Cats Were Not So Cool When It Counted

The Age

Monday September 20, 2004

Peter Hanlon

The dull ache in the pit of the Geelong stomach will not be eased by a review of Saturday night's preliminary final, in which the list of "things that must happen to beat the Brisbane Lions" featured enough ticks to suggest the job should have been done.

Playmakers were taken out of the game, either by opponent or injury: David Johnson made it two from two on Jason Akermanis, Martin Pike and Justin Leppitsch had poor games by their standards, Simon Black was beaten by Cameron Ling. Craig McRae and Shaun Hart were hurt and could not go on, Luke Power was knocked into grand final week by Steve Johnson.

Key forwards were restricted too: Jonathan Brown knocked knees with Darren Milburn in the first quarter and was not himself, Alastair Lynch's suspect hamstring contributed to a haul of 1.4. Both finished the night uncertain of joining the tilt at a fourth consecutive premiership next Saturday.

But the Cats' ticks were offset by crosses against their own. Ben Graham marked as well as he ever will but kicked 0.4, his worst miss coming in a last quarter also darkened by a Peter Riccardi shocker on the run from 40 metres and a Ling wobbler from inside 50. Also nearing the end, Gary Ablett dropped a mark as his focus shifted from ball to the closing Power, and Kent Kingsley's refusal to mark in his hands was punished by Mal Michael's ever-busy fist.

And while the Cats muddled, the Lions, as ever, had enough men filling the breach to get home. Nigel Lappin was superb, Power picked himself up to finish with a sparkling, 13-possession last quarter, Daniel Bradshaw covered Lynch's waywardness with four goals, Akermanis broke free for a telling last-quarter major.

Brown soldiered on, perhaps to his detriment, Black started to hurt Ling going the other way, Chris Johnson steadied in a defence that was well led by Michael, the Scott brothers distracted Steve Johnson, denying Geelong another avenue to goal.

Geelong went forward more times than its opponent, but only briefly in the third quarter - through two Charlie Gardiner goals in two minutes - found someone who could both take a mark and kick truly.

The second gave the Cats their biggest lead - 10 points - but two from Bradshaw before the last change and a long kick from Tim Notting to a Lynch-Cameron Mooney contest that bounced through eroded the Cats' sense that this would be their night.

In a frantic finish, Matthew Scarlett was benched for the first time in 2004 then sent forward as Graham went to full-back, but there was no dream end to the All-Australian's dirtiest night of the year. Mark Thompson's post-mortem spoke for all. "If we could have done it a bit better for a bit longer, we could have knocked over the champ."

DETAILS

BRISBANE LIONS

3.2 6.4 9.10 12.12 (84)

GEELONG

3.5 5.8 8.12 10.15 (75)

GOALS

Brisbane Lions: Bradshaw 4, Voss 2, Caracella, Notting, Lynch, Akermanis, Brown, Lappin.

Geelong: Gardiner 2, Kingsley 2, Ablett 2, Ling 2, Corey, Chapman.

BEST

Brisbane Lions: Lappin, Michael, Johnson, Bradshaw, Power, Caracella.

Geelong: Ling, King, Bartel, Hunt, Corey, D Johnson, Harley.

INJURIES

Brisbane Lions: McRae (hamstring), Brown (knee), Hart (face), Lynch (hamstring), Power (concussion).

Geelong: Playfair replaced in selected side by Moloney. Haynes (leg).

REPORTS

S Johnson (Geel) for rough play against Power (Brisbane) in second quarter.

CROWD

55,768 at the MCG.

FINALS VOTES

PORT ADELAIDE v ST KILDA

ROHAN CONNOLLY

Roger James (Port Adelaide) 8

Lenny Hayes (St Kilda) 7

Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda) 7

Michael Wilson (Port Adelaide) 6

Shaun Burgoyne (Port Adelaide) 6

MARK DUFFIELD

Roger James (Port Adelaide) 8

Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda) 7

Lenny Hayes (St Kilda) 7

Shaun Burgoyne (Port Adelaide) 7

Michael Wilson (Port Adelaide) 6

PETER KER

Roger James (Port Adelaide) 9

Fraser Gehrig (St Kilda) 8

Robert Harvey (St Kilda) 7

Warren Tredrea (Port Adelaide) 7

Kane Cornes (Port Adelaide) 7

EMMA QUAYLE

Roger James (Port Adelaide) 8

Robert Harvey (St Kilda) 8

Stephen Powell (St Kilda) 7

Shaun Burgoyne (Port Adelaide) 7

Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda) 6

ALAN SHIELL

Roger James (Port Adelaide) 7

Lenny Hayes (St Kilda) 7

Warren Tredrea (Port Adelaide) 7

Michael Wilson (Port Adelaide) 7

Fraser Gehrig (St Kilda) 7

BRISBANE LIONS v GEELONG

GREG BAUM