Geelong has missed the finals just once since 2006. One of the strongest clubs of the modern era with three premierships to their name in the past decade, the Cats are perennial finals participants.
Delving deeper in to their finals record since their most recent premiership triumph in 2011 makes for some interesting reading. Chris Scott’s men have played in 8 finals since 2012, and lost six of them, their only wins coming in the 2013 semi-final against Port Adelaide and Hawthorn in last year’s qualifying final. They went out in straight sets in 2014, and are staring at an identical fate in 2017 should they fail to get past the form team of the competition in the Sydney Swans.
They lacked the spark and intensity required for such an important final against an irrepressible Richmond outfit last Friday, beaten around the contest by a far more lively Tigers side that wanted the ball more and hunted the opposition like a team possessed when they had the footy.
The Swans will head to Melbourne with no fear, having beaten the Cats in last year’s preliminary final and won their past two fixtures at Kardinia Park, a notoriously tough place to win. Of course this match is at the MCG, but John Longmire’s men know how to win at the home of football too.
The other semi-final promises to be just as good if not better, with the wounded Greater Western Sydney Giants hosting the West Coast Eagles, still living off the emotional high of their memorable victory over Port Adelaide in extra time last Saturday night, Luke Shuey with the match winner after the siren.
With the Giants without two of their most important players in Shane Mumford and Jeremy Cameron, the Eagles will sense an opportunity to swoop and remarkably progress to a preliminary final, an unfathomable thought for even the most ardent of Eagles supporters.
6 teams remain, but only four shall be left after two cracking semi-finals this weekend. Here is a preview of both games.
FLASHBACK: Lance Franklin and Tom Papley celebrate a goal in last year’s 2016 preliminary Final. SOURCE: ABC.
Geelong v Sydney
They say ladder positions don’t lie come the end of the home and away season. But 2017 may be an exception to that expression.
Geelong finished on second position on the table after 23 rounds, while Sydney qualified 6th, yet Sydney head in to this match as clear favourites, having won 15 of their past 17 matches.
John Longmire’s men are the form team of the competition, having spectacularly recovered from a 0-6 start to be one of the remaining 6 teams in the AFL finals race after their demolition job on Essendon last week at the SCG.
The Swans kicked 10 goals in an incredible second quarter performance against the Dons, superstar Lance Franklin putting on another SCG show with four goals for the term. Having been injured early it looked like the two time premiership Hawk would struggle to have an impact, but looks can be deceiving, as the four time Coleman Medallist took control of the match and helped give his team an unassailable lead.
Having sat out the last quarter as a precaution Franklin appears fit and raring to go with another contest against Geelong and one of his fiercest rivals in Tom Lonergan in a cut throat semi-final at the MCG.
RUNNING OUT OF LIVES: Geelong players leave the MCG after their 51 point Qualifying Final loss to Richmond. SOURCE: Herald Sun.
The Cats were oh so disappointing against Richmond in front of more than 95,000 people last Friday night, and while you can argue about whether or not the match should have been played at Kardinia Park it doesn’t excuse the poor performance with so much to play for in a qualifying final.
Geelong went the best part of a half without finding the major opening in a scrappy, pressurised error riddled contest, before Richmond eventually assumed control of the match in the last 40 minutes of the match, winning by 51 points.
Chris Scott and his selection committee admitted making a selection blunder ahead of the Tigers match, leaving out Daniel Menzel who is the Cats third highest goalkicker in 2017 with 38 majors. He returns for this semi-final, as does speedster Darcy Lang for his first match since round 14. Cam Guthrie is a huge omission due to a calf injury, while Jordan Murdoch loses his place after a poor game against the Tigers.
Sydney are a settled, well drilled well-oiled machine, naming the same 22 that faced Essendon in the second elimination final. Veteran Jarrad McVeigh will play game 300, becoming just the fourth Swan to reach that milestone in the process, long time team mates Adam Goodes, Jude Bolton Michael O’Loughlin being the other three.
