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Geelong 17.17 (119) def. Adelaide 11.14 (80)
The Geelong Cats have sent retiring trio Steven Johnson, James Kelly and Mattew Stokes off in style, dominating the finals-bound Adelaide Crows from start to finish in a 39-point victory.
With their campaign for a ninth consecutive finals campaign over, Geelong weren’t given much of a chance to knock off their high-flying opponents, but from the very first bounce they were switched on.
>>MATCH REPORT: Cats farewell Johnson, Kelly, Stokes with big win
It took until halfway through the quarter for Adelaide to get the first major through Brodie Smith, but the Cats took full control of the match from there with Josh Cowan, Steven Johnson, Joel Selwood, George Horlin-Smith and Tom Hawkins all goaling in ten minutes to give the home team a commanding 27-point advantage at quarter time.
Rory Sloane, Nathan Vardy, Taylor Walker and Hawkins all traded goals for their respective sides in the second quarter, but Vardy’s second goal closer to half time gave Geelong a huge 31-point advantage at the main break.
Adelaide needed a big lift in the third quarter, and they got it. Two goals each from Eddie Betts and Tom Lynch and another from Scott Thompson – all in succession – saw the Crows peg the margin to just a solitary point.
Goals to Cam Guthrie, Josh Walker and a third to Vardy saw the Cats re-establish an 18-point lead, but a very late goal from tight on the boundary by Betts made the margin just 11 points at the final break.
The stage was set for an enthralling final quarter, but with the burning to do right by their retiring stars, Geelong kicked six goals to two in a dominant final quarter display to claim the 39 point win.
Geelong were led superbly by Andrew Mackie (34 disposals, 11 marks, one goal), Joel Selwood (34 disposals, eight tackles, one goal) and Cameron Guthrie (33 disposals, nine tackles, one goal), while Nathan Vardy and Josh Walker were handy up forwards with three goals each.
All three of the farewelling trio were on song too, with Matthew Stokes collecting 33 touches, 12 marks and a goal, James Kelly earning 30 disposals and laying nine tackles, and Steven Johnson picking up 21 touches and 10 marks, but kicking 2.6.
Adelaide had few winners, with Sam Jacobs (52 hit-outs), Ricky Henderson (30 disposals), Rory Sloane (20 disposals, seven tackles, one goal) and Scott Thompson (23 disposals, six tackles, one goal) the pick of the bunch.
But the superior effort around the ground from Geelong won through in the end, with the Cats smashing the Crows in the clearances 40-29, while also winning both the disposal (421-336) and tackle (70-52) counts convincingly.
Geelong – 5.6 | 8.9 | 11.11 | 17.17 (119)
Adelaide – 1.3 | 3.8 | 9.12 | 11.14 (80)
GOALS
Cats: Walker 3, Hawkins 3, Vardy 3, Johnson 2, Mackie, Guthrie, Stokes, Horlin-Smith, Cowan, Selwood
Crows: Betts 4, Lynch 2, Walker, Jenkins, Thompson, Smith, Sloane
Attendance: 26,128
The Geelong Cats may be out of the finals, but they’ve got a lot of pride on the line when they face off against the September-bound Adelaide Crows. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 1:05pm (AEST).
It’s been a bitterly disappointing season for Geelong fans. After eight consecutive finals appearances and three premierships, they’ll need to find something else to do this September.
Needing a win to stay alive last Friday night, the Cats barely fired a shot in an astonishingly meek performance. Their opponents had nothing to play for, yet it was Geelong who looked uninterested, falling 50 points adrift at halftime and never making inroads in a season-ending 48-point loss.
Geelong have enjoyed encounters with Adelaide recently, winning nine of the last 12 between the teams. They’ve also not lost to the Crows at home since 2003.
The Cats still have stars in just about every position on the ground, and will be hell-bent on putting in a spirited display to finish a sorry campaign off on a positive note.
Adelaide on the other hand are riding a wave of emotion after securing a finals berth that seemed impossible two months ago.
The Crows were untouchable last week, making flag fancies the West Coast Eagles look like wooden spooners. But as impressive as their form at home has been of late, on the road it’s been a different story.
All of Adelaide’s road clashes with top-eight teams this season have resulted in 50-point losses, with a comfortable loss to Greater Western Sydney and close shaves against Brisbane and Carlton in that mix too.
The Cats may not be a top-eight team this season, but Simonds Stadium is still one of the hardest places to travel. Adelaide will need to find another gear if they’re to hit the finals on a winning streak.
Geelong welcome Matthew Stokes back into the line-up for his last game with the club, although after a sub-par effort last week more changes may be afoot.
Jackson Sheringham and George Horlin-Smith were both listed in the Geelong VFL side’s best, while Shane Kersten was also handy with three goals.
Given the manner in which Adelaide blew away West Coast last week, changes to the side look to be unlikely, although the reserves team does have some strong performers in the event of any unknown injuries.
David Mackay, Sam Kerridge, Matthew Wright and Kyle Cheney were all listed as the SANFL side’s best, while James Podsiadly was unstoppable with 11 goals.
Prediction
Adelaide are finals bound, and can still secure a home final if results fall their way. But while the tangible reward might be there for Adelaide, the Cats need to give their fans something after a disappointing season that sees them miss the finals for the first time since 2006.
In front of a passionate crowd at one of the hardest venues to travel to, look for Geelong to finish off their year with a bittersweet win.
Cats by 6 points.