Latest news with #GeelongCats
ABC News
10-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Why the Cats are in the hunt for the AFL flag in the 2025 season
The ordinary cycle of football teams sees them rise and fall in fortune, stopping at different rungs on the ladder. Since Chris Scott took over as Geelong coach, the lower rungs have been almost ignored in total. It's a run that's rarely been approached in the history of the league. Under Scott, finals have been an almost certainty for the Cats. Last week, Scott — a two-time premiership coach — marked his 350th match in charge of the club, with 237 of those ending in victory. For Scott, the milestone itself was less important than the connections he has made along the way. "It's nice. It's not my thing really," Scott told reporters. "I guess it's a nice acknowledgement that I've been around, and I really do appreciate the support of not just the Geelong footy club, but the Geelong people." Geelong sits poised to play a major role in the premiership race yet again. Its march back up the ladder has been driven not only by stars, both young and old, but also the chameleon-like techniques of the man in charge of the whiteboard. Like he tends to do, Scott has shifted the way the Cats play in 2025 to be different from the 2022 premiership side. While the premiership cup might not sit at Kardina Park right now, the Cats will likely have a large say in who takes it home in September. Media commentators, ex-players and fans have long acclaimed Scott as a tactical mastermind. His name often comes up when the most strategic coaches of the modern era are discussed. But Scott himself is usually reluctant to discuss his actual on-field strategy. When ABC Sport tried to ask about his approach after Geelong's loss to Brisbane two weeks ago, Scott was clear about his secrecy. "In terms of the way we try to play … I don't talk about our tactics that much or the way we play," Scott said. "Other coaches do, but I prefer to keep those things a little bit more to myself." Other coaches have been a little more forthcoming about some of the challenges in facing the Cats. "They are certainly a team that can shift the ball, they're also a very powerful go-forward team with speed, so you know they can do it multiple ways," Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said after his side's round-four loss to Geelong earlier this year. This malleability is at the heart of the Cats' success this year. They switch up the speed at which they move the ball on a week-to-week basis as much as any other team. The Cats can shift modes with ease and possess several core elements designed to put opposition sides off their game. Against the Demons, they racked up 165 marks, with 148 of them uncontested. When they faced Adelaide the next week, the Cats only took 73 marks total. Both matches ended in Geelong wins. There are too many moving parts in the modern game to break down all the elements, and too many small parts that impact the wider game. Instead, it's worthwhile focusing on a couple of the more important parts. Despite Scott's stonewalling around tactics, he sometimes reveals a little behind the curtain. In round nine, Geelong started the match with Coleman Medal leader Jeremy Cameron in the centre square. "We started Smith out on the wing, Cameron in [the centre bounce]," Scott said. "I'm not saying it shouldn't have been Cameron in because that was, you know, that was one of those things where I thought it was a very high probability of it working." That assessment of potential success is telling. Cameron has been thrust into the middle before, but perhaps not in as prominent a role. Geelong also famously relied on a two-ruck approach at centre bounces in its charge to the 2022 flag, with the roles of Mark Blicavs and Rhys Stanley creating mismatches for opposition sides. Playing the percentages — and understanding when the percentages change — is a key to the success of the Cats in recent years. That first passage of play in the game saw Cameron matched up with Finn Callaghan, before the Giants switched the smaller Lachie Ash onto him. That's the sort of match-up Scott would want for his talisman. While the centre-square experiment didn't ultimately work for Cameron and the Cats, it did point to another clear difference to how the team sets up. Tall forwards sometimes lurk higher up the ground, but often as an outlet for packs and taking contested marks. Not Cameron. Of his 25 marks taken beyond halfway, all of them are uncontested. He doesn't spoil much either, with his 0.4 spoils per match the lowest for any of the