Match

Geelong Cats vs Richmond

Commentary / 24 Jul 2021

Pre Game

00:00
The Cats dominated all score sources against the Tigers in Round 8, outscoring them by 16 points from intercept possessions, 22 points from stoppages, and 25 points from kick-ins.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:18
Neither team was able to win the clearance from the opening centre bounce today. The Tigers are ranked seventh for centre bounce clearance differential this season but are ranked last for clearance differential at both ball-ups and throw-ins.
01:33
Richmond is ranked second in the opening ten minutes of games this season, while Geelong has not been such a great starting team and is only ranked 12th.
04:49
Cats Interchange - Joel Selwood off due to an injury.
05:04
Geelong averages 21 more marks than its opposition per game this season (ranked No.1) but has conceded this count 0-7 to Richmond early in the game.
05:23
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Gryan Miers)
06:04
The opening goal of the game to Geelong was sourced from a forward half stoppage. The Cats average 17 points per game from this source (ranked third).
07:49
Geelong has an early 5-1 lead in the inside 50 count. This season there have been seven games when Richmond has finished at least four behind in the inside 50 tally and they have lost all seven games.
11:06
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Jason Castagna)
11:14
The first score for the Tigers was sourced from a chain started with a defensive half intercept. Richmond averages 23 points per game from this source (ranked sixth).
11:57
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Shai Bolton)
12:44
The second score for the Tigers was generated through a forward half intercept. Richmond is the No.1 ranked team at scoring from this source with an average of 33 points per game from these opportunities.
16:43
Tigers Interchange - Shane Edwards off due to an injury.
16:45
Geelong is the No.1 ranked team for contested possessions this season (and was in both 2020 and 2019) and has an early 29-21 lead in this count.
18:45
Geelong averages 26 marks per quarter this season but has only taken five at this stage, with the Tigers doing well to disrupt the ball movement of the Cats.
20:54
Some more good pressure from the Tigers contributed to the scoring opportunity for Jack Riewoldt from a forward half intercept. Riewoldt kicked six goals last week in his 300th AFL match, which is his most in a game since Round 21, 2018 when he kicked 10 against the Suns.
22:41
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tom Hawkins)
22:50
Geelong has an early 11-6 lead in clearances and has converted this into a 12-0 advantage in points scored from stoppages. The Cats average 32 points per game from stoppages.
28:23
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Rhys Stanley)
28:40
The goal to Rhys Stanley was the first score of the game to the Cats to be launched from an intercept. All three goals for the Cats have been kicked from the same angle and from more than 30 metres from goal.
29:40
The Tigers recorded their highest pressure rating of the season in the opening quarter, which helped to disrupt the ball movement of the Cats. Geelong was still able to have major leads in both contested possessions (46-33) and inside 50 entries (15-9).

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:57
In a game that has been heavy on contests so far, it is not surprising that Patrick Dangerfield is the No.1 player at winning ground balls with six already. No other player has won more than three ground balls.
02:25
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Tom Hawkins)
02:58
The behind to Tom Hawkins was the first score for the Cats to come from a forward half intercept. Geelong leads 8-7 in such intercepts, but Richmond leads 7-1 in points scored from this source.
05:45
Ryan Garthwaite has been prominent in disrupting the ball movement of Geelong, and currently has game-highs for both intercepts (5) and spoils (4) and has won his only one-on-one contest.
06:32
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Liam Baker)
08:08
Richmond has an ascendancy this quarter in both contested possessions (10-6) and inside 50 entries (6-1), which is a reversal from the opening term.
09:53
Cats Interchange - Esava Ratugolea off due to an injury.
11:22
While Geelong has only a minor 19-15 lead in inside 50 entries, it has more significant advantages in both forward 50 marks (6-2) and forward 50 disposals (17-11).
11:46
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Luke Dahlhaus)
13:15
With Richmond doing better at winning contests this term, Geelong has been forced to defend more and leads 11-3 in tackles and 8-2 in spoils this quarter as a result.
15:15
After Geelong won the ground balls 38-20 in the first term, Richmond has won this count 11-5 in the second quarter.
15:47
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Esava Ratugolea)
16:23
Geelong continues to look more dangerous at stoppages. The Cats lead 19-12 in clearances and 18-1 in points scored from this source.
17:17
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tom Hawkins)
17:33
An excellent contest from Esava Ratugolea led to the crumbing opportunity and goal to Tom Hawkins (his second). Hawkins has now had four shots at goal and five forward 50 disposals which are both game-highs.
19:15
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Patrick Dangerfield)
19:38
Patrick Dangerfield continues to have a major impact in this game. Dangerfield has won ten contested possessions (which is double any other player on the ground), and his last goal was the second for the Cats to come from a centre bounce clearance.
21:51
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Marlion Pickett)
22:03
Cameron Guthrie has turned the ball over every 11.7 disposals this season, which is the best turnover rate of the top-50 ball winners in the competition. However, it was a turnover by Guthrie that provided the last scoring opportunity for the Tigers.
22:39
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Gary Rohan)
23:08
The goal to Gary Rohan was sourced from a kick-in chain. When these teams met earlier in the season, Geelong scored a season-high 25 points from these chains and average five points per game from this source.
24:34
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tom Hawkins)
25:13
Geelong has now scored five goals from its last five inside 50 entries in a powerful burst. The Cats now have a major 30-1 point advantage in points scored from stoppages, including three goals from centre bounce clearances.
27:23
In the second quarter, Richmond has recorded a forward half kicking efficiency of just 31 percent while Geelong has kicked with 81 percent efficiency in its forward half.
28:38
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Rushed)
29:41
Patrick Dangerfield led the charge in the first half for the Cats. Dangerfield has game-highs for all of ground balls (8), contested possessions (13), tackles (7) and clearances (5), while also having team-highs for metres gained (261) and pressure points (29).

