Match

Port Adelaide vs Geelong Cats

Commentary / 05 Sep 2024

Pre Game

00:00
Geelong has won four of its last five matches at Adelaide Oval by an average margin of 20 points but has lost all three finals it has played at this venue.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:20
Port Adelaide is ranked second for centre bounce clearance differential this season and has won the opening such clearance tonight but has not scored from this chain.
01:55
The first score of the game to Max Holmes and the Cats came from a forward half intercept. Geelong is ranked fourth at generating such intercepts.
02:56
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tyson Stengle)
03:21
A bright start for the Cats with the first goal of the game coming from a forward half stoppage. Geelong averages 15.6 points per game from this source.
04:33
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
05:21
Geelong has won the last four clearances in the game and both of its goals have come from this source and the Cats have three scores from three inside 50 entries in a fast start to the game.
07:34
SCORE GOAL - Power (Ryan Burton)
07:57
The first goal of the game for Port Adelaide came from a chain starting with an intercept in the defensive 50. When these teams met earlier in the season, the Power did not score once from such a chain.
10:30
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Shaun Mannagh)
11:05
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shaun Mannagh)
11:22
Geelong has an early 3-0 lead in forward half intercepts and the last goal from Shaun Mannagh came from this source. The Cats also have a 12-6 lead in ground balls with this a feature of their early scores.
12:59
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Mark Blicavs)
13:12
The Cats have now kicked 0.3 from their set shots at goal and 3.0 from their other shots at goal.
13:40
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Brad Close)
13:59
Geelong has scored from 44.7 per cent of its inside 50 entries this season (ranked 10th) but has generated seven scores from its first eight entries tonight.
14:08
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Rushed)
16:03
The Cats have now generated the first eight forward half intercepts of the game with the Power defenders struggling to clear the ball from their defensive 50. Geelong has scored 1.3 from these chains.
16:25
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Mitch Georgiades)
16:51
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Travis Boak)
18:12
Since Round 16, the Power have outscored their opposition by 19.1 points per game from stoppages (ranked No.1). Geelong currently leads 13-0 in points scored from this source.
19:57
Geelong is putting speed on its ball movement with 27-11 handball receives and is dominating uncontested possessions 45-23.
20:09
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Oliver Henry)
21:51
SCORE GOAL - Power (Mitch Georgiades)
22:02
Both goals for Port Adelaide have come from defensive half chains and they lead 13-1 in points scored from these chains and Geelong leads 21-1 in points scored from forward half chains with the Cats holding aterritorial ascendancy.
22:58
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Jordon Sweet)
23:47
SCORE GOAL - Power (Jason Horne-Francis)
23:57
Port Adelaide has a 7-4 edge in hard ball gets with the last of these won by Jason Horne-Francis resulting in his goal. In the last ten minutes, the Power have dominated contested possessions (19-8).
27:10
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
27:29
Port Adelaide is ranked last this season in accuracy from set shots at goal, but tonight it has been Geelong missing chances with a return now of 0.5 from such shots at goal.
28:36
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Mitch Georgiades)
30:15
Geelong was able to generate ten scores in the opening quarter which equals the most conceded by Port Adelaide in the first term this season. The Cats used slick hands (handball receives 36-15) and recorded 95 per cent handball efficiency compared to 76 per cent for the Power.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:19
Max Holmes was the No.1 ranked player in the opening quarter with game-highs for disposals (9) and metres gained (283) and having a hand in four scores for the Cats. Holmes has set up the first goal in this quarter with a damaging clearance.
01:11
The Cats have scored 14.4 points per game from centre bounces this season (ranked No.1) and have two scores tonight already from this source. Geelong has been ranked tenth in this measure in each of the last three seasons.
03:33
Geelong has won 10 of the 11 games this season when it has applied more tackles than its opposition. The Cats currently lead the tackle count 20-15.
05:02
Port Adelaide is ranked third for time in forward differential, but Geelong had the ball in its forward half for 61 per cent of the opening term denying the Power a key component of their game.
05:37
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Rushed)
06:36
Cats Interchange - Max Holmes off due to an injury.
07:22
SCORE GOAL - Power (Willie Rioli)
07:47
All four goals for the Power have come from defensive half chains, and they now lead 26-3 in points scored from such chains. Port Adelaide averages 34.1 points per game from this source.
08:45
SCORE GOAL - Power (Jed McEntee)
09:40
Willie Rioli kicked an equal career-high four goals when these teams last met and has already contributed a pair of assists and a goal tonight.
10:01
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jack Bowes)
10:18
The last two goals in the game have both come from centre bounce clearances with the Cats leading 13-7 in points scored from this source. Geelong also leads 6-3 for loose ball gets in its forward 50, which is a measure normally won by the defensive team.
12:27
Another loose ball get by the Cats in their forward 50 (this time from Ollie Henry) featured in their last goal. Port Adelaide is ranked last for ground ball differential in its defensive 50 this season and is again having issues when the ball hits the ground in this zone.
16:25
Port Adelaide holds the ascendancy in several aerial counts including contested marks (8-4) and intercept marks (11-6), but Geelong continues to have the edge in ground balls (38-34).
17:05
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Rushed)
18:52
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Shannon Neale)
19:49
Geelong has scored from only 14.5 per cent of its defensive midfield chains this season (ranked bottom-4), but tonight has scored from five of ten such chains, but returned a wasteful 0.5 from these chances.
22:13
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Rushed)
23:02
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tyson Stengle)
23:13
An excellent passage of play from the Cats has resulted in a goal from a kick-in chain. In the last four weeks, Geelong has scored 9.5 points per game from this source (ranked No.1).
25:11
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Gryan Miers)
25:28
Four goals in a row to the Cats who have generated 17 scores from 29 entries with the Power struggling to disrupt the ball movement of Geelong.
26:57
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
27:18
A second goal from the boundary for Jeremy Cameron and the offence of the Cats continues to impress. Only once this season have the Power conceded more than 18 scores in the first half and that was 20 against Brisbane in Round 15.
28:44
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Jason Horne-Francis)
30:35
SCORE GOAL - Power (Connor Rozee)
30:48
An excellent goal from Connor Rozee ends a run of five goals for the Cats. It was only the second effective kick and second score involvement for the Port captain.
33:08
A high-scoring first half with the Cats holding an edge in ground balls (50-45) and despite trailing in inside 50 entries (31-35), they lead in forward 50 marks (7-3), forward 50 disposals (33-23) and scores (18-13).

