Cats the last team standing in titanic battle

GEELONG has won its second premiership in three years, downing St Kilda in a titanic 2009 AFL Grand Final.

Paul Chapman snapped 23 minutes into the final quarter to put the Cats in front for the first time in the second half. They hung on to win 12.8 (80) to 9.14 (68) – the extra goal a meaningless after-the-siren dribble by Max Rooke – having kept St Kilda goalless in the final quarter.

From the moment Lenny Hayes kicked truly to close the gap to five points in the first term, the match was as tight and unrelenting as the home-and-away epic fought out by these sides in round 14.

Twelve points was the biggest margin all day, and the entire second half was played with the gap in single digits. Tom Hawkins' goal 1m 47s into the final quarter was the only major for 22 minutes as tense and frantic as any in recent memory.

Heroes were everywhere for both sides, with Chapman close to Geelong's best, Joel Corey exceptional, and Harry Taylor, Gary Ablett, Matthew Scarlett and Max Rooke all chipping in with crucial acts.

Nick Riewoldt was tireless for the Saints, along with Lenny Hayes – while villain status will be borne by Stephen Milne and Adam Schneider, who missed the easiest chances in a game when anything easy was rare.

For St Kilda, the loss will be almost impossible to bear. The Saints won the first three quarters, dominating for long periods but only striking with late goals in each term.

The side's only premiership was in 1966, and their only recent grand final appearance a loss to Adelaide in 1997.

They led by seven points at the last change, after Leigh Montagna's late goal ended a 10-minute period during which scores were level.

As in the second quarter, the Cats were forced to weather sustained Saint pressure in the third, and they again kept themselves in the game by matching clean finishing with desperate defence.

All-Australian captain Riewoldt kicked one goal in the third term but was twice denied: once by a Scarlett tackle, and again by a diving smother from Taylor near the goal square.

Cam Mooney marked in the goal square, and Chapman pounced as the Cats erased their half-time deficit.

Brendon Goddard had been among the Saints' best, but was flattened after crashing headfirst into teammate Steven Baker. That left him with a bloodied nose and an enormous bandage around the middle of his face. But he left the ground late in the quarter clutching a collarbone. 

Montagna's late show was a minor reprisal of the first half, when the Cats conceded three goals in a remarkable 107 seconds before half time.

Geelong was two goals ahead before Clinton Jones scrambled what had looked like the last goal of the half with 29 minutes played.

Justin Koschitzke levelled the scores as the Saints poured forward again, then a free kick was paid against Darren Milburn for abusing a goal umpire, allowing Schneider to convert from the goal square.

The decision against Milburn wasn't the only umpiring controversy in the second term, with Tom Hawkins' snap judged a goal despite appearing to graze the goal post.

The Saints had all the play for the first 15 minutes of the second term, but missed a string of chances to put their dominance onto the scoreboard. 

At least some of the blame for their inability to convert must be laid at the feet of Milne.

The small forward endured a wretched five-minute period, first choosing to pass with the goal square at his mercy, then shanking a set shot from 30m.

His misery was compounded when Geelong streamed forward, and Cameron Ling squeezed a kick under heavy pressure for Shannon Byrnes to run into an empty goal square.

In the opening quarter, St Kilda took the points despite kicking into a strong wind.

Hit by two early strikes, the Saints applied their trademark on-ball pressure and pinched the lead on 28 minutes, with Schneider converting after a clever Farren Ray cross-ground pass.

Schneider should earlier have put St Kilda on the board with a running snap from 15m, but blazed horribly wide.

The Cats had been installed as favourites thanks to their supposed superiority in the wet, but while they began sharpest under bright skies, the Saints took control as heavy rain began to fall.

Goddard eluded Brownlow Medallist Ablett to mark and kick the Saints' first, and Hayes inspired a midfield assault that bought two of the next three goals.

Max Rooke ruined many punters' afternoons by drifting forward and sinking a set shot from 45m for the game's opening goal.

Full match report and details to follow.

St Kilda                 3.2          7.7          9.11        9.14 (68)
Geelong                 3.0          7.1          9.4          12.8 (80)

GOALS
St Kilda: Schneider 2, Dempster, Goddard, Hayes, Jones, Koschitzke, Montagna, Riewoldt
Geelong: Chapman 3, Hawkins 2, Mooney 2, Rooke 2, Ablett, Byrnes, Selwood

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The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.