Match

Gold Coast Suns vs Geelong Cats

Commentary / 06 May 2017

Pre Game

59:30

Welcome to Metricon Stadium for the Gold Coast Suns v Geelong Cats Round 7 clash.

59:33

Outs for Suns: B.Fiorini, J.Lonergan, J.Bowes, M.Shaw

59:34

Ins for Suns: K.Kolodjashnij, S.May, D.Swallow, B.Scheer

59:35

Outs for Cats: T.Stewart, B.Parfitt, Z.Smith, S.Menegola

59:36

Ins for Cats: D.Menzel, J.Parsons, R.Stanley, J.Thurlow

59:40

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

00:00

Geelong has been the most efficient team in the competition when entering their forward 50. They are ranked first for goals per inside 50, converting their opportunities 32.8 per cent of the time.

Quarter 1

00:00

Q1 is now underway.

01:11

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Patrick Dangerfield)

01:43

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Tom J. Lynch)

04:36

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Aaron Hall)

04:51

After a few uncharacteristic quiet games, Patrick Dangerfield has been busy early on amassing six disposals in the first five minutes of the match to go along with an early clearance.

06:20

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tom Hawkins)

08:21

The Cats are dominating the stoppages early on, winning the first five clearances of the match. Geelong is ranked 12th for clearances this season averaging 36.2 per game.

11:04

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tom Hawkins)

12:35

Persistent forward 50 entries for the Cats have finally been taken advantage of as they kick their third goal after seven straight inside 50s. Geelong have been inside 50 10 times compared to just the two for the Suns.

14:33

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Tom J. Lynch)

15:47

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Rushed)

18:04

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Brandon Matera)

22:34

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Callum Ah Chee)

22:52

Jesse Joyce has had an influential quarter for the Suns, being involved in four scoring chains for his side from his four disposals. Joyce is averaging 16.3 disposals in his second season and has played every game this year.

24:37

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Rushed)

25:33

Gold Coast is feasting on the turnovers of the Cats, with five of their scoring chains originating from an intercept possession. The Suns have applied 67 pressure acts led by Aaron Hall and David Swallow with eight apiece.

28:15

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Gary Ablett)

28:27

A vintage Gary Ablett goal from the boundary line extends the Suns lead to a game-high 15 points. Ablett has won 10 first quarter disposals and sent the ball inside the Suns attacking 50 three times.

30:27

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Tom J. Lynch)

30:51

The siren has sounded to end Q1.

31:01

Remarkably both sides had 13 inside 50s in the opening term, yet it has been the Suns who have been more efficient with these entries. The Suns have had 10 scoring shots to just the four for Geelong.

Quarter 2

00:00

Q2 is now underway.

00:19

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Alex Sexton)

02:32

Geelong has recorded 14 more disposals, laid six more tackles and taken 15 more marks than their counterparts yet they cannot put this dominance on the scoreboard as they trail by 21 points.

03:03

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Jordan Murdoch)

04:57

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Aaron Black)

07:58

Jarrod Harbrow is continuing his impressive form tonight grabbing two intercept marks and amassing a game-high 14 disposals. Harbrow is averaging career-best numbers in disposals and disposal efficiency this year in his 11th season.

09:11

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Sam Menegola)

11:02

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Peter Wright)

11:37

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Peter Wright)

12:21

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Aaron Hall)

15:20

Both teams are playing contrasting game-styles as evident by the kick-to-handball ratio. Gold Coast is opting to handball and run the ball more, with a ratio of 0.8 whilst the Cats ratio is 1.07 registering 16 more kicks than the Suns.

15:31

Cats Interchange - Mitch Duncan off due to an injury.

16:47

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Sam Menegola)

18:04

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Joel Selwood)

18:33

The Cats have now booted the last three goals of the match with their kicking efficiency proving an important difference between the sides. The Cats are kicking at 72 per cent efficiency compared to just 61 per cent for the Suns.

19:11

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Tom J. Lynch)

22:19

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Michael Barlow)

23:20

Gold Coast has won seven more contested possessions this quarter compared to Geelong for an overall advantage of eight for the match. David Swallow has led the way winning 10 contested possessions from his 10 disposals.

24:21

Suns Interchange - Gary Ablett off due to an injury.

25:03

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Brandon Matera)

26:24

The Suns have dominated in the ruck winning eight hit-outs to advantage to zero for Geelong. Jarrod Witts has won six of these hit-outs continuing on his great form, which sees him the fourth highest ranked ruckman this year in the AFL Player Ratings.

