JACK Henry has kicked the matchwinner to give Geelong a classic three-point victory over Richmond in the best game of the season.
Leading by 35 points midway through the second quarter, the Cats’ advantage disappeared as Richmond came alive after half-time to grab a 17-point buffer early in the final quarter at the MCG.
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But the lead would still change multiple times, with Maurice Rioli Jr calmly slotting a set-shot with two minutes remaining to put the Tigers back in front.
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However, the Cats then burst out of the centre clearance with Henry, playing his first game since round five, flying high to grab a spectacular mark.
The 23-year-old went back from 15m out to nail the Cats' 10th win of the season as Geelong held on for a rousing 13.11 (89) to 13.8 (86) win to jump into second on the ladder.
Richmond bravely fought back into the game after Geelong booted seven of the first nine goals, with the Tigers losing star midfielder Dion Prestia to concussion in the first quarter.
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Prestia was dazed and confused after receiving a forceful high bump from All-Australian Geelong defender Tom Stewart that is certain to see the Cat suspended.
Stewart was in deep conversation with Cats coach Chris Scott during the quarter-time break as the 29-year-old appeared to be upset with his actions.
He was booed by the Tigers faithful every time he went near the ball but still played a crucial role in the Cats' victory, including taking a big contested mark near Richmond's goals in the dying seconds.
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Cats star Jeremy Cameron booted three goals in his 200th AFL game, as did resurgent small forward Tyson Stengle in a scintillating performance.
For the Tigers, Shai Bolton and Tom Lynch were outstanding with three goals each and Liam Baker was influential through the midfield.
Richmond swung a surprise when final teams were submitted, dropping ruckman Ivan Soldo to the substitute role in favour of Hugo Ralphsmith, who was brought into the 22. The curious move meant that Jack Riewoldt was rucking at times in the opening quarter before Soldo was activated later in the first term when Prestia was subbed out. The Cats also swung a very late change – 20 minutes before the opening bounce – when Gary Rohan was ruled out through illness. Zach Guthrie was brought into the starting team, which saw Chris Scott swing Jack Henry forward in a surprise move that paid dividends with two goals including the match-winner.
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Up Next 2023 Smithy’s VFL Season Dates Confirmed; Wildcard Round Introduced The VFL season will kick off in Round Two of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership season. Read nowThe Geelong Football Club, nicknamed the Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The club competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition, and are the 2022 reigning premiers.
The club formed in 1859, making it the second-oldest club in the AFL, after Melbourne, and one of the oldest football clubs in the world.
In the 1860s, Geelong participated in a series of Challge Cup competitions, and was a foundation member of both the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1877 and the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1897, now the national AFL.
Geelong Cats Season 7
The club won the Western District Challge Cup in 1875, a th-record sev VFA premierships betwe 1878 and 1886, and six VFL premierships by 1963, after which it expericed a 44-year waiting period until it won its next premiership, a Grand Final-record 119-point victory in 2007.
Geelong play most of their home games at Kardinia Park (known for sponsorship reasons as GMHBA Stadium) and play the remainder at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Geelong's traditional guernsey colours are white with navy blue hoops. The club's nickname was first used in 1923 after a run of losses prompted a local cartoonist to suggest that the club needed a black cat to bring it good luck. Geelong also field teams in other competitions; a reserves m's team in the Victorian Football League (VFL), a sior wom's team in the AFL Wom's (AFLW) and a reserves wom's team in the VFL Wom's (VFLW) competitions. The club's official team song and anthem is We Are Geelong.
The club was founded in 1859 in the city of Geelong, Australia, and is the second oldest AFL club. It is believed to be the fourth oldest football club in Australia and one of the oldest in the world and one of the most successful.
History Of The Geelong Football Club
Initially playing under its own rules, some of which, notably, were permantly introduced into Australian Football, it adopted the Laws of Australian Football in the early 1860s after a series of compromises with the Melbourne Football Club.
Geelong wt on to play for most of its existce in the premier competitions, the first competition, the Caledonian Society Cup, a foundation club of both the Victorian Football Association (VFA) in 1877 and the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1897.,
VFL and continues in the elite Australian Football League (AFL). The Cats have be the VFL/AFL premiers t times, with four in the AFL era (since 1990) in 2007, 2009, 2011, and most rectly, 2022, to be the most successful club over that period (sharing that title with Hawthorn). They have also won t McClelland Trophies, the most of any AFL/VFL club.
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Geelong's traditional navy blue and white hooped guernsey has be worn since the club's inception in the mid-1800s. The design is said to represt the white seagulls and blue water of Corio Bay.
Geelong has be nicknamed the 'Cats' since 1923. A run of losses prompted a local cartoonist to suggest that the club needed a black cat to bring it good luck.
We Are Geelong is the song sung after a game won by the Geelong Football Club. It is sung to the tune of Toreador from Carm. The lyrics were writt by former premiership player John Watts. Only the first verse is used at matches and by the team after a victory. The song currtly used by the club was recorded by the Fable Singers in April 1972.
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Geelong's administrative headquarters is its home stadium, GMHBA Stadium or also known as Kardinia Park. The club trains here during the season, however it also trains at its alternate training vue, Deakin University's Elite Sport Precinct. The latter features an MCG-sized oval and is used oft by the club in the pre-season, wh Kardinia Park is being used for other evts.
The rivalry betwe Hawthorn and Geelong is defined by two Grand Finals: those of 1989 and 2008. In the 1989 Grand Final, Geelong played the man, resulting in major injuries for several Hawks players, Mark Yeates knocking out Dermott Brereton at the oping bounce; Hawthorn controlled the game, leading by approximately 40 points for most of the match; in the last quarter, Geelong almost managed to come from behind to win, but fell short by six points. In the 2008 Grand Final, Geelong was the heavily backed favourite and had lost only one match for the season, but lost by 26 points; Geelong th won its next elev matches against Hawthorn over the following five years, under a curse, which was dubbed the Knett curse which was attributed to disrespectful commts made by Hawthorn presidt Jeff Knett following the 2008 Grand Final. It was later revealed that after the 2008 grand final, Paul Chapman initiated a pact betwe other Geelong players to never lose to Hawthorn again. The curse was brok in a preliminary final in 2013, after Paul Chapman played his final match for Geelong the previous week. Hawthorn wt on to win the next three premierships. In 2016 Geelong again defeated Hawthorn in the qualifying final. In twty matches betwe the two sides betwe 2008 and 2017, twelve were decided by less than t points, with Geelong victorious in elev of those twelve matches.
In 1925, Geelong won their first flag over Collingwood. In 1930, Collingwood defeated Geelong in the grand final making it four flags in-a-row for the Pies. Geelong would later dy Collingwood three successive premierships in 1937, winning a famous grand final by 32 points.
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The two sides played against each other in 6 finals betwe 1951 and 1955, including the 1952 Grand Final wh Geelong easily beat Collingwood by 46 points. In 1953, Collingwood ded Geelong's record 23-game winning streak in the home and away season, and later defeated them by 12 points in the grand final, dying the Cats a third successive premiership.
Since 2007, the clubs have again both be at the top of the ladder and have met regularly in finals. Geelong won a memorable preliminary final by five points on their way to their first flag in 44 years. In 2008, Collingwood inflicted Geelong's only home-and-away loss, by a massive 86 points, but the teams did not meet in the finals. They would meet in preliminary finals in 2009 and 2010, each winning one route to a premiership. They finally met again in a Grand Final in 2011, which Geelong won by 38 points; Geelong inflicted Collingwood's only three losses for the 2011 season.
At 98 years