Geelong ran over the top of Essendon to finish 12-point winners in Friday night’s Community Series match at GMHBA Stadium.
In a fairly bruise-free encounter, Essendon looked far better than they did in their scratch match against St Kilda last week, while Geelong showed some glimpses of their best footy while only going through the gears in the final term with the result on the line.
Both teams played at near full strength with the Dons only really without Sam Draper, while the Cats were without Ollie Henry who recently rolled his ankle.
Unfortunately for Essendon, Jordan Ridley came from the ground in the third quarter with a quad injury. He was pictured at three-quarter time with ice applied to his upper leg.
The final score read 11.17 (83) to 10.11 (71) in favour of the Cats.
Check out the key takeaways for both teams below.
Max Holmes, wow
Yes, it was only a pre-season game, but that’s as good as Max Holmes has ever looked in Geelong colours.
Playing as a roaming half-back who attends plenty of stoppages, Holmes was an absolute weapon for Chris Scott on Friday.
The 21-year-old finished with one goal, 29 disposals and 7 inside 50s as well as more than 500m gained in the opening half alone.
Using his elite speed, Holmes couldn’t be touched by his Essendon opponents and with the game in front of him and space to run into, the young Cat simply flourished.
He could easily go to the next level if his form continues in the season proper.
Jhye Clark is ready to become a best 22 regular
Former No. 8 draft pick Jhye Clark endured a tough first season at the level, playing just one game as the sub he was struck down by a recurring foot issue.
With another pre-season under his belt, Clark looks ready to attack year two as the Geelong Falcons product looked clean around the stoppage with 17 disposals and 4 clearances on Friday night.
Don’t expect the 19-year-old to star straight away due to his inexperience, but he could be a vital member of Geelong’s on-ball unit in 2024, particularly after the injury to Cam Guthrie.
Forward options show signs
At their best, we know Geelong has an elite forward line with the likes of Jeremy Cameron, Tom Hawkins, Tyson Stengle, Gryan Miers, Ollie Henry Gary Rohan and Brad Close running around.
While all of those names will expect to play if fit, the Cats have some genuine depth inside 50 with Shaun Mannagh and Shannon Neale both showing signs on Friday.
Although neither of those players dominated, they both showed flashes of their ability and Mannagh is a clear plug-and-play option given his mature age status.
As for Neale, the athletic 203cm forward clearly has some elite attributes that could make him a quality footballer if things begin to click for him in 2024.
Other Cats notes:
Tyson Stengle looked electric inside 50, kicking three goals.
Ollie Dempsey (one goal, 15 disposals) was another young Cat that stood out and looks like a best 22 lock.
After Rhys Stanley was beaten in the ruck, the Cats will have a decision on their hands whether to play the veteran or youngster Toby Conway.
Nic Martin will be prolific in his new role
After shining as a wingman in 2023, Nic Martin looks set to be deployed off half-back in 2024.
The 22-year-old has the smarts and skills to shine in the role made famous by Nick Daicos and Harry Sheezel and the Don helped himself to 28 disposals on Friday night.
One promising sign for Martin in this role is that he’s still willing to push forward whenever the opportunity arises and he proved that kicking two goals.
He could have a genuine license to do what he pleases on the footy field in 2024.
Every recruit is ready to impact
Essendon were one of the busiest teams this off-season in adding Ben McKay, Todd Goldstein and Jade Gresham via free agency and Xavier Duursma through trade.
While the Dons aren’t solely relying on that quartet to catapult them in 2024, they all showed that they should make an immediate impact in their new colours.
McKay’s addition was clearly noticeable as Tom Hawkins - who has a penchant for dominating Essendon - only kicked one goal with much of his best work coming on different opponents.
Gresham chipped in with two goals and looked busy inside 50, Duursma racked it up on the outside replacing Martin on a wing to collect 23 disposals, while Goldstein won the ruck duel with 21 hitouts and 14 touches.
They all fit a need and give the side more scope for improvement if they find their best in Brad Scott’s second season in charge.
Jake Stringer looks impressive
We claim not to get sucked into the pre-season hype surrounding Jake Stringer each year, but the enigmatic forward genuinely looked good on Friday night.
After being made to earn his keep this summer, the former Dog looks fresh and fit.
The 29-year-old kicked one goal and could have had more if he was accurate, while he ran on top of the ground to collect his 15 touches.
We’ll need him to prove it over the regular season, but there’s no doubting Stringer looks ready to fire for at least Round 1 at this stage.
Other Dons notes:
Kyle Langford continued his good goal-kicking form with three majors.
Essendon’s on-ball trio of Darcy Parish (34 disposals), Zach Merrett (25 disposals) and Will Setterfield (25 disposals) were all fairly prolific.
Once Jordan Ridley went down with a quad in the third term, the Bombers didn’t look as strong in defence as they shipped five consecutive goals to start the fourth quarter.
