Defence’s big test
Giants’ firepower to test Cats’ overhauled back six
WE all know where Geelong’s Chris Scott sits on the coaching spectrum.
The Cats are a defence first team. And a very good one at that.
Now that’s not to say Scott doesn’t want his team to be attacking, but he certainly favours defensive security over a run-and-gun style of football.
So when Geelong slumped to another loss — its third in a row — against Essendon in Round 8, it was easy to see where Scott would be looking to tune up. Defence.
Jordan Murdoch hinted as much after the crucial win over Collingwood at the MCG last Saturday.
“Our back six, seven has been terrific since we talked about it (the way we defend) mid-year,” Murdoch said. lenge against Geelong’s hardened onball brigade.
“Geelong is a really good contested ball team and a really good footy club and they have been for a long time,” he said.
“Their method around the con-
So what has changed? In short, plenty.
In those opening eight rounds, which saw the Cats win five and lose three, they were one of the easiest to score against, conceding almost 95 points per game.
They also ranked 14th in the competition for opposition scores per inside-50 and points conceded from stoppages.
Yet offensively they were superb, leading the competition for scores from stoppages and ranking third for points scored.
That was flipped on its head after Round 9.
The Cats went from averaging 110.4 points per game to 88.3. The 94.8 points conceded a game was shaved to 77.
They moved from the fifth easiest side to score against once inside 50, to the fifth hardest
And now they are also the third test is really good and they have got big bodies in there, and they tackle (very well). Scotty Selwood is in there and he is an absolute tackling machine and (Sam) Menegola is coming up.
“They have got some really big, hardest team to move the ball against from defensive 50 to inside 50.
In the opening eight rounds they were ranked 15th for that.
They are now the second hardest side to move the ball against from half back to inside 50, after ranking 16th after eight rounds.
Scott’s defensive overhaul has strong bodies so we will have to be at our best around the contest.”
Buchanan said while there was an expectation Greene might cop some heat from the Geelong crowd, the All-Australian would not be fazed by the attention. worked. But it will get another big test against a highly talented GWS Giants at Simonds Stadium tonight.
This is a Giants squad that has some serious firepower in attack.
Jeremy Cameron, Rory Lobb and Jon Patton offer three legitimate key position options, while the fleet-footed Devon Smith, combative Toby Greene and miraculous Steve Johnson all offer their own problems.
The Giants, like the Cats, have had their own injury problems in 2017, but are starting to get a resemblance of a best 22 back on the field.
The stakes couldn’t be higher tonight. The winner is assured a home final, giving them the inside running to progress through to a home preliminary final.
If the Cats can play like the numbers suggest then the Giants are going to have a tough time kicking a winning score. FF Foll Zac Smith Inter Emer In Daniel Menzel