Unbeaten record continues for Cats
NEERIM-NEERIM SOUTH continued its unbeaten record as the Cats proved too strong for an undermanned Lang Lang.
Missing several key players, the Tigers simply couldn't go with the ladder leaders as they fell to a 18-17 (125) to 7-9 (51) loss, crashing out of the top five in the process.
With leading goal kicker Daniel Lewis sunning himself in far north Queensland, scores would prove hard to come by for the Tigers despite restricting the Cats early through good pressure.
With coach Josh Collie and key play makers Jacob Patullo, Brett Kirkham and Brad Aldwell all out, the Tigers would be up against it.
The battle to qualify for finals is now made harder for Lang Lang, although the Cats also took out some concerns as leading goal kicker Chris Urie took no further part from the second quarter.
Urie returned to the bench in a tracksuit, but pleasingly small forward Luke Kinder stood up to finish with nine majors.
The Tigers stood up early but struggled to score, the Cats scoring first when Justin Lockett waltzed through the forward 50.
Kinder marked and converted as the Cats moved further ahead before a late first quarter charge saw the home side take control.
Goals to Kody Wilson, Isaac Fuller and Lachlan Guy pushed the margin beyond six goals.
Mitchell Tribuzi scored from a free kick for a hold on the siren, but the Cats would continue their charge in the second term.
Lachlan Bambridge found Kinder who sold the dummy to add his third, who backed it up again soon after with a clean gather, turn and go to put through the Cats' eighth.
Liam Hetherington scored from point blank range for the Tigers but it did little to stem the tide, Brock Dorling capitalising on a turnover for the Cats' ninth.
A goal from Bambridge took the margin to 49 points at the long break, Nathan Bayne playing a good game on his birthday with Matthew Edwards also stepping up.
Kinder would add another two goals in the third, his second a superb kick from a 45-degree angle, before the plucky Tigers hit back to see the term finish on level pegging.
Tribuzi ran inside 50 for their third before Sean Dwyer, who had been kept quiet by Cooper Clancy early, capitalised on a turnover for goal of the day.
Joshua Brown, Jesse Hand, Lachlan Barwick and Luke Clark stepped up in a competitive effort from the Tigers.
Their competitive run would come to an end as Cats coach Brent Mounsey reminded his charges they could ill afford to get ahead of themselves, with work still to be done.
Kinder and Bambridge added to their tallies, while Tribuzi put through his third.
Kinder soon had his ninth as the Cats began to look for him, but unfortunately a charge to double figures would ultimately be denied.
The Tigers would add a late consolation goal, a bad bounce going against Alex Johnson as Liam Edgar converted from 25 metres to be rewarded for his hard work in the ruck.