Patrick Dangerfield leads Geelong into AFL grand final after preliminary win over Hawthorn

Patrick Dangerfield has delivered a finals performance for the ages to send the Cats into another grand final. But one of his star teammates won’t be there in a cruel blow for the Cats.

Patrick Dangerfield dominated the preliminary final. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

Geelong have qualified for their 20th VFL/AFL grand final after a vintage performance from superstar captain Patrick Dangerfield inspired them to a 30-point win over arch rivals Hawthorn in the second preliminary final at the MCG on Friday night.

The Cats will face either Collingwood or the Brisbane Lions in next weekend’s premiership decider, and the 17.13 (115) to 13.7 (85) result has given them a shot at their 11th flag, and fifth in 19 years.

The match was played in front of 99,597 fans, which was the third biggest crowd to witness a game between these two clubs, behind only the 1963 and 2008 grand finals.

RECAP THE GAME AS IT HAPPENED BELOW

Patrick Dangerfield kicks his third in a performance for the ages

But the Cats will have to go into battle next week without Tom Stewart. The champion defender was subbed out in the first quarter due to concussion after his head was driven into the ground while being tackled by Mabior Chol. It will surely spark intense debate about the end-of-season bye being moved to the weekend before the grand final.

DANGER TURNS TABLES

At 35, Dangerfield saved one of the best performances of his stellar 359-game career for one of the biggest stages in football, racking up 32 disposals (21 contested), eight clearances, nine inside 50s, three goals and 13 score involvements.

The Hawks dominated majority of the first half, and their advantage grew to 21 points at one stage. But, led by Dangerfield, Geelong wrested back the momentum emphatically as they piled on six consecutive majors, and 11 scores straight (6.5), to explode 26 points clear in the third term.

The Cats stifled the Hawks’ ball movement and after getting spanked in uncontested marks in the first quarter (29-11), they turned the tables in the second (20-14).

The Mabior Chol tackle that ended Tom Stewart’s season

CATS POWER CLEAR

The Geelong onslaught continued into the second half as they registered 12 of the first 13 forward entries of the third stanza, as well as the opening seven clearances, as they ramped up the pressure significantly while dominating the stoppages and territory.

In a dramatic transformation, the Hawks were the ones who looked rattled, and although they responded with the next three goals it proved to be a fleeting spike as the Cats answered with five of the next six majors to shoot out to a game-high 35-point buffer in the final term.

Geelong absolutely belted Hawthorn’s midfield in the third term, winning the clearances 17-8, including 7-0 from the centre, and scoring 5.2 from stoppages.

The Cats ended up smashing the Hawks overall for inside 50s (66-40), clearances (50-33) and contested possessions (149-137).

Dangerfield and Bailey Smith in the rooms after the win. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

A third term onslaught was enough for the Cats. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

SMITH SILENCES HAWKS

After being booed all night by Hawthorn fans, Bailey Smith had the last laugh, threading the needle late from 30m out on a sharp angle to put the icing on Geelong’s cake. He finished with 36 touches (13 contested), six tackles and six clearances, while Tom Atkins produced another brilliant performance in the middle with 25 possessions (13), 11 tackles and seven clearances.

HAWKS START STRONG

After a nervy pressure-filled start, the Hawks were quicker to settle and kicked the first three goals to lead by 21 points late in the opening term.

The Cats had seven of the first nine inside 50s, but Hawthorn were much more efficient than Geelong who were dogged by poor skill level, especially going forward, as the Hawks took six intercepts marks in the first 18 minutes, with James Sicily taking three.

Hawthorn’s relentless pressure put the Cats squarely under the pump, as did their running game which was powered by a handball-heavy approach.

The Geelong errors and turnovers continued into the second quarter, but they belatedly steadied and got themselves back in the contest with the next three majors.

Mitch Lewis kicks the first of the preliminary final

SCOREBOARD

GEELONG 1.3, 6.7, 13.11, 17.13 (115)

HAWTHORN 3.4, 6.6, 9.7, 13.7 (85)

RONNY LERNER’S BEST

Cats: Dangerfield, Smith, Atkins, Cameron, Stengle, Miers, Mullin.

Hawks: Moore, Ginnivan, Nash, Amon, Newcombe, Gunston, Sicily.

GOALS

Cats: Cameron 3, Dangerfield 3, Stengle 3, Mannagh 2, Neale, Blicavs, Holmes, Martin, Miers, Smith.

Hawks: Lewis 3, Gunston 3, Ginnivan, Nash, Watson, C.Macdonald, Impey, Moore, Chol.

INJURIES Cats: Stewart (concussion). Hawks: Nil.

UMPIRES Foot, Rosebury, Stephens, Meredith.

99,597 at the MCG

Originally published as Patrick Dangerfield leads Geelong into AFL grand final after preliminary win over Hawthorn