Questions to ponder ahead of Round 3: Can the Pies be re-heated, Are Port the real deal, Can Jezza's form last for the Cats?
Collingwood look far off the conquering team of 2023 and one aspect of real concern is their struggles in defence.
Learning quickly from the heartbreak of letting an AFL grand final berth slip away must be the next step for Geelong’s new generation, says skipper Joel Selwood.
The Cats’ 11-match winning streak against Hawthorn was snapped in the most epic of preliminary finals at the MCG on Friday night, a five-point defeat after Geelong led by 20 points at three-quarter-time.
Physically and mentally spent, the Cats were shattered in the aftermath of their 14.18 (102) to 15.7 (97) loss.
Selwood says his side – which is regenerating yet still managed a sixth preliminary final appearance in seven years – needs to be stronger for longer and lamented a fourth quarter in which they were overrun.
“We’ve got to play better and keep playing better and better,” Selwood said.
“We ran the ball really well in the third quarter and in the fourth quarter we couldn’t quite do the same.
“We’ve got to learn from tonight, and never let it happen again.”
Selwood praised his own side’s efforts and Hawthorn’s resolve for playing out the four quarters strongly.
But he felt, as has so often happened in clashes between the two powerhouses over the past five years, victory came to the team which fell over the line at the right time.
“I might sound like a bad loser in saying this, but they pinched it,” Selwood said.
“We’ve pinched a few of them in the time too, but it’s hard to take.”
Selwood is confident the Cats’ rising stars showed they can be big-stage players.
Several, like defender Cam Guthrie who kept dangerous Cyril Rioli quiet, substitute Josh Caddy and third-quarter goalkicker Jordan Murdoch, starred in the biggest match of their careers.
“All year we’ve been finding them … they’re kids, they’ve got bright futures.
“We expect them to (play well). We don’t look at ages … we just expect them to play the right way and they did that.”
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