You have reached ESPN's Australian edition. Stay on current site or go to US version. Round 9 of the AFL season gets underway Thursday night with a blockbuster clash between Fremantle and Collingwood at Optus Stadium, before the Saints host the Blues on Friday night. Join ESPN's footy team for some of the best AFL and AFLW analysis and insight on the ESPN Footy Podcast. Veterans Max Gawn and Patrick Dangerfield showed they can still star, but finals hopefuls Carlton and Fremantle got a massive reality check. Here's whose stocks are up and down after Round 8. The Western Bulldogs have navigated injuries and drama in the early part of the season, but now sitting 5-3 with stars back on the park, the competition should be on notice, writes Rohan Connolly. Jesse Hogan ended Charlie Curnow's Coleman Medal reign in 2024 by booting 69 majors to claim the award. Who will win it in 2025? The Brownlow Medal is the highest individual honour in the AFL. In 2025, ESPN is giving you an advantage with our one-of-a-kind predictor. Watch 1m 37sThree people are seriously injured after surviving a helicopter crash south-west of Melbourne. The helicopter crashed in shallow water on a beach between Point Lonsdale and Ocean Grove. CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) Add videos to your saved list and come back to them any time follow the instructions for your browser below On a night when the Federal Election was decided before halftime it great to witness a game of football which went down to a post-siren-kick can be a very cruel game and the only thing that really matters is who is in front when the final siren sounds had the game on his boot when he lined for goal from 45 metres after the final siren had sounded It will come to be part of football folklore in the future that he shanked the kick and the Cats held for an exciting three-point victory For the first three quarters the Pies were not only ahead on the scoreboard but they were monstering the Cats in the middle as well as playing the game in their forward half for over 75 percent of the game up to that point the scoreboard did not match the Pies dominance Halfway through the second quarter and halfway through the third quarter I noted it felt like Collingwood were a good six goals in front such was their dominance Geelong had silently crept there way back to within seven-points of the Pies For the first half of the last quarter was a dour struggle ensued with the only goal coming from Oliver Henry to bring the Cats within a point of the lead and then the game broke free and were all treated to a magical ten minutes of the game we all love All game the Pies had controlled the centre corridor forcing the Cats out wide and maintaining possession in their forward half of the ground but with ten minutes left on the clock in the last that all changed as the Cats started to find their mojo With 7 minutes and 37 seconds left in the game Max Holmes dished out a hand ball from the middle of a pack and instead of going boundary side he went through the middle to Zach Guthrie He ran through the middle and kicked the ball to within 10 metres of the Cats goal and a contested Cat mark Ollie Dempsey played Jack Crisp under the ball and took a relatively easy chest mark in the end even though he was the fourth player in line at that pack Mark Bilcavs won the tap straight down the throat of Bailey Smith who quickly farmed the ball out to Max Holmes who cut the ball back to the corridor with a check-side kick finding Dangerfield who took a sliding mark 40 metres out almost directly in front Darcy Cameron wins the next centre bounce straight to Nick Daicos who finds Pendlebury on the outside and the ball go forward before Brodie Mihocek has a relatively easy snap at goal from 30 metres out and he misses Smith and Dempsey run a succession of handballs down the outer wing that ends with Smith having a long shot at goal that is touched on the line With just on 4:44 minutes left in the match there is a ball-in in the Cats forward pocket but Shaun Mannagh put his body on the line against Pendlebury and handballed to Dangerfield who found the unattended  Jack Bowes he slotted truly around his body to put the Cats 17 points up with minutes left on the clock but more importantly Collingwood looked cooked Collingwood rebound from defence with the ball ending up in Jordan de Goey’s hands who switches play to the other pocket where Lachie Schultz takes the mark and a shot on from about 45 metres out Controversial moment number one – the Boundary Umpires soft call but from the naked eye it looked like a goal however the Boundary Umpire says to the Goal Umpire and the Field Umpire that he believes the ball was touched The matter is sent to the ARC on the advice of the Boundary ump as a soft call point After much deliberation the Boundary Umpire’s call stood and it was awarded a point even though it looked like there were gaps between Blicavs’ hand and the ball but rather the Boundary Umpire making that call in the first place He is a friggin Boundary Umpire and he should just concentrate on his own job the Cats turn the ball over from the kick in and Mihocek takes a massive pack mark 45 metres out and he slots through a great pressure goal The Cats are still up by 10 points with 2.26 minutes left on the clock Controversial moment number two – The Bobby Hill chase down the Pies fumbled the ball forward but when a Pendlebury handpass to Josh Daicos hits him the back Shaun Mannagh had clear ground as he ran the centre When he run was down by Bobby Hill from behind the stadium exploded in raucous pro-Magpie cheers It was one of those moments that can change a game – some would argue that it did Hill originally grabbed Mannagh around the waist/thighs but his hands almost immediately slid down to his knees with the motion of Mannagh falling over but to the howls of disbelief from the crowd it was adjudged that Hill had tripped Mannagh by the Field Umpire it was a free kick to Hill every day of the week With 38 seconds left on the clock the Pies rebounded the ball from the halfback line to Schultz on the wing who found Jamie Elliott 35 metres out on a 45-degree angle Elliott shanked his kick to the top of the goal square where the ever-reliable Mihocek took a high pressure mark and kicked the goal The Cats lead by four points with 20 seconds left on the clock Blicavs neutralised Cameron at the restart which took another five seconds of the clock Blicavs tried the same again with the next bounce but it was deemed to have held the ball to long and free kick was awarded to Cameron With six seconds left on the clock Cameron found Sidebottom who bombed the ball forward with a real mung of kick but the ‘man of the moment’ Jack Crisp took a mark a split second before the final siren sounded With a staggering 245 consecutive games under his belt Jack Crisp pulled