Geelong coach Matthew Knights has followed in the footsteps of AFL Cats coach Chris Scott to claim a premiership in his first season after his side overcame Port Melbourne in a stirring 33-point victory. Brendan Lucas reports.
In front of a record-breaking Etihad VFL Grand Final crowd of 14,536, Port Melbourne were tipped as red-hot favourites to go back-to-back.
But it was the Cats who clawed their way home in a last quarter burst.
“I guess I had the confidence because for the majority of the year we have played right to the line and played really good last quarters. I certainly didn’t envisage the last 10 to 15 minutes of the onslaught that was going to come though,” said Knights post-match.
“Once [the] team got rolling late in the game there was no stopping them.”
Cat George Horlin-Smith claimed the Norm Goss Medal in a standout best on ground performance.
The youngster was prolific in curbing Borough captain John Baird’s influence after asserting his dominance early.
Quick tempo football set the scene in the contest with John Baird’s goal-saving tackle also setting the trend for a close encounter in the first term.
Relentless pressure continued as Borough Heath O’Farrell suffered a heavy hit leaving him out of sorts and in need of a number change.
With the Borough leading narrowly early in the second David Wojcinski showed resolve in lifting the Cats and himself for a hanger on the wing.
Talls Orren Stephenson and Dawson Simpson were also catalysts for the Cats with Stephenson being shifted into a variety of roles down back, up forward and into the ruck.
Five lead changes marked a heated first half as Simon Hogan quickly made it six with a goal to start the third term.
The battle of the midfielders provided the key to the contest and despite a number of opportunities the Cats failed to capitalise with four goals five.
But in a display few saw coming the Cats turned up the heat in the last. And on a rare occasion the Borough struggled to respond.
The reigning premiers’ only score came from ‘Frosty’ Miller Medallist Dean Galea who continued to do a job on defender Ryan Bathie by leveling the scores early in the last.
This would be Port’s final goal of the game, as led through the likes of hardened-veteran Dominic Gleeson, the Cats were unstoppable.
Despite further missed opportunities leaving Knights sweating in the coaching box, relentless forward pressure proved unusually effective for Geelong in the last term.
The Cats piled on an inaccurate four goals nine for the final quarter and veteran Shannon Byrnes capped off the premiership win with an exclamation point after the siren.
Geelong 14.24 (108) d Port Melbourne 11.9 (75)
Last Modified on 24/09/2012 12:13