A snapshot of week two of the AFL finals that saw the Bulldogs prevail in a thriller over the Lions and Geelong make their way into a remarkable 12th preliminary final in 18 seasons with a win over GWS.
A classic and a fizzer
The first semi-final between GWS and Geelong on Friday night failed to reach any great heights with the first half feeling more like a pre-season match than a do or die final. Thankfully for footy fans, Saturday night’s clash between Brisbane and the Bulldogs was an all-time classic. The atmosphere at the Gabba was absolutely electric, especially in the last quarter with the teams trading blows right up until the final siren.
Greene apologises
“It was an emotional 10-15 minutes in front of our entire group. We’re not a club that will shy away from things.” – GWS coach Leon Cameron talks about Toby Greene’s apology for bumping an umpire in an incident that saw him cop a three-match ban and left GWS short of star power against Geelong.
The Cats bounce back
Under fire all week over their poor record in the first round of the finals, Geelong improved their record in semi-finals under Chris Scott to 5-1. As a result, they surged into a seventh preliminary final of Scott’s 11-season tenure.
Tomahawk the player of the weekend
Tom Hawkins. The Tomahawk was the best afield in Geelong’s 35-point win over GWS with 5.1, four contested marks and a beautiful goal assist courtesy of a ruck tap. When the Giants threatened a comeback in the final quarter, Hawkins responded with three goals to kill off the contest.
Match winning moment
There were a handful of moments to pick for the Bulldogs including the clutch goal from Bailey Smith on his left boot. Howerver, after the Dogs led by one point after Laitham Vandermeer scrambled a behind with less than a minute left, the Brisbane Lions had one last chance as they rushed the ball into an open forward line. Lions X-factor Charlie Cameron had a chance to win it as he chased the loose ball with Taylor Duryea hot on his hammer. Duryea put on enough pressure to prevent Cameron taking possession and the ball went out of bounds, buying the Bulldogs time to get men back in defence for the final play of the game.
Experienced Cats escape bans
Joel Selwood and Tom Hawkins walked a fine line with high and late contact respectively against GWS opponents. Both incidents were assessed by match review officer Michael Christian, but the experienced Cats duo were cleared of wrongdoing. The Selwood incident was of particular interest as it looked incredibly similar to the one that saw Toby Greene suspended for a high fend-off on Patrick Dangerfield.
Injuries
Tom Hawkins (Geel, corked leg), Jesse Hogan (GWS, calf, late withdrawal), Brandan Parfitt (Geel, hamstring), Zach Sproule (GWS, shoulder), Jack Payne (Bris, concussion), Jarrod Berry (Bris, concussion), Cody Weightman (WB, head knock), Marcus Bontempelli (WB, knee).
Talking point
Can Melbourne exorcise their demons from their past preliminary final appearance in Perth in 2018? The Demons copped a 66-point hiding from West Coast that day in a game where the Eagles booted 10 goals to nil in the opening half.
What’s next
On Friday night minor premiers Melbourne meet Geelong on neutral turf at Optus Stadium, which will also host the grand final, while Port Adelaide host the Western Bulldogs at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night. Both preliminary final match-ups were seen recently in round 23, albeit at different venues, with the Demons and Power both winning by narrow margins.
With AAP
