There’s a good reason why Geelong are neck deep into getting Zak Butters. It was on show in Perth.
Finals expose weaknesses and the Cats were found wanting again in the engine room, as they were when they were pounded by the Brisbane Lions in last year’s grand final.
Their premiership dream unravelled last year against the power of Will Ashcroft, Lachie Neale and co. This time they were upended by the clean hands of Caleb Serong, the slick wheels of Shai Bolton and Hayden Young, and the might of Luke Jackson.
Geelong’s fate was ultimately decided by the belated tolling of the bells for “Wharfie Time” but the bursts at the start of the game and the final few minutes of a rollicking third quarter left them reeling.
Apart from that, as Geelong coach Chris Scott pointed out, the Cats matched the Dockers. The problem was Freo slammed seven goals in those periods. In a game decided by 14 points, those passages were critical.
The opening spurt spat out three goals in four minutes for the Dockers, allowing the tension that had gripped their faithful last week to be released in a cacophony of roars and electronic hip-hop that accompanied each goal.
Bolton, one of numerous star Dockers who were quiet in their qualifying final debacle, set them alight, getting out the front of stoppage twice for goals. It’s for games like these the Dockers paid the big price to lure him from Richmond.
Bolton’s impact was dulled slightly after this – it had to be after such a fast start – but he still finished with 26 disposals. In his quieter patches, the Dockers had Serong, Young, Andrew Brayshaw and Murphy Reid running the show.
The Cats relied too heavily on Bailey Smith, who did not stop running, but lacked sufficient support.
As brave as Max Holmes was to get up for two finals after ankle surgery, he did not produce the scything runs that make him a dangerous midfielder. He limped off just before half-time though played out the game for a modest 18 disposals.
“So to come back and play two finals the way he did was ultra-impressive and speaks to his professionalism,” Scott said afterwards. “But I think it was more a matter of a couple more weeks would have had him closer to himself.”
The Cats were walloped 23-13 out of the middle and conceded 12 goals from stoppage. They gave up 11 goals from this source in last year’s grand final.
Should Butters, one of the league’s best clearance winners, choose the hoops over the red, white and blue of his boyhood club the Western Bulldogs, he would stiffen a Cats on-ball brigade that often gets found out in big games.
For periods in the second term, the Cats had taggers Oisin Mullin and Mark O’Connor in the centre square alongside Shaun Mannagh, who made his reputation as a dynamic half-forward.
As honest as Mullin and O’Connor are, not many premiership contenders will fear Geelong’s midfield with both stoppers in there.
“They’re a good centre bounce team. That’s an area we need to improve,” Scott said.
“If you take out the first three to four minutes, and the centre bounces in general, and then that patch, it wasn’t even with three minutes to go in the third quarter, it was probably the last 90 seconds, we were probably on top for the rest of the game. They were two brief periods that really hurt us.”
The Cats were also punished by Jackson, who made the most of his advantage in experience, size and strength against Mitch Edwards – a 21-year-old in just his 20th game and second final.
When the coaches’ votes come out next week, it would be a surprise if he did not get the maximum of 10.
The big man with the mullet gave his midfielders first use of the ball, won the ball himself at ground level, and kicked two clutch goals from ruck infringements when the Dockers surged late in the third quarter. There is little he cannot do.
He had another goal disallowed after the boundary umpire ruled Michael Frederick had taken the ball over the boundary line earlier in the play.
Scott says Jackson is “as close as there is to unique in that position as there is in the competition”.
“Jackson’s such a rare player,” Scott said. “He’s got the physical attributes that are so admirable, but he’s a smart footballer as well. Even the free kicks that he drew, it’s the craftiness of an experienced ruckman.”
Still learning the caper, Edwards will improve as he adds bulk to his frame and smarts to his game. But the Cats will be undoubtedly stronger next season if they can get a deal done for St Kilda’s Rowan Marshall, a seasoned big man who won’t leave them vulnerable in the ruck.
As well-beaten as they were around the ball, the Cats hung tough, forcing the Dockers to win the game three times.
Not much went right for them.
They were stiff not to have Ollie Dempsey’s volley from close range ruled their way. Replays appeared to show the ball ricocheting off Matt Johnson’s arm onto Dempsey’s boot, but the ARC deemed there was insufficient evidence to overrule the goal umpire’s soft call.
“From what I’m told, everyone has the same opinion that Ollie did,” Scott said diplomatically when asked for his assessment of the decision.
The vision of Scott punching the window of the box in bemusement will become rich online meme material.
“Sometimes I punch the wall when I’m happy,” Scott said. “Sometimes I punch the wall when I’m annoyed.”
Jeremy Cameron battled manfully for two goals and 15 disposals. He will undergo surgery to fix the lingering issues on the arm he broke in last year’s grand final and which has hampered him all year.
Tom Stewart, the man who Scott rates as the best player at the club, was held to 14 disposals against the influential Patrick Voss – who energised the crowd with four goals, including the sealer with seconds left. Stewart did not take a mark in the first quarter when the Dockers surged.
Along with Holmes’ struggles, that’s three of Geelong’s best players having midrange nights when more was needed from their top-liners.
Patrick Dangerfield was ominous at times but lacked the supply to dominate as he did last week, while Ollie Henry played his best game, booting five. If they win Toby Greene’s signature, their forward line will cause migraines for opposition defences.
It is testament to their resilience that the game was still alive with 75 seconds on the clock, prompting the Dockers to toll the bell for Wharfie Time to spur their team home.
“There are a lot of teams in history after a start like that who would’ve turned up their toes and been beaten badly,” Scott said. “Obviously, we were being outplayed. To hang in and give ourselves a chance late in the game, in some ways be a fraction unlucky at various times, I think is a credit to our players.
“It’s less about our off-field stuff and much more the ability of those guys to hang in. They’ll all be really hurting at the moment.”
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