Match

Geelong Cats vs GWS Giants

Commentary / 11 May 2025

Pre Game

00:00
Geelong has conceded over 100 points just twice in its last 61 games at GMHBA Stadium – scoring over 100 points themselves 22 times in that period.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
01:24
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Jesse Hogan)
02:40
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Shannon Neale)
03:19
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Xavier O'Halloran)
05:18
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Brad Close)
06:35
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jake Stringer)
07:47
Jake Stringer kicks his first goal of the match after producing three goals for GWS last week - his best return yet in his first season with the side.
09:06
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Oliver Henry)
09:36
Max Holmes has had just 61 disposals over his last three games – his lowest three-game stretch since the last three games of 2023. Holmes has started well today with four disposals in the first 10 minutes and 129 metres gained.
11:13
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Toby Greene)
11:36
Both sides have been extremely efficient with their forward 50 entries thus far. The Cats have three scores from three entries, while the GIANTS have five scores from seven entries.
14:09
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jake Stringer)
15:01
The GIANTS have been accurate from distance so far; all four of their goals have been kicked from beyond 30 metres. The GIANTS have produced just 354 points from beyond 30 metres this season, and the Cats just 344 points, ranked 16th and 17th in the competition.
19:34
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jesse Hogan)
19:42
Jesse Hogan has kicked a goal in each of his last 39 games – the longest current active streak. He keeps that streak alive today, bringing his streak to 40 games.
21:50
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Patrick Dangerfield)
22:17
Patrick Dangerfield does his best to halt the momentum of GWS, kicking his first goal for the day. Dangerfield has gone goalless in just one match this season and now has 17 goals this season - his best tally since kicking 17 in the 2020 season.
24:14
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Rushed)
25:11
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shaun Mannagh)
27:13
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Mark Blicavs)
27:52
Five of the last seven inside 50s have gone Geelong's way, as it begins to close the margin heading into the first break.
31:12
95% of play has been in Geelong's forward half in the last 10 minutes.
32:01
The GIANTS have averaged just 62.7 points per game over the last three rounds, after averaging 97.4 points before that this season. They have rediscovered their scoring prowess in this match with 32 points in the first quarter.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
02:59
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Mitch Duncan)
04:24
Geelong has scored from 48.8% of its inside 50s – ranked No.1. It has eight scores from 12 entries today.
04:55
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jesse Hogan)
05:04
Finn Callaghan has shown his class in today's match with a team-best 11 disposals, three clearances, three score involvements and 303 metres gained. He is the leading metres gained player at the GIANTS this season with 582 per match.
06:08
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Rushed)
06:55
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
07:29
Jeremy Cameron has played a unique role in today's match, spending lots of time in the stoppage as a midfielder and also on the wing. He now has a goal to go with 218 metres gained.
08:42
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shannon Neale)
09:09
Sam Taylor has taken 36 intercept marks this season – seven more than any other player in the AFL. Not only does Taylor not have an intercept mark in this match thus far, but no GIANTS player has taken an intercept mark.
11:02
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Rushed)
12:36
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Aaron Cadman)
14:35
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Jake Stringer)
15:23
The GIANTS have the best tackle differential in the competition – averaging 8.9 more than their opponent. Today, they are down by three in the tackle count.
15:54
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Oliver Dempsey)
16:41
It has been a high-pressure quarter thus far. Geelong has a pressure rating of 200, and GWS are at 203.
17:16
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Aaron Cadman)
18:32
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Callan Ward)
20:06
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
20:55
Jeremy Cameron creates a goal from a forward 50 stoppage. Geelong has kicked four straight goals from general play snaps today.
22:52
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Oliver Henry)
23:25
The GIANTS have conceded a goal kicking accuracy of just 40.2% this season – ranked No.1 defensively. They aren't having the same run of form today, as the Cats continue to be accurate in front of goal.
25:02
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Aaron Cadman)
25:13
Aaron Cadman, the number one pick in the 2022 draft, has popped up this quarter with three marks inside 50.
25:56
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Rushed)
27:33
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jesse Hogan)
28:41
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Gryan Miers)
30:37
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Tyson Stengle)
32:20
