[VIDEO] Geelong Cats vs North Melbourne Kangaroos: AFL Finals highlights, scores, blog

MATCH RESULT:

Brad has come up trumps in the battle of the Scott’s tonight. North started like a house on fire and Geelong never led in the game.

Tom Hawkins was immense up forward and almost dragged Geelong into extra time through his own will in the last quarter on the back of 5 goals.

Caddy was Geelong’s best with 26 hard fought disposals and Selwood (24 disposals and 8 tackles) was inspirational yet again.

North Melbourne cut Geelong up through the middle of the ground all night, and Geelong’s lack of defensive pressure saw players such as Gibson (35 touches), Dal Santo (35 touches and 1 goal) and Harvey (25 touches and 2 goals) run free all night.

Drew Petrie and Lindsay Thomas were instrumental up forward for North and kicked 7 goals between them.

Geelong are the first team to finish in the top 4 and exit in a clean sweep in over 10 years, while North has a chance to make history next week by toppling the fearsome Swans in Sydney.

FINAL SCORE:
Geelong 13.14 (92)
North Melbourne 14.14 (98)

MATCH PREVIEW:

It’s win or go home this Friday night for the Scott brother’s as the Geelong Cats take on the North Melbourne Kangaroos in the first AFL semi-final. Join The Roar for live scores and updates from 7:50pm (AEST).

North Melbourne is in the perfect position to cause an upset and storm into their first preliminary final appearance since 2007, after coming from 5 goals down against the Essendon Bombers in last week’s elimination final.

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It was Essendon’s third consecutive elimination final defeat, but nothing can be taken away from North Melbourne’s performance on the night.

After trailing by as much as 33-points, the ‘Roos came home in a frenetic rush to claim victory by 12 points in a game that told the story of the Kangaroos season this year.

For Brad Scott’s men, the game reached a despairing low by half time, where a lack of intensity and desire for the contest saw the ‘Roos on the brink of being blown out.

This first half performance was not an aberration, with crumbling defeats such as the Round 18 defeat to Carlton being all too familiar for an outfit that has shown glimpses of potential over the past 2-3 years but never the consistency to break into the top four.

The second half displayed the ‘Roos potential and very best football.

Friday night may be the win North Melbourne need to sustain the self belief that fluctuates with regularity among the playing group.

The Kangaroos will be bolstered by the return of Brent Harvey who has finished serving his suspension.

His inclusion into the side will cause headaches for the Cats, who have no defensive stopper in the middle of the ground to quell Harvey’s influence around the contest. North Melbourne will be looking to carve up Geelong via it’s ball use in the middle through players such as Levi Greenwood, Jack Ziebell and Andrew Swallow.

If the ‘Roos can dominate the clearances early, they will be in the box seat to take on Sydney next week.

For Geelong, the writing is on the wall. Chris Scott is adamant his side’s flag quest is not impossible, but no team has won the AFL Premiership after losing the qualifying final since 2006.

The Cats were well and truly beaten by 6 goals at the hands of a merciless Hawthorn side who outran and crushed Geelong on the spread numerous times.

Steve Johnson has succumbed to injury again, the aging forward re-injured his sore foot in the qualifying final defeat, whilst Hamish McIntosh has had minor surgery on his troublesome knee.

If ever there was a good time to play Geelong in the last 7 to 8 years, it would be now.

There is still fight in this waning powerhouse. Joel Selwood is an undisputed champion of the league, his will and drive for victory single handedly kept the Cats in it until half time, but the fear factor is disappearing down at Kardinia park.

The Geelong kittens were found out in the Hawthorn loss, with players such as George Horlin-Smith, Josh Caddy and Steven Motlop failing to have any kind of impact on the game.

Chris Scott will be looking for his younger players to step it up a gear this friday night if they are to be any realistic chance of progressing through to a preliminary final clash with Sydney next week.

Geelong cannot rely on Joel Selwood in the middle alone and moments of brilliance from Jimmy Bartel and Corey Enright around the ground will not be enough. If Geelong want to avoid a clean sweep finals exit, the Cats must complete a four quarter team performance, something it has struggled to do regularly since 2011.

If Brent Harvey gets off the leash early and gathers the ball around North Melbourne’s forward fifty, havoc will break loose.

Harvey has a good record against the Cats and since the retirement of Cameron Ling the gaping defensive void left in Geelong’s midfield rotation has not been fixed to date. Keep an eye on Harvey early.

PREDICTION:
Geelong are still a good team, but their ladder position is deceptive in regards to where Chris Scott’s men are at, transition.

The Cats have been relying on too few too often this year and if North Melbourne can win the clearances decisively and get good contributions across the board then Geelong will be in trouble.

North Melbourne by 16 points.