Coach sees areas for improvement after big victory
GEELONG VFLW coach Paul Hood believes his side has significant room for improvement, despite kicking its highest score of the season in a strong win over Casey Demons.
Hood said the rising expectations of his team meant the Cats were far from satisfied with their 41-point win on Saturday, a result that all but secured their place in the finals.
“I thought our contested work was terrific, the girls got back around the footy and won the hard balls all day, which was pleasing,” he said after the win at Queens Park.
“We probably missed a few opportunities to score. We’d like to get a bit better in the attacking end and we probably gave up a couple of goals we’d like to stop, too.
“So, to be thinking like that and not being satisfied with a 10-goal performance is a big step for our team.
“We would have gladly taken 10 goals any week you offered it last year, but we’ve raised the bar a little bit. We’re happy with the win, but we know we can still improve.”
A host of Cats players stood up in front of a healthy Saturday crowd.
Bec Goring was the architect across half-back, repelling the Demons in the air with her intercept work and setting up the Cats’ counter-attacks on the ground.
Madeline Keryk was clean around the ball in the midfield, Jordan Ivey presented well in her second match back from a serious knee injury, Erin Hoare’s decisive hitouts to advantage often gave the Cats first use in the midfield and Richelle Cranston’s kamikaze attack in the midfield continued to give the Cats an edge around the ball.
The Cats have a favourable draw in the run home before a showdown with ladder- leading Hawthorn in the final round of the season.
“We want to win every week. If we do that, then (finals) will take care of itself,” Hood said.
“There’s no point ignoring it (finals talk). We want to be there but we’ve got to worry about what’s in front of us first and if we do that, hopefully we’ll be good enough to play finals footy.”
Emily Ramsay will have scans on an injured hand. Ramsay suffered the injury in the first quarter, battled through until halftime but did not return in the second half.