Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Geelong have shrugged off the scrutiny of their concussion scandal to beat Essendon by 67 points and stay in touch with the AFL top four.
News broke on Thursday the Cats had signed a secret deal with Jake Kolodjashnij in 2024, where the defender with a concussion history would effectively take legal responsibility for future brain trauma.
But if the furore affected Geelong’s players, it didn’t show at GMHBA Stadium as Chris Scott’s Cats piled on the first 10 goals to claim a 17.15 (117) to 7.8 (50) win in front of 33,379 fans.
Geelong were on Friday issued with a ‘please explain’ notice regarding the waiver signed by Kolodjashnij that wasn’t lodged with the AFL or the AFLPA at the time and which the Cats have now removed.
Kolodjashnij, who has played 11 AFL games this season, wasn’t in the team, having not been selected in recent weeks.
In the game, Ollie Dempsey was the firestarter when he burst through congestion and jagged the opening goal, and had another three before halftime.
Ollie Henry kicked four goals, Shannon Neale kicked three and Bailey Smith had 38 disposals and eight clearances while Lawson Humphries and Tom Stewart were busy behind the ball.
Last-placed Essendon looked set for humiliation but corrected course just before halftime to make for a more respectable defeat.
One of former Essendon coach James Hird, ex-Bomber and Sydney assistant coach Mark McVeigh, Fremantle assistant Jaymie Graham or Murray Davis will win the Bombers’ vacant fulltime coaching job.
Caretaker coach Dean Solomon isn’t entering the process.
Zach Merrett (29 disposals, eight clearances) fought hard along with first-year midfielder Dyson Sharp (27 disposals, eight clearances).
Jacob Farrow and Archie Perkins kicked two goals while Vigo Visentini (33 hitouts, 17 disposals) controlled the ruck.
Geelong’s scoring wasn’t limited by the rain, with the Cats out by 28 at quarter time then hammering through six goals in the second term to put the result beyond doubt.
Gryan Miers, who has been playing with a partially torn right ACL, looked proppy and felt for that knee in the second quarter, but played out the game.
With less than two minutes left in the second quarter, Peter Wright teed up Farrow to deliver Essendon’s first, before Archie Roberts added a long bomb after the siren.
It cut the halftime margin to a more respectable 53 points.
The Bombers kicked four goals in the third term to draw within 34 points.
While Essendon fought hard, Geelong nudged the margin out again and moved to sixth, at least temporarily, and four points off fourth.
Essendon (2-19) next host second-placed Sydney while Geelong (13-8) play North Melbourne.