his kick and he landed a point The Cats celebrated the sweetest of victories do yourself a favour and watch the replay of the last quarter of this game and Sherriff Dangerfield taking centre stage as he led his Cats into the sunset after the final siren Given Collingwood’s dominance for three quarters the Cats should never have been in a position to even mount a challenge It begs the question; how did Collingwood lose this game How Did Collingwood Lose the Unlosable Game The simple answer is the Bailey ‘the Boy Toy’ Smith who carried the Cats on his back for three-quarters but that would be to ignore the game’s of some lesser-known players in the Cats team and the herculean effort of Mark Bilcavs taking on the ruck duties after Rhys Stanley was subbed out of the game after quarter time all quietly went about their roles to perfection Patrick Dangerfield tore the Pies a new one in the last quarter as he was just everywhere In a weekend of many forgettable games (there really has been some terrible games this weekend) the last quarter in this game just standouts the Pies were playing the game in their half and almost treating the Cats with contempt And herein lays the problem – they did enough wrong in front of goal that they never established the lead they should have At three quarter time the Pies were 10 goals and 10 behinds but at least four of these behinds were set shot misses from marks and all very kickable goals The commentator kept reminding us all game the Pies were sixteenth in scoreboard accuracy for the year and in this game the inaccuracy of the Pies forwards came back to haunt them it really felt like the Pies were six goals in front the Magpie smalls struggled to kick crumbing goals Midway through the third quarter Collingwood were establishing a sizeable led but against the flow of play Jeremy Cameron kicked a snap goal followed shortly thereafter by Oliver Wiltshire kicking his first goal in the big time before the Pies steadied with a goal to Tim Membrey from a pinpoint pass from Pendelbury Collingwood had established a healthy thirteen-point lead with seconds left in the quarter Enter Patrick Dangerfield who put the ball in Mannagh’s hands who slotted truly Totally against the trends and the flow of this game and for all their dominance the Pies only lead by seven points at the final break The statistics will say Mullin only had eight possessions for the game but gathering possessions was not his role in this game he was tasked with the unenviable assignment of tagging Nick Daicos Naicos ended up with 28 possessions in this game with the vast majority of those possessions coming in the second and third quarters In the first quarter Mullin held the superstar to only four touches and if I am reading this properly when the game was on the line in the last quarter Naicos was held to a mere three possessions For a player I had paid scant regard to before this game he deserves not only his own sub-heading but the first sub-heading of this review given his slaying of the Dragon Naicos I will watch with interest on Brownlow night to see whether Nick gets any votes for this game Patrick Dangerfield and Bailey Smith v Collingwood I have reviewed a handful of Geelong matches this year and two things have struck me about the Cats circa 2025 Bailey Smith is clearly the recruit of the year Smith fills the holes in the Geelong team left by the retirements of Joel Selwood and his namesake Issac Smith after the 2022 Grand Final The HBK doppelganger has the toughness of Selwood and the run and flair of Isaac With Naicos and Jaicos having tags on them it freed up Bailey to basically do as he pleased in this match While it looked and felt like Collingwood were well and truly in front for most of this match it was players like Smith who were keeping the Cats within striking distance I noted midway through the third quarter that Smith was carrying the Cats on his back and I was surprised Fly McRae did not send someone like Beau McCrerry (who was having a quiet night) to Smith to try and quell his influence on the game The second thing that has struck me about the Cats is how bloody good Patrick Dangerfield is this year If there was a competition for the toughest player in the AFL Patty would win it by the length of the Flemington straight In the last quarter of this match Danger had 13 possessions but it is not just the possessions that count it is the manner Danger hits a contest and his willingness to force himself to the ball Danger’s peripheral vision is still excellent on paper Mark Blicavs had a quiet night with only nine possessions but that would underrate the role he played after Rhys Stanley was subbed out at quarter time It may seem strange I am highlighting Blicavs on a night when Darcy Cameron was probably Collingwood’s best player but his role was to compete and bring the ball to ground or to be a physical presence at the contest after Stanley was subbed off and he did to perfection He is the plug the Cats have in their armoury that can stem any leakages such is his versatility I reckon when a Geelong player has their car break down Blicavs would be the first bloke they call and whenever he is asked to help fix something This is the most mature game I have seen Shaun Mannagh play in his relatively short career as a loose tag on Josh Daicos as well being a playmaker in his own right Mannagh both tagged and played off Jaicos and his possessions were telling Mannagh racked up 18 possessions as well a couple of goals and five tackles applied enough pressure on the Daicos brothers that they did not have the same influence on the game as they normally have this season Mannagh had enough freedom to have an impact on the game himself I’m always impressed when a player like Mannagh has enough confidence and mongrel to rack up five tackles for the match Fearless leader HB Meyers each week writes a piece which is highlights the wingmen and both Ollie Dempsey and Patrick Lipinski feature prominently each week in his column At the end of this match the influence of Ollie Dempsey was exemplary being the link up player and running the game right out but he plays with a maturity above his age yet he still has enough youthfulness to look like a kid staring at his work with childlike awe I could imagine him after the game still calling Patrick Dangerfield I thought we were in for a great wingman playoff after halftime Patrick Lipinski slowed down a bit while Dempsey kept bounding along Lipinski had a serviceable game with 20 possessions with four tackles and he is another of the Pies blue-collar brigade who week in week out and gets his hands dirty In a game where all the talk will be about the stars of the game and the last five-minutes of the game he was often the player at the bottom of the pack feeding the ball to his outside runners Nine tackles for the match franks his tough