Five things we loved about the weekend's AFL and VFL games …
1. JOEL SELWOOD'S RETURN TO FORM
After spending a week on the sidelines due to suspension, the Cats' inspirational skipper returned to the fray with a dominant performance in the win over Greater Western Sydney in Canberra on Saturday. Selwood was the driving force behind the his team's midfield dominance, finishing with 27 disposals, 14 contested possessions, six clearances, eight tackles and one goal. Selwood was ably assisted by Steven Motlop, who racked up 31 disposals and kicked two goals in a very impressive effort.
2. THE BIG TOMAHAWK FIRING UP
Tom Hawkins was outstanding up forward against the Giants, kicking five goals. It was his greatest haul of the year and took his season's tally to 30. He has also recorded a game-high five marks inside 50, four of which were contested. Up the other end, the Cats' backline was also tremendous, restricting GWS to just six goals.
Watch Tom Hawkins' post-game chat with CatsTV
3. GEELONG'S PRESSURE EARLY ON
Thanks to their relentless pressure on the ball carrier, Chris Scott's men generated 26 points directly from turnovers in the opening term, which was equal to their season average for a whole game. The Cats also won the battle around the clearances, tallying 36 for the game to the Giants' 34. Geelong was even more dominant when it came to centre clearances, winning eight to the Giants' three.
4. NATHAN VARDY AND JOSH COWAN GETTING THROUGH UNSCATHED
The weekend's VFL game against Essendon at Simonds Stadium was a major disappointment when it came to the scoreboard. The Cats took a 35-point lead into the final quarter, only to see the Bombers pile on 7.6 to no score in the last half-hour and make off with a 13-point win. Nevertheless, there were some positives for Geelong to come out of the game, the greatest of them the successful returns of Nathan Vardy and Josh Cowan. Vardy kicked two goals and took some nice marks, while Cowan gathered 11 disposals.
5. MATHEW STOKES' ATTITUDE
It's never easy for a player with a record like Mathew Stokes to be demoted to the VFL. But the two-time AFL premiership player handled the situation with class. He was a star performer in the Cats' VFL loss to Essendon, tallying a game-high game-high 32 disposals, along with five marks and five clearances. “Stokesy’s attitude to the day was first rate," VFL coach Paul Hood said after the game. "I think the young fellas really enjoyed playing with him."
