Mark Robinson: Patrick Dangerfield and Chris Scott slap doubters away
Patrick Dangerfield has played third or fourth fiddle for so much of this year. On Friday, it all clicked — and Geelong’s Grand Final opponent should be fearful, writes Mark Robinson.
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The Brave New World at Geelong is four quarters from fulfilment.
The redesigned and reprogrammed Cats – who not long ago were considered too old and too rigid – demolished the Brisbane Lions at the MCG, further displaying their perfectly balanced footy which has taken all before them over the past 15 matches.
That’s 15 consecutive wins from Chris Scott’s team.
That’s not good form. That’s nine trumps and only a joker in the shape of Collingwood or Sydney stands in the way of a near-perfect hand.
It’s a brave new world for Patrick Dangerfield, too.
The champ largely played second, third and fourth fiddle to his midfield teammates this season, and while many observers thought he was now the cream on top in this runaway Geelong outfit, the old boy slapped the doubters away with a best-on-ground performance.
His was widely spoken of his desire for a premiership and this – in his 15th season – is his most precious and achievable moment.
He was close in 2020 but he and the team flopped against the Tigers in the second half.
This year, he is wiser and better tuned so late in the season and unquestionably his teammates as a collective are better defensively and more creative and talented offensively.
Before last night, the Cats conceded an average of just 62.4 points per game in their 14-match winning streak.
They kept the Lions to 7.7 (49).
At the same time, they kicked 120 points, which is the ninth times they’ve kicked 100-plus points this season, and four times in their past five matches.
Of course, the biggest and last test comes next Saturday at the same venue.
Their game is in great order.
On Friday night, they squeezed Brisbane, intercepted and rebounded in vast numbers, used all the ground and the forwards thought life couldn’t get any better.
They had 10 goal scorers and 30 scoring shots. That’s a spanking.
It was brutal and painful to watch as a Lions supporter, let alone a Lions player, and deliriously satisfying for all who favour the blue and white hoops.
The nerves will come. They always do well ahead of the grand finals. But if the Cats cannot be disrupted, or injury doesn’t strike them down, or they choke on the grandest stage, surely confidence dominates any anxiety.
There are good stories in every area of the ground and every area of the footy club.
From the kid Sam De Koning to the veteran Jeremy Cameron, to Tyson Stengle seeking redemption to Joel Selwood chasing his first premiership as skipper.
Selwood becomes the most capped finals player next week at 40 matches, surpassing Hawks great Michael Tuck. A fourth flag would give him equal standing with the combative mob from the Hawks, the likes of Hodge, Lewis and Mitchell. It would be deserving.
The new-look Cats – or more to the point the newly fashioned Cats – can be best portrayed by Mark Blicavs. The steeple chaser became an All-Australian this season and is now on the verge of becoming a premiership ruck-rover, which is an ol’ time name for a new-age big midfielder.
Blicavs had 19 disposals, five clearances and seven tackles.
Tom Stewart, the best defender in the game, will need stopping after yet another brilliant performance last night. It’s difficult to see how it can be done and the same can be said of stopping Blicavs’ influence.
Chief executive Steve Hocking is in his first year and coach Scott in his 12th.
Scott has had his doubters, which is both strange and surprising, but Cats fans need tip their hats to him. He’s in form, so are his assistants, and his team is motoring.
Hocking wouldn’t be missing the AFL and, dare we say it, loving how his team had adapted to the new rules. His rules.
Dangerfield energised the Cats.
He kicked the first goal of the game and two by quarter-time.
Those first two first-quarter goals and nine disposals were reminiscent of his round 1 first quarter against Essendon.
In the first quarter of that game, he had 13 disposals, one goal and six score involvements, and six inside 50s.
Against the Lions, he had nine disposals, two goals and three score involvements.
On paper, the Dons quarter wins handsomely, but that was an annihilation against feeble opposition. Last night it was a preliminary final.
The point is Dangerfield made a statement. The champs often do. It was a long time coming, but a commanding statement it was.
At the half, he had 16 disposals and 409m gained.
By game’s end, it was 28 and 720m.
The Lions end a brave final series. They beat Richmond and Melbourne, and succumbed to the Cats. The bridge just became too far.
At halftime, the Lions had not scored from a turnover, which was the second time this year a side had been scoreless in that facet in the first half.
Clearly, it wasn’t the night to lack precision and ball movement.
They tried to play with dare, which has been a feature this finals series, but couldn’t capitalise. They had 46 inside 50s for 7.72. The 46 was their third-fewest this year.
The bravery timed out at the penultimate hurdle.
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