Cats struggle in Adelaide
MELISSA Hickey made a successful return from a knee reconstruction, despite getting just seven touches as the Cats went down to Adelaide.
She played in both the midfield and backline, starting the final term on the ball.
Her stats sheet also included three marks and a tackle.
Rocky Cranston was the Cats’ most prolific player in her first match of 2019, returning from suspension with 12 kicks, six handballs and two tackles, while Maddie Keryk had eight tackles in the midfield, showcasing her two-way running all afternoon.
FLOWING CROWS
The ball movement of both teams proved defining, as the more experienced Crows passed the ball with ease around the ground.
They had 22 shots on goal from 41 inside 50s but more importantly took 12 marks inside their forward arc to the Cats’ two.
Geelong had just eight shots on goal and struggled to generate any clean ball movement forward.
Star key tall Phoebe McWilliams had just seven touches, marking in the dying seconds of the match to finish with a goal, while Maddie Boyd (six disposals) and Kate Darby (five disposals) were also denied supply.
The visitors’ most productive play came late in the third term, as Danielle Orr got on the end of a passage of play along the wing to nail a tight-angle goal on the run, before Darby snapped a second goal in as many minutes after a clean getaway from the centre bounce.
Mia-Rae Clifford was the most damaging forward for the Cats, scoring the Cats’ first major through a holding-the-ball free kick, and then again in the final term, marking out the back before slotting another set shot.
DEFENDERS SHINE
Meghan McDonald would arguably be leading the Cats’ best-and-fairest after three rounds following yet another dominant game in defence.
While experienced Adelaide star Erin Phillips (19 disposals, three goals) proved a handful for the Cats’ backline, McDonald finished with 12 kicks, four handballs and four marks on the last line of defence.
That performance came off the back of a team-high 21 disposals against the Bulldogs last week and 15 touches in arguably a best-afield outing against Collingwood in Round 1.
Back-up ruck Maddy McMahon also showed glimpses of a future in defence with eight kicks, three handballs and five marks, while youngster Georgia Clarke took another step in her development with 11 kicks.
STILL ALIVE
Geelong’s finals hopes remain well and truly intact, despite having won just one of their first three matches.
Three of their last four games will be against teams in their conference, which is proving to be the weaker of the two divisions.
Carlton shapes as a mustwin game this Saturday night at home, while the Cats are also yet to play the winless Giants.
Four wins will probably be enough to finish top two in Conference B, which means the Cats would need to beat both Carlton and GWS and beat at least one of Brisbane or Fremantle to make finals.