AFL Grand Final 2022: How two Richmond capitulations revealed to Geelong what needed addressing

Geelong threw everything it had at Richmond — twice — and came up short. So the Cats devised a plan to reset and come again as they literally ran away from the competition.

Geelong threw the two biggest punches at Richmond during its glorious back-to-back premiership run without ever landing a knockout blow.

In the 2019 preliminary final, the Cats led the Tigers by 21 points, then in the 2020 grand final they led the Tigers by 22 points.

Twice they were overrun ... and so the Cats targeted run.

In 2019 they selected Bradley Close as a rookie and, live on draft night in 2020, the Cats traded a future first-round pick — ironically to the Tigers — for a speed machine who had played just one game in two years.

His name was Max Holmes, the heartbreak story of Saturday's premiership. In that off-season they also signed free agent Isaac Smith, who was born with running shoes on.

And there's more to come. Last year they pounced on Mitch Knevitt, who — you guessed it — runs like the wind.

Cooper Stephens and Mitch Knevitt are two Cats to watch in 2023.

The transformation from 83-point preliminary final losers in 2021 to runaway 81-point grand final winners in 2022 has been extraordinary.

It was the perfect grand final performance and it was produced on the back of patience.

The patience to teach young players through lengthy VFL apprenticeships and the patience to prime its biggest stars for September.

It's understood Patrick Dangerfield has felt frustrated this year.

Dangerfield suffered a slight calf injury in round 10 and probably could have returned in a couple of weeks.

But the Cats told their most penetrating player he would be given a six-week pre-season in the middle of the year.

Harry Taylor was pivotal to that decision, and it paid off in September.

Dangerfield had been expected to finally return against Richmond in the round 15 blockbuster at the MCG.

Isaac Smith, pictured with Jeremy Cameron, brought express speed to the Cats.

It was a big game for both clubs and he was desperate to play.

But he was told to wait one more week; three months later his resume was completed with a premiership.

It has been a similar sort of story for the kids. Some draftees have watched on jealousy as their junior mates shot the lights out from day one at rival clubs.

At Geelong you can't expect to consistently play straight away.

Usually you have to bide your time and learn how to play Scott’s way before you can play for Scott’s team.

Tom Atkins lined up in 59 VFL games, and then 83 AFL games, not once returning to the reserves.

Gryan Miers played 20 VFL games before his AFL debut. He‘s since played just four VFL games and, like Atkins, 83 AFL games.

Gryan Miers was one of many Cats to cut his teeth in the twos.

In 2017-20, Zach Guthrie played 35 VFL games and 17 AFL games. Since then he's played seven VFL games and 34 AFL games.

Guthrie spent five seasons banging the door down before finally bursting through.

Sam De Koning played seven VFL games and one AFL game last year. He looked a mile off it at training when Taylor used to beat him in, according to one teammate, “99 contests out of 100”.

But the 204cm 21-year-old worked his backside off and is now the most exciting full-back in the game.

Without disrespecting serviceable swingman Lachie Henderson, who played in the 2020 grand final and 2021 preliminary final, De Koning is a mighty upgrade.

The Cats have a 21-year-old full-back in De Koning and a 24-year-old centre half-back in Jack Henry for the foreseeable future.

When Paddy McCartin was at St Kilda he begged recruiters to draft Atkins, his under-12s mate from St Joseph’s. The scouts said they knew better and now Atkins is a premiership Cat.

Atkins, Miers, Guthrie and De Koning are now all premiership heroes.

Paddy McCartin told St Kilda to draft Tom Atkins.

Knevitt might be next. There's a bit of an internal boom about the local lad who they grabbed at pick 25 last year.

He played 15 VFL games and two AFL games this season, but — along with Holmes, Tanner Bruhn (GWS trade target), medi-sub Brandan Parfitt and maybe even Cooper Stephens — could improve Geelong’s grand final starting 22 in 2023.

List bosses Stephen Wells and Andrew Mackie located the legs, but so much credit has to go to Scott.

The Cats were smacked in scores from stoppages in their last loss, to St Kilda, almost five months ago.

Most of their game was in good order. But a 20-minute burst to end the third quarter posed questions over Geelong’s midfield.

