FOR a match between the teams placed second and second-last on the VFL ladder, Geelong’s clash with Coburg at Mantello Holden Oval on Sunday proved far more compelling than it looked on paper, writes Samantha Landy.
Sure the ending went to script – the Cats walked away 20-point victors over the home side. But they did so bruised and battered after being sternly challenged by a gutsy Coburg outfit.
Young gun Jackson Thurlow was left lying motionless on the field and with facial injuries from a brutal on-field collision early in the last quarter. Cats coach Matthew Knights said the extent of his injury will be revealed tomorrow.
"Jackson committed to the contest, and we're proud of him for doing that, but he's come off a little worse for wear and we'll just have to see how that evolves tomorrow," Knights said.
"Obviously he'll be in a fair bit of doubt for the corresponding weeks and then we've got a bye the following week, so hopefully he doesn't miss too many games."
Jed Bews also copped a knock to his hamstring. Knights is hopeful he will contest next week’s clash with North Ballarat, but says he won’t do so if the risks are too great.
"We just decided in the box that we weren't gonna take any risks with Jed because he's had too good a month to run the risk of injuring a hamstring."
A five-goal-to-two final quarter hauled the Cats over the line after Coburg pressed hard for the opening three terms.
Led by its AFL-listed stars Ricky Petterd, Robin Nahas and Shane Tuck, Coburg held a five-point lead at half time and a three-point advantage at the last break before the Cats stormed home.
The hosts looked markedly better than their opponents at times, particularly in the third quarter when Geelong struggled to find targets up forward and, when they did, failed to convert.
The first 10 minutes of the match suggested it would play out as expected. An opening Coburg goal was followed by three Geelong majors in quick succession, one to the in-form Jaxson Barham (who finished with three goals) and two to rookie Josh Walker.
Walker's five-goal haul nearly earned him best-on-ground honours. But they went to a deserving Mitch Brown for his stellar effort in defence, where he continually repelled Coburg forward pushes.
A goal on the quarter-time siren to Coburg’s Nathan Thomas left Geelong just six points ahead at the first break.
Coburg went on to control the next two quarters led by Luke McGuane (three goals), Liam McBean (two), Nick Maric (two) and Brett O’Hanlon (two). O’Hanlon’s good game was marred by a heavy hit he laid on Geelong’s Cameron Eardley, which saw his number taken by the umpires and earned him the ire of the vocal Geelong cheer squad.
The final quarter was pretty much all Geelong. Billie Smedts, Ryan Bathie, Nathan Vardy and Jack Hollmer chipped in with goals, allowing the Cats to run away with a hard-fought 20-point win.
Knights applauded ruckmen Vardy and Trent West, who both returned from a week on the sidelines, for solid games in trying conditions for big men, making special mention of Vardy’s "Jack-in-the-box" screamer in the opening term.
Smedts, who suffered a concussion in last week's 85-point smashing of Port Melbourne, and Mark Corrigan also earned the coach’s praise.
"When they went forward they really provided a spark and something different for us," he said.
"I thought Bill caused all sorts of headaches for the Coburg defence in the last quarter."
Norm Goss medallist George Horlin-Smith also made a successful return from injury – "it was just nice to get out there," he said after the game.
Knights said his side had a few things to work on after taking "a long time to get into our flow", conceding teams considerably below the Cats on the ladder had consistently challenged them this season.
"Probably coming after last season, a couple of teams are gonna aim at us a bit," he said post-match.
"Ladder positions mean very little (in the VFL) because teams can swing five or six players from week to week. So a team that’s got beaten by six goals the previous week cam can come out and be a 10-goal better side just because of personnel getting back from injury, both the VFL list and AFL list.
"Sometimes we maybe get caught up in ladder positions and we just have to make sure we keep respecting the game of footy and play it in its merits.
"We've got to mature as a group, that's probably back to us.
"There are a couple of lower sides that have really taken it up to us."
Geelong takes on North Ballarat at home next Saturday while Coburg will get the chance to redeem itself when it plays Frankston at Frankston Oval on Sunday.
Last Modified on 30/06/2013 22:05