Cats bombed out of flag contention

Essendon   107 defeated Geelong   94

Lack of commitment and inefficiency with the ball has seen Geelong’s premiership hopes dashed after losing by 13 points to Essendon at Telstra Dome tonight.

Trailing narrowly after the first and second changes, Essendon’s direct style of play and conversion in front of goal – in contrast to Geelong’s misuse of the ball both around the ground and in front of goal – brought them back into the game, with Scott Lucas and captain James Hird proving the difference in the third and fourth terms respectively.

The Bombers kicked six goals to three in the third quarter and outscored the Cats in the final stanza to send the Cats’ premiership hopes in a nosedive.

With Lucas kicking six goals (four of them in a dominant third-term performance), Matthew Lloyd three, and Hird slotting two goals in the final term to seal the game, the Bombers didn’t lack firepower up forward.

Cameron Ling was Geelong’s best, working hard around the ground to pick up 27 possessions and nine marks, while Kent Kingsley was the Cats’ sole forward focus, kicking three goals but struggling to have an impact when the game was in the balance due to Dustin Fletcher’s defensive efforts.

Essendon star Adam McPhee’s seemingly constant battle for fitness was struck another blow, with the All-Australian a late exclusion for young winger Jason Winderlich.

After a boring lull for the opening five minutes – and an uncharacteristic missed set shot from Hird that went out of bounds on the full – it was Geelong who struck first through James Bartel, but Lloyd soon responded for the Bombers.

It was goal-for-goal for the rest of the term, but Kingsley’s goal from the goal-square in the closing minutes gave Geelong an eight-point advantage at the first change.

Essendon booted three of the first four goals in the second quarter to take a nine-point lead, but the Cats kicked the last three majors of the term – including a tough set-shot from the boundary line that tested Kingley’s oft-questioned kicking ability – to take their eight-point lead from quarter-time into half-time.

A scuffle followed Jason Johnson’s missed shot after the siren, and seemed to add some life to the contest. Dean Solomon had his jumper severely ripped in the fracas, while Damien Peverill had Ling in a headlock as Bartel flew the flag before the players peeled off to the changerooms.

Geelong’s Joel Corey had 18 disposals up to half-time, including 11 in the second term, while captain Steven King was productive in the ruck with 16 hit outs and 11 possessions.

For the Bombers, Brent Stanton had eight possessions and a goal to his name, while Lloyd and Lucas had two goals each.

If the first half was passionless and laborious, the half-time kerfuffle must have sparked something in both sides as an exciting third term was played.

David Hille kicked the opening goal of the quarter, but Geelong replied with the next two through Paul Chapman (whose job was made easier by a stupid 50-metre penalty conceded by Solomon) and Brad Ottens to stretch the margin out to 14 points.

But suddenly Essendon jumped to life. Five goals later – four of them to a rampaging Lucas, including a monster from the centre square – and the Bombers had the run and a 14-point advantage while Geelong was wasting their opportunities by over-possessing in midfield and not converting in front of goal.

Veteran Peter Riccardi kicked a much-needed goal late in the term for Geelong to break the momentum and give the under-siege Cats some hope as they trailed by seven points at three-quarter-time.

While Essendon didn’t have much to play for, Geelong had respect and a top four spot in mind. So it was surprising to see the Bombers fiercer at the ball and make more of their chances to this point of the game – the highly-rated Cats had one quarter to reverse the trend and prove their premiership credentials.

But while King was on the pine for the Cats, his opposite number Hird was winning the game for his side.

The champion Bomber read the ball from a ball-up in front of his goals to snap his first, before kicking a measured second major to seal the game.

Lloyd added his third to take the margin out to 26 points, but late goals to Gary Ablett and Darren Milburn made the final score more respectable for Geelong, as respectable as a deserved defeat by an also-ran can be.

Next week, Essendon will host Sydney at Telstra Dome on Saturday night, while Geelong faces St Kilda next Friday night at Telstra Dome in what is a very important match in shaping the Cats’ season.

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