- Geelong 15-10 (100) beat Collingwood 5-2 (32) by 68 points
- Cats held Pies to seven points to 3QT in dominant victory
This was about as emphatic as it gets from Geelong. A close encounter was expected at the Gabba but it wasn’t anything of the sort. The Cats were hard at it from the outset and didn’t let Collingwood in the game until the last quarter. The Magpies had just seven points to three-quarter-time and were on track for their lowest ever score in a final. They averted that, but some late goals could not disguise what an embarrassing loss this was. Geelong did as they pleased, dominating possession, stoppages, marks - 134-46! - and any other measure one might like to choose. They simply kept the ball to themselves. Collingwood came here on the back of a rousing win over Wert Coast, but they left it all in Perth. They looked heavy-legged and flat, utterly incapable of dealing with the aggression and bluster Geelong threw at them.
Geelong’s win means the top four sides are through to next week’s preliminary finals. The Cats will face Brisbane Lions and will do so buoyed by this magnificent victory. Their elderly statesmen were great tonight, led by Patrick Dangerfield. The former Brownlow medalist played up forward and kicked four goals to go with his six marks and 19 touches. More pertinently, he played like a man who did not entertain defeat. It was contagious. Gary Ablett was influential at times and is not done yet. He went to the Gabba knowing this could be his last game. It isn’t. If Geelong play next week like they did tonight, he might have two more games in him.
A few goals from Collingwood in the final term but they can’t mask what this was: a thorough shellacking. Geelong were awesome, dominant, ruthless. The Pies were lacklustre. It was no way to end their season but over it is. Geelong are alive. Brisbane next.
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