1. Carnage at Optus Stadium
Geelong finished this match with just one fit player on the bench after losing Gary Ablett, Nakia Cockatoo and Cam Guthrie to match-ending injuries. Given his history with soft-tissue concerns, it seemed only a matter of time before Ablett’s troublesome hamstring succumbed. Running ahead of the pack to collect a loose ball, the 33-year-old pulled up short, immediately turned towards the interchange bench and left for the change rooms in the hands of trainers. Guthrie’s right ankle was twisted in a Jamie Cripps tackle early in the second quarter. The defender was also assisted off the field by club medicos and re-emerged on crutches. Cockatoo’s injury – a sore knee – remains more of a mystery. The 21-year-old limped off the ground in the third quarter and didn’t re-emerge onto the playing field. Meanwhile for West Coast, Liam Ryan was carried to the bench by trainers with five minutes remaining. Vision showed his ankle falling underneath his body after kicking a crucial goal.
WATCH: Ablett hamstring goes ping
2. Cats fight hard with tweaked ruck setup
With Rhys Stanley’s late omission and no tall timber among the emergencies, Geelong effectively conceded defeat in the ruck before the ball was even bounced. Ex-Eagle Scott Selwood came in to strengthen the visitors’ grunt at ground level, while athletic big men Esava Ratugolea and Mark Blicavs battled it out against Nic Naitanui and Scott Lycett. The results produced a mixed bag. When Geelong relied on the inexperience duo for clearances, things fell West Coast’s way. However, when the focus shifted to the Eagles’ tap work, Ratugolea in particular looked dangerous. The 19-year-old is a wrecking ball in the contest and boasts athleticism rivalling most. It’ll be hard to settle on a position for the big man when the Cats are at full strength, considering the promise he displayed as a forward before Sunday.
EAGLES STORM HOME: Full match coverage and stats
3. Dangerwoodlett doesn’t have to fire on all cylinders
They took a while to get going, but Gary Ablett and Patrick Dangerfield were devastating when they did. Trailing by 32 points at half time, the marquee pair turned their attention to roving the Eagles’ taps and put on an absolute clinic. Dangerfield racked up 11 disposals and six contested possessions in a scintillating third quarter and didn’t slow down thereafter. The 2016 Brownlow medallist was unstoppable out of the centre square and brought influential forward Tom Hawkins into the game, finished with 33 possessions and eight clearances. Meanwhile, Ablett went about his business racking up touches on the outside – a luxury seldom afforded in his decorated career. The pair were shaping as match-winning figures, before Ablett pinged his hamstring early in the final term. The 33-year-old’s absence left Geelong with a mountain too great to climb, and West Coast capitalised. Cats skipper Joel Selwood was the quietest of his team's feted trio, with just 21 disposals.
WATCH: Kelly slots a classy goal
4. Eagles test out life after Kennedy
The Eagles spearhead is one of the best in the game, but there is something about West Coast’s forward line without Josh Kennedy as its focal point. Adam Simpson’s men looked dynamic, energetic and unpredictable against the Cats – a stark contrast to the one-dimensional and lethargic outfit that showed up throughout stages of 2017. Led by Jack Darling – an unconventional key forward in his own right – the Eagles are tackling with hunger, entering their forward 50 with purpose and look dangerous in the air and on the ground. Aided by the rejuvenation of Mark LeCras and the emergence of Liam Ryan and Willie Rioli, Kennedy will be returning to a far more functional forward setup. The only question is when that return will be.
WATCH: LeCras ends the contest
5. Flyin' Ryan grounded late
The spring-heeled small forward’s stocks are rising with each game. Every week we see something new from Liam Ryan. Against the Bulldogs it was his aerial prowess – on display regularly in the WAFL but not at AFL level – while against the Cats he showed a lightning turn of pace and clever positioning exiting defence. Ryan is also taking more time to consider when and when not to fly at packs, and looks set to become a genuine threat at ground level as well as in the air. That’s without mentioning the 21-year-old's penchant for standing up in big moments. Take the match-winning goal he kicked with five minutes left on the clock to ice the Cats. 'Leaping Liam' finished with 12 possessions and three goals. Let’s hope his final-quarter ankle injury isn’t as serious as it first appeared.