performance Brodie Mihocek finished this game with ten possessions two tackles and four goals and three points Mihocek is now one of the best forwards in the competition but his three behinds from very gettable spots puts a dampener on his game This performance had the potential to be among his best thus far in his career I am being harsh and pedantic about Mihocek there were other players who erred in front of goal and Lachie Schultz comes under the pump for his three behinds and no goals It has taken Schultz the best part of a year to find his way at Collingwood he was robbed by the ARC late in the last quarter and the role of Schultz is to kick goals from his limited opportunities and in a game decided by a number of small acts Schultz goal kicking let him down will concentrate on the final ten minutes as it should but this was a dour and tight game that showcased all that is good about this game (some will argue the umpiring) tough with unrelenting pressure from two teams who will be thereabouts somewhere at years end Next week the Pies travel to Optus Oval on Thursday to take on the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Fremantle Dockers who are a different team when they are at Optus but the Pies have a great record on the road The Cats hosts the Giants at GMHBA Stadium on the Sunday afternoon I got no dog in the fight either and I’d give it legged every time Which just means neither of us is definitively right (or wrong) And in relation to the boundary umpire that is absolutely their job to provide information relevant to the decisions being made More eyes on the action (with the ability to co tribute) means better decisions overall…surely we want that and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Geelong return home to GMHBA Stadium this weekend as they prepare to take on the GWS Giants on Sunday afternoon The Cats will be looking to continue their momentum entering the clash with four wins from their last five matches In the build up to the Round 9 match, here is a full rundown of what to expect on geelongcats.com.au and the official app presented by presenting partner Keep your eyes peeled for some exciting Mother's Day themed content on Geelong's social media channels this week 11.00am - Take a glance ahead to Sunday's big game against the GWS Giants in 'The First Look.'  5.00pm - The coaches votes from the Cats Round 8 clash against Collingwood will go live tune in to see which players were amongst the best on ground Sam De Koning will front the media for Geelong's weekly player press conference Cameron Ling return for this week's episode of 'To the Final Bell.'  5.00pm - The Cats will provide an injury report with the GMHBA Health Update 5.00pm - Take a look back at a memorable match between Geelong and GWS from the 2016 season in this week's Time Cat-Sule 12.00pm - See a full rundown of all the key stats and figures to watch with Geelong's opposition analysis 6.20pm - The Cats will announce their initial 26-man squad ahead of Sunday's clash with the Giants 5.00pm - Geelong will finalise their team for Sunday's match 5.30pm - The VFL Cats will also announce their team ahead of Sunday's curtain raiser against the Giants 10.00am - Catch up on everything you need to know for Sunday's game with the Cats Match Preview 11.05am - Geelong's VFLW team are back in action for their Round 4 clash against Sandringham at Deakin University Chris Scott as he speaks to media in his weekly press conference prior to Sunday's match 11.35am - The VFL Cats face the Giants in a curtain raiser at GMHBA Stadium Geelong will square off with GWS in their Round 9 clash at Kardinia Park 7.00pm - Tune into the Cats channels for all the post-game coverage including Chris Scott's press conference and the match report Ollie Dempsey continues to go from strength to strength after another stellar display at MCG on Saturday night The AFL coaches votes are in for Geelong's thrilling win over Collingwood on Saturday night at the MCG Check out everything you can expect to see on the Cats channels in the build up to Sunday's clash with the GWS Giants Take an early glance ahead to Sunday's big clash with the GWS Giants at GMHBA Stadium Geelong Cats defender Lawson Humphries has entered the AFL concussion protocol following Saturday's game against Collingwood Jack Bowes joined 3AW on Sunday morning to chat through the big win over Collingwood at the MCG Following his sensational outing against the Magpies Patrick Dangerfield joined ABC Sport to talk through the incredible win on Saturday night Chris Scott praised the performance of Geelong's captain on Saturday night helping to steer the Cats to a brilliant victory Ollie Dempsey spoke to Cats Media after a thrilling finish against the Pies After an importance performance down back in a thrilling win Watch Geelong’s press conference after round eight’s match against Collingwood The Magpies and Cats clash in round eight of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season Geelong Football Club acknowledges Wadawurrung as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the Land on which our club our families and our communities work and play and those that will lead their collective future in Wadawurrung language is the place of the morning sun a place of deep cultural connection and significance a meeting place since the beginning of time We are honoured to walk with the Wadawurrung People respect and talk together on our journey on Wadawurrung Country Sometimes the script just doesn't go your way Jack Crisp – in his record-setting 245th consecutive game – took a tumbling mark 45m from goal and had an opportunity to win the game for Collingwood with a kick after the siren his teammates immediately hugging him regardless of the result and slightly confused fans waited till the Geelong theme song started blaring before they worked out just what was going on The Cats ended up scraping over the line by three points 13.12 (90) to 12.15 (87) in a see-sawing affair at the MCG It had been a night for the battle of the heavyweights While the eyes of (some of) the nation were firmly glued to the national election Collingwood and Geelong slugged it out on the MCG and it's safe to say it was a much more engaging battle With the election all but called just before the first break the Pies and Cats continued to trade blows But if you can keep your head while all around are losing theirs you might just come away with the four points In the end it was Geelong which stood tall – just – under finals-like pressure playing as a permanent forward and seeming to take on the very early "Collingwood" chant in the crowd as a personal challenge Lachie Schultz appeared to have kicked truly from 50 with 3.30 left but the goal umpire determining the ball had skimmed a few hands on its way through and there was insufficient evidence in the score