Bailey Smith, Patrick Dangerfield and the key moments from Geelong’s preliminary final win over Hawthorn

The Hawks were hot early and a maligned forward hit back at doubters – but it all came crashing down soon after as Geelong’s stars seized their moments. Relive the best parts here.

The Cats are through to another grand final after a Patrick Dangerfield-led third-quarter blitz was too much for the Hawks to handle.

Here are six key moments that tell the story of Friday night’s preliminary final.

EVERY PLAYER RATED: WIZARD DISAPPEARS, STAR’S PERFECT 10

CATS ANALYSIS: DOOMSDAY? NEVER. SCOTT’S HOT DESK HAS CATS READY

HAWKS ANALYSIS: CATS EXPOSE WHAT’S HOLDING BACK HAWKS

AS IT HAPPENED: ‘SUPERMAN’ DANGER LEADS CATS INTO GF

Maligned Hawk hits back

With Mitch Lewis subbed out after two kicks and no score against the Crows, Hawthorn fans were hoping for a Calsher Dear miracle during the week. They didn’t get it, but maybe that was a blessing – at least early. Lewis hit back at any doubters with three first-half goals and was close to Hawthorn’s best with one point in it up until half-time. The key-forward was statless in the third quarter, but he wasn’t the only Hawk to struggle.

Mitch Lewis kicked his third in an impressive first half

Wizard’s magic act before disappearing

Chris Cavanagh summed it up in his Hawthorn player ratings – Nick Watson produced some magic with one of the goals of the year but then disappeared under the blanket of Oisin Mullin. The Wizard’s second-quarter effort from the boundary line had Hawthorn fans in a frenzy. But from that point, the brown-and-gold army was slowly silenced.

It really was some goal by the Wizard

Dempsey’s, ah, handball..

With under a minute to play in the first half, Jack Martin attempted a pinpoint pass inside 50 to a leading Jeremy Cameron. The ball came off the Coleman Medallist’s hands and Ollie Dempsey was quick to pounce and, as accurately describe on the TV call, ‘flick’ the ball over his head to Stengle, who snapped truly to close the gap to two points. The young star didn’t have his most prolific night, but six of his 14 disposals led to scores – and this one set the scene for what would happen after the main break.

They were important hands in an important moment

Stengle sells candy to kickstart onslaught

Geelong kicked seven goals in the premiership quarter – a quarter that, as it often does, decided this game. And it all started with Stengle making Hawthorn captain James Sicily look silly 15 metres out from goal. But fortunately – or unfortunately, depending on which way you look at it – he wasn’t the only Hawk to be made a fool in a blistering 30 minutes of footy by the Cats.

James Sicily was buying a lot of what Tyson Stengle was selling

Dangerfield caps off all-time finals performance

Patrick Dangerfield has had many iconic games, but maybe Friday night will be the one we think of first when he enters the Australian Football Hall of Fame. Dangerfield led the charge in the third term, battering every opponent in sight. And he got a third and final reward of a goal in the final term, snapping truly to cap off an effort no Cats fan will ever forget.

A finals performance for the ages from the skipper

Baz silences the Hawks once and for all

The boos came for Bailey Smith quickly after his antics against the Hawks on Easter Monday (and maybe because of some recent run-ins) and while Tyson Stengle may have closed the coffin, the Brownlow fancy put all the nails in it. And didn’t he love it too, reminding the Hawks faithful that their season was over and his side had one more game to play in 2025.

It just had to be Bailey Smith to finish it all off

Originally published as Bailey Smith, Patrick Dangerfield and the key moments from Geelong’s preliminary final win over Hawthorn