Geelong has celebrated Patrick Dangerfield’s 300th game in style, waltzing to an 85-point win at GMHBA Stadium over West Coast.
The man of the hour was one of many to impress for Geelong, but couldn’t seal the deal with a goal in his milestone game.
He’ll rue the fumble that cost him and the Cats an easy goal in the third term, but Dangerfield was cheered off a champion of the game as Geelong prepares for a pivotal finals series.
He finished with 22 disposals and 423 metres gained before being chaired off by Joel Selwood and Zach Tuohy.
Congratulations to a champion of the game 👏
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) August 20, 2022
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The pre-September tune-up could hardly have gone better from a playing style point of view, but Cats fans will hold some concerns over Jake Kolodjashnij (concussion) and Cam Guthrie (shoulder).
Kolodjashnij did not take part after being subbed off in the first quarter but given the pre-finals bye, he’d be expected to be available for Geelong’s Qualifying Final.
Cam Guthrie won't play in 2nd half (shoulder). The Cats tell Cam Mooney it's "nothing major, just being precutionary".
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) August 20, 2022
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Meanwhile, the Cats confirmed Guthrie not playing out the game was a precaution, meaning the star midfielder should be present for the first week in September.
Chris Scott’s men burst out of the blocks and never looked back, booting 12 goals in the first half alone before finishing with 20 for the game.
Tom Hawkins finished with four goals but would want to tune up his kicking boots ahead of the finals after also walking off with three behinds, while the same could also be said for Isaac Smith, who finished with 1.4.
Hawkins isn't angry, he's just disappointed 👀
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) August 20, 2022
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But in a good sign for the Cats, who were without star forward Jeremy Cameron who suffered a hamstring injury last week, they still finished with 10 individual goal scorers.
One performance that will particularly impress Geelong fans was that of ruckman Jon Ceglar. Playing just his third game for the Cats, the former Hawk was dominant to finish with team highs in contested possessions (15) and clearances (10), while also gathering 24 disposals and winning 29 hit-outs.
It leaves an interesting conundrum for Scott and his team given the form of Rhys Stanley before his injury.
For the Eagles, the final bell has rung to cap off an immensely disappointing year. The club has never recorded a worse average score than the 2022 season, and West Coast heads into the off-season off the back of just two wins in 23 games.
On the flip side, Geelong heads into the finals series on a 13-game winning streak and is premiership favourites. Melbourne proved on Friday night that they’re the measuring stick for a reason, but Geelong illustrated on Saturday evening why it is the clear-cut favourite in 2022.
FULL SCORE
Geelong Cats: 6.4, 12.7, 15.12, 19.17. (131)
West Coast Eagles: 3.2, 4.4, 6.4, 7.4. (46)
GOALS
Geelong Cats: Hawkins 4, Stengle 4, Selwood 2, Rohan 2, C. Guthrie 2, Henry, Miers, Close, Tuohy, Smith
West Coast Eagles: Cripps 3, Darling 2, Ryan, Kelly
BEST
Geelong Cats: Blicavs, Hawkins, Ceglar, Selwood, Smith
West Coast Eagles: Hurn, Williams, Kelly, Jones, Barrass
INJURIES
Geelong Cats: Kolodjashnij (Concussion), Guthrie (Knee)
West Coast Eagles: Rioli