AFL round 11 match review: Geelong v. Adelaide at Geelong

Geelong’s up-then-down-then-up-again season rolled on Friday night at Kardinia Park, where the Adelaide Crows were the next side to feel the wrath of Chris Scott’s men, losing both the match and their place at the top of the ladder (thanks to Greater Western Sydney’s win over Essendon at Homebush the following day).

The match witnessed another fine performance from ‘Dangerwood’: 35 disposals and 21 contested possessions for the Bendigoan, 31 disposals for the ex-Crow. But it was just as much about Scott Selwood keeping Rory Sloane to 22 disposals and Zach Tuohy keeping Eddie Betts to the one goal.

The Cats won the first quarter three goals to two, the biggest story being the Rory Sloane benching saga: Adelaide’s star midfielder found himself on the pine for over eight minutes, unable to convince a teammate to switch places. Patrick Dangerfield kicked the first major of each of the first two terms, and Tom Hawkins’ first goal in his 200^th game put Geelong 23 points up early in the second quarter.

Adelaide got to within ten points midway through the quarter, but it was Nakia Cockatoo who summed up Geelong’s dominance with a magnificent stiff-arm on Charlie Cameron as he galloped along the wing. A mélée of sorts developed in the centre square shortly before half-time, and Hawkins’ jumper-punch on Matt Crouch was the only dampener for the Cats as they led by 29 at the main break.

Two consecutive goals, a mid-air soccer from Daniel Menzel and a set shot following a strong lead by Dangerfield, put the result more or less beyond doubt. The crowd waited until nearly three-quarter time for the obligatory taste of Eddie Betts magic, but Menzel’s snap in the goal square early in the last quarter sealed it for the hosts.

Twelve consecutive inside fifties came too late for the Crows: the third, and so far the biggest, big-name side in successive weeks to be outclassed in Sleepy Hollow. By winning the contested possession count 164 to 130 and by neutering Sloane, Geelong exposed their opponents as pretenders.

Geelong 13.18.96 (Dangerfield 3, Menzel 3, Hawkins 2, Taylor 2, Motlop, Parsons, Selwood) – Adelaide 10.14.74 (Walker 3, Jenkins 2, Lynch 2, Betts, Cameron, Otten)

State of Origin 1 match review: Queensland v. New South Wales at Brisbane

For the first time in some years, New South Wales went to Lang Park as favourites ($1.85 to $2.00 according to that modern Shakespeare, Joel ‘Sugar’ Caine from Sportsbet). A Queensland side with no Thurston, Slater, or Inglis (but still so scarily good that Hunt, Holmes, and Cherry-Evans couldn’t crack into it) signalled a fresh start for the concept. In other words, New South Wales Might Actually Have A Chance This Year.

But in the end, the result was never really in doubt. Sure, Queensland nearly scored the first try only for Corey Oates to lose control of the ball, and they kept New South Wales from holding more than a two-point lead until half a minute short of the break, but the Blues played with a swagger not seen for some years.

After James Maloney opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a try under the posts, the combatants put on display of near-perfect rugby league: both sides were garnering an equal share of possession and registering a 100% completion rate until late in the half. The first uses of the bench came earlier than normal, and Dane Gagai looked the most dangerous Maroon, his run around the 35-minute mark setting up Cooper Cronk’s cross-field kick which led to Oates scoring the hosts’ only try.

Another line break and easily-converted try, this time grounded by Mitchell Pearce off the back of a brilliant Andrew Fifita run, put i azzurri comfortably ahead going into half-time.

The men from the Premier State kept up the pressure in the second half: Cronk was called upon to bat a ball over the dead-ball line, then a series of head clashes put both Pearce and Origin débutant Anthony Milford in the head bin. Cameron Smith’s why’d-he-do-that decision to go short on a goal-line drop-out ended with James Tedesco over for New South Wales’ third try, and the fourth came courtesy of Fifita’s tenth tackle break following a Queensland error.

The visitors’ fifth try came on the hour mark, resulting from a line break by Jarryd Hayne, but by then it was all over. Not just the contest, but a decade of the Maroons being simply too good.

Waking up the next morning, for the first time in a long time, it felt good to be a New South Welshman.

CATTLEDOG!

Queensland 4 (Oates try; Smith 0/1 conv.) – New South Wales 28 (Fifita, Hayne, Maloney, Pearce, Tedesco tries; Maloney 4/5 convs.)