Geelong has recorded its most significant victory in season 2012, moving its current winning streak to eight, with a come from behind win against the Casey Scorpions last Sunday as Kane Hunkin reports.
Geelong reversed a 20-point half-time deficit to defeat the league leading Scorpions in a committed away win. While, the Cats move to second on the Peter Jackson VFL ladder, it was the manner and circumstances in which the side won that proved most telling.
With noted contributors Jonathan Simpkin, Orren Stephenson and Jordan Murdoch all in the AFL side, and last week’s leading goal kicker Jordan Schroder on the bench in the last quarter (corked right thigh), Geelong still finished strongly recording win number 12 – and their eighth win in a row.
Casey, coming off an unexpected loss to the Northern Blues, looked to repeat on their round seven win against the Cats. It was again Jack Fitzpatrick who looked most dangerous for the home side. However, with the aid of a breeze, Geelong took a handy four-goal lead into the first change.
A Liam Jurrah goal in the first minute of the second quarter set the tone and proved indicative of the term, with Casey kicking eight goals to one. The Scorpions, through the run of Tom Couch and Jordan Gysberts, gained the ascendency and put distance on the visitors.
Mitch Brown returned to his customary forward line position for the first time in over month as Geelong bridged the gap in the third. Casey’s Leigh Williams was helped off with a right ankle injury and while the Scorpions looked ominous, consecutive goals to Jackson Hollmer and Shannon Byrnes gave Geelong the lead.
With only a collective four goals scored against the breeze to three quarter time, Casey looked favourable in the last term. But it was Geelong, due largely to Shane Kersten (five goals), who continued with the momentum on their way to a 14-point win.
After the game, Geelong coach Matthew Knights observed the significance of the win, affirming the victory as one of the club’s best in 2012.
“[It ranks] possibly the best out of all eight [games]. To be 20 points down, away from home, playing the top team, it’s a great comeback in the second half. There have been many good wins in the past eight weeks, but this is probably as good as any of them in the grand scheme of the season,” Knights said.
Knights noted that the poor second quarter was due largely to the “speed” of Casey’s ball movement, equally citing his side’s ability to reverse the decline.
“The speed and the way Casey were able to move the ball forward in the second quarter really put the defence under pressure. And sometimes we could’ve defended better. But, when the ball’s coming in quick with a three-goal breeze it is really hard to defend at times.
“That’s something we spoke about at half-time to just make sure we gave the defenders a little bit more support and get the ball going our way a little bit more. And, I thought the midfield certainly took that on board in the third and fourth quarter,” he said.
Kersten, Hollmer (three goals) and Jesse Stringer were among the best for the Cats, with second gamer Mark Blicavs kicking three majors after half-time. “In the second half, he [Mark] really got into the groove and he got a reward of kicking a couple of goals,” Knights said.
Casey’s Fitzpatrick (five goals), Couch and Gysberts were the standouts in defeat.
Geelong return home this Saturday to take on Coburg, while Casey will look to return to the winners list when they take on Collingwood at Victoria Park also on Saturday.
Geelong 16.13.109 d Casey Scorpions 14.11.95
Photo: Arj Giese
Last Modified on 13/08/2012 17:16