WHERE IT WAS WON

FROM the outset, the Cats had a clear advantage in the ruck after the Pies' No. 1 big man, Josh Fraser, failed to recover from a back injury and withdrew from the side. Brad Ottens duly dominated, winning most of the centre bounces, kicking one major and setting up plenty more for his teammates through great tapwork at stoppages. In defence, the Cats stuck fast. Matthew Scarlett blanketed Anthony Rocca, keeping him to only two touches and one behind at the long break. And in attack, Geelong's small brigade delivered when the side's big men couldn't.

THE CRITICAL MOMENT

GARY Ablett broke through with his first goal for the night in the 21st minute of the gripping final term. Having just come off the bench, he read an Ottens tap deep in the Cats' attacking 50 brilliantly. Then, after winning the ball, Ablett accelerated, swung onto his right boot and drilled the goal that gave his side a desperately needed 11-point buffer.

THE COACH'S BOX

MARK Thompson didn't react with rash or radical changes despite the tight margin and the pressure his Cats were under. He backed Josh Hunt against the taller Sean Rusling all night and, when the Cats were struggling to kick goals in the third term, he went small in the forward line, using Nathan Ablett as his only tall as a struggling Cameron Mooney sat on the bench temporarily.

WHO STOOD UP

Brad Ottens: exploited the Magpies' deficiency in the ruck department and was the dominant big man in the match.

Mathew Stokes: provided the major scores for the Cats when their taller, and bigger, forward guns were ineffective early.

Matthew Scarlett: nullified Anthony Rocca and kept a cool head in the back line.

Steve Johnson: nailed two important goals in the second term and was one of the few composed Cats when the pressure rose in the third quarter.

WHO DIDN'T

Nathan Ablett: was manned by Nick Maxwell to begin with, was held scoreless and touched the ball only eight times.

Cameron Mooney: had a quiet opening half when Shane Wakelin restricted him to six touches and one minor score, though he kicked a settling major early in the final term.

Paul Chapman: had a quiet night by his standards with only 15 touches and one goal.

THE MIDFIELD

OTTENS consistently gave his side first use of the ball but, while the Cats marginally won the clearances, his smaller offsiders didn't enjoy their usual dominance out of the centre. Usually so crisp with the ball, Geelong was clumsy with it at times. Jimmy Bartel and Gary Ablett were the most outstanding ball-winners on the night.

THE DEFENCE

SCARLETT shone but had fair support. Tom Harley, started on Paul Medhurst and the inexperienced Andrew Mackie had a daunting and probably unexpected first-up assignment when Nathan Buckley ran into the forward line at the first bounce. Rusling threatened at times against his undersized opponent Hunt, but the Cat managed to hold his own.

THE ATTACK

WITH Nathan Ablett and Mooney unusually quiet, the Cats had to look elsewhere. Small men Steve Johnson and Mathew Stokes picked up the slack, kicking three goals each.

THE WILDCARD

STOKES, in only his 28th senior game, kicked three goals in an electrifying opening term. Giving his Magpie opponent Tyson Goldsack a serious runaround, he snapped the first two cleverly and then, with his seventh kick for the quarter, confidently drilled a set shot from 25 metres out. When the game was up for grabs late in the final term, he was thrown into the middle.

WHAT NOW?

IT WAS nowhere near the convincing win the Cats enjoyed in the first week of the finals, but after being the outstanding side of the season, they have at last qualified for the only match that can give them full satisfaction. Johnson dislocated his shoulder late in the match, Mooney and Milburn suffered corked thighs, but they are all expected to play in the grand final.

FROM THE ROOMS

"IT'S going to be a big week. This is the reason you play footy and it's really, really exciting to get through and win a game like that. It was a huge test … Bomber (Thompson) was rapt with the way we responded, but he also just said that we didn't play our best footy by any stretch."

BRAD OTTENS, Geelong ruckman
SPONSORED LINKS