Cricket
Racing
Rugby
League
Motorsport
Football
Golf
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
“Lock for top two”: The “freakish” Cats have done it again
Andrew Slevison • June 16th, 2025 10:37 am
Geelong has done it again.
The Cats were completely dominant in beating Essendon by 95 points at the MCG on Saturday.
It saw Chris Scott’s side slingshot to second position on the ladder with a juicy percentage of 133 and with a charmed fixture to come in the second half of the season.
SEN’s David King believes Geelong’s win was the most impressive performance of Round 14 and says the 2022 premiers are a moral to finish top two as they launch another premiership assault.
“What was the most impressive performance of the weekend? You have to marvel at what Geelong have been doing,” King said on SEN’s Fireball.
“Everyone will say, ‘But who did they play?’ You've got to equate that to the competition they're up against’.
“But they've moved themselves perfectly into second position on the AFL table. From here on in, they only play two teams that are in the top nine in the competition. They've got Brisbane this Friday night, who are just trying to gather themselves after losing a key position player (in Jack Payne).
“Then they go - Richmond, GWS, St Kilda, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Essendon, Sydney, Richmond. They're not losing more than one of those.
“So they're a lock for top two. This is a big move by the Cats.”
Kane Cornes agrees, highlighting their Round 16 bye as the perfect time for a freshen up.
He wonders if the Cats are alongside the Magpies as flag favourites.
“Five of those games are at home, and there's a bye in there for good measure,” said Cornes.
“They've got the bye in Round 16, which is just going to come at the perfect time for them.
“Are they the equal to Collingwood, or have they just jumped up in front of them?”
King is a massive believer in the blue and white hoops, singling out captain Patrick Dangerfield for his damage in the forward line next to superstar Jeremy Cameron.
“I had them at one (in my rankings) last week because I just feel like they've got so many weapons now,” King said.
“Dangerfield, what he's doing inside the forward 50, you have to really start to appreciate that he's just a different beast in there. 11 touches, 10 of those become scores, five of those become goals.
“Over the last five years, there's only been one player, which was Lachie Neale about two years ago, that's created more than five goal assists inside the forward 50.
“Danger has done five previously in the Grand Final. It just shows that he's in full control of that forward 50.
“You’ve got Jeremy Cameron going crazy down there. They're a different beast when you've got Jack Henry and Tom Stewart behind the ball, and that's not even getting to the midfielders.
After a near-faultless 36-disposal, 10-inside 50, eight-clearance performance, Max Holmes was lauded by King as Geelong’s best player.
He continued: “Who's their best player?
“He had the highest rated game for the season. I think that snuck up on most people.
“It was a huge game. He just doesn't waste the ball, and he wins it back.
“So deep diving into the numbers, he's the no.1 midfielder in the competition at intercepting the ball back from the opposition. Now that is an asset that we don't talk enough about. Two-way midfielders are gold.
“He’s top 20 in the competition for score assists, and then he's no.1 at actually winning it back as a mid. What a luxury that is to have your best player engage when the opposition have the ball.”
Cornes tipped his lid to Geelong’s devastating attack while labelling the club as “freakish” for continually being able to contend.
“Their forward six or seven is as dangerous as you will see,” Cornes said further.
“Even players like (Shaun) Mannagh kicking three. He’s just emerging as a top-liner at any other team. We don't speak about him a whole lot because there's so many of them.
“Don't know how they continue to do this, Geelong. They are a freakish organisation.”
The Cats next meet the Lions at GMHBA Stadium on Friday night in skipper Dangerfield's 350th AFL game.
