GEELONG CATS GO OUT IN 'STRAIGHT SETS' DESPITE LATE QUARTER CHARGE
Ben Jensen 14 September 2014

AFL FINALS 2014: GEELONG CATS V NORTH MELBOURNE KANGAROOS WELL it has taken nearly two days to get over it, but get over it we have; on Friday night the Cats were simply no match for the Kangaroos though they very nearly stole it after dominating the final ten or so minutes of the match drawing to within just one straight kick with a few minutes left on the clock. But that was all she wrote, the Cats didn't manage another score, the Kangaroos now head into a Preliminary Final against the Sydney Swans at ANZ Stadium next Friday night. The first finals clash between twins Brad and Chris Scott saw the former prevail for Brad's first preliminary final appearance.

The opening quarter was a bit of a shoot out with twelve goals scored - seven of them to the 'roos. The Cats were held goallless in the second quarter however and the deficit remained at 3-4 goals for much of the remainder of the match. In the third quarter the Cats kept pace but could only match the scoring of the Kangaroos to trail by four goals at the final break.

Like many bad sports we tuned into other affairs midway through the final term and were shocked to see Jimmy Bartel kick Geelong's thirteenth goal to put the Cats just one straight kick behind the Roos with plenty of time left. Despite edging forward and having most of the play the Cats simply could not get another scoring shot, the North backline led by former Geelong and South Barwon player Scott Thompson holding supreme.

Tom Hawkins had a five goal bag to be leading goal kicker of the match, Roo Drew Petrie kicking four. He was certainly up there as the Cats' best along with skipper Joel Selwood who was on the receiving end of a pretty nasty bump from Roo veteran Brent Harvey; Josh Caddy and Josh Walker.

Overnight the Fremantle Dockers emulated the Cats and went out of the finals in 'straight sets' losing to Port Adelaide, the first time this has happened in many years, 2007 the last year one top four side lost both finals let alone two. Ken Hinkley's Port side will face Hawthorn in a Saturday twilight fixture at the SCG to play the winner of the Swans and Roos in the Grand Final.

NORTH MELBOURNE: 7.1, 9.6, 12.9, 14.14 (98) DEFEATED
GEELONG: 5.1, 5.6, 8.9, 13.14 (92)

GOALS
NORTH MELBOURNE: Petrie 4, Thomas 3, Ziebell 2, Turner, Goldstein, Harvey, Black, Dal Santo
GEELONG: Hawkins 5, Walker 3, Duncan, Caddy, Blicavs, Enright, Bartel

BEST
NORTH MELBOURNE: Goldstein, Dal Santo, Gibson, Petrie, Cunnington, McDonald
GEELONG: Hawkins, Selwood, Caddy, Walker

INJURIES
NORTH MELBOURNE: MacMillan (hamstring)
GEELONG: Rivers (calf)

SUBSTITUTES
NORTH MELBOURNE: Jamie Macmillan replaced by Ryan Bastinac in the third quarter
GEELONG: Jackson Thurlow replaced by Lincoln McCarthy in the third quarter

CHANGES
NORTH MELBOURNE: NIL
GEELONG: NIL

UMPIRES

Nicholls, Meredith, Pannell

TIP: Cats by 32 points

CROWD: 65,963 at Melbourne Cricket Ground

GEELONG DRAW AFL SEASON 2014