review to overturn his decision Brody Mihocek's third with 2.30 on the clock cut the margin to 10 and his fourth to four points with just 20 seconds remaining who heartbreakingly couldn't quite finish the job as he passed the late Melbourne great Jim Stynes' long-standing record Hear from Jack Crisp following his record breaking 245th consecutive AFL game The Pies had led by as much as 20 points in the third quarter the margin felt like it was sitting around 35 Bailey Smith and a few crucial Dangerfield touches dragged Geelong back in the margin just seven at three-quarter time Three Collingwood behinds early in the fourth term didn't create enough of a buffer and Ollies Henry and Dempsey feasted on the rebound the former Pie pouncing on an errant Darcy Moore handball to kick truly Dempsey has threatened to take a mark of the year contender in seemingly every match he's played over the past two seasons and finally landed one on the shoulders of Steele Sidebottom in the goalsquare The resultant goal was Geelong's fourth for the opening term before the Pies began to grind their way back into the contest veteran Mitch Duncan in for his first game of the season and not known for his one-on-one defensive prowess while Mark O'Connor was forced to play above his height Mark Blicavs was thrown in defence after the first break but was also required as ruck relief due to Rhys Stanley's untimely hamstring injury just before quarter-time with young key forward Shannon Neale taking the lion's share of the contests recording 17 disposals to half-time and shaking off the attention of Oisin Mullin while Geelong seemingly still has no answer for Scott Pendlebury in his 20th season Collingwood's defensive pressure was excellent – while Geelong looked very dangerous early out the back the Pies adjusted for the middle two terms panicking the Cats into skill errors while exiting defence Scott Pendlebury delivers a sensational snap goal followed by a unique celebration inspired by his Son Jax Peter Pan PendlesThere's maximising an AFL career The 37-year-old may have given away the captaincy a few years ago but there's no doubt he still leads from the front There's a chance he's half-a-step slower these days but his immense footy IQ means he knows how to still have maximum impact on the game His superb curling goal in the third – taking the margin to a then-game high 19 – was icing on the cake COLLINGWOOD     4.5     7.7     10.10     12.15 (87)GEELONG                  4.2     6.6     9.9     13.12 (90) INJURIESCollingwood: NilGeelong: Stanley (hamstring) SUBSTITUTESCollingwood: Will Hoskin Elliott (replaced Mason Cox in the fourth quarter)Geelong: Oliver Wiltshire (replaced Rhys Stanley at quarter-time) The Collingwood Football Club is pleased to unveil its 2025 Sir Doug Nicholls Round (SDNR) guernsey The Collingwood Football Club is deeply saddened to learn of the death of former player David Norman Record breaker Jack Crisp missed the chance to win the game after the siren for Collingwood as his side fell short by three points to Geelong in a thriller at the MCG The Pies suffer their second VFL loss of the season going down to the Bulldogs at Victoria Park VFLW captain Dom Carbone leads from the front in Collingwood's loss to the Western Bulldogs in Round 3 Defender Charlie Dean was a standout in the Pies' VFL defeat to the Dogs and Murphy Crisp are mic'd up for Jack's 245th consecutive game Inside the team meeting as Craig McRae addresses the team following Collingwood's Round 8 loss to Geelong The Collingwood Football Club respectfully acknowledges the traditional owners as the land on which the Collingwood Football Club works and plays The Club pays its respects to elders past and present as the knowledge-holders and custodians of this land You have reached ESPN's Australian edition. Stay on current site or go to US version Round 9 of the AFL season gets underway Thursday night with a blockbuster clash between Fremantle and Collingwood at Optus Stadium before the Saints host the Blues on Friday night Join ESPN's footy team for some of the best AFL and AFLW analysis and insight on the ESPN Footy Podcast Veterans Max Gawn and Patrick Dangerfield showed they can still star but finals hopefuls Carlton and Fremantle got a massive reality check Here's whose stocks are up and down after Round 8 The Western Bulldogs have navigated injuries and drama in the early part of the season but now sitting 5-3 with stars back on the park Jesse Hogan ended Charlie Curnow's Coleman Medal reign in 2024 by booting 69 majors to claim the award The Brownlow Medal is the highest individual honour in the AFL ESPN is giving you an advantage with our one-of-a-kind predictor Lazarus is on the hunt for more volunteers to join their team LAZARUS Community Centre Geelong is calling on the local community for volunteers as the organisation works to keep up with increasing demand The centre supports the region’s homeless population relying heavily on volunteers and donations It is not just the homeless that the organisation is now supporting there has also seen an increase in the amount of people utilising the service who need help with putting food on the table and feeding their kids so is the number of volunteers needed to keep things running from help in the kitchen through to more specialised skills Lazarus Community Centre manager Michael Kenneady said last year the organisation provided 13,844 meals and was on track to exceed that this year with a projection of 15,000 “Anyone that has a professional skill that wants to give back to the community even if it’s a couple of hours a month it’s something we can definitely accommodate.” Fifty-five volunteers are currently donating their time with Mr Kenneady hoping to double that number into the future especially once renovation works are complete which will accommodate more people “We want to be a one stop shop at some point in the future as we get more space “Whether there’s professionals out there that are semi-retired maybe they’re registered nurses or doctors imagine what their back would be like sleeping rough Mr Kenneady said everything Lazarus did for their guests gives them a sense of hope and safety; from the services they provide through to the clothing they offer “Hopefully with some of our in-reach services and outreach services that we do have it will give them more sense of knowing that they can get to a point where they’re going to get out of that struggle a little bit more.” Clothing and shoe donation can be made at the centre at 202 Myers Street including the $100 from 100 businesses initiative select local Woolworths stores also have a drop-off point for non-perishable foods For more information or to volunteer, head to lazaruscommunitycentre.com.au As Ollie Dempsey soared into the night sky against Collingwood on Saturday you could not help but feel that