By John Van Klaveren
Geelong is lobbying the AFL to cancel half-time.
The Cats would much prefer to stay out on the ground, have an orange or two, and get straight back into it.
Because whatever they are doing during the cooling off period is costing them the third quarter, be it mental or physical.
Essendon came out after half-time with gritted teeth and created contests where there had been none in the first half.
The Bombers managed to extract the footy from disputed situations, found its fleet-footed runners and managed to steer most of its shots between the big sticks.
On the other hand Geelong missed it’s few opportunities, with big forwards Tom Hawkins and Shane Kirsten almost unsighted.
All the hard work of the first half was undone with not a single Cats goal in the third quarter, handing the lead to a more desperate Essendon.
But instead of allowing Essendon to go on its merry way as Gold Coast did last week, Geelong hung on for grim finals life.
It took a couple of pieces of magic from Mitch Duncan and Steven Motlop – two goals each – to give the Cats another finals life.
Stevie J was again unusually quiet for three quarters and captain courageous Joel Selwood, most observers reckon, is carrying an injury that hampers him after it cools at half time.
But, once he warmed up, he willed himself to drive his side forward from centre bounces to earn his moniker once again and Johnson chipped in with a couple of nice assists.
Things I’d like to see: Dawson Simpson clunking his marks. But Mark Blicavs played perhaps his best game for the club.√
