Match

Port Adelaide vs Geelong Cats

Commentary / 23 Apr 2016

Pre Game

59:30

Welcome to Adelaide Oval for the Port Adelaide v Geelong Cats Round 5 clash.

59:33

Outs for Power: J.Polec, B.Ah Chee

59:34

Ins for Power: C.O'Shea, P.Stewart

59:35

Outs for Cats: L.Henderson, D.Lang, J.Murdoch

59:36

Ins for Cats: C.Enright, S.Kersten, L.McCarthy

59:40

Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection.

00:00

This season Geelong's skills by foot have been superior to that of Port Adelaide. The Cats average a effective kick rate 5.2 per cent above their opposition (ranked first) while the Powers' kicking effectiveness has been 4.6 per below (ranked 16th).

Quarter 1

00:00

Q1 is now underway.

00:44

Duncan has given away a 50-metre penalty in the first seconds of the match however Broadbent has failed to capitalise. Geelong has conceded seven 50-metre penalties in the first four rounds, more than 14 other teams.

02:24

SCORE GOAL - Power (Matthew Broadbent)

04:00

Port Adelaide has jumped Geelong with the first three clearances and first four inside 50s of the match.

06:33

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Joel Selwood)

07:08

It has taken Geelong seven minutes to take the ball inside 50, however Selwood misses his set shot. In Round 4 the Cats kicked 4.10 from 15 set shots at goal against the Bombers.

08:21

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Rushed)

09:35

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Rhys Stanley)

11:27

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Mark Blicavs)

13:21

SCORE GOAL - Power (Ollie Wines)

15:03

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Tom Hawkins)

18:36

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Jake Neade)

18:46

This match has been a high pressure affair with both sides making mistakes as a result. The disposal effectiveness of Port Adelaide (63 per cent) and Geelong (64 per cent) is well below the league average of 74 per cent.

19:35

SCORE GOAL - Power (Charlie Dixon)

19:45

Port Adelaide has won four intercepts in its attacking midfield zone and directly generated 2.1 (13) from these possession gains. The Power average 40 per cent of its scores generated from this zone in 2016, the highest proportion in the league.

21:57

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Cameron Guthrie)

24:04

SCORE GOAL - Power (Karl Amon)

25:32

The Geelong back line has struggled under pressure. The Cats have given away four free kicks and a 50-metre penalty in their defensive half but are yet to receive a free kick in this zone.

26:34

SCORE GOAL - Power (Brad Ebert)

27:41

Port Adelaide has improved its effiency from the first month, scoring five goals from its first 12 forward 50 entries (42 per cent conversion). This season the Power averages a goal in 25 per cent of inside 50s (ranked 12th in the league).

29:41

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Brad Ebert)

31:18

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Rushed)

31:39

The siren has sounded to end Q1.

31:49

Port Adelaide enjoys its biggest quarter time lead (24 points) against Geelong since 2002. The Power won five more intercepts (13-8) in the midfield zone for the term, helping to generate eight more inside 50s (16-8) in the quarter.

Quarter 2

00:00

Q2 is now underway.

03:59

Geelong has found it very difficult to move the ball from end to end. The Cats have won possession 19 times in their back half but have only take the ball inside 50 on one occasion (five per cent).

05:03

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Rushed)

06:54

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Rushed)

07:10

Geelong has recorded a kick-handball ratio of 0.79, well below its season average of 1.24. This ball movement method is not working for Geelong, with its handball effectiveness of 64 per cent below the league average of 82 per cent.

15:05

In a tight game, the difference has been Port Adelaide's ball use forward of centre. In their attacking half the Power has a kicking effectiveness of 56 per cent, considerably better than the Cats' at only 35 per cent.

16:06

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Joel Selwood)

17:55

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Patrick Dangerfield)

20:05

This game is turning into a territorial battle. Geelong has recorded the past eight forward 50 entries, but prior to this Port Adelaide had registered 14 of the past 15 inside 50s. Geelong has kicked three goals in its past four inside 50s.

20:22

Cats Interchange - Tom Ruggles off due to an injury.

23:16

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Nakia Cockatoo)

23:24

The ball has been inside the Geelong forward half for 91 per cent of the past ten minutes. In this period the Cats have recorded all 10 inside 50s of the match and have converted four goals.