the incredible grab was symbolic of his start to the season the 2024 Rising Star winner has continued to find plenty of the footy averaging over 16 disposals per game but he has also been able to use his work rate to become a genuine threat inside forward 50 Dempsey has kicked 13 goals in eight games to start the year while registering a total of 45 score involvements which is the third most of any Geelong player in 2025 The young star has proven to be a dangerous asset at the MCG in particular collecting over 17 disposals per game and kicking 12 goals from his last eight appearances at the venue With the ability to utilise his elite running prowess Dempsey said he enjoys playing in front of the big crowds at the MCG and recapped the impressive win over Collingwood "I was on the wing just thinking please miss it please miss it," Dempsey confessed to Cats Media "Luckily he missed it but we made it a little harder than we should have There is a lot of running and I love everything about it to be honest The last three weeks have been massive crowds for us it is good experience and you can't really buy that experience "We are lucky enough to get that down in Geelong too which is good." Geelong were able to mount yet another fourth quarter comeback in Round 8 clinching a thrilling three point victory over the Magpies after trailing by as much as 20 points throughout the night Across the opening eight weeks of the season the Cats have outscored their opponent in the last quarter on seven occasions with a total differential of +140 points which is the second highest in the competition behind Gold Coast Dempsey provided insight into Geelong's ability to finish strongly each week while also noting Chris Scott's message at three quarter time on Saturday night Ollie Dempsey gets the sit on Steele Sidebottom and sticks a magnificent hanger before converting for his side "We trust that we are a really good fourth quarter team," Dempsey told Cats Media "We have got a lot of really good runners in the team which is nice "'Scotty' just gave us the message at three quarter time he reminded us that we are a great fourth quarter team and to just back ourselves in and play our way Geelong return to GMHBA Stadium in Round 9 as they prepare for another big game taking on the GWS Giants at 3.20pm on Sunday afternoon Geelong returns home to GMHBA Stadium this week following their three-game stand at the MCG set to take on the GWS Giants on Sunday afternoon The Cats will carry plenty of momentum into their Round 9 clash after clinching an epic three-point win over Collingwood last Saturday Despite Geelong's strong record at GMHBA Stadium GWS are one team that have found success at the venue winning their last four matches at Kardinia Park Take a quick look ahead at everything you need to know for Sunday's clash with the Giants 2025 AFL Season - Round 9 Geelong Cats v GWS Giants Sam De Koning has been simply sensational putting together a number of influential performances on the last line of defence De Koning collected 10 intercept possessions on Saturday night against Collingwood following on from the 11 intercept possessions he picked off against Carlton a week earlier He was particularly important in the third quarter against the Magpies helping to stem the momentum and limit the damage amongst a flurry of Collingwood attacks which ultimately helped the Cats stay within striking distance There will be plenty of intrigue around where De Koning will line-up this week but the young star is certainly in strong form One player to watch from GWS is Finn Callaghan who has transformed into a big-bodied inside midfielder in 2025 The young Giant is averaging plenty of career-highs so far this year including disposals (27.5 per game) clearances (3.9) and score involvements (6.8) Callaghan is also a key driver of GWS ball movement averaging over 580 metres gained per game which is among the top players in the competition for the statistic Geelong hold a reasonably strong record against most teams in the competition but GWS are one side that has caused some headaches for the Cats The Cats have not beaten the Giants at GMHBA Stadium since Round 7 in the 2018 season looking to snap a four game losing streak at the venue this weekend The two sides have split the most recent four matches with two wins each but GWS prevailed in the most recent two games by four points (2024) and seven points (2023) Geelong have been brilliant at home so far in the 2025 season notching a 78-point win over Fremantle and a 39-point win over Melbourne in their first two games at the venue The Cats scoring power at GMHBA Stadium has been particularly impressive averaging 133.3 points per game across their last three matches at home Geelong have won six of their last seven matches at home with the lone loss coming against the Western Bulldogs GWS are one team that have found success here however winning their last four games at GMHBA Stadium by an average of eight points dating back to 2019 Tickets for Geelong's Round 9 clash are on sale, follow the link here to secure your seat for Sunday's big game With eight games remaining at GMHBA Stadium there is no better time to lock in a Geelong Cats membership for the remainder of the 2025 AFL Season Follow the link provided to see the full range of membership options Geelong Cats 2025 Memberships Geelong's Round 9 clash with the GWS Giants will be broadcast live and free on Channel 7 from 3.00pm AEST Fox Footy will be broadcasting the match while you can also stream through Kayo from 3.00pm For those tuning into the radio, K rock will be covering the game from 2.00pm on 95.5FM, krockfootball.live and throguh the AFL app Cats fans looking to catch all the action at home this year can secure a 2025 Digital Plus Membership which includes a 12 month subscription to Kayo Premium Cats Membership: 2025 Digital Plus  Broadcast Details: 2025 AFL Broadcast Guide Look back at some behind the scenes access after a huge win against the Pies at the 'G Geelong Cats defender Lawson Humphries has entered the AFL concussion protocol following last night’s game against Collingwood Humphries underwent a head injury assessment when he came to the bench during the second quarter which he passed He was assessed again post-game by the Club’s medical team and delayed concussion was diagnosed Humphries will be unavailable to play against the GWS Giants in Round 9 Geelong have held on to secure a famous win at the MCG defeating Collingwood by three points on Saturday night MARCUS Bontempelli has responded after Bailey Smith fired an unprompted shot at his old club ahead of Geelong's big Thursday night clash with the Western Bulldogs later this month Moments after Smith had been high among the Cats' best in their epic Saturday night win over Collingwood he contrasted the atmosphere of a packed MCG to the Bulldogs' win