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:07
Port Adelaide generated 21 inside 50 entries in the second quarter (with 8-2 forward half intercepts), but did not take a mark in the forward 50 from any of these entries.
00:57
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Oisin Mullin)
01:25
Geelong has won five clearances in its forward half and scored 3.1 from these chains. Port Adelaide has won seven such clearances but scored only 1.0.
02:17
Two inside 50 entries for two scores to start the third quarter for Geelong who has continued to score freely. The goal from Jack Bowes was the first of the night for the Cats to come from a set shot after six earlier misses.
04:44
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shaun Mannagh)
05:06
Port Adelaide has had ten stoppages in its forward 50 that have resulted in only one clearance and no scores. Geelong has had three stoppages in its forward 50 and won three clearances and scored 2.1 from these chances including the last goal from Shaun Mannagh.
06:25
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Tyson Stengle)
07:33
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Rushed)
08:46
The small forwards for Geelong have featured heavily tonight with Brad Close involved in an equal game-high seven scores, Tyson Stengle kicking a game-high three goals, Gryan Miers providing a pair of assists among 14 disposals and Shaun Mannagh chipping in with two goals from his six score involvements.
09:43
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Shannon Neale)
11:22
Six scores from six inside 50 entries this quarter for the Cats and a game-high 40-point lead. Geelong has kicked eight of the last nine goals and Port Adelaide seems unable to stop the scoring momentum.
15:10
While the inside 50 count is even, Geelong now leads 12-3 in forward 50 marks and 48-24 in forward 50 disposals indicating the difference in the quality of entries.
17:17
Port Adelaide has lost each of its last three finals by an average margin of 47 points with Geelong closing in on a similar margin in this game.
17:38
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Oliver Dempsey)
19:31
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shannon Neale)
19:42
A 47-point lead now for the Cats who have kicked 3.8 from set shots at goal tonight and generated eight scores from just ten inside 50 entries in this quarter.
20:49
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
22:11
Since Round 16, the Cats have taken 14.3 marks per game in the forward 50 (ranked second). Geelong has again been strong in this area tonight with a 15-3 advantage including the last ten such marks.
24:48
Port Adelaide has taken more marks than its opposition in 20 of its 23 games this season. It has lost all three games when its opposition has taken more marks. Geelong leads 71-59 in marks tonight.
25:39
Cats Interchange - Gryan Miers off due to an injury.
26:02
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Jason Horne-Francis)
26:54
Port Adelaide has allowed its opposition to launch an inside 50 from only 37.2 per cent of defensive midfield chains this season (ranked No.1 defensively). Geelong has generated 14 inside 50 entries from just 18 such chains tonight (78 per cent conversion).
28:50
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shaun Mannagh)
29:17
Geelong now holds a 19-12 advantage in forward half intercepts and has converted this into 27-4 points scored from this source. The Cats also lead 26-8 in points scored from forward half stoppages.
30:38
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Brad Close)
30:41
Another dominant quarter from the Cats who have dismantled the Power tonight. Geelong won ten clearances in the third quarter scoring from seven of them. The Cats also won contested possessions (32-22), inside 50 entries (14-6) and forward 50 marks (9-0).

