Cat-astrophe? Hinkley's query on Geelong after heavy loss

Last Friday night saw Gold Coast push their credentials to be considered a real proposition for their first premiership cup.

But has Geelong’s poor performance been overlooked?

The Suns never really looked challenged as they ran out 56-point winners against the Cats in front of nearly 20,000 fans at People First Stadium in Opening Round.

Gerard Healy, Sam Edmund and Ken Hinkley discussed Geelong’s approach to the Suns match on SEN Sportsday.

“That performance on Friday night was just horrific,” Edmund said of the Cats’ loss.

“The irony is that the numbers were that bad that it sort of reflects Round 10 2024, when they went to Darwin against Gold Coast as well, and they got flogged by 10 goals.”

The Cats were lacking some of their superstars with Patrick Dangerfield and Jeremy Cameron, as well as Rhys Stanley and Jack Bowes all failing to take to the field whilst Bailey Smith, who was under an injury cloud but was cleared to play, failed to have a major impact on the game.

It’s brought into question whether or not the Cats actually prioritised a win given the need to manage their squad through a long season.

Former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley admits he used to prioritise matches throughout a season and wonders if Chris Scott and the Cats did the same.

Hinkley: “We used to, and I still did it in my last few years, you'd colour code your games as greens where you had to win.

“You know, like the lights, orange were games if you could get in front on the orange games, you're going well.

“But there were red games. You go, well, if we win this, it's a bonus.”

Edmund: “Yeah, so that's what it feels like on the outside without ever being there, Ken.”

Hinkley: “They sat there the other night and they've gone, Dangerfield maybe a bit sore, Cameron a bit sore.

“I'd say to people, don’t ever ask me on a Friday whether you think we can win, because my job as coach is to convince my team that they can win.

“If I can't believe it by Friday night, that we can win with whatever team I've got, I'll give the job away, because I'll always believe in my team.

“Chris wouldn't be sitting there going this is an absolute catastrophe.

“We lost Round Zero in Gold Coast against a team that everyone's talking about being potentially a Grand Finalist.”

Healy: “Does a margin matter? Because if you get over, say, 60 to 80 points, it could all of a sudden become a two-game loss if the percentage becomes so hard that you can't make it up.”

Hinkley: “Yeah, it does matter a bit. When you look at these games over history, and people still to this day, they go, that was a disgraceful performance, terrible performance.

“When the game starts to tiptoe downhill and it's rolling, you cannot pull any lever to stop it.

“It's a runaway train, and that's why I often say when hope disappears on a footy field, blowouts happen.

“Because teams play with hope, and when they've got some hope that they can win, they can continue to go, but when hope goes, you're in all sorts.”

Geelong will be looking to get their first win of the season against Fremantle at GMHBA Stadium this Saturday at 4:15pm (AEDT).