There was not one particular piece of play, not one umpiring decision, not one missed shot at goal or missed tackle or any one thing you could blame it on. It just was not our day. Werribee did not play a bad game, but we did not play as well as we can. Finals are a different beast and they can bring out the best in a team or the opposite. On Sunday, Werribee showed glimpses of both. There were times when we looked like a million dollar Lear jet soaring across the ground and then, there were times we looked like a penny farthing bicycle with a flat tyre.
The size of North Port Oval brings a different dynamic to the game and to the structure of teams, there is rarely a lot of space but somehow Geelong found plenty of it and moved the ball efficiently and quickly from one end to the other in the first half. Whereas Werribee had to scrap for everything. The main break saw the Cats in front by 32 points and a deflated looking Tigers with some soul searching to do.
Scott West made several changes which had immediate impact and Ben Warren scored the first goal of the third quarter. Just as Werribee looked to be getting some run and possession Geelong put on a clinic and scored a couple of breathtaking goals. The tigers kept coming though and late goals to Lynch and McKinley gave them some hope but in the end they had only reduced the margin by 3 points.
When Geelong kicked the first goal of the last quarter even the most diehard Tigers supporters were flatter than Meatloaf’s vocals at last year’s grand final. The dream was over except someone forget to tell the players. The boys from Avalon Airport Oval kept coming and coming and got within a goal of the seemingly invincible Cats. Could this be the fairytale end to Scott West’s first season as senior coach ? Was Robbie Castello going to celebrate his 150th game with a never to be forgotten victory ? Sadly the answer to both those questions is no. The Cats hung on and the Tigers players, coaches, staff and supporters were left with that sickening feeling in the bottom of your gut. So near and yet so far.
Scott West summed up everyone’s feelings “It’s shattering. We made a rod for our own back getting so far behind. I’m proud of the boys for sticking to what was asked of them. Obviously we just fell short. Sometimes what you look for in players is character and they certainly showed that today.”
The hurt in the rooms was palpable. When the dust settles, it will still hurt, but a season that included an appearance in the Foxtel Cup Grand Final, Ben Ross winning the Liston Trophy and both teams making it to the Preliminary final weekend, is something to be proud of. It’s just too early to think about that now.
2012 Peter Jackson VFL
Werribee Tigers 1.3 4.5 9.10 15.13 (103)
Geelong Cats 3.5 9.7 14.9 16.12 (108)
GOALS:
Werribee Tigers: McKinley 3 Warren 3 Gibson 2 Castello 2 Daw 2 Speight Lynch Martiniello
Geelong Cats: Brown 3 Stephenson 2 Holden 2 Burbury 2 Stringer 2 Hogan 2 Byrnes Kersten Walker
BEST:
Werribee Tigers: Gibson Daw Sierakowski Castello Hartigan McKinley
Geelong Cats: Stephenson Bathie Simpkin Eardley Schroder Stringer Selwood
Last Modified on 17/09/2012 16:05