Match

Geelong Cats vs Collingwood

Commentary / 07 Sep 2019

Pre Game

00:00
Geelong and Collingwood meet tonight in a final for the 24th time, with no other teams having met as often in finals. The Cats hold a 12-11 winning edge in these games, including an 11-8 lead in MCG wins.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
01:46
Cats Interchange - Luke Dahlhaus off due to an injury.
01:57
Geelong has won all 16 games this season when it has won the contested possession count, and lost all six games when it has lost this count. The Cats have an early 5-3 lead in contested possessions.
03:34
An early forward 50 mark and shot at goal for Jamie Elliott from the third inside 50 entry for the Magpies. Collingwood has taken a mark from 22 percent of its kicks inside 50 this season (ranked No.1).
05:34
SCORE BEHIND - Magpies (Rushed)
05:41
Luke Dahlhaus, who is off the ground early with a leg injury, has recorded a total of 69 tackles away from a stoppage this season, which is ranked second in the AFL.
06:56
Collingwood has had the first eight inside 50 entries of the game and enjoyed 75 percent time in forward half.
07:10
SCORE GOAL - Magpies (Taylor Adams)
07:56
The opening goal to the Magpies was sourced from a forward half stoppage. Collingwood averages 15 points per game from this source, while Geelong has conceded 18 points per game (which is the second-most of all teams).
10:00
Both of the goals to Collingwood have been sourced from stoppages. The Magpies average 33 points per game from this source (ranked fifth).
11:12
An ugly start now for the Cats with Collingwood leading clearances 6-1 and all three goals have come from this source. The Magpies are ranked only 15th for centre bounce clearance differential this season.
14:44
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Tom Hawkins)
14:54
Geelong has taken a mark from 16 percent of its offensive one-on-one contests this season (ranked No.1). Tom Hawkins has already been prominent in this area with the first score for the Cats coming from such a mark.
17:28
The first goal to Geelong was sourced from its first forward half intercept of the game. The Cats average 33 points per game from this source (ranked No.1).
19:51
A couple of marks and set shots at goal for Gary Rohan and Geelong who has had the last five inside 50 entries. Rohan kicked multiple goals in six of his first nine games this season but has not kicked multiple goals in any of his last nine games.
22:12
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Tom Hawkins)
24:32
In the last ten minutes, Geelong was won the contested possession count 15-6 and generated five of the last seven inside 50 entries. However, errant goal kicking has undone this period of control.
27:43
SCORE GOAL - Magpies (Jamie Elliott)
28:02
Another goal to Collingwood from a stoppage and two of these have been launched from the defensive half. The Magpies average seven points per game from this source (ranked second).
29:14
A good first quarter for the Magpies who jumped the Cats with early stoppage goals in a game played mainly in the midfield. Collingwood leads inside 50 entries 13-8, and both teams average 13 such entries per quarter.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:09
The Cats have applied a pressure factor of 1.87 across the season (ranked No.1) and the AFL average is 1.82. In the first quarter, Collingwood recorded a pressure factor of 1.90 and Geelong only 1.67.
02:21
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Tom Hawkins)
03:57
SCORE GOAL - Magpies (Jeremy Howe)
04:18
The goal to Jeremy Howe was his first of the season and the first of the night to the Magpies from a forward half intercept after eight such intercepts. Collingwood averages 28 points per game from 25 such intercepts.
07:18
SCORE BEHIND - Magpies (Rushed)
08:34
Collingwood has won the disposal count by 34 per game across the season (ranked second) and has already had 49 more disposals than Geelong.
08:58
SCORE BEHIND - Magpies (Brody Mihocek)
10:54
SCORE GOAL - Magpies (Taylor Adams)
11:09
Magpies Interchange - Jordan De Goey and is possibly out for the game.
11:13
After not generating an inside 50 from a chain starting in the defensive 50 in the first quarter, Collingwood has done so three times already this quarter including the chain that led to the goal to Taylor Adams.
13:04
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Gryan Miers)
13:24
Scott Pendlebury has recorded over 600 more effective disposals than any other player this decade. Pendlebury has already contributed a game-high nine effective disposals tonight.
15:27
Jeremy Howe currently leads all players for metres gained (383), kicks (ten) and intercept marks (four) in a prominent first half.
17:32
A very good crumb and goal from Will Hoskin-Elliott capped a strong passage of play from the Magpies following another forward half intercept. Collingwood has now scored 2.3.(15) from 11 such intercepts.
19:30
A badly needed goal to Geelong provided by Brandan Parfitt who leads the Cats for contested possessions and surprisingly played on following his forward 50 mark. The Cats have taken a mark and immediately played on 18 percent of the time this season, which is the lowest rate recorded by any team.
21:03
Cats Interchange - Mitch Duncan and is possibly out for the game.
22:15
Brodie Grundy recorded season-lows of seven hitouts-to-advantage and two marks against Geelong in Round 1. The star Magpie has already taken three marks and contributed nine hitouts to advantage tonight.
23:43
Geelong scored only 2.4.(16) by half time in its final last year against Melbourne, and also recorded this score against Richmond in the first half of a 2017 qualifying final.
25:36
