Geelong have reminded the rest of the AFL why they were considered one of the favourites before finals, snuffing out Collingwood’s fairytale in emphatic fashion with an enormous semi-final win.
There were ominous signs for the Magpies as early as the first quarter. The Cats looked on their game and were moving the ball up the middle of the ground with worrying ease. Goals to Zach Tuohy, Rhys Stanley, Gryan Miers and Tom Hawkins – the latter of which came after an excellent reply from Jamie Elliott – gave the Cats a 22-point lead at the first break.
Gary Ablett was winding back the clock with slick delivery inside 50, having a hand in just about everything, while the team stats would’ve made for ugly reading on Nathan Buckley’s whiteboard. The Cats had huge leads in disposals (84-50), marks (29-12), clearances (11-5), inside 50s (13-6) and uncontested possessions (+30).
The second quarter turned out to be even more of a bloodbath, with the Cats piling on five goals to no score to take a scarcely believable 54-point lead into the main break.
Geelong were playing with precision, excellent ball movement and superb defensive structures, while the Magpies couldn’t have looked any flatter, with the wind well and truly out of their sails. The Cats’ last goal of the half was particularly indicting, with Gary Rohan, Mitch Duncan and Cam Guthrie kicking to each other uncontested inside 50 with embarrassing ease before Guthrie finished it off.
The sting evaporated from the game over half time, with the third quarter proving to be a barely watchable slog in which neither side could manage a goal.
Geelong came out clicking in the last, however, with Dangerfield adding two more and Sam Menegola adding another, before the Magpies got a few consolation majors – their first since the first quarter.
The full time stats made for horrifying reading. The Cats absolutely clobbered their opponents in disposals (+156), inside 50s (+16), clearances (+13), contested possessions (+21), uncontested possessions (+140), marks (+88) and marks inside 50 (+12).
At 68 points, it was the third-biggest win Geelong have enjoyed over Collingwood in a final in VFL/AFL history.
Mitch Duncan was absolutely unstoppable, with 30 disposals, 12 marks, five inside 50s, ten score invovelements and 487 metres gained – 160 more than any other player – shaking off an alleged Levi Greenwood tag with ease.
Tom Stewart had it all his own way off half-back with 26 disposals, 14 marks and eight intercept possessions, Cam Guthrie chipped in with 27 touches and five clearances, while Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Hawkins were unstoppable up forward with four goals each.
For Collingwood, it just was a pure annihilation. Not a single player reached 20 disposals, with Adam Treloar (18) and Taylor Adams (17) the closest. Scott Pendlebury was held to just 14 touches, Brodie Grundy had just ten and looked slow around the ground, while the forward line was completely ineffective – Darcy Cameron and Mason Cox combined for nine disposals, three marks and no goals.
The result sets up a mouth-watering preliminary final between Brisbane and Richmond next Saturday night. Had St Kilda won last night, this weekend’s preliminary finals would be an exact replica of 2004’s.
Geelong Cats – 4.4 | 9.6 | 9.8 | 15.10 (100)
Collingwood – 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 5.2 (32)
Goals
Cats: Dangerfield 4, Hawkins 4, Tuohy, Stanley, Miers, Dahlhaus, Guthrie, Menegola, Selwood
Magpies: Mihocek 2, Elliott, Grundy, Stephenson
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Ha ha! Hopefully Moore is going nowhere! Freo after Mihocek though and Tom Phillips maybe?
Frank Tzimas
Roar Rookie
worst collingwood finals performance ever, the excuse of not having any gas in the tank is a poor one. Geelong players would have thought that this is the softest team they played all year. As a pies fan i think buckley and maguire have to go...the board has to stand up eventually.
Dangersphere 10
Roar Rookie
That was thoroughly enjoyable, especially considering I had the pleasure of watching it with my Pies loving brother :silly: bit of revenge for last years finals also, couldn't have asked for more (except a more competitive magpies performance, perhaps?). Now bring that same focus and intensity next week and we'll be into that long awaited Granny. Though it'll be a thousand times harder to get our game going against one of the best pressure sides in the comp, fingers crossed our superior finals experience comes to the fore and actually serves us rather than hindering us for once!
Goalsonly
Roar Rookie
I heard a story that the celebratory feelings were all left in Perth. Bucks was all about "one of four, one of four" and moving on to next game. So when they got back the rest of the clan were out in the cold or so to speak when they wanted to share those winning feelings back at the hub meeting the bus. I don't know if that had anything to do with anything, I mean, can you move on too fast? Desperate to control the feelings into another win next week. I think the cats were terrific but why were the Pies so flat?
Chris
Guest
I have learnt to expect nothing whatsoever from these two jokers!
Chris
Guest
Well, there are three main reasons:- a) We're mates-Jobs for the boys; b) You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours; c) I'll keep on dropping Carlton's name whenever anyone is threatening to strip you of your job! Besides-we both need the money. Lifestyles need to be maintained and next time you make a Grand Final and just lose one by a kick make sure you take an extended holiday around the world this time with heavy bonuses and add-ons just prior to that. No need to recruit and improve. We're better off going backwards the following year so that we can start to find more excuses. Keep up the good work mate...We're both in good jobs!
Chris
Guest
The two teams that were hopeless up forward and insisted on low scoring 1930s-type wins made last year´s Preliminary Final and got thoroughly pasted on more than one occasion. GWS and Collingwood....start playing proper football and score heavily. Premierships are won by those who pound, not put pressure, on the scoreboard! Appalling tactics, poor coaching, terrible man management, and it just goes on and on.....
The Brazilian
Roar Rookie
Lol. Perhaps.
DB
Guest
And yet they beat up on Port and Brisbane this year. I guess that leaves Richmond as the only good side
The Brazilian
Roar Rookie
Yes. Think they'll apply enough pressure to break the Cats.
Micko
Roar Rookie
So you're tipping Brisbane next week?
ChrisH
Roar Rookie
"They made the finals by accident because Melbourne didn’t take its chances." Altho you could argue any year for any given team who falls just short, it feels more right this time. When the Dees were losing to my Swans, I commented that that was going to open up a finals berth for the Pies. That's the one or the loss the Dockers are the ones the Dees will rue. Either cost them a spot in the 8.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
What about Brander for Darcy Moore?
Pieman
Guest
Excuses....which excuse will it be next year.?
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
Pretty true. But he wasn’t a Pat Malone.
sven
Roar Rookie
u recko rohan's in there as much for his pressure as for touches yatz ? reckon he was a big out against my tiges a few weeks back
Micko
Roar Rookie
The AFL Finals always feature the national anthem. Or are you just being a disingenuous troll?
Micko
Roar Rookie
They were cooked after their massive game against WCE. (That's what I suspect anyway)
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
Fantastic closing speed for the pressure tackle. Bit like a younger poppy. Hope he produces next week.
Birdman
Roar Rookie
Rohan's lack of consistency in finals is the real issue - last night every Cat pretty much filled their boots against putrid oppo. so I don't put much store in his performance tbh. How will he go next week is the real question.