over Port Adelaide earlier in the day MAGPIES v CATS Full match coverage and stats Whereas Smith played in front of more than 80,000 fans the Bulldogs-Port game featured less than 5000 because of building works at the Ballarat venue I'm not getting that at Ballarat," Smith told Fox Footy after Geelong's nail-biting 13.12 (90) to 12.15 (87) triumph Bontempelli said Smith's comments will make the clash between the two sides on May 22 at GMHBA Stadium "even more interesting" Extended highlights of the Magpies and Cats clash in round eight of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season Watch Collingwood’s press conference after round eight’s match against Geelong The thrilling final moments between Collingwood and Geelong in round eight Ollie Henry snaps Geelong into the lead after Darcy Moore slapped the ball into his path Oliver Wiltshire takes his moment and drills his first major in the big time to cut the margin Scott Pendlebury curls through a beautiful snap to delight the home crowd and pulls out this celebration Darcy Cameron bends through an outrageous banana on his left foot and the Collingwood faithful love it Bailey Smith's clearing kick smacks into the head of umpire Brett Rosebury it's nice to know we're still on Bailey's mind even at another team," Bontempelli told Channel 7 "There's probably a few less people down in Ballarat to flip the bird to so maybe that's why he's a little bit disappointed which I think we'll all be looking forward to "Everyone loves a bit of theatre in the game so we'll be happy to provide the same as we get closer." Following Bontempelli's comments on Sunday morning Smith joined Geelong from the Bulldogs in last year's trade period and has not shied from controversy fined for flipping the bird against Adelaide in Gather Round and again against Hawthorn on Easter Monday But Smith also continues to walk the walk with a game-high 34 possessions against Collingwood while Cats captain Patrick Dangerfield was best afield after his outstanding last term Dangerfield was pivotal in the Cats rallying from 20 points down in the third quarter to be 17 up late in the last term Collingwood then stormed home and fell short by three points with Jack Crisp's shot at goal after the final siren only scoring a behind Dangerfield's ferocious attack on the ball had Cats coach Chris Scott comparing him to a New Zealand rugby legend "He looked like Jonah Lomu there at one stage," Scott said Collingwood coach Craig McRae jokingly feared he might have poked the bear before the game "I stole his park before the game and he wasn't happy I blame myself - he's a bloody good player He just bee-lines you and runs through you you need big players to stand up in big moments and he was fantastic." Gold Coast Academy’s Usher on her ACL injury rehab battles and best friend Havana Harris incredible misses and more in our look back on the April action of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership season Three-time premiership coach Mick Malthouse gives host Bharat Sundaresan the rundown on how Australian football began and how it became such a significant part of Australian culture With a challenging month of away clashes ahead Fremantle needs to find a way to win on the road if it's to seriously contend in 2025 One of footy's famous rivalries will kick off the AFLW season to mark the 10th season of the competition Check out all the action from the state leagues around the country Damian Barrett and Matthew Lloyd with the latest news and opinions from Round 8 Defender Jack Buckley expects Sunday's Sydney Derby to be a hot contest as both sides seek to regain form Footy Feed: Sarah Olle and Riley Beveridge with the latest news Check out the Rising Star for AFL’s Round 8 Will a hard tag from Jack Viney be the reason Harley Reid leaves the Eagles Vote now on your favourite marks from Round 8 of the Toyota AFL Premiership Season The Match Review findings for Sunday's round eight games are in In the spirit of reconciliation the AFL acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today SOMETIMES the script just doesn't go your way Bailey kickstarts the CatsBailey Smith had recorded 15 to half-time but it hadn't been the star recruit's most impactful game But as the margin drifted out to 20 halfway through the third term Smith put his headband down and battled through providing equal parts spark and grunt as he racked up 10 for the term Jeremy Cameron – previously unsighted – bobbed up to kick a sharp curler while Shaun Mannagh's uncanny knack of crucial majors continued with an opportunistic goal It took the margin to seven at the final break COLLINGWOOD     4.5     7.7     10.10     12.15 (87)GEELONG                  4.2     6.6     9.9     13.12 (90) SUBSTITUTESCollingwood: Will Hoskin Elliott (replaced Mason Cox in the fourth quarter)Geelong: Oliver Wiltshire (replaced Rhys Stanley at quarter-time) The Melbourne skipper has a blinder to see off a feisty challenge from West Coast Patrick Dangerfield put the superhero cape on against the Pies with the Geelong skipper reminding his coach of a legendary rugby player with his attack on the footy Dangerfield played as a near-permanent forward recording 29 disposals for the match – 13 coming in the last quarter alone – as well as 17 contested possessions and a crucial final-term goal "Not just his last quarter – he just looked like (New Zealand rugby union international) Jonah Lomu there at one stage like he's just really enjoying that part of the game," Chris Scott said and we know that's he's a threat – he's always been a threat forward – and he can attack the ball in the air It's good fun to watch them at the moment." Craig McRae joked a pre-game incident may have spurred on Dangerfield He just beelines you and runs through you." Scott said he couldn't repeat what was on his mind when Crisp had his shot after the siren to win the game "It was a game where you kind of expected something like that to happen The holding the ball free kick in the middle added to the theatre of it and get it forward and have a shot after the siren," he said "The one that was more frustrating was the mark in the goalsquare before that the way the last two or three minutes played out after being outplayed for a big part of the middle of the game and the ability to hang in there and give ourselves a chance certainly not sort of sitting here thinking that the execution for the last three minutes was the reason we won the game." Scott said ruckman Rhys Stanley requires scans on his hamstring injury which saw the veteran pulled from the game at the first break See what Chris Scott had to say following Geelong's incredible victory over Collingwood on Saturday night COLLINGWOOD coach Craig McRae says his side's attitude in the immediate aftermath of Jack Crisp's missed shot after the siren is reflective of a winning team Crisp