1 MITCH BROWN was one of two inclusions forGeelong and gathered 10 touches in his first final. He got involved early inthe game and competed well in aerial contests in the Cats’ forward line. Brownhas developed his defensive skills in the VFL and was utilised in the back halfduring the third quarter. On three occasions in the term he attacked markingcontests running with the flight of the ball, bravely nullifying the first two andclutching the third attempt inside defensive 50.
DT: 59
SC: 59
3 JIMMY BARTEL was starved of opportunityplaying the first term in the forward line and managed just a handful ofpossessions the first half. He was thrust into the middle for short bursts inthe second half, but remained a marking option in the forward line. Bartelcollected 14 disposals and took four marks, the most important taken with fiveminutes left in the game. A man for the big moments, Bartel out-marked twoopponents on the goal line and snapped accurately from an acute angle to getwithin a kick of the Kangaroos.
DT: 64
SC: 66
4 ANDREW MACKIE endured an onslaught in theopening term along with the rest of the Geelong back line. The regularity withwhich the Kangaroos kicked into attack restricted Mackie from generatingeffective rebound early in the game. He was reliable in the air, taking sevenmarks, and in the second half contributed further up the field, kicking inside50 six times with his 18 possessions.
DT: 72
SC: 65
5 TRAVIS VARCOE has produced his best footballover the past month and made another valuable contribution on Friday. Underpressure from a dominant opposition he made errors with early disposals. Hisdefence, however, remained sound and five tackles ensured that pressure wasfelt by both sides. As the game progressed Varcoe’s influence increased. He tallied 14 disposals, contributing threerebound 50s and three inside 50s.
DT: 61
SC: 64
6 LINCOLN McCARTHY was omitted for the firstfinal against Hawthorn and returned to play the Kangaroos in the first final ofhis career. He started as the substitute and was into the action as soon as hewas activated late in the third quarter. Replacing Jackson Thurlow, McCarthyled for the ball from the bench and gathered the stray kick for his firstdisposal. He started the final quarter in similar style, snapping the ball tothe hot spot and finding Walker in the square for a goal assist in the first 30seconds. McCarthy almost had a goal of his own but his sixth and final disposalwas touched before it sailed through the big sticks.
DT: 20
SC: 29
7 HARRY TAYLOR started on confident, ifinexperienced forward Ben Brown. He was soon required to restrict the influenceof Drew Petrie after the Kangaroo kicked his third goal early in term two.Taylor was effective in both roles, conceding just one goal for the entiregame. When Petrie moved up the ground to provide assistance in defence duringthe final quarter, Taylor took a pack mark from a kick in and quickly bombedlong to Hawkins who subsequently scored his fifth goal.
DT: 43
SC: 51
9 JAMES KELLY could have been forgiven fordropping his head after direct opponent Lindsay Thomas scored three goals inthe opening eight minutes of the game. An experienced and resilient player,Kelly adjusted his approach to negating the crafty forward. He gathered ninedisposals and restricted his opponent to same total and curtailing hisinfluence for the remainder of the match.
DT: 39
SC: 49
13 TOM LONERGAN is a reliable defender andworthy member of the 40 man All-Australian squad, but even he couldn’t negate the North Melbourne onslaught inthe opening term. His aerial prowess is his greatest asset and proved importantlate in the game. Lonergan won several crucial contests in the last quarter andeven had the versatility to shut down Jack Zeibell after a quick two goal cameoforced a change in match-ups. Never wasteful with possession, Lonergancontributed eight effective disposals from a total of nine touches.
DT: 43
SC: 59
14 JOEL SELWOOD is an undisputed champion of thecompetition and further enhanced his reputation on Friday. Consistent andcourageous, Selwood won 14 of his 24 disposals in a contest. He contributed agame-high 11 clearances along with two goal assists. Selwood is a demandingleader and he set the standard for physicality, making eight tackles and twiceleaving the field under the blood rule.
DT: 108
SC: 148
21 JORDAN MURDOCH has improved drastically onthe back of consistent selection this season, but Friday’s semi final was one of his moredisappointing performances. Playing as a permanent small forward, Murdoch hadlimited opportunities early in the game. North Melbourne prevented the Catsfrom finding space and Murdoch was allowed just three uncontested possessionsfrom his tally of seven.
DT: 32
SC: 35
22 MITCH DUNCAN was elevated to a leadershipposition this season and has relished the added responsibility. He led byexample on Friday night, collecting 20 disposals. The physical demands offinals eclipse anything in the regularly season, yet despite the added pressureDuncan was able to dispose with 80% efficiency. His most important touch wasGeelong’s first goal, aclassy finish and one of six forward 50 entries.
DT: 92
SC: 113
23 JOSH CADDY rebounded from a disappointingqualifying final performance to play one of the best games of his career. Hewas powerful around stoppages, contributing four clearances and winning morethan half of his 26 disposals in a contest. Caddy regularly broke tackles withsheer physical strength and was composed with his possessions. Twice inside thelast minute of the first quarter he cleared congestion and kicked to TomHawkins who kicked two goals. Three of Caddy’s five inside 50s were marked by Hawkins, who returned the favourand set up a Caddy goal in the third term.
