GEELONG is through to a preliminary final after prevailing in a pulsating struggle with reigning premier Hawthorn at the MCG on Friday night, escaping with a two-point win after Isaac Smith missed a shot on goal after the final siren.
The Cats took a two-point lead into the final term, with the lead changing four more times as both teams threw everything at each other.
First Cyril Rioli goaled to put the Hawks back in front at the four-minute mark. Cameron Guthrie hit back two minutes later with a major of his own, before Shaun Burgoyne split the middle on the run from 50m to put the reigning premiers five points up.
The goal-fest dried up from there as both teams vied for the prize of a home preliminary final and it was not until the 22-minute mark that Josh Caddy got free deep inside the Cats' forward 50 to kick what turned out to the sealer of the Cats' epic 12.13 (85) to 12.11 (83) victory.
Steven Motlop subsequently had two chances to put the game beyond doubt but could manage only behinds, before Luke Breust hit Isaac Smith 40m out from goal just before the final siren sounded.
Smith tugged his shot to the right for a behind, sending Cats fans at the MCG into a frenzy.
The Hawks had led by 17 points midway through the third term when they kicked three of the first four goals after half-time and, at the time, seemed to have the game on their own terms.
Five things we learned: Geel v Haw
But, as we've come to expect with this great rivalry, the momentum then swung.
Unanswered goals to Daniel Menzel, Lincoln McCarthy (his second for the term) and Mark Blicavs helped Geelong reclaim a two-point lead at the 27-minute mark, before a Luke Breust goal – following a contentious deliberate out-of-bounds free kick against Tom Lonergan – gave the Hawks the lead again in the dying minutes of the quarter.
But a Cats clearance at the next centre bounce set up a Steven Motlop mark and goal that sent them into the final break two points up.
Patrick Dangerfield (35 possessions) was a midfield bull for the victors, and was ably supported by Joel Selwood (26) and Cameron Guthrie (22).
Tom Hawkins' ability to contest on the Cats' forward line was invaluable, his two-goal return not an accurate reflection of his impact on the contest.
Lincoln McCarthy (two goals) was also lively in attack and Mark Blicavs' run and pinch-hitting work in the ruck was important.
For the Hawks, Jordan Lewis (36 possessions) was outstanding all night, providing much of their inside grunt, while he had good support from Sam Mitchell (30), Luke Hodge (29) and Shaun Burgoyne (21).
Luke Breust (three goals) was Hawthorn's most dangerous forward, Jack Gunston (two goals) stood up as the chief aerial target in attack with James Sicily absent through illness, while defender Ben Stratton blanketed dangerous Cat Daniel Menzel.
Neither side gave any quarter at the start of Friday night's game.
With the scent of September in their nostrils, the Cats and Hawks grappled like arm wrestlers, denying each other the time and space to mount clean and unhurried attacks.
Motlop kicked the game's opening goal at the three-minute mark after Jimmy Bartel hit him with a long kick.
Paul Puopolo set up the Hawks' answer 11 minutes later when he kept his feet in traffic near the boundary line and handballed to Bradley Hill, who burst in to goal from point-blank range.
Hawkins converted late in the term after clunking a speccy on James Frawley's back, and the Cats went to the first break seven points up.
When Hawks skipper Hodge gave away a free kick and a 50m penalty in the second term's opening minute that allowed Cats counterpart Joel Selwood to goal from 10m dead in front, the Cats were out to a handy 14-point break.
But just as Geelong looked to be getting on top in the middle of the ground, the Hawks' on-ballers started to claw their way back into the contest.
As Hawthorn started to win some cleaner ball, Cyril Rioli and Breust started to have an impact in attack and the reigning premier kicked four of the next five goals – two to Breust (one set up by a clever Rioli tap to Gunston) and one to Rioli – to lead by four points at the 17-minute mark of the second quarter.
Four consecutive behinds – two to Jack Fitzpatrick – stretched the Hawks' lead to eight points late in the term before Caddy marked and goaled to cut that margin to two points.
However, the Hawks got just reward for their control of general play when Ryan Schoenmakers goaled three minutes later after taking a strong mark over Tom Ruggles. It sent them into the main break with a seven-point advantage.
MEDICAL ROOM
Geelong: Scott Selwood needed treatment for a facial cut after an accidental head clash with Hawks skipper Luke Hodge in the first term, but returned to play out the game.
Hawthorn: Ryan Burton went to the rooms to have a right calf injury assessed in the second quarter. After having it strapped, he came back on to the ground briefly but then came straight off again. Despite extensive treatment on the boundary line, he did not returned to the game. Taylor Dureya suffered a left thumb injury late in the second quarter and went into the rooms soon after, but returned to complete the match.
NEXT UP
The Cats go straight through to a preliminary final at the MCG in two weeks' time, while the Hawks will play the Western Bulldogs at the MCG next week, most likely on Friday night.
GEELONG 2.3 5.5 10.9 12.13 (85)
HAWTHORN 1.2 6.6 10.7 12.11 (83)
GOALS
Geelong: Caddy 2, McCarthy 2, Motlop 2, Hawkins 2, Selwood, Menzel, Guthrie, Blicavs
Hawthorn: Breust 3, Rioli 2, Schoenmakers 2, Gunston 2, Burgoyne 2, Hill
BEST
Geelong: Selwood, Dangerfield, Guthrie, Hawkins, McCarthy, Blicavs, Menegola
Hawthorn: Lewis, Birchall, Gunston, Rioli, Breust, Hodge, Mitchell
INJURIES
Geelong: Menegola (right ankle)
Hawthorn: Sicily (illness) replaced in selected side by Howe, Burton (calf)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Margetts, Stevic, Meredith
Official crowd: 87,533 at the MCG
