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Sport Nation
The selection choice that proved the Cats wrong
Nicholas Quinlan • September 27th, 2025 9:50 pm
Dermott Brereton and Gerard Healy have provided their assessments of how Geelong played following their 47-point loss to the Lions.
The Cats were well and truly in the game through the first half and into the third and most of the third quarter.
But then the Lions would break the game open late, and then proceeded to run out the game in style with Brisbane's small forwards cashing in late.
The Hawthorn legend believed that the Cats' inability to stop this, and in particular Zac Bailey, who ended up kicking 3.6 for the match, was decided by their selection decisions feeling that they needed another small back.
He thinks that if Geelong had Jack Bowes in a more defensive role, it may have limited the effect of the 26-year-old and could have made the game more competitive in the Cats' favour.
"They had no answer for him and the way he played," Brereton said post-game.
"And your selections...the coaches pick them or don't pick them. The players prove them right or wrong.
"They proved them wrong today.
"They were one small backman short if you know what I mean.
"Bowes could have been done with; he could have been very, very handy down there.
"And they almost fell into it by accident (with) the Blicavs win in the ruck against Hawthorn.
"I was surprised that they didn't go, 'This is the way we are playing, let's keep going this way, and we need to contain some small forwards, so let's bring Bowes in'."
Healy would agree with Brereton's assessment.
He then proceeded to add that he thought that Rhys Stanley was not ready for the match, with this being his first match since Round 24.
"I think they will look at that and they will process that, whether they got that right or wrong," Healy added.
"Stanley always worried me.
"I reckon he needs a good run-in to be playing at his very best.
"And his best is in their best 22, but he didn't have a run-in."
