Geelong Cats celebrate after epic 2011 AFL Premiership win

UPDATE 7pm: Triple-premiership great Steve Johnson told a crowd of 20,000 fans Geelong were good enough to do it again next year.

Chris Scott and Cats

UPDATE 7pm: Triple-premiership great Steve Johnson drew one of the biggest cheers at Kardinia Park today when he told a crowd of 20,000 fans Geelong were good enough to do it again next year.

After the epic Grand Final victory that cements their place as one of the best ever AFL teams, they showed off the silverware with supporters.

Steve Johnson proclaiming Geelong supporters were among the best in the league as players limped on the stage still sporting battle scars from their victory.

Asked by host Billy Brownless if the Cats could go back to back for the first time since 1951-52, Johnson said: ''We are capable. For now we'll just enjoy it.''

Skipper Cameron Ling said he had a new bed buddy last night - the premiership cup.

"It was very nice to cuddle up to," he told the adoring crowd.

Ling, 30, said after the celebrations ended he would discuss his playing future with coach Chris Scott.

Travis Varco, was probably speaking for more than himself, when he admitted to feeling a bit "dusty" from the celebrations, but declared the boys would "kick on" throughout the day.

Varcoe was able to entertain the crowd with his impersonation of Michael Jackson's moonwalk dance, while team-mate Mathew Stokes appeared on stage dressed as his favourite movie character "Iron Man''.

First-year coach Chris Scott planted a kiss on player Trent West and said winning the flag was the best day in his life with his wedding rating a close "second or third".

Fans took every chance to belt out the theme song and scream "Go Cats".

Fans behave amid delirium

But although thousands of delirious punters flooded the town’s streets last night, Sgt Duncan Frame said just 14 people were arrested for being drunk.

"By all reports there were no major incidents,’’ Sgt Frame said.

"It certainly didn’t appear to be as big as other years.

"We had quiet a few people rostered on and we had members from Melbourne with the Operational Response Unit.’’

Fans will party on today, at a family fan day in Geelong as fanatics lined up outside the Herald Sun to get their 2011 Premiership poster signed by cartoonist Mark Knight.

Basking in Premiership glory

GEELONG has now stamped itself one of the greatest teams of all in a classic Grand Final win against Collingwood at a rain-soaked MCG.

Shattering Collingwood's hopes of back-to-back flags, Geelong broke black-and-white hearts and stamped its mark on football folklore with a 38-point victory - 18.11 (119) to 12. 9 (81) - before a crowd of 99,537.

To the joy of thousands of jubilant Cats fans, the triumph meant coach Chris Scott had guided his team to a flag at his first attempt.

Collingwood had hoped to go back to back for the first time in 75 years and at times looked like it would with the lead changing 10 times before three-quarter time.

But a fired-up Cats team with destiny on its mind dominated the final quarter to claim the premiership spoils and Cats champion Jimmy Bartel, who starred all day, was awarded the Norm Smith Medal.

Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell apologised to the club's supporters after the match.

"Sorry," Maxwell said. "We let you down, but I promise we'll be back next year."

Courageous Cats forward Steve Johnson - in doubt all week with a knee injury - played a starring role.

The Cats' hopes of victory seemingly took a hit when star forward James Podsiadly was substituted out with a shoulder injury in the second quarter.

His departure put in doubt the mature-aged recruit's hopes of winning a flag two years after being Geelong's warm-up coach.

But with the big man carried off, Tom Hawkins stepped up and the Cats delivered a barnstorming final quarter and turned a seven-point three-quarter time lead into a match-winning advantage.

"I'm in a bit of pain, but I'm on cloud nine," an elated Podsiadly said afterwards.

Ponchos, raincoats and winter scarves were the order of the day as the heavens opened for hours in the lead-up to the match and the temperature didn't top 13.5C.

The downpour cleared in time for the national anthem and opening bounce, but by then it was all about the football, not the weather.

The now famous chant of "Gee-long" roared around the stadium by the 20th minute of the final quarter and Cats fans danced in delight as shattered Pies fans started to leave the ground.

It was a heartbreaking end for Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse, who led the Pies for the last time before handing the reins to club great Nathan Buckley.

"I can see their (the players') faces and I know they're disappointed but I can't get my head around it," Malthouse said. "I feel bitterly disappointed that we let our club down, that we let our supporters down."

Aussie soccer hero Harry Kewell and singer Brian McFadden were among a throng of VIPs in yesterday's crowd, along with Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Geelong-supporting Premier Ted Baillieu.

Police praised crowd behaviour, with only 27 people ejected from the MCG by police and security, mostly related to poor behaviour. Six arrested for public drunkenness.

with Amelia Harris