So Scott threw Atkins and Blicavs in and they haven't lost since.

Blicavs is a little bit like Richmond's Dustin Martin in the sense that he causes so much stress for opposition coaches.

You could imagine some of the conversations in Sydney’s box on Saturday.

Where’s Blicavs? He’s on Chad Warner. No, now he’s got Callum Mills. Wait, hang on. Now he’s in the ruck. So ... who's on Warner?

It would be chaos. Scott had a super grand final, too.

Ryan Clarke expectedly tagged Tom Stewart and so Stewart selflessly got out of the way as Zach Tuohy rolled back into Stewart‘s usual role.

Tuohy‘s laser-like foot skills helped Geelong get out of trouble in rare moments of pressure. By three-quarter time the Cats had kicked 101 points.

Gary Rohan and Jeremy Cameron, the qualifying final heroes, had contributed two behinds to that tally.

However for those doubting Rohan‘s performance on the biggest day it is worth remembering the Cats wouldn’t have got over Collingwood by six points without his game.

Geelong would’ve faced another shock loss in the first week of the finals if it wasn’t for Gary Rohan.

Much like 2007, when the Cats won two finals by 225 points and pipped the Pies by five points, that was the big one.

He and Cameron set the Cats on their crushing path to premiership glory.

The concern for Sydney is the possible scarring from Saturday. The Swans became the 12th team to lose a grand final by more than 40 points this century.

They joined Western Bulldogs last year, GWS Giants in 2019, Adelaide in 2017, West Coast in 2015, Sydney in 2014, Collingwood in 2011, St Kilda in 2010 (grand final replay), Port Adelaide in 2007, Brisbane Lions in 2004, Collingwood in 2003 and Melbourne in 2000.

Only one of those teams — Collingwood in 2011 — bounced back to win a final the following season.

The only concern for the Cats is how to evolve in 2023, because rivals study the premiers, and Melbourne showed this year that serving up the same ingredients goes stale.

But right now they are on a 16-game winning run. Can anybody catch them?

Drug test that delayed Geelong star’s party time

- Lauren Wood

Geelong’s recruit of the year has revealed what was behind the minor delay to the Cats’ premiership celebrations - a random drug test. 

Anti-doping control authority testers randomly select players for testing after matches, and in Saturday’s premiership decider, one of those players was flag winning Cat Tyson Stengle. 

While Geelong players celebrated on the ground with their family, friends and supporters, Stengle got the tap from the tester that he would have to produce a urine sample - which he laughed he would “have to get it out quick” - and complete associated paperwork. 

The Cats’ unprecedented move to sing the team song on the ground was delayed while Stengle made his way back onto the MCG turf, with another rendition and further festivities on hold once the team made its way to the changerooms. 

“I came off the ground and I was walking down the tunnel and I had a guy on my shoulder and said ‘I’ve got to drug test you’,” Stengle said on Channel 9 on Sunday. 

“I was like, oh well, we’ll go and do it. I wanted to get it over and done with straight away. 

“The boys were ready to sing the song, but I was in the room.”

Tyson Stengle of the Cats was taken for a random drug test after the siren

While many in the changerooms were wondering what was behind the delay, the team waited for the All-Australian forward - one of the best comeback stories of the year - before belting it out again.   

“I was stuck in the room for like 30 minutes,” Stengle said. 

“They were taking their time. I was trying to rush them, and they were still taking their time. 

“I had to leave, do the song, and then I had to go back and do the rest of the paperwork. 

“I got it done in the end. We’re celebrating now and enjoying our time.”

Stengle said he got it all over and done with as fast as possible

Stengle, who booted four goals in the grand final victory to take his season tally to 53, has returned to the top of the game after a tumultuous few seasons, hardship and missteps. 

“I’m happy and I’m happy for the boys and it’s a good achievement for everybody,” he said. 

“When you think of it like that (to be All-Australian and a premiership player), it’s pretty good. But it comes back to the team, and if it wasn’t for the team I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in today.”

Stengle has an incredibly close relationship with Geelong assistant coach Eddie Betts, who he laughed he would remind of his grand final glory. 

“Eddie was telling me all year I can’t kick from 50 (metres) and I kicked two yesterday,” he said.

“I let him know about that.”