Port Melbourne has booked a Preliminary Final berth after they dug deep in the final term to defeat a fast finishing Geelong by 22 points.
For many Geelong was down for the count after Port Melbourne extended its four goal half time lead to five goals at three-quarter time.
Port Melbourne had shut down Geelong’s run and carry, closed the space for its prime movers like Troy Selwood and Jesse Stringer and provided a proverbial right hook to every jab the VFL Cats delivered.
When James Breust kicked the second of his two goals within minutes in time-on in the third quarter to stretch Port Melbourne’s lead to six goals it seemed a foregone conclusion that the Borough was destined for a Preliminary Final spot.
Josh Walker kicked a late third quarter goal for Geelong, but it appeared largely irrelevant in the overall scheme of things.
Not so. Geelong regrouped at three-quarter time and from the opening bounce of the final term won every 50-50 contest and clearance that had seemingly gone the way of Port Melbourne in the previous two quarters.
Jonathon Simpkin set Geelong alight with two goals in the first 11 minutes of the last quarter and Mitch Brown and Cameron Guthrie also added goals as Port Melbourne had trouble getting the ball inside its forward 50 metres.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, Port Melbourne’s vice-like grip on the game had been loosened as the margin was reduced to five points and Geelong had all the momentum.
Mark Corrigan and Orren Stephenson both missed shots they probably should have kicked as the Cats clawed to within three points.
Port Melbourne, through a combination of youth – Mitch Wooffindin and Marc Johnston and old heads John Baird, Shane Valenti and Sam Pleming - hung tough as neither team could kick a goal for 15 minutes.
And, then Toby Pinwill came through with not one, but two goals in the final five minutes to ensure Port Melbourne’s home record over the past two seasons remained intact and the Borough advanced to the Preliminary Final.
Port Melbourne 20.12.132 d Geelong 16.14.110
Photo: Arj Giese
Last Modified on 04/09/2012 16:40