Geelong is through to an incredible ninth preliminary final under coach Chris Scott after an ambush at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night, with Port Adelaide now staring at the prospect of another straight sets exit after a brutal 84-point loss. The Cats made a statement on the road in their first final since the 2022 premiership, overpowering Port in a dominant second half to win 20.18 (138) to 7.12 (54) and move one win away from their third Grand Final in five seasons. They left their more fancied opponents rattled in what was the Power's fourth straight finals loss and a nightmare result that included a run of 11 goals to one in the second half, with little response offered. The Power will now need to take the long road through September and could enter a semi-final next week without star midfielder Zak Butters, who was substituted just after half-time after suffering a rib injury in a heavy knock during the first half.
Geelong's Dominance: A Masterclass in Efficiency
Geelong was finely tuned after the pre-finals bye, taking away the Power's ball movement with an organised defence, and then ripping them apart at ground level in the front half as Tyson Stengle, Shaun Mannagh and Gryan Miers combined for 10 goals. In the midfield, Max Holmes (28 disposals and five inside 50s) set up the Cats with a brilliant first half and champion Patrick Dangerfield (24 and eight) finish the Power off with a combative second half, overshadowing the Power's vaunted and deeper onball mix that was supposed to be a weapon.
Jeremy Cameron: A Star Performance
Superstar forward Jeremy Cameron was the icing on top, kicking four masterful goals to sound a warning to the rest of this year's contenders that he will be a significant factor in the premiership race. Jezza's gems Geelong superstar Jeremy Cameron made some big additions to his highlights reel on Thursday night, kicking three masterful goals that took a whole lot of skill and a little bit of luck. The first was his best, running towards the boundary at the scoreboard end of Adelaide Oval and curling the ball in a way it shouldn't on his left foot four minutes into the game. His second was a dribbling effort on the eve of half-time that gave the Cats a 27-point lead, and his third came during a fourth-quarter flurry, hitting a forward 50 stoppage at pace, collecting the ball with one hand and then snapping on his non-preferred right foot. A fourth from a set shot finished his biggest final since kicking 4.4 as a Giant in 2016.
Port Adelaide's Struggles: A Collective Collapse
The Power led for only a moment early in the second quarter before conceding 16 goals to two in a devastating run that saw the final margin eclipse their 71-point loss to the Western Bulldogs in the 2021 preliminary final. The decision to select forward/ruck Charlie Dixon did not pay off, with the veteran unable to impact the game and finishing goalless and with just three touches on a difficult night for the team's forwards. At the other end of the ground, young Geelong forward Shannon Neale delivered with two goals to justify his selection ahead of Cats champion Tom Hawkins, who now faces a battle to regain his place in the team.
Port's Midfield Mastered
The clearest weapon Port boasted coming in was its star-studded midfield, and the loss of half-back stars Dan Houston and Kane Farrell meant it was even more important for Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Jason Horne-Francis to control the critical contests. The clearance numbers were 40-36 in the Cats' favour, but that flattered a Power group that couldn't contain Patrick Dangerfield and Max Holmes when the duo was rolling. Rozee (four clearances) had a quiet night and is not at his best, while Butters' injury meant he finished with just eight touches and two clearances. The heavy lifting was left to Ollie Wines and Willem Drew, who couldn't give the Power the same damaging looks they are used to out of the middle.
The Aftermath: Doubts and Questions
But there are some pretty big concerns for Port Adelaide, after their qualifying final loss to the Cats was dubbed "one of the worst finals performances in a long time". But all eyes are on the Power, who again failed to stand up when it mattered most. They kicked just one goal after half time, with coach Ken Hinkley failing to answer the pressure from Geelong's role players in a complete team performance from the Cats. It came as star Power mid Zak Butters was subbed out of the loss in the third term, citing a rib injury. It's a brutal blow for the Power, who will have to get up and play again next week in a must-win semi final. It has left great David King officially ruling the Power out of flag contention. "I don't think they recover from this. I think their season has come to a disastrous finish," King said on Fox post match. "I don't think I've seen a mauling like that in years. I can't remember a final with those numbers." Mark Riciutto echoed King's concerns, knowing that the Power will be shaken by the loss, which is their fourth loss in September in a row. "They've lost their last four finals now. This is the best preparation they've had coming into a game," he said. "This is really going to rock them, the Cats have really put one on their chin."
Geelong's Resilience: A Test Passed with Flying Colors
Geelong’s focus on a strong finals campaign, not beating Port Adelaide at all costs, paid off handsomely after the Cats romped into a preliminary final without key players Tom Stewart and Sam De Koning. Geelong’s premiership tilt was strengthened significantly on Thursday night after Chris Scott opted for a conservative approach with the star duo and his side still rumbled to an 84-point win over the disappointing Power. Stewart (hamstring/illness) and De Koning (knee) will now have precious extra time to prepare for the ninth preliminary final of Scott’s decorated 14-season tenure. The Cats admitted they were preparing to play without Stewart, who was ruled out with illness just hours before the clash. "We planned for him not to play, it only happened last night. It probably threw a few more spanners in the works for Port," Cats midfielder Max Holmes said on Fox post win. Geelong will now host Sydney, GWS, Brisbane or Carlton in a preliminary final at the MCG in two weeks.
A Look Ahead: The Road to the Grand Final
The Cats have registered their two biggest wins of the 2024 season in back-t0-back games, fresh off their 93-point win over West Coast that finished their home-and-away season on a high. But as Scott has seen first-hand earlier this season against the likes of Carlton and Gold Coast, it doesn’t take much to be on the wrong end of a drubbing like what they handed Port Adelaide on Thursday night. "We’ve seen it through the year with the swings through the season … you’re a little bit of an off night from being badly beaten," Scott continued. "We keep seeing that so that will keep our feet on the ground. They’re perfect examples of when you play well you go, ‘Oh, great decision’ and if we’d have played poorly it would have been about, ‘What would’ve happened if we’d had Stewart and De Koning?’ But our focus is on having a good month, not getting desperate and trying to bluff our way into a prelim … you can’t do that in finals." Despite the absence of Hawkins up forward against the Power, the Cats’ forward line shone as bright as any this season - and having kicked 18 behinds for the night, could have remarkably been ever better. Superstars Jeremy Cameron and Tyson Stengle finished the night with four goals apiece, while Gryan Miers and Shaun Mannagh each kicked three majors. Hawkins’ replacement Shannon Neale kicked 2.2 from his nine disposals and nine marks, making the approaching selection call on who to pick in two weeks time (pending Hawkins’ fitness) more intriguing by the week. Asked if he would like to see a preliminary final played in Geelong, not the MCG where it will certainly be scheduled, Scott replied with a mischievous gleam in his eye. "I think my position has always been that you should play your home games wherever you want," he confessed. "But the AFL run the finals series and they’ve got to work out whether that’s the right thing or not, and they’re balancing a whole lot of things that I don’t think about that much. They’ve got the good of the game front of mind and all I care about is the Cats; so it’s logical that we would disagree when we have those different perspectives. But a prelim final (in Geelong)? Why not? It’s a pretty good stadium. What I will say is prelim finals will be played at some point at the Gold Coast, or at Giants Stadium, or Hobart."
