TIME TO BE DARING, CATS
CAM MOONEY: It’s time for the Cats to unlock their renowned dash and flair
GEELONG champion Cameron Mooney has implored the Cats to play instinctive, attacking footy on Sunday against North Melbourne.
In today’s exclusive column, Mooney urges his former team to take more risks against the Roos and bring the ball into their forward line with more speed and flair.
“Geelong needs to find some dash this week because that is what the best teams are doing in 2021,” Mooney said.
“I won’t care if they win by one point, 10 points or 10 goals. I just want to see the Cats play on instinct, and be daring when they have the footy.
Mooney said the Cats had played uninspiring footy so far in 2021, and had a tough month ahead after the North game, so it was imperative they rediscovered their attacking flair at home where their defence is traditionally water-tight.
GEELONG will beat North Melbourne on Sunday. Famous last words, I know. But let’s be realistic; the Cats might not be flying at the moment, but they should have the young Roos covered.
Plus the game’s here in Geelong.
The last time North came here was in 2019. They finished the game with just one goal — their full score was 1.8 (14) — and that was with Ben Brown in the team.
Geelong has won 19 of 22 games at GMHBA Stadium since 2018, largely because it defends the long, skinny ground so well. The average score the Cats have conceded across those home games is just 59 points per game.
So the hapless Roos are on a hiding to nothing, and because of that it will be difficult to evaluate Geelong’s performance.
Personally, I won’t care if they win by one point, 10 points or 10 goals. I just want to see the Cats play on instinct, and be daring when they have the footy.
Geelong fans know it’s in their club’s DNA to attack, to play with speed and flair, and to score heavily.
From the days of Bobby Davis to Malcolm Blight, then Bomber Thompson and the modern era, the Cats are always at their best when they take the game on.
But more importantly than that, Geelong needs to find some dash this week because that is what the best teams are doing in 2021.
The opening month of the season has shown that leg speed and quick ball movement are more important than ever this year.
Teams have shown they’re willing to open themselves up a bit defensively in a bid to outscore their opponents, and those who’ve invested in youth and speed in recent years — such as Port Adelaide and Sydney — are winning games and playing entertaining footy.
At the moment you couldn’t say that about Geelong.
Under Chris Scott, the Cats have usually found a healthy mix of stingy defence and dangerous ball movement, but right now the latter has deserted them.
They’re playing uninspiring footy, and moving the ball too carefully.
The chip-around style must be soul-destroying for their forwards, and is not going to win big games against the best sides.
With a tough stretch of games coming up after the Kangaroos, this week’s game is the perfect time for the Cats to remind themselves about the rewards of taking the game on.
And they can do that with little fear that North is going to punish them for their mistakes or slice through their defence.
What’s more, Patrick Dangerfield and Gary Rohan should come back into the team, and Jeremy Cameron can’t be too far away.
Any of those inclusions will straighten them up and make them quicker, especially if it frees Jordan Clark and Jack Henry from the forward line where they played against Melbourne last week.
After North, the Cats face West Coast, Sydney, Richmond and St Kilda.
The Eagles will still be depleted and have to come here to Geelong, but the next three opponents all get to play where they are most dangerous — Sydney at the SCG, Richmond at the MCG and St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.
By the end of that month I expect we’ll have a good idea whether Geelong is going to be a contender or a pretender in 2021.
The way the Cats are playing at the moment, it’s conceivable they could lose each of those games and be out of finals contention.
I don’t think that will happen, but there’s no doubt they need to make some changes to the way they’re playing. And it needs to start this week against North Melbourne.