Classy moment after Geelong defeat GWS in AFL semi-final

After Geelong booked its place in a preliminary final, there was a touching moment when a legend of the game honoured his successor.

Geelong has stayed in the hunt for the AFL premiership with a dominant 35-point win over GWS in their sudden death semi-final on Friday night.

The Cats were scrappy early but pulled away in the second half to claim a 15.13 (103) to 10.8 (68) victory at Optus Stadium in Perth.

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After a very poor showing against Port Adelaide last week, Geelong bounced back and rediscovered some good form against the Giants.

It was a low-scoring start to the game, with the Cats kicking only two goals in the first quarter while GWS didn’t record a goal in their worst start to a game all season.

Geelong had a 15-point lead at quarter time and were never headed, despite GWS mounting mini-comebacks in the second and fourth quarters.

Gun key forward Tom Hawkins kicked five goals for the Cats, including three in the final term as his side ran away with the game.

Tom Hawkins was epic for the Cats with five goals. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The only sour note for Geelong came when midfielder Brandan Parfitt was substituted out of the match with a hamstring injury.

The result was a fitting way to celebrate captain Joel Selwood becoming Geelong’s all-time games record-holder with 333 games.

There was a touching moment after the game when he was chaired off the field by Hawkins and the man whose record he broke — former teammate and current Geelong assistant coach Corey Enright.

Corey Enright passes the torch to Joel Selwood who becomes Geelong's all-time games record holder. #AFLFinalspic.twitter.com/WZjExHss1u

— AFL (@AFL) September 3, 2021

Selwood also notched up his 35th appearance in finals matches, drawing level with Port Adelaide and Hawthorn great Shaun Burgoyne at second on the all-time list.

Only seven-time premiership Hawk Michael Tuck has played more finals games in VFL/AFL history.

Geelong’s form in finals was questioned during the week, but Chris Scott’s men proved the doubters wrong to book their place in an incredible fifth preliminary final in six years.

They will face premiership favourites Melbourne next week for a place in the grand final.

However, the clash with the Giants failed to live up to the intensity expected of finals football and AFL pundits believe the Cats will struggle to challenge the Demons.

There is a long history of very ordinary AFL semi-finals where one team played their grand final the week before and one just needs to do enough to get to a deserving prelim final spot.

This is on the Mt Rushmore.

— Daniel Cherny 📰 (@DanielCherny) September 3, 2021

Congratulations to Melbourne on qualifying for the 2021 AFL Grand Final.

— Max Laughton (@maxlaughton) September 3, 2021

Feeling as though, after the week we've had, I invested far too much energy into this footy match being able to improve things #AFLCatsGiants

— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) September 3, 2021

“I don’t think Melbourne are quaking in their boots right now based on what they’ve seen,” St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt told Fox Footy.

Joel Selwood gets chaired off by the man whose record he broke. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“I know it can change from week to week but nothing there would be scaring them.”

Earlier in the game, fans were convinced the Cats were getting the rub of the green from the umpires in the first half.

They were up in arms when Tom Hawkins kicked a goal after it appeared he pushed Giants defender Sam Taylor in the back before taking the mark.

“This is one of the blights on the game at the moment,” former Brownlow medallist Gerard Healy said on AFL Nation, referring to free kicks not being paid for a push in the back.

Originally published as Classy moment after Geelong defeat GWS in AFL semi-final