Fremantle did not score at the Players Stand end of the ground, recording its fourth and fifth goalless quarters for the season. Geelong turned the tables with a combination of numbers around the ball and positioning two of the game's smartest players in Jimmy Bartel and Harry Taylor behind the ball. In the third quarter the Dockers were kept scoreless and managed just one inside 50. The Cats kicked two goals, nine behinds for the quarter, which only served to keep the ball down their end of the ground. The Cats had been criticised for having a leaky defence but conceded fewer than 50 points for the first time since round five, 2012. It was the Dockers' lowest score since round nine, 2012.

 

Once the possibility of the WA-reared Taylor returning to Perth to play for family reasons was raised, people suddenly turned their attention to assessing his value. It is enormous. He is 27, has two premierships to his name and is the best defensive general in the game. He can also swing forward, having kicked nine goals in 2013. All indications are that he is remaining at Geelong with everyone now aware that he is among the most valuable players at the club.

 

James Kelly was suspended earlier in the season for a bump on Essendon's Brendon Goddard. He also missed round one after his bump on Tendai Mzungu in a final last season cost him. So it was inexplicable for him to choose to bump Paul Duffield in the first quarter against the Dockers. Luckily for Kelly (and Duffield) his timing was poor and he sat on the Docker defender's back. But he needs to remove the habit from his game. Although Kelly has nothing to worry about Fremantle defender Zac Dawson will have a nervous wait after a clumsy attempt to tackle Mathew Stokes in the first quarter saw his arm catch Stokes across the chin. Joel Corey will also have a nervous wait after tripping Freo's Danyle Pearce in the second quarter. 

 

Cats supporters have always found the Dockers' small man Hayden Ballantyne objectionable. When Matthew Scarlett made it clear in round one, 2012, that the Cats players weren't big fans either after he struck Ballantyne in frustration, then the small forward became enemy number one in Geelong. Now Ballantyne has a partner in tagger Ryan Crowley. Crowley ran with local hero Joel Selwood and was booed at every opportunity. When he feigned to punch Jimmy Bartel before leaving the ground in the third quarter the chorus of booing was deafening. However Crowley, last year's best and fairest performed well while Ballantyne was hardly sighted.

 

He is known as a master coach but he is not renowned for introducing youngsters however Ross Lyon has asked two players in two weeks to make their debut. Viv Michie was a late inclusion this week starting as a substitute after starring in the WAFL. It was a fine effort from Michie persisting for two years after suffering stress fractures in his foot. With Matt Taberner and Tom Sheridan playing just their second game, the Dockers had three players with two games experience and five other players with 50 or fewer games experience. The club has been hit hard with injuries and against the Cats it hurt.