SCORE BEHIND - Magpies (Brody Mihocek)
26:55
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Gryan Miers)
27:04
An accurate set shot at goal from Gryan Miers gives the Cats a rare goal from a kick-in chain. Geelong leads 5-3 in forward 50 marks despite Collingwood generating more inside 50 entries.
28:32
A brilliant snap goal from Zach Tuohy makes it three goals in a row to the Cats and this was their first goal from a stoppage. Geelong leads centre bounce clearances 6-3 and both teams have now scored one goal from this source.
31:04
Geelong is ranked last for handball efficiency this season and tonight has recorded handball efficiency of 71 percent compared to Collingwood 84 percent. The slick handballs of the Magpies have been important in their possession control.
31:19
The siren has sounded to end Q2.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:08
Tom Hawkins did not kick a goal in the last two games of the regular season and has missed all three shots at goal tonight. The last time Hawkins did not kick a goal in three consecutive games was from the Preliminary Final in 2010 through to Round 2, 2011.
00:58
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Luke Dahlhaus)
02:56
Cats Interchange - Gary Rohan off due to an injury.
03:13
Tom Stewart has again been important for the Cats with a team-high four intercept marks and 11 disposals at 100 percent efficiency.
04:19
SCORE BEHIND - Magpies (Jaidyn Stephenson)
07:23
Collingwood leads the tackle count 45-32 and also leads 5-0 in free kicks for holding the ball with this pressure contributing to the difficulty Geelong is having in moving the ball effectively.
09:03
SCORE BEHIND - Magpies (Tom Phillips)
09:35
SCORE GOAL - Magpies (Steele Sidebottom)
09:57
An opportunistic goal from Steele Sidebottom gives the Magpies their third goal of the night from a forward half intercept. Geelong leads 15-14 in such intercepts, but Collingwood leads 22-15 in points scored from this source.
11:29
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Sam Menegola)
12:07
A strong contested mark from Esava Ratugolea was important in the last goal to Geelong. The Cats now lead 13-7 in contested marks and average 12 such marks per game.
15:12
Taylor Adams leads all players for tackles (seven), clearances (eight) and contested possessions (13) in another productive display.
18:45
Cats Interchange - Joel Selwood off due to the blood rule.
19:02
Collingwood has used Brodie Mihocek as its forward 50 target on eight occasions, Jamie Elliott six times and Jaidyn Stephenson five times. For Geelong, only tom Hawkins (nine) and Gary Rohan (six) have been used more than twice as the forward 50 target.
19:51
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Luke Dahlhaus)
21:54
SCORE GOAL - Magpies (Scott Pendlebury)
22:07
A typically classy goal from Scott Pendlebury who is now up to 18 effective disposals (no other player has had more than 14). This was the 17th goal of his career against Geelong which is the most he has kicked against any team.
24:47
The last goal to Pendlebury means that Collingwood has now converted its 31-24 lead in clearances to a 33-8 lead in points scored from stoppages.
26:55
The Magpies have applied strong forward half pressure on the Cats tonight and lead 12-5 in forward 50 tackles. Collingwood averages ten such tackles per game.
30:03
Tom Atkins contributed team-highs for disposals (11), contested possessions (six) and tackles (four) in the third quarter. In the first half, Atkins recorded just three disposals, two contested possessions, and no tackles.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
03:04
Geelong has averaged 35 points per game from stoppages this season (ranked fourth). Tonight the Cats have scored only 1.2.(8) from this source compared to Collingwood 5.3.(33).
07:05
Steele Sidebottom has again been an offensive force and has recorded game-highs for both kicks (20) and metres gained (519) with his time split evenly between a wing and forward.
09:21
Collingwood has used only four different players at centre bounces to support Grundy in the ruck, while Geelong has rotated nine different players to support their rucks at centre bounces. The Cats lead centre bounce clearances 9-4 and both teams have scored one goal from this source.
12:17
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Jed Bews)
12:25
Collingwood leads 103-69 in marks including 13-4 in marks on the lead. The returning Jaidyn Stephenson has used his speed to take five of these marks on a lead, which is more than Geelong has recorded.
15:57
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Patrick Dangerfield)
16:31
A terrific stoppage goal from Patrick Dangerfield keeps the Cats hopes alive. Dangerfield has recorded team-highs for contested possessions (14), disposals (28) and metres gained (530).
19:00
These two teams have the best records in time-on this season and also in final quarters. The last time the Magpies lost after leading at three-quarter time by 25 points or more was in Round 20, 1972 against Geelong-at Kardina Park.
21:38
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tim Kelly)
21:57
Geelong has now kicked six of the last eight goals, and both goals in the final quarter have come from chains starting in the forward 50 with fluent ball movement continuing to be difficult for both teams.
22:49
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Rushed)
25:13
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Tom Hawkins)
26:15
A hard-fought win for Collingwood who jumped the Cats early with four first-quarter stoppage goals. The Cats battled back to finish with more contested possessions (157-135), inside 50 entries (50-43) and shots at goal (22-19) but the Magpies managed to hang on.