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Gryan Miers)
34:01
Both sides went score for score in the second term, as the first half concluded with just one point splitting the contest. Geelong has proved potent in the forward half, with all of its goals generated in this part of the ground. Meanwhile, GWS has produced 26 of its points from the defensive half as the 'Orange Tsunami' gets going.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:27
Darcy Jones has 18 groundball-gets in the forward 50 this season – ranked fourth in the competition. With Jones out of the side today, the GIANTS need another small forward to step up. Harvey Thomas will look to fill this role, however, he failed to register a disposal in the first half of this match.
01:42
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Tyson Stengle)
03:27
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jesse Hogan)
05:04
Oliver Dempsey has kicked 13 goals in the first eight rounds – the most ever by a winger over the first eight rounds of a season. Dempsey has seen his influence restricted in today's match with Harry Himmelberg tagging him.
09:17
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Rushed)
10:34
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Tyson Stengle)
12:09
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Oliver Dempsey)
12:38
Bailey Smith is averaging 30.1 disposals, 10.6 contested possessions, 651 metres gained, and 5.3 tackles this season – all career-highs. He leads all players this afternoon with 22 disposals, 483 metres gained and nine score involvements.
18:38
Tom Green has had 25 or more disposals in each of his last 24 games – the longest current active streak and the ninth-longest streak of all-time. He reaches that feat once again, with a goal to regain the lead as his 25th disposal today.
22:22
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Harvey Thomas)
22:59
GWS has kicked the last two goals of the match. In the last 10 minutes, it has led the contested possession count 17 to nine and the pressure factor 250 to 213.
25:05
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
27:08
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jesse Hogan)
27:49
In the last four rounds, the GIANTS are averaging just 9.0 marks inside forward 50 – ranked 17th. They have nine with just over a quarter left in this match, Jesse Hogan has taken four of them.
28:11
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tyson Stengle)
31:45
Sam Taylor was a brick wall in the third term with three contested marks, three spoils, three tackles, and six disposals at 100% efficiency.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:24
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Max Holmes)
01:16
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shaun Mannagh)
01:53
The Cats have scored from 45.7% of their forward half clearances – ranked No.1. Today they have scored four straight goals from 12 clearances in the forward half.
04:23
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jesse Hogan)
05:27
GWS has scored 50 of its points in this match from the defensive half, meanwhile Geelong has just five points from the defensive half. Entering this round, GWS was ranked first in the competition for 17 scores generated from kick-ins. Today, GWS has kicked two goals and one behind from chains started at the kick-in.
06:06
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Tom Green)
07:05
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Josaia Delana)
08:15
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Oliver Dempsey)
10:53
For the third time this season, Oliver Dempsey has recorded two goals and two contested marks in a game. Jordan Dawson is the only other non-predominant forward to have recorded multiple games of this nature in 2025.
11:39
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Patrick Dangerfield)
12:23
Geelong has been able to control the ball in this final quarter with 16 uncontested marks to three.
15:29
The GIANTS have conceded a score from just 9.6% of their opponents’ defensive half chains – ranked No.1 defensively. Today they have conceded just six scores (all behinds) from 45 defensive half chains.
16:05
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jesse Hogan)
17:23
This is the fourth time Jesse Hogan has kicked seven or more goals in a match. In his career, Geelong has been the second-most difficult side for Hogan to score against. Entering today's match he had kicked eight goals in six matches against Geelong.
17:47
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tyson Stengle)
20:38
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Shannon Neale)
22:37
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Tyson Stengle)
23:32
Two weeks in a row, the GIANTS have been unable to stop their opposition in the air. Last round, they conceded 16 forward 50 marks to the Swans, and today the Cats have been able to take 15 marks inside 50.
24:53
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jake Riccardi)
25:34
Jake Riccardi helps GWS retake the lead. Entering today's match, Geelong had conceded over 100 points just twice in its last 61 games at GMHBA Stadium. This is now the third time in its last 62 games at the venue in which the 100-point mark was crossed.
28:19
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Mark Blicavs)
30:31
The Cats will rue missed opportunities late in the match, with the last three shots on goal in the match. They kicked four goals out of centre bounce and produced a further 10 from the forward half of the ground. However, the GIANTS were able to stretch the field in full-ground transition to create quality looks in front of goals - they kicked 9.2 from chains generated in the defensive half.