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Cats manager Chris Scott said he didn’t have a great view of the questionable level paid to Ollie Dempsey that resulted in a goal against the Puppies.
Dempsey was paid the tag and had a photo full in the bag, though the game appeared to have been over the series when he took the capture. His purpose gave Geelong a seven-point result.
Scott otherwise referred back to an earlier time, when a Dempsey aim was rejected due to a jump on the “edge” in the AFL’s assessment centre, the football equivalent of cricket’s Snicko.
” This is questionable, perhaps, but what I may say is I’d like to see the technologies around the border with that shot on goal”, he said.
” Because that target judge was 30 centimetres aside from that. If he doesn’t see or hear that, next something’s wrong. Like, the systems, delight.
” I am prepared to say that, the top tech… show us that it works. Because they’re saying it works off noise.
” The target pitcher’s 30cm away from it. If he doesn’t consider it hit the post – I back him over the tech anyway. And I may have a bit of in knowledge that it doesn’t work that well”.
Scott likewise appeared surprised to get asked a question about Bailey Smith’s knee injury, which the original Bulldog revealed to Fox Footy after the activity.
Scott clarified that Smith himself had shared the information, and therefore asked Cats footy director Andrew Mackie whether he had heard about it.
Scott then said if the trainer and sports director hadn’t known about it, then the injuries couldn’t have been very significant.
But he said Smith may include tried to play with a serious injury, given the situation.
Beaten Bulldogs manager Luke Beveridge has queried a boundary line telephone that resulted in a Melbourne purpose, refused to elaborate on his pre-game verbal fight with Kane Cornes and said his part had chosen not to antagonise past club star Bailey Smith.
In an incident-laced post-match press conference following his side’s 14-point loss to the Cats, Beveridge would not be drawn on footage that appeared to show him trading heated words with Cornes before the game.
” What incident”? Beveridge said to reporters. ” Ultimately, when we come in here, we talk about the game. That’s probably all we’re after, isn’t it?
” If you’re trying to draw up any controversy, I don’t think there was any, so I’ve really got nothing to say.”
When pushed further by Seven reporter Mitch Cleary, Beveridge closed down his press conference.
” I know what you are trying to do, Mitch, and you’re not going to get me to bite, “he said before leaving the room.
Earlier, Beveridge was asked about the free-kick count falling Geelong’s way 26-12 and his thoughts on a decision to pay Geelong forward Ollie Dempsey a mark that looked to be over the boundary line in a tense last quarter. Dempsey followed up with a crucial goal.
” The out-of-bounds-on-the-full one? Critical part of the game. Lots of eyes on it,” Beveridge said.
” Other than that, as I always say, swings and roundabouts, they happen. No one’s sitting in our rooms thinking about the free-kick differential.”
Beveridge said there had never been any intention to target Smith.
” Personalities did not come into it,” Beveridge said”. I didn’t want us to go out there and be distracted.
” There is no point going over the top with a confrontational approach to something that we hadn’t done previously
” It wasn’t going to help. We assess things before the game every week. We say,’ OK, this player here, that player there, they’re probably going to get a bit of the ball ‘.”
Beveridge said the Bulldogs had their hands full with Max Holmes and the Cats ‘ key forwards Jeremy Cameron and Shannon Neale, who booted 10 goals between them.
” We couldn’t clear the ball from those one-on-one areas to resurrect the footy, “he said.
” And they got, you know, too many sort of tap-in goals from those, those long-range plays where we needed to be better at not letting it out the back. We didn’t defend well.”
Cats star Bailey Smith has revealed he had to” jab his shin up “four times, including at half-time, in order to play against his former side.
Smith told Fox Footy that he probably wouldn’t have played if it hadn’t been a match against the Bulldogs.
” I’m glad I got through the game, “he said”. I had to jab my shin up, I reckon, four times, at half-time and then before the game. So got up there somehow.”
The Cats were coming off a five-day break from their thumping win over Port Adelaide last Saturday and Smith said he treated the game against the Dogs like” a final or grand final “in terms of getting up to play despite injury.
Smith didn’t specify what the shin injury was.
He had not been sighted at training on Tuesday, though the Cats said at the time it was a case of resting up on a short turnaround, and he had trained indoors.
Smith also left the track on Wednesday before media were allowed to watch training.
Smith said he hoped to be able to play next week. The Cats have a 10-day break, travelling to Perth to play the Eagles in round 12.
Bailey Smith has made a pointed remark about life at Geelong following their thrilling 14-point win against the Western Bulldogs, saying he relished the freedom at his new club.
” That’s the beauty of the club, is that, you know, they let you be yourself, and probably don’t you try and conform to something you’re not, sort of like previously, previous years,” Smith told Channel Seven after the game.
” So, you know, I’m just grateful that they’re, you know, welcoming me.”
After a near best-on-ground performance against his old club with 33 possessions, Smith said he had felt the pressure leading into the match at GMHBA Stadium.
” I’d be lying if I didn’t, but it’s more sort of excitement, “he said.
” And yeah, I sort of do my meditation each day, just, you know, try being in the present as much as I can, and worry about what I gotta do today, not too much in the future.
” But, yeah, certainly sort of shit myself for this game”.
