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Well – despite all prediction the contrary, Geelong have risen to the occasion and put an end to Sydney’s season. Here’s my five talking points from the match.
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Don’t disrespect the Cats
I’m more guilty of this than anyone – in the lead-up to this match, the vast majority of us wrote off the Cats without a second thought, assuming the Swans would win through with ease.
That’s a hell of a thing to assume when you consider that this was sixth versus second. It doesn’t happen every day – it basically never happens, really – and as it turned out, it didn’t here either.
In our defence, the recent record heavily favoured the Swans. In their last three games in Victoria against Geelong, the Cats hadn’t gotten within six goals.
This Sydney side is one that certainly had it in them to win this one and go much further, and we may be asking ourselves for a while why it didn’t happen. They’ll be asking themselves too.
However the real revelation from tonight, the one that will have the most immediate impact on the future is that the Cats are more than capable of firing shots in September.
Chris Scott is no dummy and Geelong are no also-rans. They’re in the premiership race up their elbows.
(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Dangerous gamble pays off big time
If you had told me ahead of time that Geelong would play Patrick Dangerfield forward on Friday night, I would’ve scoffed and wondered what Chris Scott was thinking.
I mean yeah, he could have some kind of impact there, but Dane Rampe should be more than a match for a pinch-hitter, and the Swans would surely slam the Cats in the middle of the ground if he’s not there.
I would’ve been wrong on both counts, though. Sure, Swans fans will tell you he got a bit of love from the umpires – and maybe he did – but Danger’s shift forward was the catalyst for Sydney’s collapse.
While Danger booted four goals in the first half, all of them absolutely crucial as they came when the game was very much alive, the blokes left in the middle stepped up in remarkable fashion.
Beating a team like Sydney +25 in the contested possession while playing a Brownlow-winning midfielder up forward for long stretches… that’s just unheard of.
You’d think to yourself surely Joel Selwood must have had a massive night to make that work. Nope. He had just 18 possessions, only seven of them contested.
Instead it was guys like Mark Blicavs, Zac Smith and Scott Selwood who played in a different postcode from their skins, and Mitch Duncan who was the dominant midfielder on the night.
(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Motlop and Menzel prove their worth
Steven Motlop copped more than a few barbs during the week for a largely absent performance against Richmond, the kind that we have seen a lot in his game over the last two years or so.
Daniel Menzel was coming back into the side after being omitted entirely from the first final, his lack of defensive pressure to big a concern for the Cats to play him against Richmond.
Both of them, too, are free agents this year, and both of them currently considered more likely to play elsewhere then remain with the Cats.
The phones will be ringing off the hooks this morning.
Motlop with 23 touches, six tackles and goal, Menzel with twelve touches, ten of them kicks, two goals and two goal assists – they both had a real impact.
While it seems like Geelong has made the decision this year to let both move on to new clubs without a lot of fuss, after a game like this you’d have to question the wisdom of that.
Sure they might well be replaced with talents like Gary Ablett and Jake Stringer, but the Cats will have to pay to recruit both of those, when it would cost nothing to retain these two.
If it doesn’t prompt a change of pace from Geelong then their performances will certainly lead to renewed interest from other clubs. Watch this space.
(Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Franklin doesn’t need a flag to be worthwhile
With the Swans ruled out of the finals race for yet another year, that annual debate over whether or not it was wise to recruit Lance Franklin to the club starts up again.
I can tell you with confidence that the question of whether he ever delivers a flag at Sydney is irrelevant – they’re always going to be glad they did the deal.
Having lived in Sydney for the past year and attending the majority of Swans games this year it’s clear the promise of seeing The Buddy Show is a huge force driving people to the footy in a part of the country where it’s not traditionally the game of choice.
As it absolutely should be – there’s no better player in the league to watch do their thing.
Sure, Sydney may have paid a lot to bring him in, and yes, it has cost them the chance to retain other great players like Shane Mumford or Tom Mitchell.
But every dollar spent on Franklin has surely been returned a few times over in increased ticket sales, membership and merchandise.
If Sydney has a problem, Lance Franklin ain’t it.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Crows vs Danger a promising prelim
I won’t lie, I am in a bit of mourning that a highly enjoyable Adelaide vs Sydney home-and-away match won’t get a finals sequel.
However if you’re going to miss out on that, Patrick Dangerfield returning to Adelaide Oval with a spot in the grand final on the line is a damned good replacement.
Can the Cats possibly pull off another stunner like they have this week? Part of me is sceptical, but after a performance like last night’s, you’d be mad to write them off.