AFL Finals: Geelong thump Port Adelaide by 84 points to book a home preliminary final

Port Adelaide finished second on the ladder but, like in the previous three finals, couldn’t deliver on the big September stage. And the pressure is right back on Ken Hinkley.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 05: Shaun Mannagh of the Cats celebrates a goal as Connor Rozee of the Power looks on during the 2024 AFL Second Qualifying Final match between the Port Adelaide Power and the Geelong Cats at Adelaide Oval on September 05, 2024 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Port Adelaide’s finals demons came back to haunt Power fans in a horror show at Adelaide Oval, clinical Geelong overcoming the late withdrawal of star defender Tom Stewart to romp into a preliminary final with an 84-point thumping.

Max Holmes, Gryan Miers and Patrick Dangerfield were outstanding as the hard-running Cats ambushed Port in a smackdown that will put questions about the performances of Ken Hinkley’s side in finals front and centre for what will surely be an uncomfortable week for the coach.

Jeremy Cameron and the Cats blew the Power off the park. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos

The Power took a six-game winning streak into Thursday night’s clash, but now face a sudden-death semi-final against the Western Bulldogs or Hawthorn after suffering a fourth finals loss in a row.

In a huge blow for Hinkley’s side, star midfielder Zak Butters is in doubt next week after being subbed out early in the third quarter with what is understood to be a rib issue.

The move goes someway to explaining Butters’ lack of impact in the first half, but many of his teammates have no such excuse.

Port fought back from a slow start to hold a brief lead early in the second term, but didn’t score a goal in the third quarter and conceded 11 of 12 goals as the super Cats ran rampant, Tyson Stengle and Jeremy Cameron superb with four goals each.

“It’s very ugly for Port right now,” Jason Dunstall said on Fox Footy at three-quarter-time.

“The communication, the leadership has dissipated in 14 days… they look at shell of a team.”

Shaun Mannagh and Jack Bowes celebrate in front of Connor Rozee. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

JEZZAHHHH!

Cameron lit the fuse on an explosive start for Geelong, the superstar forward with a stunning shot running hard at the boundary that sailed through the middle.

The ‘Jezza Special’ came hot on the heels of a brilliant opportunist goal from Stengle to open the scoring, Holmes starring on the ball as the hard-running visitors quieted the home fans to leap out to an early 17-point lead.

As slick as the Cats were, the Power was scratchy.

Hinkley’s side sorely missed the ball use of Dan Houston and Kane Farrell off half-back, struggling to depart their defensive half in the face of the Geelong pressure, with midfield maestros Butters and Connor Rozee subdued.

Slick hands from the Cats and Gryan's got three 😼#AFLFinals#AFLPowerCatspic.twitter.com/06sfF4szeM

— AFL (@AFL) September 5, 2024

HORNET STRONG

For all the Cats’ strong play, they committed the cardinal sin of finals footy, spurning opportunities to put a bigger gap on Port with inaccuracy in front of goal.

Chris Scott’s men didn’t convert one of their six set shots in the first half, and Jason Horne-Francis and Travis Boak led the fightback.

Horne-Francis, who spent more time on the bench for most Power fans’ liking in the first half, reacted quickest after he was strong in the contest to bounce through his side’s third goal of the first quarter.

The 21-year-old’s strength was on show again early in the second when he won a clearance, received a handball, and pumped a long ball deep inside attacking 50 that resulted in a Jed McEntee goal that put the surging Power in front for the first time nine minutes into the second term.

Zak Butters was subbed out of the game. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

It wasn’t a good night for Ken Hinkley. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

RIGHT BACK ATCHYA!

Holmes was putting on a clinic with a game-high 16 touches and 487m gained in the first half, with Cameron and Stengle prominent as Geelong hit back with a withering burst of five-unanswered goals.

The Power’s only lead of the night lasted about 20 seconds as Geelong rolled to a 20-point half-time lead then went on with the job in a stunning display.

STEWART A CERTAINTY

Geelong’s scintillating performance was all the more amazing given the absence of Stewart, who was withdrawn due to illness.

“He trained really well since our last game when he had that little bit of hamstring tightness,” Scott explained on Fox Footy.

“But we were still weighing up whether it was the right thing to play him or not.

“Then he just woke up sick so that answered the question for us.

“We’ll have him in our next game, that’s for sure.”

Oliver Dempsey takes a spectacular mark. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

Scoreboard

POWER 3.4 6.7 6.9 7.12 (54)

CATS 3.7 9.9 14.16 20.18 (138)

PHELAN’S BEST POWER: Wines, Bergman, Sweet, Horne-Francis, Burton. CATS: Miers, Holmes, Dangerfield, Cameron, Mannagh, Stengle, Guthrie, Humphries.

GOALS POWER: Rozee, Rioli, McEntee, Horne-Francis, Georgiades, Burton, Burgoyne. CATS: Stengle 4, Cameron 4, Myers 3, Mannagh 3, Neale 2, Bowes 2, Henry, Bruhn.

INJURIES POWER: Butters (sore ribs). CATS: Stewart (illness – late withdrawal).

UMPIRES: Rosebury, Gavine, Meredith, Wallace

50,342 at ADELAIDE OVAL

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

JASON PHELAN’S VOTES

3 Miers (Geel)

2 Holmes (Geel)

1 Dangerfield (Geel)

Originally published as AFL Finals: Geelong thump Port Adelaide by 84 points to book a home preliminary final