had the opportunity to secure a last-gasp victory for the Pies leaving the final margin a three-point win for Geelong His teammates immediately congregated to console Crisp who was playing his record-breaking 245th consecutive match "We just celebrated [his] incredible 245 games in a row in the rooms with his family gave him the match ball and spoke glowingly that his contribution to this footy club is amazing," McRae said "I've said this before – sometimes when you lose It's testament to the character and culture we have I think we looked like winners regardless of what the score said." Crisp said he was nearly brought to tears as players from both teams got around him That was my moment and it wasn't to be," Crisp said McRae said the speed of Geelong caught his side on the hop at times and that the Pies had other chances to win the game other than Crisp's behind they started really well and we expected that.," he said "[It's like] when you play basketball and you have a lot of lay-ups – they've got so much speed in their game But we owned a lot of the numbers throughout the night and within some control of the territory of the game and a lot of the numbers were green for most of it and they found a way to crawl their way back at times McRae joked a pre-game incident may have spurred on Dangerfield Jack Crisp had the chance to win the game for Collingwood after the siren but his kick went wide to hand Geelong victory leaving behind six children and devastating her shocked family and friends Please call us on 1800 070 535 and we’ll help resolve the issue or try again later Any Questions? Please call 1800 070 535. Monday to Friday 7:30am – 6:00pm, Saturday & Sunday 7:00am – 11:30am (AEST) Jack Bowes joined 3AW on Sunday morning to chat through the big win over Collingwood at the MCG. Following his sensational outing against the Magpies, Patrick Dangerfield joined ABC Sport to talk through the incredible win on Saturday night. Chris Scott praised the performance of Geelong's captain on Saturday night, helping to steer the Cats to a brilliant victory Ollie Dempsey spoke to Cats Media after a thrilling finish against the Pies. Proudly Presented by Ford Australia. After an importance performance down back in a thrilling win, Mark O'Connor spoke to Cats Media! Proudly Presented by Ford Australia. 29 Disposals, 17 Contested Possessions, Eight Score Involvements, One Goal The Cats skipper stood tall on numerous occasions throughout Saturday's match, having a hand in a number of crucial scoring opportunities to help his side storm home to victory.  Dangerfield collected a season-high 29 disposals as he rotated between the forward line and midfield, but importantly he recorded eight score involvements to help generate plenty of the Cats attacking forays.  In a tense final term, Dangerfield converted a pivotal set-shot opportunity and also dished off a goal assist to Jack Bowes, capping off a stellar night that helped to lead Geelong to victory.  34 Disposals, 715 Metres Gained, Five Clearances, One Goal Smith capped off a brilliant run of games at the MCG with another impressive performance on Saturday night, collecting a game-high 34 disposals to go with five clearances and a goal early in the game.  Perhaps the most important stat from Smith's night was his ability to generate plenty of run and carry, finishing with a game-high 715 metres gained to help drive the Cats forward on numerous occasions.  Smith also registered five score involvements at went at a very handy 74% efficiency, continuing his terrific start to the year.  14 Disposals, Seven Marks, 10 Intercept Possessions One of the most crucial points in the game came during the third quarter when Geelong's defence held up under immense pressure, lead by Sam De Koning who helped to flip the momentum back the Cats way.  Following on from a strong performance last week, De Koning collected another 10 intercept possessions against the Magpies as he continues to settle back into the Cats defensive unit.  In the absence of some key defensive stars, De Koning has stood tall picking off 21 intercept possessions across the past two matches. Watch the Cats celebrate their round eight win 18 Disposals, Eight Clearances, Nine Score Involvements, Two Goals A player who continues to perform on the biggest stages, Shaun Mannagh added to his sensational stretch of football with another brilliant display against the Magpies on Saturday night.  Playing a variety of roles for the Cats and spending time around stoppages, Mannagh was able to have a big influence through the midfield as he won a game-high eight clearances.  But his impact did not stop there, pushing forward to boot two goals while also having a hand in nine score involvements to help steer Geelong to victory.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Geelong Cats (@geelongcats) 11 Disposals, Eight Marks, Five Intercept Possessions Playing one out on the last line of defence is never an easy task, but Mark O'Connor did it extremely well and thwarted a number of Collingwood attacks throughout the night.  The Irishman took eight marks and collected five intercept possessions, but his impact stretched far beyond the stat sheet in an instrumental display.  Another player that has been in great form in 2025, O'Connor has proved to be a solid and reliable asset in defence for Geelong.  Geelong have held on to secure a famous win at the MCG, defeating Collingwood by three points on Saturday night Look back at some behind the scenes access, after a huge win against the Pies at the 'G It was a game where you kind of expected something like that to happen. The holding the ball free kick in the middle added to the theatre of it, they get it forward and have a shot after the siren. The one that was more frustrating was the mark in the goal square before that, we were fortunate to get away with a win in the end the way the last few minutes played out. Not fortunate before that to get ourselves in that position, I thought that was great. After being outplayed for a big part in the middle of the game, the ability to hang in there and give ourselves a chance, that was admirable.  They are really good at what they do. A big part was taking away their strengths as much as possibly because if they do have the game played their way, they have some really nice ball-users and they are prepared to use those skills. I thought we probably defended the corridor a little bit better, they still used the ball okay to build it up and take field position to make it hard for us to rebound the ball, but that is still a better outcome than having them chain the ball off half back and play fast. We worked hard to arrest that, did a pretty good job but if you play safe against them and don't make them defend, you are likely to get beaten. I thought some of our offensive weapons put them under a bit of pressure. I think what I admire about our players at the moment, it is not just in this moment but it has been going on for a while, they hang in. It was a bit frustrating last week, you say it was a bad loss but we had the chance to win that one as well. We played much better tonight, I am not a huge believer in the response or that you need a loss to inspire the effort required. I think it was more practical and just our ability to hang in and the effort, we were clear on some things that we wanted work on during the week. We didn't get them perfectly executed for the whole night, but there were signs there that lead us to believe that we should be optimistic.