Cats secure second flag in three years

Geelong have claimed their second AFL premiership in three seasons, finishing over
the top of St Kilda in a breathtaking and brutal final quarter to win 12.8 (80) to
9.14 (68).
The Cats trailed by seven points at the last change but kept the Saints goal-less in
the last term and kicked three goals themselves, the last of them coming after the
siren.
Half-forward Paul Chapman finished with a game-high three goals and was named Norm
Smith Medallist for best-afield.
After Tom Hawkins kicked a goal less than two minutes into the final term, the two
sides traded behinds, before Chapman put Geelong six points clear with a snap with
about three minutes to play.
Fullback Matthew Scarlett and superstar Gary Ablett had combined in the midfield to
force the ball forward.
After each side posted another behind, Max Rooke marked just before the final siren,
before slotting home the shot as teammates celebrated across the field, to stretch
the winning margin to 12 points.
For the Cats, it was a reverse of last year's shock grand-final loss to Hawthorn,
when they dominated in general play but could not convert on the scoreboard.
This time it was the Saints who had control for long periods, but their grand final
nerves showed in front of goal.
They missed numerous scoring chances in the first quarter, including a sitter from
Adam Schneider from the top of the goalsquare.
In contrast, the Cats fired in three straight goals for the quarter, including a
wonderful effort by Joel Selwood after burrowing through a half-forward pack.
The Saints still led by two points at the first change, thanks to their vast
dominance in the midfield, due largely to the efforts of Lenny Hayes and Nick Dal
Santo.
They again wasted their control early in the second term.
Two bad missed shots from Stephen Milne and a shocker from Andrew McQualter in the
space of three minutes meant they led by just 10 points 11 minutes into the quarter,
when it should have been about 30.
The Cats made them pay, with four straight goals in an 11-minute burst to grab a
12-point lead.
That burst included a controversial major to big Geelong forward Tom Hawkins, who
smothered a Zac Dawson kick from fullback, then hit the post with his snap, but was
paid a goal.
There was more drama to come, the Saints stunningly scoring three goals in the final
49 seconds of play for the half.
The last two came back-to-back. Geelong defender Darren Milburn angrily, and
incorrectly, protesting that he touched a Justin Koschitzke soccered goal in the
dying seconds.
That tied the scores, but Milburn's abuse of the goal umpire resulted in a free kick
to Schneider, who gave the Saints the halftime lead.
The third term was an arm wrestle, with the sides starting to tire and ferocious
tackling making moving the ball with fluency next to impossible.
Again, it was a late Saints goal that broke a deadlock, a brilliant Leigh Montagna
snap in the 30th minute putting them six points up, before a rushed behind made it
seven at the last change.
But as the Cats gradually wore St Kilda down in the midfield, the influence of
Selwood and Ablett telling in the packs, while Jimmy Bartel did a great job to quell
Hayes after his early influence and tagger Cameron Ling reduced Dal Santo's impact.