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The star Cats who masterminded comeback over Crows
Andrew Slevison • April 11th, 2025 10:47 am
Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield put the fear of god in the Adelaide Crows on Thursday night.
The veteran kicked four goals from 16 disposals which included two crucial majors in the final quarter as the Cats came from behind to beat the Crows in Gather Round.
The Cats found themselves 30 points down early in the second quarter before rallying to get up by 19 points in an Adelaide Oval epic - 18.11.(119) to 15.10.(100).
SEN Breakfast’s David King was taken by the performance of the 35-year-old who destroyed his former club in key moments.
“My first thoughts are Patrick Dangerfield has an anger and an aggression to his approach to the game that not many have had in the last decade,” King said on Fireball.
“The way that he attacks the ball with such ferocity, he put the fear into the back six of the Crows. They weren’t sure how to approach him, how to curtail him, and he just went to work. He willed his team over the line.
“Once they found that forward 50 ascendency, away they went. What a scoring phenomenon they were.”
King was also inspired by the performance of Geelong’s prized recruit Bailey Smith.
The former Bulldog had 35 disposals, nine score involvements, six clearances, six inside 50s and kicked a goal in another massive showing in the blue and white hoops.
“I was fascinated to see how Bailey Smith would impact this team,” King added.
“His gut-running is at a level that most players can’t go with. He blew them up in the midfield.
“He absolutely had them gassed halfway through the third term and even in the last quarter they had to put the sub (Zac Taylor) to him, they had to put young bodies on him to go with him and they were struggling as well.
“His overlap work … he ended up with 35 touches and won 17 contested possessions, but I felt like 25 of his 35 were on the outside and creating havoc. He had nine score involvements and was huge.
“Hasn’t he changed their lineup?”
Smith and Max Holmes combined for 67 disposals and 1448 metres gained in a one-two midfield punch that Kane Cornes couldn’t take his eyes off.
“He and Holmes are the ones in the midfield with the run and carry,” he said.
“Holmes was 805 metres gained and Smith was 643. Next best was 400.
“The run and drive that they will give you is just a different look. They are the two with the forwards Jeremy Cameron (four goals) and Dangerfield.”
Cornes praised Chris Scott’s Cats for the resilience they showed in weathering the Crows storm, absorbing the blows and then hitting back with their own form of attack.
He feels that Tom Atkins was the one who dug deep, allowing the Cats to catapult themselves back into the contest.
“I thought they were done. I reckon they were one goal from done, they look buried,” said Cornes, referencing Geelong’s five-goal deficit.
“Adelaide were all over them, but they found a way to go back to centre bounce and get some ascendency.
“I thought Tom Atkins’ game, he is not a polished player, but he is tough. His performance last night in some critical contests, some critical clearances, he surged the ball forward.
“He was doing the job on Izak Rankine, so those that can actually curtail your opponent and also win the footy when you need to at the same time, I think he needed some recognition for his performance.
“He was the one that hung in there, allowed them to go into half-time with some momentum.”
The 3-2 Cats will next take on Hawthorn in the blockbuster Easter Monday clash at the MCG while the Crows, who have lost their last two, host the Giants in Round 6.
