TIGERS COACH HAILS HOT CATS
‘A well-coached, well-drilled outfit’:
RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick has declared Geelong “the best side we’ve played this year” after the Cats’ second-half demolition on Friday night.
The Tigers have played Sydney, Port Adelaide, Melbourne and Western Bulldogs in the first eight weeks of the season but the triple premiership coach labelled the Cats as the benchmark.
Geelong cleared a significant psychological hurdle in the 63-point thrashing, kicking 18 goals to five after quarter-time against its nemesis to score only its second victory over the Tigers in the past seven meetings between the two clubs.
In the three games since Jeremy Cameron’s debut against West Coast in Round 6, the Cats have averaged more disposals (+115), inside-50s (+18), clearances (+13), contested possessions (+34), uncontested possessions (+91), marks (+41) and tackles (+9) than their opposition.
Cameron has kicked 12 goals in his three games in the hoops to show why he was the Geelong’s No 1 recruiting target.
The star forward’s addition has also allowed Gary Rohan to become a focal point in attack.
Rohan has kicked 10 majors in the past three weeks, including an equal careerhigh five against the Tigers.
That equals the best threeweek return for the enigmatic forward during his 150-game career, matching his streak from the early rounds of 2019.
Hardwick said Geelong’s ability to break tackles in the second half — after the Tigers led by as much as 19 points early in the second term — was the difference.
“The (margin) is 10 goals but it’s amazing if you nullify those contests … the game becomes a hell of a lot closer,” Hardwick said. “They’re a well-coached, well-drilled outfit that is probably the best side we’ve played this year.”
Hardwick said the “very, very good” Geelong side was a better team than the one that made last year’s grand final.
“We can see the way they go about their game, they’ve added talent from last year, you add (Shaun) Higgins, you add Isaac Smith, you add Jeremy Cameron, they’re three really good players, so they’ve got better again — we’ve got to catch them,” he said.
Geelong also expects Esava Ratugolea to be fit for Friday night’s match against St Kilda after he was taken to the rooms following a heavy bump.
The Cats said Ratugolea had only suffered a poke in the eye and would be fine to meet the Saints.
But Sam Simpson (hamstring) and Luke Dahlhaus (chest) are both in doubt.
Simpson, in his first game of the season, came from the ground early in the third term and Dahlhaus was wincing in pain following a bump.
Dahlhaus came back on to the ground but quickly returned to the bench and played no further part.
Richmond was missing triple premiership captain Trent Cotchin (hamstring), champion defender Dylan Grimes (concussion) and star on-ballers Kane Lambert (calf) and Dion Prestia (calf).