Cats thrash Sydney by 67 points - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Cats thrash Sydney by 67 points

09/05/2010 04:00:18 PM Comments (0)

Geelong cantered to a 67-point thrashing of Sydney in Sunday's round seven AFL game at Skilled Stadium.

The contest between two of the league's better-placed teams - the Cats are the reigning premier and the Swans began the round in top spot - began brightly, but became a romp in the second half.

The Cats kicked 12 goals to three in the second half and won 19.12 (126) to 9.5 (59) before a crowd of 25,970.

Full-forward James Podsiadly kicked five goals and Travis Varcoe and Paul Chapman booted three apiece, while star onballer Gary Ablett marked his return to the side with a big day in the middle.

Geelong's win extended their remarkable record at their home ground, where they have now won 19 games in succession and not been beaten since they were pipped by Port Adelaide in round 21, 2007.

Their victory also snapped Sydney's five-game winning streak, and left both sides with 5-2 win-loss records.

The game began as an arm wrestle as Geelong kicked four goals to Sydney's three in the first quarter, although the Swans narrowed their deficit to one point when Kieran Jack goaled after two bounces early in the second quarter.

But Geelong absorbed the challenge and responded with the next two goals and Podsiadly put them 14 points up just before half-time with a snap, after the Cats pounced on Adam Goodes being caught with the ball upfield.

The second half was one-sided as Geelong ramped up the pressure, harassed and tackled their opponents at every chance and used the ball with great effect.

They kicked four goals straight to open up a 40-point advantage entering time-on in the third quarter and emphatically snuffed out the Swans with a run of seven goals after Sydney's Ryan O'Keefe kicked the opener of the last quarter.

Podsiadly's haul took his season tally to 17 after just five career games, the pacy Varcoe was a livewire when the ball hit the ground and Chapman was busy throughout and kicked a clever goal late, when he toe-poked the ball to his advantage and then soccered it through.

Ablett missed last Sunday's demolition of Richmond through hamstring tightness but had a huge impact in midfield and two goals.

Geelong's others included Steve Johnson (two goals), half-backs Josh Hunt and Andrew Mackie and fullback Matthew Scarlett, who kept Daniel Bradshaw to one goal.

Goodes and tall forward Jesse White began well for the Swans but faded, but Tadhg Kennelly and Jarrad McVeigh were solid throughout, while Heath Grundy kept Cameron Mooney goalless.

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