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Geelong Cats (@geelongcats) especially given the way they picked their team with Cox in there as a second ruck and with Frampton in there as well I won't lie to you I thought it is going to be a real challenge now We needed some guys to step up and play some big minutes there is nobody better equipped in the game to do that than Blicavs he is really enjoying that part of the game I mean he always has and we know that he is a threat he has always been a threat forward and he can attack the ball in the air I am a bit biased but I like those sort of players that are powerful COLLINGWOOD and Geelong will meet in a Saturday night blockbuster at the MCG The Magpies have flown into premiership favouritism on the back of six straight wins MAGPIES v CATS Follow it LIVE The Cats' three-game winning streak came to an end against Carlton Captain Darcy Moore is one of three changes for the Pies as Craig McRae opts to rest Jeremy Howe while Mitch Duncan returns for the Cats in place of Tom Stewart (knee soreness) SUBSTITUTESCollingwood: Will Hoskin-ElliottGeelong: Oliver Wiltshire Sportsbet's Nathan Brown and Kane Cornes preview the game between the Magpies and Cats at the MCG West Coast will be searching for its first win of 2025 when it welcomes Melbourne to Optus Stadium The Eagles are 0-7 but have shown better signs in recent weeks particularly when falling just short against Essendon at home EAGLES v DEMONS Follow it LIVE have breathed life into their season with back-to-back wins Melbourne was too good for Richmond on Anzac Day Eve Jake Melksham and Daniel Turner will boost the Dees' forward line with Clayton Oliver to miss due to personal reasons The Eagles have named debutant Bo Allan alongside Tim Kelly and Tyler Brockman SUBSTITUTESWest Coast: Tom ColeMelbourne: Harry Sharp Sportsbet's Nathan Brown and Kane Cornes preview the game between the Eagles and Demons at Optus Stadium SUBSTITUTESAdelaide: Sam BerryCarlton: Lachie Cowan CROWS v BLUES Full match coverage and stats Western Bulldogs v Port Adelaide at Mars Stadium SUBSTITUTESWestern Bulldogs: Jedd BusslingerPort Adelaide: Jeremy Finlayson BULLDOGS v POWER Full match coverage and stats Victoria and Tasmania’s leading Mid-Season Rookie Draft hopefuls will team up against a Victoria Country U18 team this Sunday in final game of the Young Guns Series Just when the Cats had some ruck continuity an injury struck Geelong coach Chris Scott sheds light on how they cover the blow and the thrilling final moments of their win Any Questions? Please call 1800 070 535 Saturday & Sunday 7:00am – 11:30am (AEST) As autumn moves towards winter what can locals expect tomorrow We have the latest word from the Weather Bureau Queenscliff council could cut ties with the region’s peak tourism body as leaders look for ways to save money WHEN Geelong coach Chris Scott looks at Collingwood - and he examines them intensely - he can't find flaws. Scott is renowned as a master tactician but has trouble picking apart the Pies ahead of their mouth-watering Saturday night clash at the MCG. "The teams that are towards the top end of the ladder these days, you can't have too many flaws," Scott told reporters on Friday. "So it's easy to highlight their strengths. "I am not going to name them, but I can think of a few teams who are really strong in one area that, maybe because of their evolution in their list build, they are quite weak in another - that makes them really vulnerable. "Whereas a good team - good attack, good defence, good contest, good system - that is more the way I look at Collingwood. "I get it that the midfielders ... they get the plaudits. "But at both ends, their collective has been really solid, their experienced players are playing well." Scott added: "When you try and assess where the competition is, Collingwood are going through a patch where things are going well for them. "I wouldn't isolate it just to (Nick) Daicos going well in the middle or (Scott) Pendlebury and (Steele) Sidebottom at the peak of their powers in their mid 30s. Craig McRae's ladder-leading Magpies boast a six-one record entering the blockbuster against the seventh-placed Cats (4-3). Chad dissects the key player gap for Geelong Imposing Geelong defender Tom Stewart will miss the encounter after aggravating a knee injury in last week's 18-point loss to Carlton. "He had a slight injury where he missed a week about a month ago and he fell on that same knee early again in the Carlton game," Scott said. "Our medical staff say there's no serious structural damage, it was just one where he was going to be limited." Veteran Mitch Duncan has been summoned for his first game this season, after strong form in three VFL outings. "It was in the back of our minds that this was a possibility," Scott said. "The Stewart thing probably helped it a little bit, but I suspect that we would have done it anyway." Collingwood has been strengthened by the returns of captain Darcy Moore, Lachie Schultz and Mason Cox. Stalwart Jeremy Howe has been managed while Dan McStay (knee) and Lachie Sullivan (omitted) will also miss. Gold Coast Academy’s Usher on her ACL injury, rehab battles and best friend Havana Harris Unusual celebrations, freak goals, incredible misses and more in our look back on the April action of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership season Three-time premiership coach Mick Malthouse gives host Bharat Sundaresan the rundown on how Australian football began, and how it became such a significant part of Australian culture With a challenging month of away clashes ahead, Fremantle needs to find a way to win on the road if it's to seriously contend in 2025, writes Nathan Schmook Damian Barrett and Matthew Lloyd with the latest news and opinions from Round 8. Scans show Jackson Archer suffered a high-grade left hamstring injury against Essendon Check out the Rising Star for AFL’s Round 8, Hugo Garcia Will a hard tag from Jack Viney be the reason Harley Reid leaves the Eagles? Vote now on your favourite marks from Round 8 of the Toyota AFL Premiership Season. In the spirit of reconciliation the AFL acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.