Cats fend off Tigers

Geelong   69 defeated Richmond   68

Geelong have secured a home final next week after they held on for a thrilling one-point win over a gallant Richmond at Skilled Stadium this afternoon.

The Cats took advantage of a strong breeze in the first quarter to boot four goals clear at the first change and they were never headed thereafter, though the Tigers pulled to within just one point with less than a minute to go.

But a Cameron Ling mark assured Geelong the victory and a final in Melbourne against either Port Adelaide, Western Bulldogs or Melbourne, depending on other results.

For Richmond, it was a disappointing conclusion to the year but a fitting send-off for Tiger legend Wayne Campbell who played the last of his 297 games and fought hard right to the end, high among his team’s best players with 25 possessions and a goal.

Joel Bowden chipped in with a game-high 29 disposals, and together with Kane Johnson, Mark Coughlan and Shane Tuck were prominent in the midfield, but in the end they couldn’t quite catch the desperate Cats.

Best for Geelong included Joel Corey, Cameron Mooney and Darren Milburn with two vital goals, while Steve Johnson sparked the Cats early with two brilliant majors of his own.

A three-to-four goal breeze greeted the teams for this crucial encounter, and when Geelong captain Steven King won the coin toss, not surprisingly, he had no hesitation in kicking with the wind.

But Richmond had clearly come to play, inspired by an emotional Richardson who paid tribute to Campbell pre-game, and they controlled the early passages, however, could only boot two behinds.

Gradually, the Cats swung into gear, and through the dominant Steve Johnson, who already had 12 possessions at the half-way mark of the first quarter, they set about building a sizeable lead.

Taking advantage of the strong breeze at their backs, Johnson and Cameron Mooney slotted long goals from outside 50m, which was quickly followed by a brilliant snap from Rising Star nominee Nathan Ablett. Minutes later, he kicked the ball forward to his brother Gary, who flew high and took a screamer more associated with his famous father.

He converted the great mark, giving the Cats four goals in eight minutes and a 22-point break with much of the first term left to play, but Richmond tightened up defensively, particularly through the centre of the ground. They managed to restrict Geelong to just two more points for the remainder of the quarter and faced only a 24-point deficit at quarter-time, despite not kicking a major.

This changed early in the second stanza through Richard Tambling, and when Andrew Kellaway drifted forward to boot a rare goal, the Tigers were right back in the contest. They were running freely, regularly turning defence into attack and winning the clearances, troubling a Geelong defence that had seemed impassable in the opening 30 minutes.

Richmond added a further four goals for the term, including two to the enigmatic Richardson, who was finding space on the lead and kicking accurately, but the Cats were making the most of their forward forays, kicking three of their own into the wind to maintain a three-point margin at the main interval.

Steve Johnson brought his own footy early, before finishing the half with 16 touches and two vital goals, while Kelly, Joel Corey and Paul Chapman were also productive through the middle for the Cats.

For the Tigers, Bowden was prolific off the half-back line with 21 disposals, combining with Kane Johnson, Mark Coughlan and Shane Tuck in a midfield unit that was more than matching it with the highly-rated Geelong group.

Goals were imperative for Cats in the critical third quarter, and through great pressure in their attacking arc, they conjured up their first just minutes after the resumption, Milburn converting a simple set shot.

For the majority of the term however, the Tigers succeeded in frustrating Geelong, working hard in the centre and down back to deny the Cats time and space to execute precise passages of play.

It didn’t help that the home side squandered five opportunities, the majority of them from wide on the flanks, to enter time-on just 14 points clear. But two late goals, from Milburn and defender Tom Harley on the run from 50, gave Geelong some much-needed breathing space and a 26-point buffer at the last change.

Geelong continued on attacking in the final term and for the first eight minutes they peppered the goals but failed to make an impression on the scoreboard.

As so often happens in football, the opposition immediately went down the other end and made them pay; two majors from Bowden and livewire Andrew Krakouer reducing the margin to 13 points with still plenty of time left on the clock.

Desperation levels increased ten-fold as the Cats sought to ensure a final in Melbourne next week, while Richmond looked to end season 2005 with a stirring victory. As the match reached its nail-biting conclusion, both teams crashed in willingly and with just four minutes to go and holding a 13-point lead, Geelong looked home.

But when Kayne Pettifer converted from a solid mark and Troy Simmonds kicked a gem from a boundary throw-in, the deficit was whittled down to one with 40 seconds to play.

A strong chest mark in the dying seconds from Cameron Ling inside his defensive area confirmed the Cats’ victory and a home final next week, while it denied the Tigers another come-from-behind triumph, though they should have plenty to look forward to in 2006.

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