Sam Weideman breaks out on the big stage
It’s an underrated aspect of Melbourne’s past month that they have hit their straps despite the fact that Jesse Hogan and Jake Lever are sitting on the sidelines.
It’s not just that Hogan and Lever are good players, it’s that both have been considered so crucial to Melbourne’s build.
Hogan was thought of by some as their most important before he even debuted, Lever is the one they broke the bank to get.
However Hogan’s absence on Friday night meant there was room for the relatively inexperienced Sam Weideman in the team, and it proved to be brilliant timing.
Weideman lit up the first quarter with nine touches and two goals, including one on the siren to put an exclamation point on Melbourne’s dominance.
Like the team as a whole, he was quieter after quarter time – but still finished the night with 24 touches and three goals, having chosen a good time to play the best game of his young career so far.
Viney sizzles, Selwood stumbles
It was always going to be something of a roll of the dice to bring a player back from injury into an elimination final, but Jack Viney’s performance for Melbourne proved well worth the risk.
The co-captain was one of the key reasons the Dees were so good in the first quarter, tackling ferociously and setting the tone for their early dominance.
Viney finished the night with 20 touches, five clearances and 11 tackles – handy stats, but they don’t fully reflect the impact he had on the team.
His opposite number in Joel Selwood arguably had the better night statistically with 20 contested possessions and eight clearances, but in reality it was the kind of game that could harm his legacy.
Selwood’s characteristic willingness to look for high contact free kicks bordered somewhere between comedic and embarrassing throughout the night.
However the moment he will ultimately find it hardest to live down is when he cost teammate Tom Hawkins a shot on goal that could have put the Cats within striking distance by giving away a silly free kick off the ball on his way to the bench.
Nathan Jones kicks the sealer
When Melbourne kicked five goals to none in the first term the match really should have been over at quarter time, but any Dees fan who claimed to feel confident surely hasn’t been following the club too long.
And in the second and third quarters it seemed like Melbourne was desperate to do anything at all they could to let Geelong back in – while they were on top of the game, they kept finding ways to kick behinds, some from unbelievably simple scoring opportunities.
Their saving grace was that even when Geelong had the chance to kick goals they did pretty much the same thing. Melbourne kicked 1.10 in the space of two quarters, but Geelong weren’t much better with 3.6.
It was fitting though that shortly after the final change, Nathan Jones sealed the deal by kicking the first of Melbourne’s four goals for the quarter. It was the kind of goal that makes the Earth shake and must surely have registered on the Richter scale.
(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Chris Scott’s finals record takes another punch
After winning three finals and a premiership in his first year at the helm, Chris Scott’s performance in finals hasn’t been great in the years that have followed and took another hit on Friday night.
While Scott has successfully delivered a finals appearance in all but one of the eight seasons he’s been at the helm, he has now won only three finals out of a potential 12 since 2011.
His tenure at the Cats has continually been one of the more controversial in the league – some feel Geelong have underperformed in his time, while others would say he has steered the ship well through a difficult era.
Certainly the fact that he has been contracted for the next four years minimum despite an ultimately underwhelming 2018 campaign is something his critics will be quick to question.
What’s next for Geelong?
We know what’s next for Melbourne – a semi-final date with Hawthorn that, despite being a bit shaky at times on Friday night, they’ll be a serious chance to win, if not favourites.
The next developments at the Cats look a little less clear however. Friday night’s loss – not just the fact, but the manner of it – will leave a bitter taste in their mouths over the offseason.
Melbourne’s poor accuracy in the second and third quarters afforded the Cats a chance to work their way back into the game and possibly snatch it, but they were powerless to do so – and this is a team that, on name value alone, is meant to be valuable.
Does signing a Luke Dahlhaus type somehow take them to the next level, or is greater action needed? Time will tell.
Handles
Roar Guru
Big talking point should be the jobs done by Jetta and Harmes. Jetta took whichever of the trinity went forward and ate their lunch. Harmes dominated Selwood for three quarters, and then moved to Danger.
Rusty Jones
Guest
It does help with both games having 2 Melbourne teams. The AFL spin will spin it as due to having a 1 week bye before the finals.
