TonyK
Tash Jayasinghe
CibbuanoCats demolish Blues
May 31st 2008 13:58
GEELONG has returned to the winner's list in emphatic fashion with a 56-point demolition of Carlton at Telstra Dome on Saturday night.
The Cats, who were thumped to the tune of 86 points by Collingwood last weekend, slammed on 12 goals to six after the main break to cruise to a 19.19 (133) to 12.5 (77) win.
The victory puts the reigning premier back on top of the ladder - following Hawthorn's loss to the Western Bulldogs earlier in the day
Geelong dominated in the middle, with Mark Blake and Brad Ottens - playing in his first match since last year's Grand Final after overcoming a tear in the plantar fascia ligament in his foot - combining for 53 hit-outs.
Joel Corey racked up a game-high 34 possessions, and received good support from Gary Ablett Jnr and Brownlow medallist James Bartel, who collected 32 and 28 disposals respectively.
Up forward, Steve Johnson showed his class with 29 disposals and five goals, while Mathew Stokes and Shannon Byrnes chimed in with four and three goals respectively
Tom Lonergan, a late replacement for the injured Cameron Mooney booted two goals in his first AFL match since he had a kidney removed, after he was crunched in a bump in a game late in 2006.
For Carlton, skipper Chris Judd was busy in the middle with 28 possessions and one goal, while Andrew Carrazzo and Nick Stevens tried hard all night, racking up 29 and 26 disposals respectively.
Key forward Brendon Fevola booted three goals, but was starved of opportunities in the second half, while youngster Dennis Armfield was impressive on debut with 23 disposals.
The Blues started well with Judd scoring the first goal but it was Geelong who dominated the opening term, with nine scoring shots to four.
But the Cats failed to make the most of their opportunities in front of goal, booting a wasteful 2.7. Lonergan was the main culprit with three behinds as the Cats took a five-point lead into quarter-time.
Johnson snapped a nice goal to start the second term, but goals to Fevola and Cameron Cloke saw the Blues regain the lead.
Judd had a chance to put his team seven points clear midway through the second term but failed to convert.
His miss proved to be costly as the Cats slammed on three consecutive goals to take a handy 17-point lead into the main break.
Geelong stamped their authority on the contest in the third term, applying immense pressure all over the ground as they restricted the Blues to just one behind for the term.
The Cats slammed on six unanswered goals in the premiership quarter to take a match-winning 56-point lead into the final change.
Geelong looked on course for a 100-point plus win when Bartel goaled inside the first minute of the final term, but the Blues held their own in the final stanza, booting the last three goals of the match to add some respectability to the scoreboard.
GEELONG: 2.7, 7.10, 13.18, 19.19 (133)
CARLTON: 2.2, 6.3, 6.4, 12.5 (77)
GOALS: Geelong: S Johnson 5, Stokes 4, Byrnes 3, Lonergan 2, Rooke, Milburn, Mackie, Bartel, Varcoe
Carlton: Fevola 3, Betts 2, Gibbs 2, Judd, Cloke, Scotland, Stevens, Wiggins
BEST: Geelong: S Johnson, Ablett, Corey, Stokes, Bartel, Milburn
Carlton: Judd, Scotland, Simpson, Stevens, Armfield
INJURIES: Geelong: Nil
Carlton: Bower (shoulder)
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: C Mooney (Geelong) replaced in selected side by T Lonergan
UMPIRES: Farmer, Ryan, Avon
CROWD: 46,231 at Telstra Dome
The Cats, who were thumped to the tune of 86 points by Collingwood last weekend, slammed on 12 goals to six after the main break to cruise to a 19.19 (133) to 12.5 (77) win.
The victory puts the reigning premier back on top of the ladder - following Hawthorn's loss to the Western Bulldogs earlier in the day
Geelong dominated in the middle, with Mark Blake and Brad Ottens - playing in his first match since last year's Grand Final after overcoming a tear in the plantar fascia ligament in his foot - combining for 53 hit-outs.
Joel Corey racked up a game-high 34 possessions, and received good support from Gary Ablett Jnr and Brownlow medallist James Bartel, who collected 32 and 28 disposals respectively.
Up forward, Steve Johnson showed his class with 29 disposals and five goals, while Mathew Stokes and Shannon Byrnes chimed in with four and three goals respectively
Tom Lonergan, a late replacement for the injured Cameron Mooney booted two goals in his first AFL match since he had a kidney removed, after he was crunched in a bump in a game late in 2006.
For Carlton, skipper Chris Judd was busy in the middle with 28 possessions and one goal, while Andrew Carrazzo and Nick Stevens tried hard all night, racking up 29 and 26 disposals respectively.
Key forward Brendon Fevola booted three goals, but was starved of opportunities in the second half, while youngster Dennis Armfield was impressive on debut with 23 disposals.
The Blues started well with Judd scoring the first goal but it was Geelong who dominated the opening term, with nine scoring shots to four.
But the Cats failed to make the most of their opportunities in front of goal, booting a wasteful 2.7. Lonergan was the main culprit with three behinds as the Cats took a five-point lead into quarter-time.
Johnson snapped a nice goal to start the second term, but goals to Fevola and Cameron Cloke saw the Blues regain the lead.
Judd had a chance to put his team seven points clear midway through the second term but failed to convert.
His miss proved to be costly as the Cats slammed on three consecutive goals to take a handy 17-point lead into the main break.
Geelong stamped their authority on the contest in the third term, applying immense pressure all over the ground as they restricted the Blues to just one behind for the term.
The Cats slammed on six unanswered goals in the premiership quarter to take a match-winning 56-point lead into the final change.
Geelong looked on course for a 100-point plus win when Bartel goaled inside the first minute of the final term, but the Blues held their own in the final stanza, booting the last three goals of the match to add some respectability to the scoreboard.
GEELONG: 2.7, 7.10, 13.18, 19.19 (133)
CARLTON: 2.2, 6.3, 6.4, 12.5 (77)
GOALS: Geelong: S Johnson 5, Stokes 4, Byrnes 3, Lonergan 2, Rooke, Milburn, Mackie, Bartel, Varcoe
Carlton: Fevola 3, Betts 2, Gibbs 2, Judd, Cloke, Scotland, Stevens, Wiggins
BEST: Geelong: S Johnson, Ablett, Corey, Stokes, Bartel, Milburn
Carlton: Judd, Scotland, Simpson, Stevens, Armfield
INJURIES: Geelong: Nil
Carlton: Bower (shoulder)
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: C Mooney (Geelong) replaced in selected side by T Lonergan
UMPIRES: Farmer, Ryan, Avon
CROWD: 46,231 at Telstra Dome
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