Australian Football

Match Report

Geelong has survived a first quarter onslaught from a feisty GWS outfit to record a 59-point win over the Giants at the Sydney Showground. The Giants stunned the Cats early, kicking the first five goals of the match to take a 32-point lead at the 19-minute mark of the opening term. The stung Geelong team then kicked two late goals but still trailed by 18 points at the first break. A furious Chris Scott gave his charges a verbal spray at quarter time and the Cats settled into more of a rhythm in the second quarter, reeling off eight goals. But the Giants, not to be outdone, kicked four of their own during that period, and at half time Geelong's lead was a slender eight points.

Determined bot to be blown away in the second half, GWS came out with all guns blazing in the early stages of the third quarter, and a pair of behinds from Jeremy Cameron was followed by a goal from Giant co-captain Tom Scully levelling the scores at the seven-minute mark. The Cats steadied once more with the next three goals but the Giants came once more, kicking four of the five goals after that to tie the scores once more 28 minutes into the quarter. But Geelong managed to eke out the last two goals before the final change and take a two-goal buffer into the last term.

Predictably, the young Giants faded in the last quarter, with Geelong kicking eight final-term goals to one and run out easy 59-point winners. The Giants showed enough though, to suggest that as a playing group they are headed in the right direction and that a win will come sooner rather than later.

Joel Selwood (29 disposals, two goals), James Podsiadly (five goals) and Stevie Johnson (24 touches, one goal) were the Cats' best, while Adam Treloar (27 possessions, one goal), Jeremy Cameron (4.4 and 18 disposals) and Callan Ward (30 touches, one goal) were best for the Giants.

The Giants will host Port Adelaide, who they beat in 2012, next Saturday, while Geelong will enjoy a week off before travelling to the 'Gabba to take on Brisbane in round 13.

GOALS
GWS: Cameron 4; Palmer 3; Scully 2; Ward, Reid, Plowman, Treloar, Shiel, Tomlinson
Geelong: Podsiadly 5; Murdoch 3; Hawkins, Hunt, Selwood 2; Johnson, Mackie, Bartel, Stokes, Christensen, Corey, West, Duncan, Stringer, Kelly

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
GWS: Cameron, Giles, Ward, Treloar, Palmer, Hampton
Geelong: Selwood, Johnson, Christensen, Enright, Hunt, Podsiadly

BEST - SPORTAL.COM.AU
GWS: Treloar, Cameron, Ward
Geelong: Podsiadly, Selwood, Johnson

COACHES' COMMENTS
Kevin Sheedy (GWS): That was a better performance [than in recent weeks]. The smashings that we've had over a month, you've got to get the experience out of all of that, take out what you can. It's better but we're still not there yet. A long way to go, still.

Chris Scott (Geel): Even though we're 10 and one at the half-way mark of the season, we haven't really played our best footy consistently, especially early in games. That's something we're going to have to fix because if we did that against this team [GWS] in three years time, we won't be coming back.

INJURIES
GWS: Toby Greene (quad) replaced in selected side by Sam Reid; Dean Brogan (back) replaced in selected side by Aidan Corr
Geelong: Steve Johnson (concussion), Allen Christensen (concussion)

SUBSTITUTES
GWS: Lachie Whitfield replaced Stephen Coniglio at three-quarter time
Geelong: Mitch Duncan replaced Nathan Vardy in the third quarter

UMPIRES: Schmitt, Pannell, Mitchell