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:54
A better start to the third quarter with the opening two inside 50 entries and a goal to Jason Castagna following a forward half intercept. The Tigers actually lead 13-11 in forward half intercepts and 14-1 in points scored from this source.
04:21
After applying 22 tackles in the opening quarter and recording a season-high pressure rating, the Tigers applied only seven tackles and recorded a season-low pressure rating in the second quarter.
05:37
Richmond has an early 5-1 lead in tackles this quarter, with its pressure notably back at a high level to start this term. Both goals have come following intercepts in an improved period of play.
08:09
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Liam Baker)
08:29
Despite the Cats having a major advantage on the scoreboard, the Tigers lead 22-14 in points scored from turnovers. However, Geelong leads 37-1 in points scored from other sources.
09:42
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tom Hawkins)
09:51
The Cats now have two goals today from kick-in chains and six this season in two games against the Tigers. Geelong has scored nine goals in total in its other 16 games from this source.
14:10
Richmond leads the inside 50 count 10-4 this term and 4-1 in shots at goal but has missed a pair of gettable set shots at goal. The Cats have scored 6.2 from set shots today, compared to the Tigers 1.3.
15:14
Cats Interchange - Joel Selwood off due to an injury.
18:26
The Tigers have had the ball in their forward half for 71 percent of this quarter. Richmond has been ranked in the top-4 of this measure for each of the last five years and provides opportunities for the Tigers to generate scores from forward half intercepts.
20:34
Richmond has generated 68 percent of its score from intercept possessions this season, which is the highest percentage of any team. Today the Tigers have scored 22 of their 24 points from intercept possessions.
21:49
Since Round 15, the Tigers have scored from only 36 percent of their inside 50 entries (ranked last). Today Richmond has nine scores from 31 entries, continuing to have problems with converting attacking plays.
25:01
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Jack Riewoldt)
25:43
Geelong has scored 9.2 from shots 30-50 metres from goal. Richmond has scored 0.5 from shots at goal from the same range.
26:28
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Esava Ratugolea)
26:31
A much better quarter from the Tigers, who were noticeably better defensively. Richmond led in all of tackles (17-10), smothers (3-1), spoils (7-3), and intercept marks (5-3). The inside 50 edge was undone by three missed set shots at goal by the Tigers.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:17
The early score in the final quarter for the Cats came from a centre bounce clearance. Geelong now leads 8-5 in such clearances and 19-0 in points scored from this source.
02:47
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Tom Hawkins)
03:02
Tom Hawkins has taken more forward 50 marks (6) than Richmond today and Geelong leads 12-5 in this count. Hawkins has had ten disposals in the forward 50, and no other player on the ground has had more than four.
04:22
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Quinton Narkle)
04:30
Another goal to the Cats from a forward half stoppage. Geelong has scored 19 points from 12 forward half clearances, while Richmond has scored only two points from its ten forward half clearances.
08:15
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Esava Ratugolea)
08:40
Since Round 15, Geelong has outscored its opposition by 12 points per game from clearances (ranked No.1). Today the Cats lead 44-2 in points scored from this source.
09:15
Esava Ratugolea has now kicked an equal career-high three goals in game No.50. Ratugolea has been used sparingly in the ruck today, with the versatile Mark Blicavs deployed in the secondary ruck role attending 19 ruck contests.
10:23
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Rushed)
12:16
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Tom J. Lynch)
12:25
Richmond now leads 30-21 in points scored from turnovers following the goal to Tom Lynch. It is the one scoring part of the game the Tigers have won.
13:40
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Brad Close)
14:21
Another quick answering goal to the Cats following a centre bounce clearance. Geelong leads 25-0 in points scored from this source, and this is a season-high return for the Cats.
15:43
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Tom J. Lynch)
18:10
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Esava Ratugolea)
18:31
Since Round 15, the Cats have won 36 percent of their offensive one-on-one contests in the forward half (ranked No.1). Geelong has won 6 of 13 such contests today including the last marking contest that led to the Ratugolea goal. Richmond has won only one of its eight forward half one-on-one contests.
20:22
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Trent Cotchin)
20:41
A rare goal to Tiger captain Trent Cotchin, and the first goal of the day to the Tigers from a stoppage. Cotchin kicked 17 goals in the 2017 premiership year, but has kicked only 11 goals since with other midfielders assuming more offensive roles.
24:34
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Jake Aarts)
26:56
Tom Stewart has again been prolific for the Cats at half-back. Stewart has recorded game-highs for intercept possessions (9) and intercept marks (4), while offensively contributing 22 disposals at 92 percent efficiency.
29:01
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Brandan Parfitt)
31:15
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Kane Lambert)
32:23
During the match-defining second quarter, Geelong won the tackle count 17-7 and recorded a far higher pressure rating. Outside of that quarter, Richmond has won the tackle count 53-38.
33:46
An emphatic win for the Cats who were far too good for the Tigers at the contested ball (143-116) and scoring from stoppages (56-14). The usual suspects led the way with Patrick Dangerfield (18 contested possessions), Tom Hawkins (four goals) and Tom Stewart (ten intercepts) on top in their respective zones.
34:00
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Jack Riewoldt)
34:03
The siren has sounded to end Q4.