Analysis

Geelong’s defensive side put in an excellent performance in their victorious qualifying final, containing Port Adelaide’s attack and controlling the air throughout the match.

The Cats had a combined 18 steals on Thursday night, led by Zach Guthrie who had four steals and 11 of his own.

Guthrie finished the game with 27 passes and a 97% pass success rate, which had a significant impact on the course of the match.

Mark Blicavs also had four interceptions, stifling Charlie Dixon’s effectiveness for much of the evening while also using his athletic ability to help the Cats secure the rebound.

Jake Kolodjashnij (three interceptions) and Jack Henry (two) made significant contributions as the Geelong defence limited the Power to just seven goals in the match.

Overall, the Cats limited Port Adelaide to 19 shots on goal from 53 of their 50 attempts, a 37.7% success rate, significantly worse than their season average of 51.6%.

In comparison, Geelong had 38 shots on goal from 57 inside the 50-metre box, a 68.4 per cent success rate, with the total difference between the two teams being 30.7 per cent.

Another excellent defensive display came from Jed Bews, who lined up opposite Willie Rioli for much of the evening and limited him to eight disposals and one goal.

Rioli played a significant role in the Cats’ clash with the Power earlier this year, scoring four goals from seven shots, showing just how important Bews’ performance was on Thursday night.

The composure of Lawson Humphries (20 disposals, 80% success rate) and Oisin Mullin’s role as a defensive midfielder further contributed to the excellent defensive display that helped the Cats secure qualification for the preliminary final on their home turf.

Port Adelaide didn’t have a player who could score more than one goal that night, with their six starting forwards only managing three goals between them.