Match

Geelong Cats vs Western Bulldogs

Commentary / 22 May 2025

Pre Game

00:00
Mitch Duncan becomes the seventh Geelong player to reach 300 games as a one-club player. His success is demonstrated by his tally of 211 victories over his 16 seasons as a Cat. No player in the AFL has played in more victories since he debuted in 2010.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
01:41
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
01:49
Jeremy Cameron opens the scoring with the first goal of the game within two minutes. It took almost 12 mins last round for the Cats to score against Yartapuulti, the fifth-longest drought to open a game since 2000.
04:41
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Ed Richards)
05:09
Ed Richards responds with the first goal of the game for the Bulldogs. Richards is the only player in the AFL with a player rating of 90-plus for both ball-winning and ball-use.
06:12
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Aaron Naughton)
08:47
Two goals from two inside 50's for the Cats to start the match. The Cats have averaged a goal from a league-best 27.6% of their forward 50 entries in 2025.
10:40
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Jason Johannisen)
11:54
Geelong are registering a pressure factor of 196 in the early stages of tonight's match, against the Bulldogs 179. The Cats have average an applied pressure factor of 175 over the last four weeks, the second-lowest rating of any side during this span.
15:48
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shaun Mannagh)
15:55
Three goals straight from three shots at goal for Geelong. The Cats have registered a shot at goal accuracy of 52.8% over the last four weeks, ranked third in the AFL.
17:29
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Rhylee West)
19:45
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Rushed)
21:47
The Bulldogs have taken 19 marks in the last 10 minutes, but only two of them have been in their forward half. The Bulldogs average 36 marks per game in their forward half since Round 7, ranked fifth in the AFL.
21:53
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tyson Stengle)
23:15
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (James Harmes)
25:12
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Sam Davidson)
26:32
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shannon Neale)
27:00
From their third centre clearance, the Cats kick their first goal from this source in tonight's match. By comparison, the Bulldogs have scored three behinds from their four centre clearances for the match. The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents by 6.5 points per game from this source in 2025, the largest scoring margin from centre clearances of any side.
29:16
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Laitham Vandermeer)
31:21
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)
32:32
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Aaron Naughton)
33:47
That goal to Aaron Naughton makes it two goals from five forward half clearances for the Bulldogs in the opening term. They average 1.62 points per forward half clearance in 2025, the second-best strike rate of any side in 2025 from this source.
34:02
The Bulldogs recorded 19 tackles in their forward half to Geelong's four in their forward half. The Bulldogs average 29.2 tackles per game in their attacking half in 2025, ranked eighth, but are beating the league-leaders in this metric as the Cats average 36.8 forward half tackles.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:40
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
03:04
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Shaun Mannagh)
04:05
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
04:46
Jeremy Cameron makes it a league-high 17 goals since Round 7, and takes the lead in the Coleman race with his 30th goal of the season. Both goals have been launched from intercepts off halfback.
07:45
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Oliver Henry)
08:12
The Cats are doing to the Bulldogs what they did to the Bombers last week. The Bulldogs have not recorded an effective disposal in their forward half, have not won a contested possession in their forward half and have not recorded a clearance in their attacking half this term.
09:37
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Luke Cleary)
10:54
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
12:17
Geelong lead the post-clearance contested possession count 9-5, off the back of 6-3 groundball-gets outside of the stoppages. The Cats win the post-clearance contested ball by an average of 3.1 per game, ranked equal fourth in the AFL in 2025.
13:16
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)
14:34
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Oisin Mullin)
15:46
The Cats have used the ball to greater effect by hand in the second term, recording 17 handball-receives to just five for the Bulldogs. The Cats average 97.7 handball-receives per game in 2025; they are the only side to average less than 100 per game this year.
17:16
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Joel Freijah)
19:28
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Oliver Dempsey)
22:53
The Cats have spent over 5.5 minutes more in their forward half in the first half of tonight's match over their counterparts. The Bulldogs have averaged over 8.5 minutes per game ahead in the time in forward half count which is the best margin in the league this year.
23:13
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tom Atkins)
26:39
The Bulldogs have not experienced the same success they've had earlier this season with their league leading 30% inside 50 rate out of their defensive 50. They have failed to generate an inside 50 entry from 14 chains launched out of their defensive 50 in the first half of tonight's match.
29:21
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shannon Neale)
31:40
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Marcus Bontempelli)
32:23
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rhylee West)
33:06
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Aaron Naughton)
33:43
The Bulldogs first goal comes with 20 seconds left in the quarter from their first forward 50 clearance win of the term. The Bulldogs have scored 26 goals from forward 50 clearances in 2025, the only side with more than 20 goals from this source this year.
34:24
The Bulldogs recorded just one uncontested mark inside 50 in the first half. Their on pace to match their lowest tally in this category in any match in the last five seasons (two, recorded in Round 12, 2024 and the 2021 Grand Final).

