Geelong have left the footy world speechless after winning one of the best finals the AFL has ever seen in the dying stages of the contest.
Geelong have just pulled off an absolute thriller against Collingwood in front of 91,525 fans at the MCG to secure a home preliminary final.
In what was arguably one of the best finals ever seen, the game was sealed by Geelong's Max Holmes' goal in the final minute to hand Geelong the 11.12 (78) to 10.12 (72) victory.
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Collingwood have been the kings of the clutch in 2022, but in the dying stages it was all Geelong who produced when it mattered most to put their nightmare finals record behind them.
"One of the best games of footy I've ever seen," Garry Lyon said after the game.
The Pies went into the final quarter holding a slender lead, but couldn't capitalise as the Cats surged and with a bit of luck they secured the win in front of a raucous crowd.
Gary Rohan had a paddock of space with Collingwood's Steele Sidebottom trying to close the gap, but as the kick came in Rohan completely missed it.
Thankfully the ball shot through his hands and went towards goal with Rohan sprinting to the ball before collecting and dishing off to an unmarked Holmes who sent the ball high into the stands to give the Cats the win.
Rohan entered the contest under a host of question marks after his finals performances were put in the spotlight. He answered in emphatic fashion, emerging as Geelong's most important player on Saturday.
Gary Rohan clunks it!#ImLovinIt | #AFLFinals | #AFLCatsPies pic.twitter.com/gGnY4zXXQY
— AFL (@AFL) September 3, 2022
Happy for Gary Rohan.
— Sam Edmund (@Sammy__Edmund) September 3, 2022
Wins the game, but just as significantly, wins some respect.
That mark and goal. #AFLFinals #AFLCatsPies
Jordan de Goey did everything he could for Collingwood in a herculean fourth quarter, kicking the opening goal of the quarter to extend his team's lead and then kicking one late in the fourth to pinch the lead back from the Cats.
The win means the Cats will now face the winner of next weekend's semi-final between Melbourne and Brisbane. For Collingwood, they'll return to the MCG where they'll take on either Fremantle or the Western Bulldogs.
UNBELIEVABLE.
80 seconds to go and the Cats have kicked potentially the game-winning goal.
Jeremy Cameron had Gary Rohan all alone inside 50 with Steele Sidebottom trying to close him down. Rohan completely missed the mark but it worked out in the Cats favour as the ball went towards goal with Max Holmes sending it into the stands.
Collingwood took the lead back after Jordan de Goey nailed his second goal of the quarter.
From the very next centre bounce, the Cats stormed forward and Gary Rohan launched from three deep to pull down a monster contested mark before going back and slotting a goal from 50 out.
The scores are level with 150 seconds to go.
"This is insane," James Brayshaw said on Channel 7.
The Pies midfielder who came in off the back of a groin injury looks to have badly done his groin again.
Streaming along the wing, Adams had a fresh air kick and immediately grimaced and grabbed his groin as he fell to the MCG turf.
He was unable to put any weight on one leg as he was helped from the field in the arms of trainers.
Taylor Adams has left the field after this incident. #AFLFinals | #AFLCatsPies pic.twitter.com/p4aYEzfJ8R
— AFL (@AFL) September 3, 2022
It's lucky the MCG doesn't have a roof on it, because it would be halfway down the Yarra River if it did.
The crowd is on a knife's edge with Geelong pinching the lead back after kicking their second straight goal. Brad Close got on the end of a brilliant passage of play to send one high into the stands from a vacant goalsquare.
Every decision and non-decision is drawing savage reactions from the packed stands at the G.
Just what the Pies were hoping for with Jordan de Goey slotting the opening goal of the final quarter to extend the margin out to 12 points.
Geelong's horror week 1 finals record is looming really large.
One quarter to go and it's Collingwood holding the slender seven point lead over the minor premiers.
The top of the ladder Cats are going to have to do what the Pies have done all season long and pull off a come from behind win if they want to secure a week off and a home preliminary final.
We've got absolutely no idea how this one is going to finish up.
Collingwood forward Ash Johnson has just kicked one of the goals of the season and he made it look disgustingly easy.
"An extraordinary roar for an extraordinary goal. Ash Johnson is living the finals dream," Anthony Hudson said on SEN.
ASH JOHNSON. WOW. pic.twitter.com/hsRkYQwRIS
— 7AFL (@7AFL) September 3, 2022
Ash Johnson holy hell #AFLCatsPies
— Jack Hudson (@jhudson_10) September 3, 2022
That’s outrageous from Johnson. #AFLFinals #AFLCatsPies
— Alex Fair (@AJFair85) September 3, 2022
Not to be outdone, Jeremy Cameron displayed his otherworldly skills when he kicked from the left pocket outside the boundary line.
On the wrong side for a left footer, Cameron made no mistake as his drop punt sailed right through the middle of the big sticks.
JEZZA RESPONDS TO AJ. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/6PeATCZQkM
— 7AFL (@7AFL) September 3, 2022
Goal of the night to Ash Johnson
— PointsBet AU (@PointsBet_AU) September 3, 2022
Jeremy Cameron: Hold my beer 🍺#AFLCatsPies #AFLFinals
Neither team is giving an inch in the third quarter with the pressure still rampant on both sides of the ball.
Collingwood have wasted multiple trips inside 50 with Geelong unable to cash in going the other way.
The Cats hit back in the second quarter, kicking three goals to one to trail by just one point at halftime.
Geelong absorbed Collingwood's manic pressure to get back into the game.
The two teams are neck and neck and it's set for an epic second half.
The infamous ARC technology has reared its head again in the finals series after Collingwood's Ash Johnson appeared to take a mark right on the goal line.
The goal umpire was unsure if the ball had crossed the line when Johnson took the mark, so it was sent to ARC for a review.
But there wasn't even a camera on the goalpost closest to Johnson and the different camera angles didn't make it any clearer.
It was ruled a behind but fans slammed the ARC goal review technology for being useless.
Score review is a farce, a blight on the game and a waste of money. #aflpiescats
— peter ryan (@petryan) September 3, 2022
BLOW UP these ridiculous score reviews. It’s just a bunch of dingbats watching 3 TVs worse than ours. #AFLcatspies
— Rhys Muldoon (@rhysam) September 3, 2022
The ARC is having a big finals series. #AFLFinals #AFLCatsPies
— Alex Fair (@AJFair85) September 3, 2022
A live look at the ARC during this year’s finals #AFLCatsPies pic.twitter.com/dCeuG9WWq0
— Chris De Silva (@cdesilva23) September 3, 2022
If I ever own a horse I'm going to name it Insufficient Evidence
— Daniel Cherny (@DanielCherny) September 3, 2022
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