Cats fifth after thumping Dons
- Updated: July 17, 2023
Tom Hawkins takes a mark in the goal square ahead of one of his five goals. (Sports Media Image/Marcel Berens)
Geelong has moved into fifth place on the ladder after thumping Essendon by 77 points at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday night.
The Cats took control of the game early, with seven unanswered goals in the first quarter, setting them up for the win 18.14 (122) to 7.3 (45).
Geelong’s midfield strength and ability to keep the pressure on Bombers’ defence saw the Cats increase their lead into every break.
Essendon coach Brad Scott accepted his team was simply outclassed on the night.
“They dominated us pretty much in all parts of the game today, and their pressure early was incredible and they kicked their first 13 goals from turnovers,” Brad said.
“They were clearly the best team we’ve played all year.
“It wasn’t just a matter of we weren’t up to it, they were exceptional, and we were a bit off,” he said.
Tom Hawkins starred for the Cats with five goals, while Tyson Stengle kicked three goals, and Max Holmes gathered a career-high 33 disposals as the Cats showed magnificent groundwork and handball connections to keep the Bombers guessing.
Gryan Miers was also at his best for his 100th game, being described by Cats coach Chris Scott as a unique player.
“He’s put together a hundred really, really nice games, and there’s some brilliant individual finishing type examples in there,” he said.
“But, what’s hard to capture on a highlights video or if you only watch him casually is just how hard he works and how important he is to the way we play.
The Cats will have to keep up this level of performance this Saturday as they take on the third-placed Lions, who lost to Melbourne by one point last weekend.
“We always said we’d rather be playing our best footy towards the end of the year, even if it meant sacrificing ladder position,” Scott said.
“So I’m not happy with our ladder position but really confident that we’re tracking the right way to finding our best footy, which, as I said, I think’s dangerous.”