top 20 goal-kicking key forwards this year. Instead, Geelong uses Cameron as a link option up the ground, testing whichever opponent is unlucky enough to be tasked to run near him. Cameron's forays up ground force defences into a conundrum — either switching and giving up a size differential, or moving a key defender away from the back half and making cover defence harder. There's no right answer and whatever is chosen can shift the opposition side out of shape. Cameron isn't the only tall that Scott uses higher up the ground. Both Shannon Neale and Oliver Henry loiter very high for traditional tall forwards, often creating mismatches or exceptional amounts of space for their other forwards inside 50. All three are good ball users to boot. Tellingly — although the Cats are first for marks inside 50 — they have only one individual player inside the top 20 (Cameron). Against sides with weaker tall defenders, the Cats' talls tend to sit deeper, and against stronger defences, they try to create more mismatches. It's a predictably unpredictable approach. This approach resembles Brisbane's recent forward set-ups, which is a clear nod to the influence of the reigning premiers. It isn't the only way that the Cats have seemingly shifted their core philosophy towards the Lions. As alluded to above, not everything shifts on a week-to-week basis. There are some facets of their game that seem present from week-to-week that have helped to shape the identity of this version of the Cats. Most prominently, this includes their devotion to using the ball by foot. The Cats have the biggest share of kicks as a share of total disposals so far this year. In a related measure, they also have the second most marks of any side. The only side with more marks is Brisbane. There's one area that this use by foot stands out in particular: at the coalface. The Cats generate the second most ruck contests per game this year (behind the Suns), and have the second-best scoring differential from stoppage (behind the Bulldogs). This has been a focus of their game. The first disposal from stoppage is often hard to get away, with space at a premium. This year the Cats have been the side to utilise the kick immediately from non-centre bounce stoppages more than any other. At the same time, they force opposition sides to handball. This is a clear sign of the priority that territory plays in the current Geelong system. A clean kick is better than a clean handball, and a messy kick better than a messy handball. Geelong looks to position effectively at the second contest to make best use of quick kicks and half-chances. The Cats' defensive set-ups around the contest have long been the envy of the league and at post-bounce stoppages they often draw in extra defensive-minded players around the clinches. Instead of a heavy ball-winning focus, they prioritise quality exits and opportunities forward. Players like Tom Atkins and Mark O'Connor are critical to this balance. It allows them to deploy Max Holmes and Bailey Smith in more attacking roles with a freer licence. When they lose the clearance, the Cats' deeper defence is still holding up relatively well. Despite the Cats' outstanding knack in winning games through the season under Scott, some have criticised the Cats' ability to win finals under his reign. While Scott has the biggest differential between home-and-away and finals' win percentage, a slide is not uncommon. Jock McHale — the most decorated pre-World War II coach — had a similar finals' win percentage but seven flags to his name. As the competition becomes increasingly even across the board, winning finals and flags is a tougher exercise than ever before. Seven of the eight teams who enter finals leave after a loss. Margins are tight. "I think it's been harder in the last few years than it's ever been," Scott said last week. "So there's a couple of things there. You need a bit of luck. Like the team that wins it always gets a bit of luck. "It's true that the best team generally wins, but not many teams win it when a whole lot of things go wrong. It's so hard to plan for all of that bad luck, but you can a little bit." There's a couple of schools of thought around the best set-up for a side to win in the AFL finals. Some see a flexible approach ideal, as counters to the opposition can come through as sides progress through. Others prefer a more rigid approach that relies upon a relatively set game plan to overcome all others. Scott will be banking on that flexibility — and playing the percentages — to drive the Cats to yet another flag and the rest of the competition to the drawing board.
