ID :
210610
Sat, 10/01/2011 - 14:51
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/210610
The shortlink copeid
Cats down Magpies to make AFL history
(AAP) - If there was any doubt the current Geelong side are one of AFL history's greatest, it was swept away along with a tired Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday.
The 18.11 (119) to 12.9 (81) runaway grand final victory, in front of 99,537 spectators, might not have been as emphatic as the record 119-point annihilation of Port Adelaide in the 2007 decider that started the Cats' finest era of success.
But, given what Geelong overcame to achieve their third flag in five years, it was at least as admirable.
After the ageing Cats were thumped in a preliminary final by Collingwood last year, it seemed extremely unlikely the ageing 2007 and 2009 premiers could return to the top, particularly when star player Gary Ablett and coach Mark Thompson then left.
Even on Saturday, the Cats faced hurdles - a pre-game knee injury query over star forward Steve Johnson, the first-half loss of their leading goalkicker James Podsiadly to a shoulder dislocation and a second-quarter head injury which hampered key backman Harry Taylor.
But Johnson emphatically answered questions over his fitness with a brilliant four-goal haul and oft-maligned young key forward Tom Hawkins (three goals) stepped superbly into the breach left by Podsiadly with the performance of his career.
Solid defender Tom Lonergan replaced Taylor on Magpies' danger man Travis Cloke, who had booted three early goals on Taylor, and blanketed him for the rest of the game.
The Cats - led superbly in the midfield by Norm Smith Medallist Jimmy Bartel and his closest rival for that honour, Joel Selwood - gave the perfect reply to the many who suspected a year ago that their era was finished.
First-year coach Chris Scott, who became the first man since Hawthorn's Alan Joyce in 1988 to lead a club to a flag in his first season, said the players overwhelmingly deserved the credit.
Scott, who played in two of Brisbane's 2001-03 premierships, as well as the losing 2004 grand final, said it dawned on him within six weeks of joining the club that it was a special organisation.
"I've never felt better being involved in a football team than I do right now. It's a little bit overwhelming," Scott said.
While the 35-year-old gave credit to his fellow coaches, he said the players made their jobs simple.
"At times we just got out of the way because we have such an incredible group of players," Scott said.
"Even in the last 10 minutes of the game we commented in the box that we wanted to be sending things out to the players, but we didn't need to because it was all done.
"We can pat ourselves on the back and take credit for that as coaches, but it wouldn't be appropriate because these players, they've been amazingly well-coached for a long period of time.
"But it's about time they started taking a bit more of the credit for themselves."
Retiring Collingwood counterpart Mick Malthouse, denied a fairytale finish to his 28-year coaching career, said too many elements combined this season to thwart the Magpies' bid for back-to-back flags.
He said injuries throughout the season to captain Nick Maxwell and key forward Chris Dawes, along with suspensions to Heath Shaw and Dale Thomas, took a toll.
"You get found out in a grand final, or any finals, you get found out. The planets have to be aligned and you have to go in there with everything working for you," Malthouse said.
"Unfortunately we lost all those players over a period of time that just didn't get enough games into themselves."
The Magpies can console themselves that they became the first Collingwood team in 75 years to follow a premiership with a grand final appearance.
And they lost to just one club, Geelong, all season, twice in home and away games and again on Saturday.
The 18.11 (119) to 12.9 (81) runaway grand final victory, in front of 99,537 spectators, might not have been as emphatic as the record 119-point annihilation of Port Adelaide in the 2007 decider that started the Cats' finest era of success.
But, given what Geelong overcame to achieve their third flag in five years, it was at least as admirable.
After the ageing Cats were thumped in a preliminary final by Collingwood last year, it seemed extremely unlikely the ageing 2007 and 2009 premiers could return to the top, particularly when star player Gary Ablett and coach Mark Thompson then left.
Even on Saturday, the Cats faced hurdles - a pre-game knee injury query over star forward Steve Johnson, the first-half loss of their leading goalkicker James Podsiadly to a shoulder dislocation and a second-quarter head injury which hampered key backman Harry Taylor.
But Johnson emphatically answered questions over his fitness with a brilliant four-goal haul and oft-maligned young key forward Tom Hawkins (three goals) stepped superbly into the breach left by Podsiadly with the performance of his career.
Solid defender Tom Lonergan replaced Taylor on Magpies' danger man Travis Cloke, who had booted three early goals on Taylor, and blanketed him for the rest of the game.
The Cats - led superbly in the midfield by Norm Smith Medallist Jimmy Bartel and his closest rival for that honour, Joel Selwood - gave the perfect reply to the many who suspected a year ago that their era was finished.
First-year coach Chris Scott, who became the first man since Hawthorn's Alan Joyce in 1988 to lead a club to a flag in his first season, said the players overwhelmingly deserved the credit.
Scott, who played in two of Brisbane's 2001-03 premierships, as well as the losing 2004 grand final, said it dawned on him within six weeks of joining the club that it was a special organisation.
"I've never felt better being involved in a football team than I do right now. It's a little bit overwhelming," Scott said.
While the 35-year-old gave credit to his fellow coaches, he said the players made their jobs simple.
"At times we just got out of the way because we have such an incredible group of players," Scott said.
"Even in the last 10 minutes of the game we commented in the box that we wanted to be sending things out to the players, but we didn't need to because it was all done.
"We can pat ourselves on the back and take credit for that as coaches, but it wouldn't be appropriate because these players, they've been amazingly well-coached for a long period of time.
"But it's about time they started taking a bit more of the credit for themselves."
Retiring Collingwood counterpart Mick Malthouse, denied a fairytale finish to his 28-year coaching career, said too many elements combined this season to thwart the Magpies' bid for back-to-back flags.
He said injuries throughout the season to captain Nick Maxwell and key forward Chris Dawes, along with suspensions to Heath Shaw and Dale Thomas, took a toll.
"You get found out in a grand final, or any finals, you get found out. The planets have to be aligned and you have to go in there with everything working for you," Malthouse said.
"Unfortunately we lost all those players over a period of time that just didn't get enough games into themselves."
The Magpies can console themselves that they became the first Collingwood team in 75 years to follow a premiership with a grand final appearance.
And they lost to just one club, Geelong, all season, twice in home and away games and again on Saturday.
