"Put it to bed": Champion Data's major objection to Geelong's midfield reproval

Champion Data’s Daniel Hoyne has shunned the criticism surrounding Geelong’s often questioned midfield mix.

The Cats’ midfield has formally received an array of harsh feedback, particularly while captain Patrick Dangerfield was absent with injury for a good part of 2024.

Since his return, along with the emergence of Max Holmes in the centre of the park, Geelong’s previously labelled ‘weakness’ has become one of the 2022 premiers’ most substantial strengths heading into the latter stages of September.

“Next week, if I hear anyone talk about that Geelong midfield as their weakness, I will vomit,” Hoyne told SEN’s Sportsday.

“Put it to bed. Since Dangerfield has come back in, since Round 16, they are clearly the number one team for points differential at clearance.

“Their ability to put it on the scoreboard is number three, and their ability to defend it, no one is harder to score against at clearance, than Geelong, and their raw clearance differential in terms of how many that you win, and you lose, is top four in the competition.

“So don’t get sucked in, and I do not want to hear anything!

“‘The Giants or Brisbane, they can get Geelong at clearance because that’s their weakness’, throw it in the bin. It’s just not.”

While Dangerfield has played an immense role in turning the tables for the Cats’ midfield, Hoyne points out that it’s not just the skipper doing the heavy lifting.

“Dangerfield is the one,” he continued.

“But what (Max) Holmes did on the weekend was unbelievable, even what (Jack) Bowes did, it’s enough. What (Tanner) Bruhn did on the weekend, it’s enough. What (Tom) Atkins did on the weekend, it’s enough. (Shaun) Mannagh then rolls up to stoppage, it’s enough to have impact.

“This midfield is not a weakness; it is actually turned into a strength over the last two months of the season.

“You watch what they did to start the game, and I know this might sound simplistic and you might disagree, you go back and watch those first ten minutes, it reminded me of Brisbane 20 years ago under Leigh Matthews.

“Get the footy and get if froward, and belt it forward, and punch it forward, and handball it forward, and kick it forward. This is the levels.

“Their ground ball game stacks up, they kick it forward the second most of any team in the comp, they generate the fourth most metres by hand of any team in the comp and their distance throughout their kicking, they gain the third most metres by foot of any team in the comp.

“Forward footy, ground ball footy, chaotic footy, finals footy.”

Following their 84-point thrashing over the Power in their Qualifying Final, the Cats will look to maintain their midfield dominance as they take on the winner of the GWS Giants and the Brisbane Lions in the Preliminary Final.