AFL Geelong v Hawthorn: Clinical Cats claim thriller as Hawks left to rue costly errors

Geelong held on in another Easter Monday classic, but the Cats counted their lucky stars as Hawthorn wasted opportunities and handed the ball back to their opponents time and time again.

Cometh the moment, cometh the Mannagh.

Mature-age sensation Shaun Manangh produced the critical goal — his third for the match — in the dying minutes when his snap bounced through to put Geelong seven points in front.

The 27-year-old had one thing going through his mind.

Shaun Mannagh celebrates his sealing goal. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“This bloody thing better go through,” Mannagh told this masthead with a laugh.

“I didn’t hit it that well, so there was a bit of a moment there where I thought it was going to hit the post, luckily enough got the rub of the green and it spun the right way for us.

“Credit goes to (Tyson Stengle), he did well to win the ground ball and got it out to me. So I will palm all the accolades off to him.”

While Geelong held on in the latest heart-stopper between the two sides, the overriding feeling as the final siren sounded was that Hawthorn let a golden opportunity slip through its fingers.

Geelong counted its lucky stars as the Hawks wasted opportunities inside 50 and handed the ball back to the Cats out of defence time and time again — it was a dangerous Josh Weddle kick into the corridor that led to Mannagh’s sealer.

James Sicily was a culprit on several occasions with some terrible kicks and dropped marks.

As Hawthorn’s captain had a dirty day, Geelong’s skipper rose to the occasion and powered the Cats to victory in the last quarter.

James Sicily had a disappointing game. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Patrick Dangerfield showed his intent from the opening minutes of the final quarter when he burst through Changkuoth Jiath like a freight train on the wing.

Then the 35-year-old game-breaker stepped up to the plate and put through a cracker from the boundary to extend their lead to two goals. He also handed another chance to Max Holmes with a clever pass soon after.

Dangerfield finished with three goals, but his best moment came on the defensive end when a desperate chase caught Massimo D’Ambrosio holding the ball.

But despite Dangerfield’s heroics, the Hawks still got oh so close. It was a chance gone begging.

Hawthorn had 65 more disposals and eight more inside 50s for the game.

Patrick Dangerfield stood up when the Cats needed him most. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

The Hawks drew similarities to the Cats in the 2008 grand final as they continued to squander chances on goal.

Benny Hill music was playing in the final quarter when Nick Watson slipped as he kicked and the ball spilt to Mabior Chol — one of their best on the day — on his lonesome who fumbled and bumbled it over the boundary line.

As it happened, it was Connor Macdonald — with three behinds to his name to that stage – who put scores level midway through the final term before Mannagh’s major.

Then it was Watson who missed a gettable set shot chance on goal after being handed a fortunate high free kick.

Sicily’s final shot on goal sailed out on the full, and summed up his and the Hawks’ day.

As for the Cats, it showed they just stand up when it matters most and take their chances.

And it wasn’t just Dangerfield who stood up.

Mannagh tackled like his life depended on it and was very lively, Sam De Koning put on half a dozen vital spoils, and Shannon Neale had much more impact than his eight touches suggests.

Ollie Dempsey bobbed up and kicked two goals, Tyson Stengle had important interventions despite being held goalless, Tom Atkins continued his strong form, Bailey Smith found plenty of the ball on the outside, and Max Holmes had more than 400 metres gained by early in the second quarter.

It is clear these two sides will feature in September, and at this point the Cats are far more clinical.

Originally published as AFL Geelong v Hawthorn: Clinical Cats claim thriller as Hawks left to rue costly errors