News.com.au
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Billy Brownless targeted by social media trolls over anniversary post
Billy Brownless has found himself the target of social media trolls as the AFL icon celebrated his one year anniversary with partner Crystle Fleur. The 198-game Geelong Cats star was soaking up the bubbling romance, but a post on social media quickly took an ugly turn. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Fleur, 52, took to social media to gush about Brownless, 58, and hinted at what may be in store for the couple. 'Happy 1st anniversary to this amazing man!' Fleur captioned the upload. '365 days of love, laughter and amazing adventures as we fly off to start the biggest one yet.' And while the post received a flood of support from friends, the nasty comments quickly began to pour in. One commenter wrote: 'Money can buy u happiness.' A second posted: 'And I thought Bradman batted way above his average.' A third added: 'Gary Lyon somewhere lurking looking to swoop in at any given opportunity.' Another wrote: 'Punching above your weight there big man.' Several however came to the defence of Brownless and took aim at the trolls trying to dampen the happiness of the couple. A fed up commenter wrote: 'I can't believe some of the comments on this! People are gross, and likely just jealous of you guys (or unhappy in their own sh*tty lives). You both look very happy. Congrats on 1 year, & many more to come!' Former AFL player Dale Thomas wrote: 'Congrat guys' alongside the raising hands emoji. Brownless and Fleur went public with their relationship in October last year at Geelong's best and fairest night. The then 57-year-old Cats Hall of Famer was seen arm in arm with the 52-year-old mum of three with the two being sighted at a plethora of events since. The pair had reportedly been going strong for two months before their first public outing. The happy couple were spotted after the AFL Grand Final speaking with his ex-wife Nicky Brownless and former best mate and Melbourne great Garry Lyon. Brownless and Nicky were together for 18 years before splitting in 2014. In 2016 Lyon's friendship with Brownless fell apart after he went public with Nicky. A month after their relationship made headlines, Billy revealed how the relationship had impacted his family, saying 'a good mate wouldn't do that'. 'I couldn't believe it. I found out three or four months ago. I asked Garry and Nicky earlier on what is going on and they said they were just good friends,' he said on the Footy Show at the time. 'That's what hurts the most.' The former best mates have since reunited with the duo spending several Christmases together as an extended family. Lyon surprised Nicky in December, 2023 when he proposed and she said yes. Nicky clearly wasn't expecting the move, announcing the news of the engagement on her Instagram account, posting a black and white photo of the pair embracing with the caption 'the best surprise'. The duo, who have been together for eight years, took off to New York shortly after the proposal.
Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Mystery surrounds AFL heartthrob Bailey Smith after he blocked several Love Island stars: 'I've never met him'
A Love Island star has revealed that AFL heartthrob Bailey Smith blocked her on social media, leading to a peculiar discovery regarding the sports star. Tina Provis, who featured on the third and fourth season of the Aussie dating show, took to TikTok last week to share her confusion over why the Geelong Cats midfielder spurned her. 'Why am I blocked by Bailey Smith?' the 29-year-old asked her fans. 'All I know is that I'm blocked on Instagram,' she said, explaining that she had tried to click on a video that included Bailey on the social media platform and she couldn't access it. She added: 'I've been blocked for years.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Love Island star Tina Provis (right) has revealed that AFL heartthrob Bailey Smith (left) has blocked her on social media, leading to a peculiar discovery regarding the sports star However, what made the social media move even more confusing is that Tina wasn't the only reality star to receive the cold shoulder from the 24-year-old on Instagram. 'The last time I heard from some other people who have done Love Island, they're blocked as well,' she said. 'I don't know if he's still blocking the new seasons but I know at some point this man has looked me up and blocked me.' 'I've never met this man, I don't know this guy.' She finished off the clip: 'But I just wanna know. Bailey Smith, if you're out there. Why did you block me?' This isn't the first time a Love Island alum has taken to TikTok to share a similar revelation about Bailey Smith. Former Islander Andre Coutinho shared a clip on the platform in 2023 revealing that he too had discovered he had been blocked by the footy star. 'I found out months ago that Bailey Smith blocked me on Instagram,' he told the camera. Upon realising, he went to his other 2022 cast-mates, including Maddie Wilcox and Jordan Dowsett, both of whom confirmed that he had blocked them on Instagram too. 'He might've thought season 4 was trash,' Andre quipped about the odd discovery. Bailey recently revealed that he was dealing with an avalanche of stress that saw him spend six weeks getting professional help in a mental health facility. The sportsman has had a torrid 12 months as he battled through a serious knee injury. He also endured a relationship break-up and dealt with the fallout from his switch to Geelong after spending the first five years of his career with the Western Bulldogs. Smith confessed he turned to alcohol while he 'fell into a bad spiral' after doing his knee and breaking up with his girlfriend of two years, Gemma Dawkins, last August. His high-profile split with the Dogs added fuel to the fire as fans turned on him and drove a wedge between him and his old teammates while the injury made it impossible for him to use footy as a 'mask'. 'When you have to sit with yourself and be your own source of entertainment, fulfillment, stimulation, that's when I had to look inward and realise, "S**t, I am pretty f***ed up and I need to sort my s**t out,' he told the Real Stuff podcast. 'I got into some bad ways going flat-out after my knee [injury] and getting on the p**s and being an idiot, which we all do, but that's my coping mechanism. 'I really had to look inward ... that's when I found out that f***, there's nothing much to look inward here, other than a bit of a s**t storm.' Adding that he 'lost a lot of relationships' over his move to Geelong, the Cats star revealed he spent the six weeks at the facility seeing psychologists every day and meditating. 'There were multiple times where I thought [this is] rock bottom but then you find out rock bottom keeps going for a bit.'
