Geelong squander opportunity for potential home final as Cats exposed by surging St Kilda in second-half

Geelong had a top-four spot in its grasp, but it was completely overrun by the same side that dashed the Cats’ finals hopes last year. And it has put their finals credentials into question.

Geelong’s round 23 clash had all the hallmarks of a danger game, but early on it looked to be Patridk Dangerfield’s game.

Coming off a best-on-ground display against Fremantle, the Cats captain hit up Shannon Neale for their first goal.

Then Dangerfield wound back the clock again early in the second quarter with a stunning goal on the run from inside the centre square that put the Cats 29 points in front. The Saints, meanwhile, were goalless.

Geelong put the foot down again to finish the second quarter with the last three goals and looked to have the result in complete control with a 33-point lead.

At that point a top-four spot looked to be sewn up and Cats fans were checking their availability in late September.

Patrick Dangerfield celebrates his goal when the Cats were flying high. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Geelong’s 23 looked like they had got ahead of themselves too.

The surging Saints completely turned the game after halftime, kicking four goals in seven minutes and taking just 22 minutes to hit the front as the Cats had no answer.

The Jekyll and Hyde Cats – that we’ve seen a number of times this year – were back.

It was unrecognisable from the stingy Geelong side we had seen from round 16-22, that had ranked first in the competition for scores per inside 50 conceded, fourth for points against and fifth for points from turnovers.

The pressure and team defence that has been a feature of Geelong’s game in the run home was nowhere to be seen.

Led by first-year playmaker Darcy Wilson, St Kilda ran the Cats off their feet, scoring 7.4 from 18 inside 50s in the third term.

The Saints would have been up by a lot more than a solitary goal at three-quarter time had they taken their opportunities.

Things looked better at the beginning of the first quarter, but it was a false dawn.

Small forward Tyson Stengle put the Cats back in front early in the last quarter, with Brad Hill responding straight back.

Veteran Rhys Stanley had been well beaten by star ruckman Rowan Marshall throughout the night, but he stood up with a big mark and goal that puts them back in front by a point.

From there the dangerous Saints were all over them with the next five goals of the game and it was soon all over – and with it the prospect of a top-two finish.

Perhaps the most disappointing thing was that the Cats looked like they had come so far since this time last year, where they lost by 33-points to St Kilda in round 23 and had their finals hopes dashed.

Four players who weren’t out there for that defeat turned it on in the first half.

Twelve months ago, Lawson Humphries and Shaun Mannagh were playing in the state leagues, Ollie Dempsey was tearing it up in the VFL and Jack Henry has just suffered yet another foot injury, which forced him to undergo surgery for the third time in 18 months.

However, this different looking team – with a golden opportunity in its grasp – produced the exact same result against the Saints, with the final margin eerily similar.

Geelong is lucky that the Lions coughed up a lead of their own, with a winnable game against West Coast giving them the chance to still make the top-four.

But after that second half horror show, question marks hang over Geelong’s finals credentials. Just how deep can they make it in September?

Originally published as Geelong squander opportunity for potential home final as Cats exposed by surging St Kilda in second-half