27:16

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Callum Ah Chee)

28:36

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Andrew Mackie)

30:53

The siren has sounded to end Q2.

31:03

After trailing the disposal tally by 15 in the first quarter, the Suns managed to reverse this deficit in the second term winning the disposal count by a massive 35. They had 24 more handball receives and eight more inside 50s than the Cats that quarter.

Quarter 3

00:00

Q3 is now underway.

00:54

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Daniel Menzel)

02:10

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Sam Menegola)

02:17

The Cats have had the first five inside 50s of the second half resulting in two behinds. The Cats have booted five goals sourced from turnovers tonight, with four of these scoring chains originating in their attacking midfield zone.

02:53

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Peter Wright)

07:15

Aaron Hall has had a prolific match winning a game-high 24 disposals and laying an equal-game high five tackles. His six rebound 50s and 494 metres gained are also game-high totals in a well-rounded performance.

08:10

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Peter Wright)

10:11

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tom Hawkins)

11:55

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Patrick Dangerfield)

12:26

Geelong are struggling to transition the football from their defensive 50. Of their 29 possession chains originating in this zone only six have resulted in an inside 50, and only one of these chains resulting in a score.

15:12

In comparison, Gold Coast has entered their attacking 50 eight times from 24 possession chains originating in their defensive 50 zone. They are also scoring on 17 per cent of these chains.

15:45

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Aaron Black)

17:09

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Steven Motlop)

17:24

Cats Interchange - Joel Selwood off due to an injury.

19:51

SCORE GOAL - Suns (David Swallow)

21:28

The Suns are up by five in clearances this quarter and 11 in contested possessions yet have committed a costly 11 forward half turnovers. They have had six more forward half turnovers than the Cats this match.

26:04

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Peter Wright)

27:04

Gold Coast has had 14 more inside 50s for the match tonight, recording eight of the last nine. This season the Suns have a positive inside 50 differential of 3.5, ranked seventh in the league.

29:53

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Jarryd Lyons)

29:57

The siren has sounded to end Q3.

30:07

The Suns dominated the closing stages of the third quarter, with the ball in their attacking half for 88 per cent of the time for the last 10 minutes. In this time they laid six more tackles, grabbed nine more marks and kicked two important goals.

Quarter 4

00:00

Q4 is now underway.

01:04

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Jack Martin)

01:43

A classy Jack Martin snap following an Aaron Hall clearance is the Suns seventh goal from this source. They have an overall 11 point advantage from scores sourced from a stoppage thanks to winning nine more hit-outs to advantage.

02:25

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Daniel Menzel)

04:05

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Sam Menegola)

05:04

After being a late inclusion for Lachie Henderson tonight, Sam Menegola has kicked three goals for the second time in his short, 12 game career. Menegola has seven score involvements, an equal team-high.

06:13

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Aaron Hall)

06:47

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Darcy Lang)

10:08

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Tom J. Lynch)

11:12

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Tom J. Lynch)

11:22

Missed opportunities for the Suns in front of goal has kept Geelong in contention. They have had six more scoring shots than Geelong kicking at an inaccurate 48 per cent conversion. Geelong are ranked first for scoring accuracy this season at 67 per cent

12:32

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Sam Menegola)

13:57

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Tom J. Lynch)

16:50

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Touk Miller)

17:48

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Touk Miller)

18:52

With the game in the balance, Jarryd Lyons has played an influential role in the Suns midfield in the final quarter. He has collected eight diposals, four contested possessions and won two clearances.

21:06

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Callum Ah Chee)

22:27

SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Nakia Cockatoo)

23:10

Returning from injury, David Swallow has provided a strong presence around the football all night. He has amassed a career-high 20 contested possessions and has won 10 of the 37 clearances for the Suns.

23:28

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Tom J. Lynch)

24:40

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Callum Ah Chee)

25:45

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Mitch Duncan)

27:31

Four of the Suns five final quarter goals have been sourced from turnovers. 21 of their scoring shots for the match have come following an intercept possession, for an overall positive differential of 24 points for scores from this source.

28:39

SCORE GOAL - Cats (Daniel Menzel)

30:04

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Alex Sexton)

32:25

The siren has sounded to end Q4.

32:35

71 inside 50s for the Suns proved too much for the Geelong defenders as they eventuate 25 point winners. The Cats recorded 23 less inside 50s, their lowest differential for the season.