Geelong\u2019s win over Sydney was not just impressive because they beat a top-four side. It was impressive because it looked like a Geelong win built for finals.<\/p>\n
That is the big takeaway for me. The Cats are sitting third, they have just knocked off a Sydney side that had won seven in a row, and they did it with method, balance and maturity. This was not a lucky win. This was not a game pinched late. This was Geelong taking control against a very good side and showing they are right in the premiership conversation.<\/p>\n
Sydney had their moments early. Joel Amartey got hold of them in the first quarter, the Swans moved the ball quickly by hand and Geelong\u2019s defence had to adjust. But from there, the Cats settled. They tightened the game, got their pressure right, and then started to move the ball with real purpose.<\/p>\n
That is what good sides do. They do not panic because one part of the game has gone against them. They fix it on the run.<\/p>\n
The Bailey Smith situation was a massive part of the game. James Jordon had done a good job on him in the first half. Smith had eight touches. Then the tag came off and he went bang. Eighteen disposals and a goal in the third quarter is a serious response.<\/p>\n
That did not just help Smith\u2019s game. It changed the whole shape of Geelong\u2019s ball movement. Suddenly they had burst from stoppage, speed through the middle and cleaner entries going forward. When Smith, Max Holmes and Lawson Humphries are all driving the ball with speed, Geelong become very hard to defend.<\/p>\n
Humphries was outstanding. Thirty-three disposals, intercept possessions, score involvements, a goal. That is a serious game from a half-back. He is giving them composure, run and dare, and he is becoming a really important part of how they transition the ball.<\/p>\n
The other thing I loved was the spread of contributors. Ten individual goalkickers tells you the system is working. Jeremy Cameron kicked three, Brad Close and Ollie Henry kicked two each, Gryan Miers had eight score involvements and Patrick Dangerfield impacted in managed minutes.<\/p>\n
That is the balance you want. You do not want to be relying on one bloke to kick five every week. You want repeatable football. You want different players playing their role, creating pressure, using the ball well and finishing when their moment comes.<\/p>\n
A few weeks ago, I had a concern about the connection between Geelong\u2019s midfield and the forwards. That now looks much better. Miers is so important in that. Close gives them pressure and smarts. Mannagh is involved. Henry is dangerous. Cameron is building. And with Tyson Stengle back training, that front-half mix could still improve.<\/p>\n
That is why the rest of the competition should be watching closely.<\/p>\n
Now they get Carlton on Friday night at the MCG. Carlton have had a good record against Geelong, and they have won their last two games since Michael Voss was sacked, so they will come in with some belief. But let\u2019s be honest: Geelong are a lot better than Carlton.<\/p>\n
The Cats should win this game.<\/p>\n
That does not mean they can roll up and expect it to happen. Carlton will bring contest, they will try to make it scrappy, and they will want to turn it into a fight around the ball. But if Geelong bring the same pressure, same ball movement and same connection they showed against Sydney, they should take care of the Blues.<\/p>\n
That is the standard now. When you beat Sydney like that and sit third on the ladder, you do not get praised for nearly backing it up. You back it up.<\/p>\n
I am not quite calling Geelong premiership favourites yet. But they are absolutely one of the main contenders. And if they keep playing this connected, disciplined, hard-edged football, they are going to be very hard to stop.<\/p>\n
Listen to The Run Home with Worlo & Moons on SEN Geelong, Mondays and Fridays from 3\u20135pm, via the SEN App.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Geelong\u2019s win over Sydney was not just impressive because they beat a top-four side. It was impressive because it looked like a Geelong win built for finals. That is the big takeaway for me. The Cats are sitting third, they have just knocked off a Sydney side that had won seven in a row, and […]<\/p>\n