Match

Geelong Cats vs Melbourne

Commentary / 04 Apr 2025

Pre Game

00:00
Melbourne has conceded 120-plus points to both North Melbourne and Gold Coast – just the fifth team to do that in a season and the first since 2016.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
02:32
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Petracca)
02:42
Christian Petracca scores the first of the match, with this goal coming from a forward 50 stoppage. The Demons have failed to score a goal from this source in the first three games of the season (Fremantle are the other team that hadn't scored a goal from this source also).
06:03
The Demons have been on fire at stoppage to start, winning five of the first six clearances. Melbourne ranks second-last for clearance differential this season, averaging 13.3 fewer than their opponents.
07:08
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Rushed)
08:39
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Oliver Dempsey)
09:15
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
09:49
Jeremy Cameron gets the Cats on the board with a goal launched from the forward 50. Geelong have been potent from this source, averaging the fourth-most points launched from this zone in the league.
11:16
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
14:53
Geelong has been able to move the ball through uncontested marks, taken 16 compared to Melbourne's four so far. The Cats have taken fewer uncontested marks than their opponents in matches this season.
18:26
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Rushed)
20:24
The Cats have taken nine shots at goal - their third-most in a quarter this season, but have lacked accuracy as they have only scored 1.5 (11).
21:49
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
24:00
Melbourne hasn't been able to defend their defensive 50 as well as Geelong has as they have only taken one intercept mark in comparison to Geelong's four in this zone, as well as allowing Geelong to score from 17% more of their inside 50s comparatively.
28:07
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Patrick Dangerfield)
28:20
A long shot from Patrick Dangerfield breaks the goal drought late in the quarter. Both of Geelong's goals have come from set shots, now making them the highest-scoring team in the competition from this source.
30:01
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Rhys Stanley)
31:12
The pressure from the Cats has been evident, as they registered a pressure factor of 188 in comparison to 170 from the Demons for the quarter. The Cats are currently the number one ranked team for pressure applied this season.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:08
The Demons have been strong in the contest, winning the contested possession count by four. They rank 13th for contested possession differential this season after ranking first in 2023.
02:00
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
04:08
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Tyson Stengle)
05:03
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Patrick Dangerfield)
06:37
Geelong are leading the centre clearance count 4-0. Both teams are in the negative for centre clearance differential this season.
08:10
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jack Bowes)
09:16
A fourth forward 50 stoppage score becomes their first goal from this source as they begin to kick away early in the second term. The Cats are scoring from 66.7% of their forward 50 clearances this season - ranked equal-second.
11:54
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Petracca)
12:11
Two goals for Christian Petracca gives the Demons hope. He has collected 10 disposals (80% efficiency), of which six have been won in a contested manner (equal game-high) as well as 141 metres gained.
16:13
Cats Interchange - Jack Henry off due to an injury.
16:27
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jacob van Rooyen)
17:16
Back-to-back goals for the Demons as they bridge the margin to 17 points. Melbourne has been able to move the ball by hand this term, having seven more handball receives and 40 more metres gained from this source in comparison to Geelong.
19:50
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Sam De Koning)
20:01
Demons Interchange - Harrison Petty off due to an injury.
20:31
Turnovers have been punished by Geelong, as they have been able to score 4.2 (26) in comparison to Melbourne's 1.2 (8) from this source.
21:02
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Harvey Langford)
21:32
Harvey Langford is the first player to have 15-plus contested possessions and 10-plus score involvements in one of their first two games.
23:06
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Daniel Turner)
23:59
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
24:27
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Ed Langdon)
25:21
Clayton Oliver has been busy as he has collected a game-high 16 disposals. He averages 38.8 disposals and 23.5 contested possessions at GMHBA Stadium – his most in each stat at any venue.
29:37
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
32:53
A much better output offensively for the Demons in the second quarter, scoring from six of their 12 inside 50s compared to just three from 11 entries in the first quarter.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:39
Max Gawn has been edging the ruck contest against Rhys Stanley, winning the hitouts 21-11 and the hitouts-to-advantage 7-3, although, Geelong are winning the clearances by one when these two have been ruck opponents.
04:49
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Patrick Dangerfield)
05:44
After conceding 26.5 points per game from clearances between 2021-2024 (ranked No.1 defensively) – the Demons have conceded a competition-high 47.3 points this year from that source. They have conceded 2.5 (17) from clearances tonight.
07:01
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Daniel Turner)
07:57
A big intercept mark from Steven May launches a goal for the Demons to bring the margin down to 10 points. Steven May has been a presence defensively, taking an equal game-high three intercept marks. He finished with 25 disposals, 17 uncontested possessions, 13 marks, and five spoils against the Cats in Round 8 last year.
12:57
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Oliver Henry)
13:50
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jack Bowes)
13:58
The Cats have been able to find targets inside 50 much better than the Demons tonight, taking 10 forward 50 marks in comparison to three. Geelong averaged the most marks in this zone in 2024.
16:07
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Patrick Dangerfield)
16:49
An impressive display from Patrick Dangerfield as he slots through a third goal. He has collected 17 disposals (third-most for Geelong), an equal game-high 11 contested possessions and a game-high 408 metres gained.
19:49
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Ed Langdon)
20:04
Both of Melbourne's goals this term have been launched from defensive 50 chains. They have only been averaging 10.3 points launched from this zone - ranked second-last this season.
21:23
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Tom Sparrow)
22:12
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Clayton Oliver)
23:21
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Ted Clohesy)
25:09
Max Holmes has booted at least one goal in all three games this season – averaging 24 disposals, 505 metres gained, and four clearances. He has only collected 11 disposals, 165 metres gained and three clearances after spending a big chunk of tonight matched up against Tom Sparrow.
27:22
The Cats were strong in the contest in their defensive 50 in the third quarter, winning the contested possessions in this zone 8-0.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:55
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
03:27
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Patrick Dangerfield)
04:36
Melbourne's kicking tonight has been below par, as they have registered a kick efficiency of 65% in comparison to 73% from the Cats. The AFL average this season is 66%.
06:32
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shannon Neale)
07:41
Shannon Neale has been targeted a team-high five times inside 50 tonight, has taken three forward 50 marks and has topped it off with a goal. He has been the most targeted player inside 50 for the Cats this season.
08:30
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shaun Mannagh)
10:04
Melbourne has conceded 38.3 points per game in the first 10 minutes of quarters – ranked last. They have conceded 36 points in the first 10 minutes of quarters tonight.
14:38
Geelong has had 12 smothers in tonight's match - the fourth-most in a game this season.
16:05
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tyson Stengle)
17:59
Tom Atkins has set the standard when it comes to tackling, laying 11 tonight and averaging 12 for the season. Geelong's tackle efficiency tonight is 76%. They have recorded a tackle efficiency of 70.3% this season – ranked No.1.
19:13
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
21:52
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tyson Stengle)
23:35
On his return to the side, Shaun Mannagh has had an equal game-high five inside 50s, of which those inside 50s have led to an equal game-high 13 points for Geelong.
25:03
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Shannon Neale)
26:45
The Demons were sporadically in the game but ultimately remain winless so far this season. They had one more inside 50 in comparison to the Cats, although, they retained their entries 21% worse and scored from 19% fewer of their entries.