The VFL Cats have been defeated by Williamstown on Sunday afternoon, unable to mount a comeback after the Seagulls kicked away early, eventually falling by 26 points at DSV Stadium.

Geelong fought hard in blustery conditions on the road, but a high-scoring first quarter from Williamstown ultimately did the damage, setting up a margin that remained out of reach for the Cats.

In his second game back, Jack Martin (22 disposals, four score involvements) performed strongly in Geelong’s forward line, as did youngster Patrick Retschko (21 disposals, two goals) who worked hard and had a particularly outstanding second quarter.

Geelong's leadership duo of Dan Capiron (16 disposals, eight intercept possessions, four contested marks) and Marcus Herbert (27 disposals, 10 intercept possessions, five tackles) lead the way defensively, building a wall that the Seagulls struggled to penetrate on numerous occasions.

George Stevens also continued his impressive run of form collecting 25 disposals, seven tackles and seven clearances through the middle in another dominant display. 

Geelong shot out of the blocks with Jamieson Ballantyne kicking the first major of the match, but the Seagulls quickly answered back with three unanswered goals to put the Cats on the back foot early. 

Marcus Herbert and Dan Capiron were solid defensively, maintaining composure as they worked tirelessly to limit the flow of entries for Williamstown’s forward line.

Tanner Lewis later found himself in open space leading to a running goal that brought the Cats closer, until another two majors from the Seagulls left Geelong 26 points behind at quarter time. 

The Cats returned from the break and flipped the game in their favour, finding plenty of opportunities to score with Patrick Retschko slamming through two crucial goals for Geelong and closing the margin to 15 points at half time.

Mitch Knevitt and George Stevens used the ball brilliantly through the midfield, moving it efficiently through the corridor as the Cats lead the handball count (+17) at the end of a back-and-forth first half of footy.

Geelong ramped up the intensity in the third quarter but were unable to impact the scoreboard, Ballantyne scoring the Cats only goal of the term while the Seagulls were able to match it with two of their own, leaving Geelong trailing by 18 points entering the final term.

Jhye Clark managed to find plenty of the ball, pushing play forward with five inside 50’s and four score involvements by the end of the third term, contributing to the high-speed movement from the Cats all game.

Geelong's Top Performers | Round 10

Geelong fought ferociously in the final quarter, sending the ball into Ballantyne who kicked his third goal of the game (a VFL career high), but Williamstown again had all the answers with the Cats eventually falling by 26 points.

Joe Pike played an essential role in Geelong’s stoppage game, leading the way with a game-high 39 hit-outs, continuing to show great signs of development in the ruck for the Cats this season.

The VFL Cats return home next week to take on the Gold Coast Suns at GMHBA Stadium on Sunday. 

2025 VFL Season - Round 10

WILLIAMSTOWN        5.8      6.9      8.10     10.14     (74) 
GEELONG CATS         2.0      4.6      5.10      6.12     (48)
 
GOALS
Williamstown: Colenso 3, Petric, Ollington, Noonan, McLaughlin, Ebinger, Downie, Brown 1
Geelong Cats: Ballantyne 3, Retschko 2, Lewis 1

DISPOSALS
Williamstown: Fitzgerald 32, Greiser 31, O'Dwyer 26, Parks, Minton-Connell 22, Toner 20
Geelong Cats: Herbert 27, Stevens 25, Clark 23, Martin 22, Retschko 21, Knevitt 19

@ DSV Stadium, Williamstown