Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield says his teammates were “as flat as I can remember” only a month ago before coach Chris Scott intervened to turn their fortunes around.
Dangerfield said the Cats’ round 23 loss to St Kilda after a dramatic second-half fade out had been the lowest ebb in the side’s season before they surged into a home preliminary final.
He pinned Geelong’s success on “calmness and clarity of thought” driven by its leaders as he said the Cats had significantly evolved from the 2022 flag-winning side.
The Saints defeat had sapped morale after effectively costing the Cats a top-two spot, but Dangerfield said they were quickly able to rebound.
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“The St Kilda game, the guys were as flat as I can remember them being post-game because of what was on the line,” Dangerfield said on Tuesday.
“Then Chris (Scott) came into the change rooms, and he really drove that clarity of thinking, and the calmness, that ‘it’s OK’.
“We’re in the same position we were before the game, it’s just a disappointing loss, but we’ve got to get on with the opportunity that’s ahead of us.”
The explosive midfielder said the Cats were a “vastly different side” to 2022 even if the team that faced Brisbane at the MCG on Saturday contained as many as 16 players from the grand final triumph.
Champion forward Tom Hawkins was one of the seven players from that side set to be absent against the Lions, but Dangerfield said the veteran’s push to be selected after recovering from a foot injury had been “a great problem to have”.
“I don’t envy the coaches and the decision they have to make there, but (Hawkins) has given himself absolutely every opportunity to be right to play,” Dangerfield said.
“From what seemed a huge long shot four weeks ago from where he was at, it just shows the resolve of the guy.
“There are occasions when there’s the ultimate fairytale, and there’s times when there isn’t.
“I suppose that’s the beauty and the agony and ecstasy that sport provides, but whichever way it goes, the playing group is really professional in that sense, in terms of buying into whatever direction that may be.”
Dangerfield said he was in a “good spot” physically after hamstring injuries ruled him out of nine games this season, and competitive instincts had overcome any doubts when he attacked the ball at ground level.
“The role of our experienced guys is to provide that calmness and clarity of thought because it’s one think to talk about calmness and preach it, but really we’ve got to show it as experienced players,” he told SEN.
“Sometimes it can get the better of you and you play at a more frenetic pace than what the game needs or what your team needs, and it takes experience to understand that.
“That calmness and clarity, combined with the absolute fierceness, that is required to be combative and win the contest.”
Source Agencies
