Four Points: The undersold Chris Scott, middle finger to the AFL, and the magic of Eddie Betts

Scott had them primed against Richmond and they thoroughly outmuscled the Tigers around the ball, where Richmond were made to look young and small. Maybe it’s because they were. With Trent Cotchin and Dion Prestia out and Shane Edwards injured in the game, the Tigers were young and slight.

Friday night’s win had the feel of Stephen Wells and recruiting staff winning the game – the Cats won because Jeremy Cameron booted six, Shaun Higgins delivered it to him, and Isaac Smith provided the finish, run and polish that has been absent in previous years.

That all happened and, yes, this was finally the game where all three high-value recruits combined in the one contest, but there was more to the win than that and it had more to do with Scott.

He dropped Rhys Stanley and chose to go in the ruck with Esava Ratugolea and Mark Blicavs. It was a brave decision.

In a microcosm of his career, Stanley had been outstanding against Nic Naitanui when they beat West Coast two weeks ago and then awful against Sydney last week. This chasm between very good and very bad, and little in between, is why they have always struggled to trust Stanley.

Pointing to victory: Geelong’s Jeremy Cameron.Credit:Getty Images

Still, playing Richmond it was brave to drop him when it meant it denied them Mark Blicavs being used on Jack Riewoldt. It meant Jack Henry had to take Riewoldt and Tom Stewart (who was among Geelong’s best) had Martin when he was forward. Neither had Blicavs as a get-out if Riewoldt or Martin got the better of their first choice opponents.

Scott had looked at Richmond’s rucks with Marlion Pickett as second ruck and realised they could exploit it. They grabbed the ball out of the ruck rather than hit it to ground where Pickett could act as an extra midfielder. They got an advantage and it was down to the bravery of the selection choice.

The ball movement, as much as Scott will disagree, was faster on Friday night and has been since the first month of the season. He has changed up their game to move the ball more quickly.

Partly there is a Cameron effect to the ball use. A hard-running high forward, he presents up so well it encourages the kicker to move it on. He can wheel and get it to Tom Hawkins, but also double back himself to re-present. Smith’s natural inclination is to run and carry the ball.

So those two players invite a change in ball movement that others like Brandan Parfitt and Jed Bews seem to welcome.

The Cats did a lot of things right on Friday night but it began at selection and carried through in the coach’s box and on the field.

Up yours, AFL

Port’s celebration of their Showdown win with the SANFL jumper was a provocative finger up to the AFL for refusing to let them wear the prison bars in the contest.

They’ll get in trouble for it but they clearly knew that and didn’t care. In some ways it’s refreshing to weigh up the likely punishment and do it anyway, and in another way it just looked contrived.

Firstly, Port should have been allowed to wear the jumper in the Showdown as a heritage jumper. And, in fact, they should be allowed to wear it every year.

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Frankly, I couldn’t care if they wore it every second week other than against Collingwood, where there is a clash. Collingwood retains that right because they had that style of jumper before Port signed on to join this competition.

But what does it say of the club’s pride in Port’s regular jumper? The one they have been imploring their players to have pride in wearing every week? Or even the one they won their only AFL flag in?

It’s difficult not to hear the pained comments from Port people about how much the prison bars jumper means to them without intuiting their regular jumper means little, or less, to them.

Review the review

On Sunday the score reviewer in the Bulldogs-Carlton game overturned Josh Bruce’s goal because they were certain beyond doubt, and more certain than the goal umpire watching it live, that the ball had flown over the top of the goal post.

The reviewers figured they could project the height of the goal post and conclude with the absolute certainty required to overturn an umpire’s on-ground decision that the ball would have hit the post.

The video suggests it most likely would have hit the post. It probably would have. But that is an utter guess.

Yes, the goal umpire was guessing that the ball that had gone that high had not hit the imaginary post and had gone through for a goal. But your guess is not as good as theirs. Without definitive proof, your guess counts for less.

Carlton favourite son Eddie Betts turned back the clock against the Western Bulldogs.Credit:Getty Images

Eddie’s back

At his age, Eddie Betts is only good for cameos rather than whole seasons now. He’ll give us a good game here and there but on his tired legs can’t be expected to do it week in, week out. That is just a truth of age.

But when, like the first half against the Bulldogs, he puts it together you quickly remember just how good Eddie was and can still be.

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