By John Van Klaveren
The great escape.
With another potential upset brewing after Fremantle was rolled by the Saints and the Kangaroos went down to Carlton, Geelong managed to hold on against the giants.
It was only a couple of quick goal bursts that created the scoreboard separation for the Cats but it was several renewed second half efforts by GWS that meant the game went down to the wire.
Inaccuracies cost the Giants the game in the end.
Geelong still tried to be creative and took risks even when the state of the game dictated percentage plays.
Regained composure won the game for the Cats in the end.
All the steadiness that had been lacking as the Giants surged came to the fore in the last two minutes, with steadying marks and careful short passes to keep the ball in their paws.
It puts Geelong in second on the ladder, equal on points with Sydney, which faces Hawthorn next Saturday.
The fall of the fixture aids Geelong at this stage of the season, so escaping with the four points against the Giants is meaningful.
Slips by port Adelaide and now Fremantle have given the Cats a boost, with the opportunity to do opponents more damage as they encounter fellow top four aspirants Fremantle and Hawthorn in the run to the finals.
Coach Chris Scott will be relieved to get on the plane home and point out to his charges the pieces of play that annoyed him so much in the coaches box.
So much so he had to take a time out as he watched his normally smooth moving side crack under pressure on enough occasions to let the opposition back in.
The early misses at goal created some anxiety, he said, and may have leached into the side as the game went on.
But he maintained his glass half full approach. “Our destiny is in our hands,” he declared.
So far, it’s been the failure to meet their destiny by other sides that has given the Cats a boost.
They’ll enjoy a week’s rest before meeting North Melbourne’s Dr Jekyll or Mr Hyde.
