A controversial free kick and 50m penalty has gifted Geelong another remarkable comeback victory at Etihad Stadium today.
Geelong v North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium, Docklands. Jimmy Bartel kicks the winning goal Picture: Salpigtidis George Source: Herald Sun
Geelong star Jimmy Bartel works his way through traffic against North Melbourne. Picture: Salpigtidis George Source: Herald Sun
SELF-BELIEF was Geelong's trademark in three premiership triumphs and continues to deliver the Cats stunning results.
That never-quit work ethic allowed Geelong to steal a four-point win against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium yesterday.
In a remarkable turnaround, the Cats whittled away a deficit that ballooned to 41 points late in the second quarter to hit the front for the second time with only 20 seconds left in the game.
"We weren't really testing them. We just had to try to play our way and see how they handled that," experienced defender Andrew Mackie said.
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"To the boys' credit, we got on top in the middle and that makes a difference, a bit like last week (against Hawthorn)."
In a gripping final term, the Kangaroos lost the lead and then regained it with a goal from Daniel Wells after Mitch Duncan conceded a 50m penalty.
Ironically, it was another 50m penalty that allowed Cat Jimmy Bartel to kick the sealing goal inside the last minute after Nathan Grima fell into his back and then Michael Firrito roosted the ball away.
What would have been a pressure shot for Bartel from 40m became a gift from the goalline. The Cats created two stoppages after the restart to run down the clock.
Geelong v North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium, Docklands. Harry Taylor , Trent West and Josh Caddy celebrate on the final siren Picture: Salpigtidis George Source: Herald Sun
Another second-half revival left Geelong coach Chris Scott with mixed emotions - while he marvelled at the resilience of his players he was determined to dissect a lacklustre first half.
"I'm exhausted without having to run a metre. It was difficult to watch in the first half and that's what we're going to focus on," he said.
"The things that we went in planning to do weren't implemented and they were a different team than the one that played Round 1. Due credit to their skills and decision-making, but those options shouldn't have been available.
"A lot of the questioning today will be around the competitiveness of our players, their discipline to get back to what we wanted to do pre-game and really fight their way back.
"But we don't accept that, it's not good enough to rely on efforts like that to get back into games of footy because our first half was poor."
North monopolised the ball in the first half, working harder and hitting their targets to rack up nearly double the Cats' possessions.
Geelong v North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium, Docklands. Nathan Grima after the loss Picture: Salpigtidis George Source: Herald Sun
That control and accuracy inside the forward 50 wasn't reflected on the scoreboard with only a 19-point lead at quarter-time to show for the Roos toil. But it had stretched to 35 at halftime.
Geelong will reflect on two telling moves that fuelled the momentum switch in the second half.
Almost as telling as Mathew Stokes super-sub performance was defender Harry Taylor's shutdown of dangerous Kangaroo tall target Drew Petrie.
Taylor went back on to Petrie after the big Roo had booted his fourth goal on Tom Lonergan early in the second term and he didn't add to the tally.
It was another example that the game doesn't allow anyone to bathe in glory for long ... Lonergan, who contained Lance Franklin only six days earlier, had his second opponent and four goals against him after just over a quarter.
Like the opening round against Hawthorn, the Cats' daring and run created overlaps and the willingness to risk another handball applied enormous pressure to the Roos defence after halftime.
"We have confidence that we can score quickly, but in my time at Geelong it appears no player ever gives up and that's a really admirable trait," Scott said.
"We're really proud of our guys, but I guess we can't just rely on that experience to get us back into the game when it's slipping away from us. I guess it's slightly intimidating for opposition teams when they know they're playing a team that never gives up. But we have to focus on not putting ourselves in that position in the first place."
Geelong v North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium, Docklands. Brad Scott talking with the AFL's ( Graham Finn ? ) ground manger after the loss about the roof policy after the loss. Picture: Salpigtidis George Source: Herald Sun
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