Geelong’s first hour of football against Sydney was embarrassing, writes Mark Robinson

THERE’S no shame in losing a preliminary final. But there is when you deliver that kind of performance. Robbo says Friday night was a strangely lacklustre performance from Chris Scott’s team.

Tom Hawkins had a quiet night for the Cats. Picture: George Salpigtidis

THERE’S no shame in losing a preliminary final. But there is when you deliver that kind of performance.

Geelong melted in the MCG heat in the first half Friday night. What was more disappointing — the fact the Cats allowed the Swans to physically impose themselves from the start of the game or the fact they couldn’t muster a response?

Either way, that first 60 minutes was embarrassing for Geelong. Forget the second half — the fact the Cats didn't allow themselves to be slaughtered is clutching for positives.

AS IT HAPPENED: RELIVE SYDNEY’S INCREDIBLE WIN

WHAT THE? WHAT WAS ANDRE AGASSI DOING AT THE FOOTY?

No one will remember the second half. Everyone will remember Sydney's brutality.

This game was over by the 15th minute of the first quarter. The Swans were frightening in that burst, kicking five goals and finishing the quarter leading 7.2 to 0.5.

And if there was a moment to describe the brutality of Sydney’s attack on the contest, it came when Lance Franklin bulldozed through Steven Motlop early in that first term.

Lance Franklin set the standard with this contest. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Buddy won the ball and then hunted the contact, leaving Motlop spreadeagled on the ground. It was a battering.

Franklin’s standing in the game was enhanced, if that’s possible. He was the most influential player in the first quarter, having a hand in three of the seven goals and kicking one himself.

That goal from Franklin was another sign the Cats were playing with the fairies.

Even tennis great Andre Agassi, a guest of the AFL, knows you can’t allow Buddy the cheap handball around the back, on his left, outside 50m. Where was Buddy’s opponent? Where was the midfielder pushing up to cover that space?

And what of Franklin’s field kicking? There can’t have been a player in the history of the game of his size and weight who has delivered the ball better by foot.

The commentary in the lead-up was about Franklin playing close to goal. The commentary was wrong.

Franklin arguably is the competition’s best high half-forward, and Swans coach John Longmire must be applauded for deploying his best forward up the ground three-quarters of the way through the season.

There was so much to like about the collective that is Sydney that often you disregard the little things.

Sydney players celebrate after the match. Picture: Getty Images

Tom Mitchell’s swivelling in the forward 50m in the first quarter — which bamboozled at least four Geelong players and led to Luke Parker’s first goal — was also a tell-tale sign the Cats were out of synch. Four Cats couldn’t get a hand on him.

Rather, it was relentless and intimidating from the Swans. The numbers — other than the scoreboard — were even enough in the first half, but they didn’t tell the story.

The Swans will enter the Grand Final full of confidence. But they will sweat on Jarrad McVeigh (leg), who didn’t play last night, and Aliir Aliir (leg), who left the field in the second quarter and did not return.

It was a strangely lacklustre performance from Chris Scott’s team.

Maybe the run home of Richmond, the Brisbane Lions and Melbourne; the week off; the win against Hawthorn; and then another week off didn’t generate sufficient ruthlessness. Maybe the byes played against them.

The simple fact is that Friday night, at 7.50pm, the ball was bounced and the Cats went missing.

Whatever the reason, the desire was lacking and the panic was abundant, while all the time the Swans were hard at it, never-ending in their intensity.

Mitchell, Dane Rampe, Isaac Heeney, Jake Lloyd, Zak Jones and Luke Parker were critical in that first half.

Parker, Kurt Tippett and Franklin each kicked two goals, while the Cats could only muster 2.8.

Gee, it was lame from Geelong.

Barring Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood — who didn’t dispel the belief that this was a two-man team and too soft underneath them — the Swans manhandled their opponents.

Patrick Dangerfield needed more help on Friday night. Picture: Getty Images

The two greats had 39 disposals each and still Geelong lost by six goals, so clearly they’re not the problem, and neither was Jimmy Bartel.

Nothing much worked for Geelong.

Lachie Henderson played forward but looked like he had never played forward before. In fact, the Geelong talls — considered so long to be the weapon to complement the work of Dangerfield and Selwood — were incredibly poor.

Zac Smith, Tom Hawkins, Henderson, Mark Blicavs and Rhy Stanley didn’t make a serious impact, though some were worse than others.

Steve Motlop and Josh Caddy both picked a bad night to play another poor game.

If we learned anything last night, the Cats need to toughen up.