R16 - Geelong v Essendon - The Mongrel Review - The Mongrel Punt

It’s Country Round, ladies and gentlemen, and what better way to do it then by having the one team who could call themselves a country side play in the biggest stadium of the second biggest city in the country? Some quality decision-making right there.

In a more meaningful statement, this game presented with extra importance. I’m not totally sold on the Bombers, despite their strong start to the season. They have a fairly easy run home, so will probably make the top eight. But still, there’s something about them I don’t trust.

The Cats are sitting outside the eight but knocking on the door despite a recent run of losses. They’re in a precarious position, not just this year, but also going into the next few. Keep pushing for flags or go for the kids and build towards their next dynasty? A win here and confidence returns, but a loss here sees their chances of 2024 success somewhat diminished and question marks raised.

It’s a very interesting match up between two sides: one on the up and one doing what they can go stay there. Under rains that’d make the farmers happy (If there was a farm nearby) here’s what I saw:

The Cats took a while to adapt

But when they did, they adapted very well. For the first quarter, I wasn’t sure what to make of the Cats’ plan. They handballed too much early, then played too cute for the wet conditions, trying to pull off passes and marks that were hard enough to execute on a good day. Eventually, they started kicking and marking wide, becoming more methodical in their approach with the ball, but willing to scrap when they didn’t have it. After half-time, they lifted and looked like a much more connected team. They varied their movement with thought, pressured well, and did all the basics. A strange start, but they settled into the game nicely.

Conversely, the Bombers

They did very well early to get the ball forward at all costs, whatever way they could. Long bombs, soccering, some nice plays, and some ugly. It was good wet weather footy. I’ve had one complaint about the Bombers for a long time, and it’s that they’ve always been a team of individuals playing for highlights. They’ve not been a side willing to do the dirty work for each other. At the start of this game, the Bombers did all the little things I rarely see them do and they did them well. But, come the second half, the regular Dons were back – looking for the easy kicks and not running hard enough defensively when they needed to.

The second quarter

If the Bombers were going to win this game, they needed to do so in the second quarter. During that period, they dominated possession and territory; about 70% of the quarter was spent in their forward line. Yet, they weren’t able to capitalise. When Geelong did get the ball inside their own 50, they were able to score, albeit it with some luck. A sneaky goal-line flick from Dempsey would’ve kept anyone watching the Euro championships interested. In the end, the Bombers won the quarter, but for their efforts they weren’t able to generate any kind of score board pressure.

The Premiership quarter

Conversely, the third quarter was all Geelong. After half time, the Cats decided to stop the rot and took control of the game. Dominating possession, running the ball across the ground with ease and, unlike the Dons when they had chances, the Cats were able to put damage on the scoreboard, kicking five goals to the Dons’ one. During this quarter, Essendon really dropped their heads, allowing Stengle, Rohan, and Cameron to get involved up forward with way too much space to move in. While happy to run forward, the Bombers’ defensive efforts dropped right off and the Cats found space everywhere. The game opened up, and the Cats pounced.

The umpiring

What didn’t help any resurgence for the Bombers was some of the umpiring that went against them as the Cats got on top. The Dons fans were livid as a probably-correct-call-but-usually-paid arm chop on Draper went unrewarded, then a fairly soft free sent Geelong the other way, to score a goal from a completely correct, but earlier unpaid for the Bombers, rushed behind.

Dangerfield then managed to get away with a throw that, even if the ump was confused about what sport he was refereeing, surely could’ve been called as forward. It just seemed all the 50/50 calls went the way of the Cats. Of course, I am not at all saying this was the cause of the Bombers’ demise, but I did empathise with their fans a little: When nothing is going right, the last thing you want is not to get the frees you maybe deserve. I think in part, it was a fair reason why the Bombers lost their heads a little, and I can’t really blame them, though a different, more mature team might’ve got on with it and tried to control the things they could control.

A fine start for Humphries

Geelong’s Lawson Humphries played his first game in front of a reported 35 friends and family. In fact, they mentioned it being his first game so much, he might as well be called Humphries-Debut. I joke, because it was a good thing they mentioned it a fair bit, as he played such a composed, skilful game, that you could’ve said it was his hundredth and I’d have believed you. He finished with 15 touches off half back, with 300m gained. Nothing inspiring in terms of stats, but I was impressed with the decision-making, skill and run from the first gamer. One to watch for sure.

Caldwell battled hard

Martin and Merrett popped up a lot, but I think Jye Caldwell was probably the player from Essendon that drove most of their game all night. 32 touches is impressive enough, but throw in 12 clearances and an equal number of tackles and you’re putting together a very good game.

Bowes, Dempsey, and Holmes

The 3 Geelong movers combined beautifully all night. They all hit the scoreboard and didn’t just get plenty of it, but used the ball aggressively and well when they did. I particularly liked Holmes’ run from defence. Where others were hacking the ball or looking for safer options, he found the best option and usually did so with pace and precision. Holmes to Bowes to Dempsey to goal. There’s some youth at the Cattery and it all came together tonight

That’s a wrap

Overall, this was a game that’s really hard to describe in a sentence or two. I could write pages and pages and not really capture it as well as I could most other games. The game really had bits of everything: sometimes clean and fast, sometimes scrappy, sometimes Essendon pressing forward in finals type intensity, and at other times, Geelong were dominant, yet seemed to do that kind of casually.

When the game was there to be won, Geelong won it. When someone needed to step up, it was a Geelong player who found the way. Essendon tried early: Stringer and Wright looked set for big games early, but they, like their teammates, disappeared as the Cats took control and asserted their desire to play finals. I’ve not been sold on Essendon this year; I’m less-so now.