News.com.au
25-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Burnett family lists Geelong pub freehold after 45 years
The pub that was a favourite place for Geelong Cats players to start their wacky end of year celebrations is up for grabs. The Burnett family is selling the freehold interest in Newtown's St Lords Hotel, which is being offered with a long-term lease in place that spans up to 70 years, once options are included. The West Fyans St pub was known for decades as the Lord of the Isles Tavern when legendary hospitality figure Peter Burnett ran the business. The property, which includes the pub at 5-9 West Fyans St, and a car park opposite, could fetch around $15m. The venue was for many years the traditional starting point for Geelong Cats' Mad Monday or Wacky Wednesday end-of-season celebrations where players' zeal for the costume theme was next level. Black Rhino Group, one of the nation's largest privately held hotel operators, holds the 20-year lease on the pub, expiring in 2039, followed by two further 20-year options, plus an additional 10-year option. The pub delivers a net passing income to the freehold owners of $802,000 a year, with fixed annual 3 per cent increases. JLL Hotels senior vice president Will Connolly said he expects strong interest from local and national investors, given the lease terms and income. 'The fact that it's the first time on market for 45 years, the lease terms are parallel with more institutional-grade tenants with 70 years total length,' Mr Connolly said. He said 'St Lords Hotel possesses many of the most sought-after attributes that have attracted numerous private and institutional investors to this asset class in recent years, along with its highly credentialed and nationally recognised covenant, long-term tenure, income annuity and prominent locality in Victoria's most rapidly expanding region'. The property offers investors an extensively refurbished asset – undertaken by Black Rhino Group – leaving minimal future capital expenditure requirements which Mr Connolly said is 'setting the stage for a hotly contested sale campaign.' The expressions of interest campaign was designed to test the market, Mr Connolly said. 'We'd be expecting interest on a yield point of view of around 5.5 per cent,' he said. 'We're already fielding interest from interstate investors all the way to local investors, who I have no doubt given the reputation of the hotel for many, many years would have an affinity with it.' St Lords is walking distance to Geelong Cats home base at GMHBA Stadium and the river end Pakington St shopping village and is close to the city's CBD. Extensive facilities include a large family bistro, multiple function rooms, a sports bar and going lounge with 60 pokies machines, along with extensive carparking on site and via an additional property at 2-6 West Fyans St, which is also part of the sale. The expressions of interest campaign closes on July 24.
Daily Mail
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
AFL fans react to Geelong's t-shirt stunt ahead of Patrick Dangerfield's 350th career game - as Brisbane Lions flex their premiership muscles
Geelong's bold decision to fill GMHBA Stadium with a sea of white t-shirts ahead of their clash with Brisbane on Friday night backfired after the Lions cruised to a 41-point victory. The away side didn't read the script, kicking four early goals to assume control in what was a statement performance. The triumph also ended the club's long losing run in Geelong. Promoted pre-game as 'a sight to behold' and a 'slice of history' on the Geelong website, the Cats decked out every seat at the venue with white t-shirts. It is a move often seen in US sports, with the Indiana Pacers and OKC Thunder doing so in the NBA Finals. On a night when the club was also celebrating captain Patrick Dangerfield's milestone 350th AFL appearance, the commentators backed the concept. 'They have kitted out the Cattery with the white T-shirts on every seat, inspiration drawn from the NBA and college football in the US,' Gerard Whateley said on Fox Footy. 'It is quite the sight as the local heroes emerge onto the field. 'Patrick Dangerfield said one of his favourite parts of this would be (his children) Winnie, 'Flip' (Felicity) and George joining him to run through the banner. 'All the kids are fully aware of what they're part of, his place in Geelong folklore, which grows tonight, game (what is) a special night.' But numerous footy fans weren't on the same page, taking to X to question the move from the Cats. 'Lol white out is a roaring success so far,' one posted before halftime as Brisbane assumed control. 'I don't think the white out worked,' said another. 'White out turning into a whitewash,' a third weighed in with.
