‘My complete Cats’

GEELONG coach Chris Scott has described last night’s 61point win over perennial preliminary finalist GWS Giants as “complete”, lauding his side’s leaders for stepping up.

The Cats were clinical in a 14.9 (93) to 4.8 (32) win at GMHBA Stadium, responding from a disappointing fade-out to Sydney at the same ground a week earlier.

Scott hopes “common sense” prevails amid concerns Tom Hawkins could face sanction for making contact with an umpire. After conceding a 50m penalty, Hawkins pushed umpire Dean Margetts’ arm away — a reaction that will warrant a close look by match review officer Michael Christian.

“In the contest I was obviously late to the ball, played the free kick in, 50m against me,” explained Hawkins.

“I actually thought initially it was an opposition hand, so didn’t mean to make any contact . . . apologised to him after. Yeah, obviously accidental.”

Asked about the incident, Scott said: “The umpire was really clear that it didn’t even warrant a further 50 (metre penalty). If he had a problem with it he would have paid another 50,” Scott said.

“Common sense should take over at some point.”

Scott was quick to point out his senior players’ failings in the wash-up of the Swans loss, but said that experience was “instrumental” in last night’s victory.

“The last quarter last week was disappointing and I think the part from our coaching group that we were most pleased with was our senior players were disappointed in their performance in some of the fundamentals last week and were determined to turn it around,” he said.

“They were instrumental in the planning and the preparation for this week, and they are in our system generally, but it was taken to an extra level this week.

“I came to the ground with great confidence because when our senior players have that attitude, they generally deliver.”

The one-two combination of Tom Hawkins and Esava Ratugolea continues to develop, with the pair sharing in six goals and 11 marks between them, but Scott said the Cats were still to decide on the ideal mix.

He said of Ratugolea: “For a ruckman-sized player, who can jump and mark the ball or at least compete, to be an asset at ground level it gives you some options in there.

“Clearly if Daniel Menzel was available we’d be playing him, along with (Nakia) Cockatoo and Lincoln McCarthy, maybe a couple of others.

“But that best look is getting harder to work through because we’ve got some players that are really standing up at the moment.”