Smith finished the game with a number of scratches on his body, but revealed that the Bulldogs went with an “almost reverse psychology” approach early in the game by not giving him much attention.
” They didn’t go after me”, he said.
Smith said he loved the challenge of playing against his old club, and praised the time he had spent at Geelong.
” It’s been fun. I’m just so grateful to be able to be like welcomed with, I suppose, open arms after, yeah, a bit of a shit year last year”, he said.
” I’m just grateful, and, yeah, just trying to repay them as best I can, and just, you know, outwork everyone we come up against. So I’m loving it”.
On a night that the Geelong crowd was given free Smith-like headbands to emulate the recruit, the star midfielder wanted to turn attention to a teammate’s milestone.
” I just want to shout out Mitch Duncan. His 300th. I think a lot of the spotlight was on me, which was, you know, pretty unfair for him”, Smith said.
” He’s such a great player, and I just want to give him his credit where it’s where it’s due, 300 games, crazy. I think he’s only the seventh Cat to be able to do it, so we’re gonna go chair him off now”.
Geelong have won the Bailey Smith grudge match to celebrate Mitch Duncan’s 300th game milestone in a thrilling encounter that was closer than the 14-point margin suggested.
The high-profile Cat revealed on Fox Footy he nearly didn’t play because of an issue with his shin, but refused to miss the Bulldogs match, which had been built up on the back of several Smith comments in the lead-in.
” I’m glad it is over and done with. I’m glad I got through the game”, Smith said.
Jeremy Cameron was the difference with six goals and several contentious umpiring decisions that went in Geelong’s favour also helped with the free kick count unbalanced at the end.
However, it was a tough win on a big occasion as Smith faced his former team, without any signs of the rancour present in the build-up.
There were boos but not much more as the 2025 Western Bulldogs showed again they need to be beaten more than once in a match if their opponents want to collect the four points.
They fell 33 points behind, hit the post five times, lost the free kick count 26-12, watched Cameron and Shannon Neale kick 11 goals straight between them, but somehow they were level late in the final quarter.
They had just kept coming, lifting themselves from the canvas after conceding a massive 51 points on turnover in the first half.
The main offender was inexperienced Bulldogs defender Luke Cleary, who could not find a target, which left his team vulnerable to the error-punishing Cats. Mr Bean would have exited the back 50 in his Mini with more care than the Bulldogs during the dead-end quarter.
But in a high-scoring match, the Cats could not establish a big enough lead to bury the Bulldogs.
They hung on by scoring goals within red time at the end of each of the first three quarters as they waited for their engine room of Marcus Bontempelli, Ed Richards and Tom Liberatore to kick into gear.
When they did, the game changed and the Bulldogs came hard. Their momentum was interrupted only by a brilliant three-bounce, goal of the year contender from Max Holmes and an outrageously poor piece of umpiring that gifted Jeremy Cameron a goal.
The pièce de résistance came as the Bulldogs controlled territory and threatened to take the lead.
The Cats made a rare foray forward and Shannon Neale kicked the ball deep into the pocket where Ollie Dempsey marked. The ball appeared to be out of bounds when he marked, but it was paid. The young star went back and kicked a cool major to stretch the lead out beyond a goal.
It was frustrating for the Bulldogs but they had their chances to hit the lead more than once after that and struggled to get ahead, drawing level before Shannon Neale managed to run on to Cameron’s kick inside 50 and kick his fourth goal.
He then kicked the sealer when he was smart enough in the ruck to drag JamesO’Donnell towards him and win a free kick for blocking and it was all over.
Geelong have held on in an entertaining clash against the Bulldogs.
Cats forward Tyson Stengle kicked a late goal in the final minute, and the Bulldogs answered quickly through Matthew Kennedy, but it was all too late. The Cats had held on for a 14-point victory.
The spoils go to Bailey Smith, but not without a scare. Bad kicking cost the Bulldogs.
Smith had a sensational night against his old club, racking up 33 possessions ( 25 kicks and eight handballs ). He was leading disposal winner on the night alongside teammate Max Holmes.
Geelong’s big forwards dominated in a high-scoring game. Jeremy Cameron booted six goals and Shannon Neale nailed five.
Cats 20.7 ( 127 ) defeat Bulldogs 16.17 ( 113 )
The Bulldogs trail by 13 points with two minutes remaining in this game.
They need to get busy.
Another free kick, another Geelong goal.
This one seemed legitimate. Bulldog defender JamesO’Donnell wrestled big Cat Shannon Neale in a ruck contest, but grabbed him around the waist and gave away a free kick.
Neale slotted home his fifth goal. Accuracy is winning the night for Geelong.
Cats 19.5 ( 119 ) lead Bulldogs 15.17 ( 107 ) with three minutes remaining
Geelong are back in front by a goal.
Jeremy Cameron marked in the centre of the ground and wheeled onto the left and went long to Shannon Neale.
The kick cleared his head, but Neale was able to run it down, keep ahead of a pursuing JamesO’Donnell and bang home a 15m goal. That was Neale’s fourth, and Neale and Cameron have 10 between themselves.
The Cats have also activated their sub, bringing on Ted Clohesy for Ollie Henry.
Cats 18.5 ( 113 ) lead Bulldogs 15.17 ( 107 ) with four minutes remaining
