MCG -- A vintage Patrick Dangerfield performance has inspired Geelong to a 30-point preliminary final win over arch rival Hawthorn, booking a ticket to yet another Grand Final.
The Hawks blitzed the Cats from the opening bounce, booting the first three goals of the game and leaving Geelong fans around the stadium scratching their heads.
But Dangerfield stepped up, the Cats found their rhythm, and the Hawks had no more to give after a fortnight of road wins.
Here's what we learned from the game:
It's the stars who win you finals
As the old saying goes: 'you're only as good as your weakest link'. But in September, it's often your stars who shine to carry you to victory. That's what saw the tide turn in the second quarter at the MCG.
The Hawks had Geelong absolutely stunned and shell-shocked with not only the opening three goals of the game, but they were dominant in most areas on the ground, controlling the footy on the outside with methodical build-up play and going quickly when they needed to to exploit the settled Geelong zone, not to mention the Cats' own inside 50 efficiency of 28.6% at quarter time, their hurried entries a clear downfall of the first stanza.
The Hawks were clearly the better team. But then it all changed.
Patrick Dangerfield was desperate, putting on a clinic through the middle and up forward, throwing himself at everything in trademark fashion to drag his side back into the contest. Coleman Medal winner Jeremy Cameron kicked a monster goal after a tone-setting pack mark, Bailey Smith (who ended up with 36 disposals and eight inside 50s) lifted in the engine room, and Max Holmes (25 and seven tackles) started to add some run after being hardly sighted in the first term.
The Geelong skipper didn't stop there, his heroic efforts in the contest and burst out of stoppage something the Hawks couldn't stop for the rest of the game, and something we sit here and label inspirational, the 35-year-old finishing with 32 disposals, 13 score involvements, eight clearances, and three goals in an unbelievable night at the office.
Even his teammates sometimes just have to sit back and applaud what's happening in front of them.
"When he steps up like that, and kicks those goals at crucial times, it just gives everyone a bit of relief, and just seeing guys like him do those special things really gives us all a boost," Mark O'Connor told ESPN after the game.
"It's a real thrill playing alongside fellas like that, we've got a few of them thankfully. But Paddy, when he turns it on, is just electric to watch."
Don't get us wrong, the class of forwards Tyson Stengle, Jack Martin, and Shaun Mannagh was also something to behold. But this was all about Danger.
Finals footy is a brutal contest, and yes this is a team game, but sometimes, when the moment comes, it really is the stars who deliver the most.
The Hawks were a Will Day away from the big one
Ok, this is the slightest overreaction and there were many reasons for the Hawks' loss, and even without him, they had their chances. But it's still a shame we've now had two consecutive finals series' without arguably Hawthorn's best player out there.
Their run this September has been sensational, two interstate wins after finishing eighth proving their quality. But when the stakes grew higher as the prelim progressed on Friday night, it was clear -- as admirable as the efforts were from the midfield crop -- they were missing the class of a player many would argue they could least afford to be without in a flag push.
Of course, I'm speaking about Will Day, whose dynamic best changes not only the complexion of Sam Mitchell's entire engine room but provides the game-breaking class that can win you finals. Without him, too much was left to too few, even with Jai Newcombe's incredible finals record, and Conor Nash's sound efforts on Friday night. But that's obvious to everyone, even surely Hawthorn, who must know they're right on the cusp.
Put simply, they were killed out of the middle. Killed. The centre clearance count was 20-5 in favour of Geelong, and the inside 50 differential was +24 in the Cats' favour, Chris Scott's team simply punishing the Hawks from stoppage.
The club has already met with Essendon captain Zach Merrett and if they can pull that trade off -- plus the return of Day -- then they'll be a frightening prospect in 2026, given there are clearly enough pieces elsewhere at both ends of the ground. You could even say they'll be the team to beat.
Head up, Hawks fans, you'll be back.
Stewart concussion must trigger AFL change
Tom Stewart being subbed out with concussion was a massive blow for Geelong yes, but it was the biggest warning sign the AFL has had around the positioning of the finals bye week. Stewart now enters the 12-day protocol, and one of the Cats' most important players is officially ruled out of the Grand Final.
It's exactly why the bye should be 'pre-Grand Final' instead of 'pre-finals', because as much as accidents happen, the competition deserves its best players to be available on the biggest stage.
Everyone in the game suffers from this, and it's a shame the AFL has waited for disaster to strike before implementing a bye week ahead of the biggest game of the year, something that already seemed so obvious to the rest of the industry. Admittedly, the AFL's new GM of footy performance Greg Swann is reportedly already in favour of the change.
"I think generally in these situations you change your mind depending on what it means for you," Geelong coach Chris Scott said after the game.
"So I'm very pro a week off before the Grand Final -- if we can sneak that in this year... But given that it's likely we're not going to do that ... I mean, in some ways, in a perverse way, it's black and white -- so we know, he knows.
"Yeah, it's a shattering situation for him.
"But maybe if there has to be one -- before the Grand Final would be better," he added.
Let's hope Stewart is okay, and let's hope this is the trigger the AFL needs to make one of the most obvious changes you can make to benefit the game.
Too bad it should've already happened.
It's time the goal of the year award included finals
If you want to celebrate the absolute best that footy can give, why on earth do we leave finals out of the equation?! Tonight we saw many moments that would comfortably be in the running for the goal of the year, but two goals in particular that deserve to live in a serious highlight reel.
In the second quarter, Nick Watson roved a pack to perfection before instinctively snapping on his left boot, the ball curling through as the crowd erupted in stunned applause. Then, during Geelong's mammoth third-quarter surge, Shaun Mannagh lit up the 'G with a ridiculous drop punt effort from the 50-mertre arc-boundary junction, shaping the ball beautifully for his side's seventh goal of the term.
But the current award ignores finals. Why? This is the biggest stage, these are the pressure moments, and these are the goals that fans remember.
That is RIDICULOUS on the left from the wizard 🪄#AFLFinals pic.twitter.com/6cv32Sal27
— AFL (@AFL) September 19, 2025