AFL LIVE updates: Cameron’s five goals drives Cats to victory before massive crowd; Dangerfield injures hamstring; Dogs and Dockers get going

Cameron steers Cats home

Jeremy Cameron has continued to repay the faith in Geelong’s recruiting team, who gave up three top 20 draft picks to drag him south from Greater Western Sydney.

Cameron brought up his 600th career goal against the Blues with a brilliant piece of roving from a forward ruck contest that allowed him to swing out on his left foot and snap a goal – his second for the match.

The big forward kicked five for the game and was tireless as he stretched the Carlton defence, continually pushing high up the ground and then turning and dashing towards goal like a greyhound in pursuit of a lure.

When Carlton closed within eight points deep into the last quarter, Cameron bobbed up again to kick the sealer.

His accuracy was infectious. Geelong’s composure in front of goal allowed them to maintain a lead throughout the match, despite Carlton dominating the inside 50 count. At one stage the Cats kicked 12.3 from set shots

Cameron booted 471 goals in his time with Greater Western Sydney and now has 176 for the Cats. It helps when you have the likes of Gryan Miers delivering into the forward 50m arc. He continues to be the league’s best kick inside 50m.

Zach Tuohy was an unlikely hero for Geelong with three goals, while Tom Hawkins didn’t register a major.

Great wall of Geelong

Geelong’s back six, led by Max Holmes and Mitch Duncan, held firm all game.

They would have made a meteorologist proud, weathering storm after storm. Then they launched devastating counterattacks.

Holmes had 26 possessions across halfback, while Duncan had 24 disposals.

The Cats defence was complemented by the return of Cam Guthrie, who has been out of the game for 12 months. He and brother Zach, alongside Jack Henry and Sam De Koning, helped form a formidable wall. They were able to mark, mop up and thwart what threatened to be, at times, an onslaught.

If sides are to beat this Geelong side, they are going to need to devise a better way forward. And try and hold the Cats on turnovers and counterattacks.

The Bulldogs have found momentum, booting the past two goals, the latter coming after ruckman Tim English won a 50m penalty on the wing, and drilled the subsequent set shot from inside 50.

Fyfe already has 13 touches, but misses a set shot from about 45m.

GEELONG CATS
5.2 10.4 13.9 18.10 (118)
CARLTON
2.8 6.9 11.10 15.15 (105)

GOALS – Geelong Cats: Cameron 5, Tuohy 3, Henry 3, Miers 2, Holmes, Dangerfield, Blicavs, Stengle, Bowes. Carlton: Curnow 3, McKay 2, Hollands 2, Acres 2, Cripps 2, Cottrell, Boyd, Kennedy, Carroll
BEST – Geelong Cats: Miers, Cameron, Holmes, Bruhn. Carlton: Acres, Cripps, Weitering, Curnow

UMPIRES – Nicholls, Howorth, Findlay, Rodger
VENUE MCG
CROWD – 87,775

Nat Fyfe, Andrew Brayshaw and Caleb Serong are running amok for the Dockers, who have their third goal, already their best first term of the season.

Quick ball movement through the middle leads to Rhylee West finding space and running into an open goal to boot the Bulldogs’ first goal of the night.

The Dockers have had trouble kicking goals over the past month, but have the opening two here, after Hayden Young boots their second.

The Bulldogs are missing Tom Liberatore, a late withdrawal, who was replaced by Caleb Daniel.

Well, that was exhausting – what a thriller between the Cats and Blues. If that’s what we can expect come September, the finals cannot come quickly enough.

Now we’re heading to Perth, where the Dockers and Bulldogs have much on the line. The Dockers have the opening goal, thanks to Luke Jackson, but the ball is now locked in the Dogs’ forward line.

Cameron steers Cats home

Jeremy Cameron has continued to repay the faith in Geelong’s recruiting team, who gave up three top 20 draft picks to drag him south from Greater Western Sydney.

Cameron brought up his 600th career goal against the Blues with a brilliant piece of roving from a forward ruck contest that allowed him to swing out on his left foot and snap a goal – his second for the match.

The big forward kicked five for the game and was tireless as he stretched the Carlton defence, continually pushing high up the ground and then turning and dashing towards goal like a greyhound in pursuit of a lure.

When Carlton closed within eight points deep into the last quarter, Cameron bobbed up again to kick the sealer.

His accuracy was infectious. Geelong’s composure in front of goal allowed them to maintain a lead throughout the match, despite Carlton dominating the inside 50 count. At one stage the Cats kicked 12.3 from set shots

Cameron booted 471 goals in his time with Greater Western Sydney and now has 176 for the Cats. It helps when you have the likes of Gryan Miers delivering into the forward 50m arc. He continues to be the league’s best kick inside 50m.

Zach Tuohy was an unlikely hero for Geelong with three goals, while Tom Hawkins didn’t register a major.

Great wall of Geelong

Geelong’s back six, led by Max Holmes and Mitch Duncan, held firm all game.

They would have made a meteorologist proud, weathering storm after storm. Then they launched devastating counterattacks.

Holmes had 26 possessions across halfback, while Duncan had 24 disposals.

The Cats defence was complemented by the return of Cam Guthrie, who has been out of the game for 12 months. He and brother Zach, alongside Jack Henry and Sam De Koning, helped form a formidable wall. They were able to mark, mop up and thwart what threatened to be, at times, an onslaught.

If sides are to beat this Geelong side, they are going to need to devise a better way forward. And try and hold the Cats on turnovers and counterattacks.

In a home-and-away classic, the Cats have preserved their unbeaten run to start the season, now with seven wins, while the Blues have their second defeat, but have reinforced why they are a top-four unit.

For the Blues, the devil in the detail will be the botched set shots for goal.

Cats star Jeremy Cameron, with five goals on a day Tom Hawkins was held goalless, said the Cats held their nerve.

“We probably let them back into it late, but it was good to get across the line,” Cameron told Fox Footy.

“We had to keep our composure – it’s very easy to lose your composure. It was just an awesome win.”

The Cats, the 2022 premiers, were tipped by some pundits to again fail to make the finals after last year’s disappointment, but Cameron pointed to the team’s character.

“There is a lot of character in the group. I have said all along, we don’t read into the outside noise,” he said.