Geelong fans dying to see Patrick Dangerfield in a Cats guernsey got their wish on Thursday night.
While the Crows star went about his business in Adelaide’s tri-colours on the field, host broadcaster FoxFooty flashed a digitally-enhanced image of a smiling Dangerfield, in Geelong’s distinctive blue-and-white hoops, up on the giant screen at Simonds Stadium.
As looks go it wasn’t a good one for the handful of Crows fans in attendance.
Perhaps it was a sign of things to come, but coach Phil Walsh, already well-versed in dealing with the intense and ever-present speculation over the 24-year-old’s future, didn’t take the bait after the match.
“You’re in Geelong – you know that’s going to happen,” Walsh replied when asked if he was disappointed to see his star onballer depicted in enemy colours while the battle was still raging.
The NAB Challenge match, won by the Cats by 19 points, took place just down the road from Dangerfield’s family home in Moggs Creek.
How large the lure of home looms for Dangerfield as he ponders a free agency move at the end of the season is anyone’s guess, but Walsh reaffirmed his club’s steadfast desire to make sure he continues to ply his trade in Adelaide next year and beyond.
“We won’t comment on the Dangerfield situation, but I can assure our fans that we’re doing everything possible to try and get his signature,” he said.
“I’ve had private conversations with Patrick and they’ll stay that. He’s contracted to the Adelaide footy club and he has to perform at his best like we expect from all of our players.
“That’s what I’ve asked him to do.”
And that he did.
A slow start gave way to a 20-possession, two-goal performance with the flashes of outside brilliance and inside grunt that makes Dangerfield such hot property.
“We probably wanted to start him a little bit more forward in this game, but then we needed him to go on the ball because we just weren’t competing hard enough inside,” Walsh said.
“I thought his second quarter got us back going again, then late in the game we saw what he can do up forward.”
For Geelong, recruit Mitch Clark was the star, kicking six goals.
The former Demon made an excellent first impression in his debut game in front of the Cats’ home crowd with a blistering opening term helping set up the 1.12.6 (87) to 0.9.14 (68) win.
Clark’s three goals in the first quarter got Geelong off to a flyer, but Crows coach Phil Walsh will be pleased with how his side fought back after being opened up too often by the free-flowing Cats in the first half.
As well as Dangerfield, the Crows were well-served by Cam Ellis-Yolmen and Brad Crouch also impressed.
The Cats’ old firm of Joel Selwood, Jimmy Bartel and Andrew Mackie were prominent throughout. Geelong had nearly 70 more disposals than Adelaide in the first half and deserved their 29-point lead at half-time.
The Crows didn’t help their cause with some wayward kicking for goal with Eddie Betts and Rory Sloane managing their side’s only goals for the half.
Clark asserted his dominance in the aerial contests, but Geelong had plenty of other attacking options with six different goal scorers at the break.
New captain Taylor Walker had a quiet night, but kicked his only goal early in the third quarter as a resurgent Adelaide slashed the margin to four points.
But Clark was again a key performer as the Cats saw off the challenge with exciting youngster Nakia Cockatoo booting a super goal as the home side eased to their first win of the pre-season.
MATCH DETAILS
GEELONG 0.4.1 0.8.1 0.10.4 1.12.6 (87)
ADELAIDE 0.1.4 0.2.8 0.6.11 0.9.14 (68)
Nine pointers: Geelong: N Cockatoo. Adelaide: Nil.
Goals:
Geelong: M Clark 6 B Smedts G Horlin-Smith J Caddy N Cockatoo S Motlop T Hawkins
Adelaide: P Dangerfield 2 T Lynch 2 B Martin E Betts J Jenkins R Sloane T Walker.
Best:
Geelong: M Clark H Taylor J Bartel J Selwood A Mackie M Duncan
Adelaide: B Crouch P Dangerfield C Ellis-Yolmen B Smith D Talia R Sloane.
Injuries:
Geelong: J Murdoch (cut head)
Adelaide: Nil
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: Shaun Ryan, Shane McInerney, David Harris, Andrew Stephens.
