Geelong used to be notorious for being asleep at the wheel after a bye, and for about 45 minutes last night it looked like it might cost them an AFL elimination final. They were dragging their heels, badly beaten up around the ball and missing shots they would normally gobble up. When Carlton jumped out to a 21-point lead, they had the 10 leading possession winners on the ground.
But the Cats finally got some cohesion and fluidity in their game, with their fleet of small-to-medium hybrid players – Gryan Miers and Brad Close in particular – finding space and using the ball well. As the rain teemed down and the legs got heavier, Geelong began to look like the superior side. And Patrick Dangerfield began to bend the elimination final to his will.