25:24

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Justin Westhoff)

27:54

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Lincoln McCarthy)

29:59

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Rhys Stanley)

30:29

Geelong has kicked the last six goals of the game with all launched from possessions won in the midfield. The Cats have won all four centre clearances as part of ten total possession chains for their six goals.

31:20

The siren has sounded to end Q2.

31:30

It took 16 goalless minutes until Geelong broke the drought in the second term, however the Cats snatched the lead at half time with six goals in 12 minutes. In the midfield in that time Geelong won three more clearances (6-3) and five of six intercepts.

Quarter 3

00:00

Q3 is now underway.

03:29

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Daniel Menzel)

04:52

Daniel Menzel has not scored and kicked a behind from two shots in two minutes. Last week the Geelong forward kicked five behinds from six shots.

05:30

SCORE GOAL - Power (Charlie Dixon)

07:54

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shane Kersten)

08:53

The goals to each side this quarter have derived from strong contested marks inside 50 to Dixon and Kersten. Geelong has been dominant in the air across the match with 13 contested marks compared to just four by Port Adelaide.

10:30

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Tom Hawkins)

12:32

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Ollie Wines)

14:29

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Zac Smith)

14:39

Set shot kicking has again been a weakness for Geelong. The Cats have kicked 6.7 (43) from set shots, compared to five straight goals by the Power.

16:17

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Ollie Wines)

18:30

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Steven Motlop)

18:38

Geelong has dominated the territorial battle this term, with the ball inside its forward half for 67 per cent of its duration. The Cats have won eight more inside 50s (13-5) however have only just converted their second goal.

19:51

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Daniel Menzel)

20:59

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Rushed)

22:16

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Aaron Young)

24:12

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tom Hawkins)

24:16

Geelong has won the ball from intercepts or clearances on 14 occasions in its forward half this quarter, generating six of its eight scores for the quarter with 4.2 (26) directly as a result.

25:16

SCORE GOAL - Power (Ollie Wines)

27:20

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Lincoln McCarthy)

27:48

Geelong's dominance around the stoppages is starting to pay dividends. The Cats have 11 more clearances than the Power (35-24), facilitated by 11 hitouts to advantage by Stanley, and have kicked 7.4 (46) directly from clearance wins.

30:26

The siren has sounded to end Q3.

30:36

Geelong has kicked 11 of the 13 goals since quarter time and takes a 30-point lead to the final change. The Cats won nine more hitouts (14-5) and seven more clearances (12-5) for the quarter, kicking 4.1 (25) directly from clearance wins.

Quarter 4

00:00

Q4 is now underway.

02:54

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Rushed)

03:26

Joel Selwood (26 disposals) and Patrick Dangerfield (23) are the top two ball winners on the ground, also gaining 548 metres and 564 metres respectively. The pair has combined for 16 of Geelong's 40 clearances.

05:42

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Daniel Menzel)

07:06

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Daniel Menzel)

07:42

Geelong has directly generated 7.5 (47), exactly half its score, from possessions first won in its attacking midfield. Before this match the Cats generated 36 per cent of its score from this zone, the fifth-highest proportion in the league.

10:34

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Patrick Dangerfield)

13:33

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shane Kersten)

14:12

This game has certainly been dominated by whichever team can control the territorial battle forward of centre. Only one out of the 22 goals (5 per cent) has derived from chains beginning in the defensive 50, well below the league average of 16 per cent

15:43

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Rushed)

18:48

Robbie Gray has had a quiet night, with only eight disposals at 50 per cent effectiveness and has not impacted the scoreboard. The 2014 and 2015 All-Australian has averaged 25.8 disposals per game since 2014, ranked equal-first at the club with Boak.

18:56

SCORE GOAL - Power (Charlie Dixon)

19:34

Power Interchange - Chad Wingard off due to the blood rule.

22:33

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Josh Caddy)

23:27

Geelong has now had 11 individual players kick goals. This is the most in a game for the Cats since Round 8 2015 when 13 individual goal kickers in a 77-point win against Carlton.

29:41

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Rushed)

29:49

Rhys Stanley has been a dominant force in the ruck, winning 25 hit outs and a career-high 13 hit outs to advantage. From these the Geelong ruckman has directly launched six scores (including five goals). He has also taken five marks and kicked a goal.

30:17

The siren has sounded to end Q4.

30:27

After quarter time, all but two of Geelong's 15 goals were launched from the midfield. In this zone across three quarters the Cats won 12 more clearances (28-16) and 10 more intercepts (29-19) than the Power.