they were unable to convert their lead into scoreboard pressure.
Geelong punished them.
Chris Scott’s team went from seven goals to two with a furious burst in the second quarter, with a combination of ruthless efficiency, clean ball movement and ruthless pressure overwhelming Melbourne.
It was football played at the premier level.
The Cats burst through the Melbourne defense quickly and accurately, punishing turnovers and suddenly looking down on an experienced Eylul team that has made a habit of coming out on top late in the season.
Emerging key forward Shannon Neale has been the biggest beneficiary.
The athletic spearhead proved too strong for Melbourne defender Lukas Cooke, playing in just his second AFL game and kicking five goals – four of them before half-time – in one of the best performances of his career.
Cooke put up a good fight but was given one of the toughest assignments in football and Neale’s combination of power, reach and finishing proved too much to contain.
Geelong also went into the game with a clear tactical plan for Melbourne captain Max Gawn.
The Cats used Mark Blicavs to shadow Gawn on the ground after stoppages rather than allowing the superstar ruckman to drift behind the play and influence contests with his marking. Blicavs’ athleticism and discipline denied Gawn the freedom he often had as a tackling presence, limiting one of Melbourne’s biggest weapons.
The demons refused to surrender.
Defense-turned-forward Harrison Petty threatened to pull his side back into the contest with a career-best offensive display, finishing with four goals in a performance that at times brought back memories of the club’s great star, Garry Lyon. Every time Melbourne threatened to attack, Petty offered another tackle and another target.
But Geelong always had answers.
Where those answers came from was equally encouraging for the Cats.
Dangerfield were quick to praise the club’s emerging talent, singling out defender Connor O’Sullivan as one of the brightest young players in the competition.
“I think it will be a generation,” Dangerfield said.
“He’ll play for another 15 years. He’s a phenomenal athlete. His running ability is phenomenal and he reads the game very well. It’s hard to talk about him and not smile because it’s nice to know we have him.”
He also highlighted the performances of Mark O’Connor and Ollie Dempsey as further evidence that Geelong’s development extends far beyond its established stars.
But for all the excitement around emerging players, it looks like Dangerfield’s fitness will be Geelong’s biggest concern in the coming days.
The 36-year-old has become a master at managing his body through the demands of a long AFL season, but even he admitted the balancing act is becoming increasingly delicate as finals approach.
The Cats have generally reached this stage of the season with the luxury of leading veterans from the ladder safety position. This year is different.
“Finals are not guaranteed,” Dangerfield said.
“We’re still fighting. We need to finish as high as possible.”
On the evidence of Friday night’s emphatic victory, the Cats’ charge into September has gained real momentum. Whether their captain can stay on the park long enough to lead them could be one of the defining stories of the final month of the home-away season.
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.
Sam McClure is an award-winning AFL journalist and broadcaster.Connect with: X or email.
