SPORT sundayterritorian.com.au Cats on prowl for glory

By GLENN McFARLANE the contests and the stats in Melbourne sheet, and it didn’t let up from there. The margins at the ALMOST the biggest cheer in- main breaks were 22, 25 and volved in Geelong’s 48-point 56 before the final margin was preliminary final win over brought back to 48 after the West Coast at the MCG yester- Cats put the foot on the brake day was reserved for a player late in the game. wearing the red vest and who was out- was not even on the field at standing, relishing his role the start of the final term. deep in defence. The Cats’ With a sense of theatre that backline was a constant sums up his football life, source of aggravation for Eag- Steve Johnson was walking les coach . around the boundary line Scarlett had plenty of part- from the rooms where the ners in setting up play with motorised stretcher had de- , Harry Tay- livered him just over half an lor and doing hour earlier. as they pleased all too often. In a sign that encouraged James Kelly had 28 touches Cats fans that he might still and was a critical player from play in Saturday’s Grand start to finish. Final against Collingwood af- had the better of his younger ter injuring his knee, and in a brother Scott and even ended statement to the Magpies, Jo- up for a brief moment late in PUB: hnson was clearly buoyed by the game alongside his older the cheers he received on his brother Adam in attack. way around the ground. never plays a TNEWS NT His injury was the only bad final, while Cameron negative in an afternoon of Ling did a on Matt positives for Geelong as it Priddis, restricting his im- qualified for its fourth Grand pact on the game. Final in five years, putting The Cats had 12 goalkick- the club against Collingwood ers, including three to James in a premiership playoff for Podsiadly and two each to

DATE: the first time in 58 years. Tom Hawkins, Allen Chris- Better still, while the tensen and . Magpies met the Hawks in a Eagle ’s per- bruising clash on Friday formance in his first finals

25-SEP-2011 night that threw up their own series has been remarkable. injury concerns to key Yesterday, he was tireless players, the Cats got through with 18 possessions (15 of relatively bruise-free aside them contested). But his ruck from Johnson’s incident. partner seemed At no stage was Geelong laboured most of the game. challenged. At no stage did had 38 poss- West Coast even threaten to essions running out of de- lead, the contest, let alone fence and did a good job, but PAGE: look like winning it. at times he blazed away into The Cats were imposing attack. tried and dominant. Four goals to hard, showed nil came in the first 15 min- good signs, but too much was 62 utes as Geelong dominated left to too few for the visitors.

COLOR: AFL SCOREBOARD

FIRST PRELIMINARY FINAL COLLINGWOOD 2.3 3.5 5.6 10.8 (68) HAWTHORN 2.4 4.7 7.11 9.11 (65) GOALS — Collingwood: C Dawes 3 T Cloke 3 D Jolly D Swan L Ball L C Davis. Hawthorn: L Franklin 3 B Guerra C Rioli J Lewis L Hodge P

M Puopolo S Mitchell. BEST — Collingwood: D Swan S Pendlebury T Cloke C Tarrant C Dawes L

Y Ball. Hawthorn: C Rioli S Mitchell J Lewis L Hodge S Burgoyne B Sewell. Umpires: Shaun Ryan, Simon Meredith, Scott Jeffery, Brett Rosebury. K Official Crowd: 87,112 at MCG.

SECOND PRELIMINARY FINAL GEELONG 5.7 8.11 15.14 17.15 (117) WEST COAST 2.3 5.4 7.6 10.9 (69) GOALS — Geelong: J Podsiadly 3 A Christensen 2 T Hawkins 2 T Varcoe 2 D Wojcinski J Bartel J Hunt J Selwood M Stokes P Chapman S Johnson T West. West Coast: J Kennedy 3 N Naitanui 2 D Kerr J Darling L Shuey M LeCras S Selwood. BEST — Geelong: J Selwood J Kelly M Scarlett J Bartel A Mackie H Taylor C Enright J Podsiadly. West Coast: N Naitanui B Waters D Kerr A Selwood. Umpires: Chris Donlon, Matt Stevic, Ray Chamberlain, Mathew Nicholls. Official Crowd: 59,455 at MCG.

NEXT WEEK Grand Final, Saturday, October 1: Collingwood v Geelong at the MCG, 2.10pm.

VFL, Grand Final — today : Port Melbourne v Williamstown at 2.15pm. SANFL, 1st Semi-Final — today: Eagles v Panthers at 12.10pm. 2nd Semi-Final: Central District v Norwood at 3.10pm. WAFL, Grand Final — today : Claremont v Subiaco at 2.15pm. Geelong’s Tom Hawkins uses Eagle as a launching pad for this unsuccessful marking attempt Picture: ALEX COPPEL Geelong faces nervous wait as forward Johnson injures knee

By MICHELANGELO RUCCI day’s grand final at the MCG. 1988-89. Johnson collapsed on off the field on the mini- Geelong already has lost guiding Geelong to its fourth in Melbourne Johnson’s left knee injury his buckling left knee as he ambulance, the specialist for- Daniel Menzel in this final grand final in five years with and Collingwood ruckman was tackled by West Coast ward did walk (with a slight series to a major knee injury. the 48-point wipe-out of the NORM Smith Medallist Steve Darren Jolly’s groin strain midfielder hobble) to the Geelong inter- First-year Geelong coach Eagles. ‘‘There is no point in Johnson faces a week of medi- will loom large over the pros- early in the third term of yes- change bench at the start of Chris Scott last night was speculating until we get a bet- cal and fitness tests to be part pects of both clubs as the Mag- terday’s pedestrian prelimi- the last quarter as the Cats keeping Johnson in his plans ter diagnosis and work out if of Geelong’s imposing chal- pies seek to become the first nary final win against the dismissed first-up fears of an- for Saturday’s play-off. there is any damage.’’ lenge on Collingwood’s AFL Victorian club to win back-to- spent Eagles. other game-breaker being lost ‘‘The doctors have not ruled So far, the Cats are saying premiership title in Satur- back titles since Hawthorn in While Johnson was carried to major knee surgery. him out,’’ said Scott, after there is not ligament damage.

62 Sunday Territorian. Sunday, September 25, 2011. www.sundayterritorian.com.au