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:13
Geelong leads 17-12 for ground balls contested in its forward 50. This is normally won by the defensive team, but the small forwards for the Cats have dominated tonight.
02:20
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Gryan Miers)
02:30
Geelong has kicked 11 of the last 12 goals and has registered 12 of its goals tonight from within 30 metres indicating quality entries into the forward 50.
03:35
Geelong is currently tracking for the second-best return for scores per inside 50 entry in any game this season. The highest return this season is 70 per cent by Port Adelaide against West Coast back in Round 1.
05:02
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Ollie Wines)
06:21
SCORE GOAL - Power (Jase Burgoyne)
06:35
A clever piece of play from Willie Rioli set up the goal for Jase Burgoyne. Rioli has contributed an equal career-high four score assists tonight.
09:31
The Power have recorded a shot at goal accuracy of just 43 per cent this season (ranked last). Both teams have tonight had some issues with accuracy recording a combined 6.14 from set shots.
10:32
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Gryan Miers)
11:05
Across the last four rounds, the Cats have scored 51.5 points per game from clearances (ranked No.1). Geelong has scored 6.9.45 tonight from this source including the last goal from Gryan Miers who has registered his fourth game this season with multiple goals, tackles and at least 20 disposals.
12:23
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Connor Rozee)
13:09
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Brad Close)
14:50
This is now the highest-ever score by the Cats in a final outside of Victoria.
15:43
SCORE BEHIND - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
17:55
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Tyson Stengle)
18:05
The stoppages in the forward 50 of the Cats tonight have been another major problem for the Power with Geelong winning five clearances from six such stoppages and scoring 3.1.19 from these clarances. The Cats average ten points per game from this source.
19:58
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
20:05
Another forward 50 stoppage goal for the Cats who lead 57-21 in points scored from stoppages and 62-31 in points scored from turnovers in a completely dominant performance.
21:53
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Jeremy Cameron)
22:00
Port Adelaide leads centre bounce clearances 15-12, but Geelong has scored 2.4.16 from this source compared to 1.1.7 for the Power.
23:33
The Cats have won 10 of the 11 games this season when they have had at least four more inside 50 entries than their opposition. Geelong leads the inside 50 count 55-49 tonight.
24:13
The Cats have won eight of the nine games this season when they have recorded a higher pressure rating than their opposition. Geelong leads 186-178 in pressure rating tonight.
24:46
Cats Interchange - Oisin Mullin off due to an injury.
25:04
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Charlie Dixon)
25:59
This is the most scoring shots Geelong has had in a final since the 2007 Grand Final (also against Port Adelaide) when it generated 43 scores for a return of 24.19.163.
26:45
SCORE GOAL - Cats (Shannon Neale)
27:26
Port Adelaide has only once lost a final by more than 84 points and that was the 2007 Grand Final which it lost by 119 points.
30:31
A comprehensive win by the Cats who finished with major advantages in forward 50 marks (22-7) and forward 50 disposals (72-34), while scoring from 67 per cent of their inside 50 entries to record their biggest win in a final since the 2007 Grand Final.