DT: 90
SC: 121
25 JARED RIVERS played a strong defensive roleon Aaron Black, who had very little influence as a result. He gathered 10disposals and conceded just one goal for the game. He led the Cats with sixspoils and equalled Black with four marks. Rivers could also have equalledBlack’s scoreboardcontribution when he took a set shot for his first goal of the year. He kickeda beautiful drop punt from tight against the boundary, but his attempt struckthe inside of the post. Rivers’ second season with the Cats has been excellent and his accountableand consistent performance on Friday night was characteristic of his time withthe club.
DT: 44
SC: 47
26 TOM HAWKINS carried enormous responsibilityand pressure into this finals series, which only increased after a quietqualifying final. The power forward was unstoppable on Friday night and almostsingle-handedly changed the course of the match. Hawkins had 18 disposals andtook a career-high 13 marks, eight of which were inside 50. He kicked two goalsin the final minute of a first term controlled by the Kangaroos and again keptthe Cats in the contest during the last quarter. Hawkins seized control of thematch and his three fourth quarter goals nearly clinched an unlikely victory.His fifth goal of the game was his 68th of the year, the most a Cat has talliedsince Gary Ablett Snr almost 20 years ago.
DT: 128
SC: 128
27 MATHEW STOKES was flattened in a crunchingtackle by Jack Zeibell midway through the first term and appeared to be playingunder sufferance for the rest of the match. He has tallied possessions withremarkable consistency over the past two seasons, but on Friday night struggledto find the ball. Stokes collected 12 disposals, won two clearances and madetwo tackles. He increased his input in the final quarter and, after spreadingfrom a contest in the middle of the ground, received the ball near the boundaryand found Bartel with a 50m pass, resulting in final goal of the game.
DT: 43
SC: 66
29 CAMERON GUTHRIE has undergone a remarkabletransformation over the past 12 months, evolving from a small defender into acapable and versatile onballer. He has not produced his best in the two finals,but remains an exciting prospect for the Cats in coming years. Guthrie won 11of his 12 disposals in a contest and, quite incredibly, managed to contributeeight clearances.
DT: 49
SC: 62
32 STEVEN MOTLOP aggravated a leg injury in thegame against Hawthorn and was an uncertain starter on Friday night. He was fitfor selection but seemed to be impaired, playing without the bursts ofgame-breaking acceleration that has come to be expected of the talented youngCat. Motlop still threatened to change the game at times with his 14possessions. He took three marks just inside attacking 50, passing after thefirst and narrowly missing with the next two opportunities.
DT: 54
SC: 49
33 GEORGE HORLIN-SMITH has been issued taggingroles at different stages this season, but did not lock down on any one memberof the North Melbourne midfield. The contested and defensive aspects of hisgame have always been a strength and on Friday he contributed five clearanceswith his 10 possessions. Horlin-Smith also made three tackles and kicked threetimes into attacking 50.
DT: 40
SC: 43
34 JOSH WALKER has been a positive outcome froma disappointing September campaign. He was given one chance to win a finalsberth in round 23 and upon securing a spot, performed well for his side on thebig stage. On Friday night he launched himself at the ball at everyopportunity, taking three of his four marks in a contest and all four inside50. In addition to his career-high tally of three goals, Walker was required tocontribute in the ruck and did so with seven hit-outs.
DT: 63
SC: 62
40 JACKSON THURLOW made his finals debut as thesubstitute last week and was elevated to the starting 23 on Friday night. Heplayed predominantly in the back half and displayed strength and composurebeyond his years. Thurlow tallied five disposals with 80% efficiency before hewas substituted for Lincoln McCarthy late in the third quarter.
DT: 13
SC: 19
44 COREY ENRIGHT made some uncharacteristicerrors early in the match and conceded a goal when he was caught holding theball midway through the first term. He soon returned to his reliable self,collecting 15 possessions and taking six marks. Enright was involved in two keypassages of play that sparked the Cats late in the match. With one minuteremaining in the third quarter he kicked a set shot goal from 50m out to drawwithin four goals at the final break. Late in the final term Enright earned afree running backing with the flight of the ball. He kicked long to Hawkins whoscored the second of his three fourth quarter goals.
DT: 60
SC: 65
46 MARK BLICAVS has displayed remarkableversatility over his brief career. He has risen to every new challenge andFriday night may well have been his biggest challenge yet. Required to competeas the number one ruckman against Roo Todd Goldstein, Blicavs was beaten but byno means disgraced. He was fiercely competitive, winning 22 hit-outs and twoclearances. He made six tackles and tallied nine possessions. As due reward forhis admirable battle with Goldstein, Blicavs won a free inside 50 for a ruckinfringement and kicked a goal in the third quarter.
DT: 79
SC: 90