DougyW
Guest
Its crunch time for the Cats - lack of young talent, not enough forward pressure, no ruckman and an appalling recent finals record. Their game just doesn’t seem suited to the intensity of finals. This will take more than tweaking.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
The Tigers got the Hawthorn team who struggled against the Saints not the Hawthorn team who beat Swans and Cats. You don't hold the cup yet.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Chris Scott mentioned in the presser the list is in transition. Let's not forget they were a couple of kicks away from top 4 so doesn't mean they can't contend while in transition. The 4 year coaching extension means they are still on the journey and Danger and Selwood will be around a while yet. They have some smart recruiters too. Look at Stewart, Kelly. Hawkins off a good season. They will either keep Kelly or get value for him. GMHBA will be a fortress again. Write this club off at your own peril.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
The Demons were impressive for sure. The game against the Cats was speed over size, Brayshaw was awesome. Cats will bounce back next year, they always do.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Very good TV ratings for last night's game: Melbourne FTA: 544,000 Adelaide FTA: 143,000 Perth FTA: 130,000 Sydney FTA: 53,000 Brisbane FTA: 47,000 Regional: 237,000 Fox Footy: 438,000 Total: 1,592,000
Realist
Guest
How are those "rampaging cats" that you tipped to plough through Melbourne & Richmond? How are those "out of form" Tigers going?
Gavan Iacono
Roar Rookie
Liked Vanderberg and Brayshaw - the former for his vigour and physical threat, the latter for his old fashioned uncosmetic getting in and getting the ball. Cats are failing to exploit their list and design a consistent game plan around what they have. Scotts match day smarts and adjustments arent a replacement for a clear repeated game plan. He seems to want to cause surprises each week in tactics and selection where what they need is to be more like the team Scott played for, drilled in a style and approach that was consistent, that everyone knew about but noone could stop. Narkle - was he injured? Blind freddy can see how good the kid is and his temperament is made for finals. Not to mention his speed and movement.
Enigma
Roar Rookie
The clangers were reflective of the pressure we brought (and to be fair, other than the first quarter Geelong brought pressure which caused us to cough it up as well). Our inaccuracy made the game lower scoring of course, but the corollary of that is that if we'd simply kicked straighter, we'd have scored more like 15.10 and there wouldn't be the same argument as to whether or not the game looked good or not with that many goals.
User
Roar Rookie
Still trying Petey... Kudos mate
User
Roar Rookie
2.9 by Melbourne in 2 quarters and nearly 30 clangers by danger and Ablett combined isn't a great game, was reflective of 5th plays 8th
gameofmarks
Roar Guru
Melbourne's pressure at the ball was awesome. Their goal kicking was woeful and they should have blown the game away in the 3rd quarter. Having said that Geelong wasted 3 inside 30 chances in the 2nd quarter. Might have been a different game at half time if they nailed those. If WCE get over Collingwood tonight I hope Hawthorn do a number on Melbourne. Wouldn't like to come up against the Dees again, even if it is at Optus and we have JK back....
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
I reckon so Don, drinking his own bath water clearly.
Handles
Roar Guru
I think the Melbourne Storm thread is one higher on the list. This was a cracking high pressure game filled with rapid ball movement and intense pressure. Melbourne missed three or four chances, so did Geelong. But almost all of them were a direct result of the tackling pressure.
User
Roar Rookie
Nah was just a boring game full of comical errors from both sides it was more like slapstick than a great finals Game
DTM
Guest
Where to for Geelong? I have the solution. Get Buddy, Grundy, Dusty and Gov from Eagles. Might finish top 4 then.
Steve009
Roar Rookie
After Scott's comments on Carlton earlier in the week we've contsantly heard about what the great teams like Geelong have done with their list management. The reality that Geelong were a great team for a period, but have now slipped into mediocrity. Dangerfield aside, replacing club greats with lesser good players. It keeps them in the finals, but have proven not to good enough once there. List, coach or something else I'm not sure, but since 2011 this supposed great club has won 2 more finals than Carlton. That's hardly great, maybe Geelongs top up list management hasn't been as successful as we keep getting told.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Were you on the drink again?
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Just one of those nights for the Cats, nothing went right. Proud club with plenty of talent and smart recruitment who will bounce straight back in 2019 with some tweaking in the offseason.