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:01
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Buku Khamis)
01:32
Just the start for the Bulldogs in the second half, with their first centre clearance goal of the match kicked from their second uncontested mark inside 50 of the match.
05:01
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shaun Mannagh)
05:32
That goal to Shaun Mannagh makes it 8.1 (49) from set shots for the Cats in tonight's match. Geelong came into the match ranked second in the AFL with 89 goals from set shots in 2025.
06:23
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Tom Liberatore)
07:02
Tom Liberatore's behind makes it 0.5 (5) from snapped shots at goal for the Bulldogs in tonight's match. Their season average snap shot at goal accuracy of 45.1% is the equal-fourth best in the AFL in 2025.
07:41
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Tim English)
09:37
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
10:17
Jeremy Cameron's fifth goal makes tonight's match the 36th of his career with at least five goals scored. He has now done this on ten more occasions than any other active player in the AFL (Taylor Walker is second with 26 5-goal games).
12:40
After kicking at 50% efficiency in their forward half in the first half, the Bulldogs have improved this to 70% in the third quarter. Their season average of 57.3% kicking efficiency in their attacking half ranks the Bulldogs ninth in the AFL in 2025.
16:03
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shannon Neale)
17:54
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Max Holmes)
23:19
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Matthew Kennedy)
24:24
The Bulldogs have taken more marks inside 50 in the third term (four) than they did in the first half (three).
25:15
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Buku Khamis)
28:13
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Oliver Dempsey)
28:50
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Matthew Kennedy)
29:03
Two goals to none in the Bulldogs favour from forward half intercepts in the third term. 42% of their forward half intercepts have resulted in a score in 2025 which is the second-best conversion rate of any side from this source.
30:09
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Laitham Vandermeer)
30:51
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Tom Liberatore)
33:21
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
34:43
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Joel Freijah)
36:02
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Laitham Vandermeer)
36:06
The Bulldogs lifted their work rate at ground level in the third term, winning groundball-gets 29-17 in the third quarter. Only St Kilda have won more ball at ground level (949) than the Bulldogs (932) in 2025.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:21
Max Holmes has recorded his 16th contested possession of the match, setting a new career-high figure in this category surpassing his previous best of 15 recorded against Yartapuulti in Round 14, 2023.
01:16
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Ed Richards)
01:55
Ed Richards has come alive since halftime, recording game-high figures in disposals (13), contested possessions (eight), clearances (six), metres gained (237) and score involvements (six) including the first goal of the final term.
03:55
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Lachlan McNeil)
04:10
The Bulldogs have won the first six clearances of the final term, and are leading 23-11 in this metric since halftime.
09:26
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Jason Johannisen)
10:02
The Bulldogs pressure rating to start the final term is registering at 251. The Bulldogs have not recorded a pressure rating over 209 in any quarter in 2025.
11:13
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Oliver Dempsey)
13:52
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Lachlan McNeil)
17:58
Bulldogs Interchange - Laitham Vandermeer off due to an injury.
18:29
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Aaron Naughton)
19:22
The Bulldogs pull themselves within a point off the back of their first score to be launched from defensive 50 in tonight's match. The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents by 9.7 points per game from defensive 50 chains since Round 8, the third best margin of any side in this period.
19:42
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (James Harmes)
21:48
Shannon Neale goals from just the third clearance chain the Cats have won in the final term. The Cats have scored an average of three goals for every goal by their opponents in fourth quarters in 2025, the highest ratio of any side.
24:31
Geelong have taken 34 marks in the final term, and allowed the Bulldogs to take just six and in doing so have restricted the Bulldogs kicking efficiency to just 57% in the final term.
26:17
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shannon Neale)
26:56
Geelong's ability to lock the ball inside 50 for stoppage after stoppage is rewarded with Shannon Neale's career-bets fifth goal of the match. The Bulldogs have not had a stoppage in their forward 50 in the final term by comparison.
29:50
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Rushed)
30:44
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Oliver Dempsey)
31:23
After the Bulldogs had won 12 of the first 14 clearances of the final term, the Cats have won the last nine straight clearances and kicked both of their goals from this source.
31:37
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tyson Stengle)
32:58
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Matthew Kennedy)
33:58
The Bulldogs scored 76 points from clearance chains which is the third most by any side in 2025, and threatened to run away with the game in the final term, however the Cats turned up the heat in the closing stages recording a pressure rating of 247 in the second half of the final term to see out the game.