PATRICK Dangerfield and Gary Rohan have had a tune-up ahead of their AFL return as Geelong wrapped up its VFL practice match series with an eight-point win over Collingwood.
In less than ideal conditions at a windswept Deakin Uni, big man Esava Ratugolea made his first appearance in the Hoops in 2021 after recovering from a leg fracture.
“Dangerfield and Rohan got through unscathed and they’ll put their hand up for next week,” Cats coach Shane O’Bree told Bay 93.9’s The Sideline View.
“(Esava) was playing his first game in a while, so it was good for him to get through half a game of football, too.”
Not surprisingly, Dangerfield was named Geelong’s best, with 2020 draftee Nick Stevens and Charlie Constable, who was the medical substitute in the Cats’ AFL win over Hawthorn on Easter Monday, also impressing.
Josh Jenkins kicked three goals and Cam Taheny contributed two majors.
Former AFL-listed Cats Darcy Lang, Aaron Black and Jackson Thurlow were also solid contributors.
Geelong opens its 2021 VFL campaign against North Melbourne next Sunday as a curtain-raiser to the Cats-Roos AFL clash.
“We’ve played our practice match series where we’ve played four games now, so all our VFL boys are keen to play proper games now that count for points and see where we’re at,” O’Bree said.
Twitter: @tom_king79
GEELONG 8.10 (54)
COLLINGWOOD 7.4 (46)
Goals; Geelong: J. Jenkins 3, C. Taheny 2, S. DeKoning, D. Fort, L. Smith
Best; Geelong: P. Dangerfield, D. Lang. A. Black, J. Thurlow, N. Stevens, C. Constable