He also welcomed his third child to the world during the week, having tragically lost his first born daughter Luella to a heart condition in 2011. Sydney have made a habit of lifting for milestone games over the years, making an even tougher task for the Cats that little bit tougher.
In the past two meetings between the clubs the Swans have essentially won the game in the first quarter, kicking 7 goals in both the preliminary final and the match in round 20 this year. If the Cats don’t come to play, a similar scenario could play out under Friday night MCG lights.
Sydney have been irrepressible in the second half of this season, and should send the Cats packing in straight sets here. Sydney by 23 points.
MILESTONE MAN: Jarrad McVeigh played his 300th game for Sydney against Geelong on Friday night. SOURCE: Sydney Swans FC.
Greater Western Sydney v West Coast
Have Eagles supporters A) calmed down from last Saturday night? And B) stopped celebrating? What an incredible game, a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish.
West Coast secured one of their most memorable victories in the clubs 30 year plus history at the Adelaide Oval last Saturday night, winning in extra time against the Power with Luke Shuey nailing a set shot after the siren.
Sure, I can hear Power fans distantly screaming about the free kick that allowed Shuey to kick that major, but if Port Adelaide had of taken their chances earlier in the game and in extra time, the result of that kick would not have mattered.
As it is West Coast live to fight another day, while Port Adelaide head off in to the sunset to commence their off-season. The Eagles face another tough assignment as they hope to progress to a preliminary final against Richmond, taking on the might of the Greater Western Sydney Giants at Spotless Stadium.
EAGLE ELATION: West Coast players mob Luke Shuey after his match winning goal against Port Adelaide last Saturday night. SOURCE: 9WWOS.
The Giants were oh so disappointing against Adelaide in the first qualifying final last Thursday night, and are no doubt itching at the opportunity to make wrongs right, having had to wait 9 days before this game against the Eagles.
They will do so without vitally important players Shane Mumford and Jeremy Cameron, both ruled out due to injury. Mumford in particularly is a huge loss, such a presence around the stoppages. An area of dominance has dried up for Leon Cameron’s men, with such a star studded midfield given silver service by the former Geelong and Sydney ruckman.
It means Rory Lobb has been thrust in to the number one ruck role, Jonathon Patton likely to be his back up. It takes both players to extended periods out of the forward line, and with West Coast possessing a strong backline with talls McGovern, Barrass and MacKenzie all able of taking intercept marks to win the ball back for the visitors.
Veteran Steve Johnson returns for what could be his last game of AFL football if his side is unable to emerge victorious, young gun Tim Taranto also back in to the side to replace the injured Mumford and Cameron.
The Eagles have made just one change, bringing back 2010 Collingwood premiership player Sharrod Wellingham at the expense of youngster Luke Partington. With Mumford and Cameron absent, the Eagles have a clear advantage in the key position department, Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling looming large having shared 6 majors last Saturday.
This game will be one and lost in the midfield, with the Giants having stars such as Josh Kelly, Dylan Shiel, Callan Ward, Tom Scully, Stephen Coniglio, Toby Greene and Lachie Whitfield all outstanding players. West Coast need big games once again out of players such as Luke Shuey, Dom Sheed, Andrew Gaff and veterans Sam Mitchell and Matt Priddis, the latter two staring at retirement should they fall short of victory at Spotless Stadium.
Reckon this will be the closer of the two games, but with the Giants at home and having so much top end talent at their disposal, I think they will account for the Eagles, who can give their season a tick now having won a final. Greater Western Sydney by 9 points.
A GIANT OUT: Jeremy Cameron is out for the remainder of the season with a hamstring injury. SOURCE: Fox Sports.
By Jacob Landsmeer.
Jacob Landsmeer is a sports broadcaster on 91.3 Sport FM in Perth. He blogs here at zombiecrowscricket. Follow him on Twitter: @jlandsme_93
Jacob Landsmeer: A Sporting Blog 