Geelong Cats vs Melbourne — Rd 23 2021 Commentary@endsection
Match

Geelong Cats vs Melbourne

Commentary / 21 Aug 2021

Pre Game

00:00
For the season, 24.7 percent of Geelong’s score has been scored from defensive midfield chains, representing the highest percentage in the competition.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
04:51
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
04:52
Kysaiah Pickett opens the scoring tonight with his 33rd major from 22 games for Melbourne in 2021.
08:00
Despite the scoreline, the time in possession favours Geelong after eight minutes of play, 40 percent to 34.
10:05
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Clayton Oliver)
11:28
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Luke Dahlhaus)
12:40
The Demons have opened the game with eight of the first ten clearances, including two each to James Harmes and Clayton Oliver.
13:53
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jack Viney)
16:01
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
17:58
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Joel Selwood)
18:59
Kicking efficiency favours the Cats 84 percent to 69 (and 100 percent to 40 inside forward 50).
20:22
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Luke Dahlhaus)
22:23
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Ben Brown)
23:42
Melbourne's Jack Viney has averaged 7.3 tackles per game from eleven matches this season. With four already tonight, he is on track to eclipse his season-best of 12.
27:17
Both of the Demons' goals have been sourced from stoppages. In contrast, the Cats' two majors were sourced from a kick-in and a Melbourne turnover.
30:13
The siren has sounded to end Q1.
30:14
In an arm-wrestle of a first term, the visiting Demons hold a narrow two-point lead. Melbourne may be disappointed to not be further in front after dominating the clearance count, 14 to six, and winning the inside 50 entries, 12 to ten.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:20
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jack Viney)
02:39
Since 2018, Geelong has averaged 86 points per game against the Demons, the best in the AFL. With just 13 on the scoreboard so far tonight, Melbourne will be pleased with its ability to limit the Cats' scoreboard impact.
07:15
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
07:16
In his first season at Geelong after 171 games with the Giants, Jeremy Cameron has kicked at least one goal in 11 of 12 appearances.
11:30
Ben Brown has been targeted eight times inside 50 for the Demons. No other forward has been targeted more than three times. Brown only marked one of the eight targets, but did convert it into a goal.
12:18
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tom Hawkins)
16:04
After the Demons won the first-quarter time in possession slightly, 42 percent to 41, the Cats are controlling this measure in the second term, and currently hold a 51 percent to 28 edge for the quarter.
19:59
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tom Hawkins)
20:00
Including kicking 2.0 himself, Tom Hawkins has contributed four score involvements for the Cats, the most of any player on the ground.
22:35
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Gary Rohan)
23:55
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tom Hawkins)
25:15
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Patrick Dangerfield)
26:25
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Brad Close)
28:12
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Gary Rohan)
28:13
The Cats have kicked 5.1 from their last seven inside 50 entries.
31:55
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
33:46
Clayton Oliver leads all players on the ground with 18 disposals, but has recorded zero in the last ten minutes of play.
33:53
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
36:34
The siren has sounded to end Q2.
36:35
The Cats turn a narrow quarter-time deficit into a 39-point lead at the main break. In the last ten minutes of the second term, Geelong exhibited far superior disposal efficiency, 86 percent to 55, and outscored Melbourne, 5.0 to 0.1.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:37
The Demons are dominating the intercept mark count, eleven to three, with Jake Lever leading the way with a personal tally of three.
02:57
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
05:37
Despite the overall clearance count favouring Melbourne 30 to 21, centre bounce clearances are actually tied eight-apiece, with the Cats kicking three goals from their eight, compared to just one behind for the Demons.
08:20
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tom Hawkins)
08:21
Melbourne's last goal was during the second minute of the second term. In the time since, they have entered the forward 50 zone 21 times for zero goals, while the Cats have kicked nine majors from 19 entries.
13:37
Of the 16 free kicks that Melbourne has conceded, the most common indiscretion has been for holding the ball on four occasions.
14:40
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Clayton Oliver)
18:02
Kicking efficiency inside the forward 50 zone heavily favours the Cats, 72 percent to 47.
18:42
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Gary Rohan)
20:18
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
21:58
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
25:41
Lachie Henderson does the little things to help his team. His tally of seven one percenters leads all players on the ground, in a measure in which the Cats hold the edge, 50 to 39.
26:01
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Ben Brown)
29:31
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
30:43
The siren has sounded to end Q3.
30:44
The Demons cut the deficit to 32 points by outscoring the Cats 3.2 to 2.1 in the third term. This was achieved in spite of the fact that Geelong won the time in possession for the quarter, 44 percent to 35.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:46
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
03:01
Early in the final term, the only players on the ground to have recorded 100 percent game time are key positions, Jake Lever and Steven May of Melbourne, and Cats Jack Henry and Lachie Henderson.
03:09
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Charlie Spargo)
06:30
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
07:42
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Clayton Oliver)
07:43
Melbourne has opened the final term dominating the time in possession, 58 percent to 24, recording 34 disposals to nine, winning the clearances seven to one, and kicking 2.1 to nil.
09:03
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Charlie Spargo)
11:30
Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn has recorded seven disposals (at 86 percent efficiency) inside the opening 12 minutes of the final term.
14:59
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
16:19
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
16:20
Just three of Melbourne's 11 goals (27.7 percent) have been kicked from set shots. In comparison, 58.3 percent of Geelong's majors (seven of 12) have been from set shots.
17:32
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Luke Dahlhaus)
20:05
Cats Interchange - Joel Selwood off due to the blood rule.
22:37
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
22:58
From 11 final-quarter inside 50 entries, Melbourne has kicked 5.2. In contrast, Geelong has kicked 0.2 from six entries for the term.
25:38
The Demons are dominating the final quarter contested possession count, 32 to 18.
30:29
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Max Gawn)
30:33
The siren has sounded to end Q4.
30:34
Melbourne erases a 44-point third-quarter deficit to win its first minor premiership since 1964. A dominant performance by Max Gawn (25 disposals at 68 percent efficiency, 13 contested possessions, 12 hitouts to advantage, and kicking the match-winning goal) sees the Demons home by four points.