Fast finishing Giants unable to bag Cats

Geelong 13.16 (94)  defeated Greater Western Sydney Giants 12.15 (87)

July 2014

Spotless Stadium Sydney Showgrounds

Homebush New South Wales

by Jodie Newell

The Greater Western Sydney Giants put in a much improved performance against the top four placed Geelong losing by 7 points at Spotless stadium on Saturday night.

The game wasn't pretty at the beginning with both teams struggling to find their momentum. The Cats kicked poorly, whilst GWS hung on by scoring matching goals and at the main break were only 4 points down.

GWS skipper Callan Ward was at his usual hardworking self, kicking goals and creating plays in the midfield, whilst Geelong forward Steven Johnson kept the Giants defense busy and chimed in with a goal before half time.

It was a classic football clique of “the game is won in the third quarter” when the Cats piled on 6 goals to the Giants 3 and most thought the game was over. Tom Hawkins was a solid target up forward and was well supplied by his midfielders in Joel Selwood and Josh Caddy.

Interestingly at the centre bounce downs, the Giants left a solo Geelong player on the centre square wing closest to the media side of the ground. Corey Enright and Joel Selwood were part of this role and were freely able to move in towards the centre contest and provide plenty of drive for the Cats.

To the GWS credit they didn't give in during the final quarter. Boom 2013 number 1 draft pick Tom Boyd started to show what he is capable of by booting two goals. Dylan Shiel and Jeremy Cameron also chipped in and gave the Geelong side a decent scare before Hawkins, Selwood and Johnson made sure of the result seeing their team 7 points ahead at the final siren.

The win temporarily saw Geelong head the AFL table after the shock defeat of Fremantle by the hapless, luckless St-Kilda. With the round properly completed Geelong stands third, whilst GWS are 16th.

The Giants resume their season with a match against a resurgent Richmond at the MCG on August 2, whilst Geelong have a tough match against North Melbourne the following day at Etihad Stadium.

Final score: Geelong Cats 13.16 (94) defeated Greater Western Sydney Giants 9.18 (72)

Goals: Cats : Johnson 3, Hawkins 2, Caddy 2, Selwood, Murdoch, Duncan, Bartel, Guthrie, Simpson 

Giants : Patton 2, Boyd 2, Shiel 2, Palmer, Hunt, Kelly, Cameron, Hoskin-Elliott, Ward

Best:  Cats : Johnson, Selwood, Enright

Giants : Ward, Hoskin-Elliot,Shiel

Field Umpires:

Sam Hay, Robert Findlay, Andrew Mitchell

Attendance: 7,697 at Spotless Stadium, Sydney Showgrounds