Bendigo continued Geelong's winless start to the season, outclassing the Cats in a competitive contest at Skilled Stadium last Saturday as Kane Hunkin reports.
Coming off a last start loss to ladder leaders Port Melbourne, the Bombers led for most of the day, eventually running out 42 point winners to register victory number five for season 2011; maintaining their top four credentials in the process.
On a typical wintry day, the dour conditions typified a Saturday of football, which celebrated the Geelong/Bendigo regional football relationship, with an Under 18's GFL vs. BFL contest preceding the match and a senior VCFL interleague match subsequently following.
Kicking to the Barwon River end, Bendigo controlled the tempo early but wasteful opportunities inevitably hurt. The Cats kicked three of the first four majors, with Geelong first year, senior listed small forward Jordan Schroder kicking two in a promising first quarter display.
The match itself provided plenty of intrigue with Geelong welcoming back two-time premiership player Shannon Byrnes for his first run of the season. Moreover, co-captain Troy Selwood and first year draftee George Horlin-Smith both simultaneously rejoined the Cats team after respective injury spells.
For the Bombers, the additions of prominent types Tayte Pears, Kyle Reimers and Mark Williams appeared telling on paper.
The second term played out much like the first with momentum changing throughout. Through the agency of lively playmakers Travis Colyer and Michael Ross, Bendigo held a consistent yet narrow lead for most of the quarter, going to the main break nine points in front.
In the absence of regular coach Dale Amos (having travelled to the Gold Coast with the Geelong senior team), former Cat and current specialist coach Matthew Egan took the coaching reigns, with the backline additionally receiving advice from All-Australian Harry Taylor at the break intervals.
Reigning Frosty Miller Medallist Matt Little's (2 goals) impact was neutralised by a Geelong defensive unit, which included Gillies, Bathie, Walker and Selwood rotating at various stages but was compensated by an impressive and equally dominant display from forward Justin Maddern, who finished with six goals.
The proverbial 'premiership quarter' saw the Bombers respond accordingly. The sides’ ability to kick the first four goals of the third term was decisive, with the margin previously not climbing beyond 24 points. However a late three goal surge, including a linking, run and carry play from Simpkin and Selwood in the 25th minute, resulting in a Byrnes set shot and subsequent goal cut the margin to 11 points.
As the rain came late in the match, the bigger, harder Bomber bodies asserted dominance in the key areas of the ground, with the side kicking 8 of the last 11 goals to close the game in a workmanlike manner. In his return game, Tayte Pear's strong display across the backline, keeping Geelong's key position forwards Brown and Bathie to one goal a piece was significant, with Colyer doing his chances of senior selection no harm. For the beaten Cats, Simpkin, Selwood and Schroder (3 goals) contributed gamely throughout.
Bendigo now has the week off while Geelong will look to break their 2011 duck when they travel to Box Hill to tackle the Hawks on Saturday.
Bendigo 20.12.132 def Geelong 13.12.90
Last Modified on 30/05/2011 17:32