GREATER Western Sydney has blown away Geelong off the back of an Aaron Cadman goal blitz to rubber stamp its finals credentials with a 26-point triumph at Engie Stadium.
There was little to separate the pair of top-four contenders in a see-sawing contest until Cadman turned the game with four goals in the third term that set up the Giants’ 17.9 (111) to 13.7 (85) victory over the Cats on Saturday.
The 21-year-old picked up where he left off with a mark and long bomb from outside 50m at the start of the final term, before the Giants pulled away for their fourth win in a row against the Cats.
While the Giants’ all-time leading goalkicker Jeremy Cameron was standing at the other end now wearing Cats colours and limited by a groin concern, Cadman gave his side an exciting glimpse into the future.
The Giants’ emerging key forward flew for marks, booted goals from set shots or snaps, and was simply too hot for even Tom Stewart to handle as he finished with a career-high haul of six goals.
In more promising signs for the Giants as they took a huge step towards the finals, Cadman has now booted multiple majors in six of his past seven matches, while Jake Stringer turned back the clock with three critical goals before the main break.
The Giants gave their opposition a head start for the third time in as many matches on their home turf until their onball brigade got on top at the stoppages with ruck Kieren Briggs leading the way.
Tom Green was clean at the coalface as he gathered 24 disposals with 16 contested, as well as seven clearances to lead the way as the Giants took control, and young gun Harry Rowston also found plenty of the ball.
Finn Callaghan (29 disposals, nine clearances) added a touch of class and outside run for the Giants while helping to open up the Cats with 535 metres gained, while Lachie Whitfield celebrated his 250th match in style with a game-high 32 touches.
Cameron was playing his 100th game for the Cats and first at the Giants’ home ground since switching clubs at the end of 2020, and quickly looked at home with a crunching tackle on Whitfield and goal in the opening five minutes.
But the 32-year-old could not add to his goal tally as he spent considerable time on the sidelines getting treatment on a groin issue and had little further impact on the game.
With Cameron out of sorts it was left to the Cats’ own young key forward Shannon Neale to make his mark with an equal career-high five goals as his straight kicking from set shots looms as a weapon on the run home and beyond.
Bailey Smith gathered 26 disposals without quite having his usual influence, Gryan Miers (22) did plenty of damage with each possession, and Stewart (29) showed signs of rediscovering his touch.
But the Cats paid the price for being beaten up at the contest and there is much work to be done as they prepare to fine-tune for a likely finals campaign with six matches against teams in the bottom half of the ladder to come.
Giants sour Cameron’s Showgrounds homecoming
Jeremy Cameron gave the Giants an early reminder of what they have been missing since he left for the Cats before the 2021 season, as he wrapped up milestone man Lachie Whitfield in a tackle then slotted the free kick within five minutes of the opening bounce. The 32-year-old is still the Giants’ all-time leading goalkicker after booting 427 majors for the club but had little further influence on his first game back at the Showgrounds. Cameron finished with only five disposals and could only add two behinds as he was hampered by a groin issue while Aaron Cadman turned the contest at the other end.
Jones goes alone after beating a pair of Cats
Darcy Jones regularly lit up the Showgrounds when burning off Cats in open spaces but saved some of his best work for in close and deep in the forward half. The Giants speedster was at the feet of the tall timber as Cats defenders punched a long bomb away towards the boundary line where Jones was the quickest to pounce. With Jack Martin all but hanging off him and Mark O’Connor also in the contest, Jones kept the ball moving forward, was spun around then gathered just in time to get a banana away for a team-lifting solo goal out of nothing.
Neale nails tricky drop punt to make most of close call
The Giants were threatening to pull away after a six-goal blitz when Brad Close had Shannon Neale alone in space inside the Cats’ forward 50 on the cusp of the main break. The usually reliable Close fluffed his lines as his kick sailed off the side of his boot and near the boundary line. With the umpire perfectly placed to decide whether all the ball crossed the line, the mark was paid but with Neale having plenty of work left to do. Even from a tight angle that would have had many forwards choosing to snap, Neale backed his routine and set shot with a dead-straight drop punt that helped pull the Cats back into the contest.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 2.1 7.5 12.8 17.9 (111)
GEELONG 4.2 6.5 8.7 13.7 (85)
GOALS
Greater Western Sydney: Cadman 6, Stringer 4, Greene 2, Riccardi, Jones, Hogan, Brown, Bedford
Geelong: Neale 5, Miers, Mannagh, Holmes, Henry, Dempsey, Close, Cameron, Bowes
BEST
Greater Western Sydney: Cadman, Callaghan, Whitfield, Green, Briggs, Ash, Stringer
Geelong: Neale, Miers, Stewart, Smith, Dempsey
INJURIES
Greater Western Sydney: Nil
Geelong: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Greater Western Sydney: Harvey Thomas (replaced Jesse Hogan in the fourth quarter)
Geelong: Ollie Henry (replaced George Stevens in the third quarter)
Crowd: TBC at Engie Stadium
