All the pressure was on the Dockers as they desperately tried to avoid being the second top-of-the-ladder side in as many seasons (after the Crows last year) to bow out in straight sets.
And in the Cats, they faced a proven finals foe that was never going to give in.
That’s exactly what makes the Dockers’ 14-point win so impressive.
Marc McGowan (Geelong) and Steve Barrett (Fremantle) run their eye over every player in from this semi-final.
Geelong
(2) Jay Polkinghorne: Dished the handball that led to Shaun Mannagh’s second-quarter goal, but had a quiet night overall. 1/10
(3) Bailey Smith: He was part of a beaten midfield early, but worked tirelessly and made his mark with his tackling before setting up consecutive goals to give the Cats their first lead in the third term. Won plenty of the Sherrin. 8.5/10
(4) Tanner Bruhn: Had a challenging night following Isaiah Dudley around in defence, but fought back to have a better second half. 5/10
(5) Jeremy Cameron: Cameron’s night summed up his season. He still kicked two goals, but he has struggled to impact games like he did last year. 5/10
(7) Shaun Mannagh: Played a key role in keeping Geelong in the contest in the first half when few other Cats were firing. He generated several opportunities for himself and others, and even won four first-half clearances. 7/10
(9) Max Holmes: Looked poised to have a big second half after a strong finish to the second quarter, but his second game back from his ankle setback was largely muted by his standards. 6/10
(11) Mitch Edwards: Welcome to the finals cauldron. He hurt his pinky finger in the first quarter, but the flogging he received from Luke Jackson would have been most painful of all. 3/10
(14) Connor O’Sullivan: He grabbed nine marks, and generally held his own in defence, even when the Cats were under siege early. 6.5/10
(17) Lawson Humphries: Like many Cats, Humphries had a slow start, but he warmed to the task and ended up being one of his team’s top contributors, using the ball neatly and repeatedly cutting off Docker forays. 7/10
(21) Ollie Wiltshire: Found space inside 50 to mark and goal in the first quarter, but was unable to have much of an impact. 3/10
(28) Ollie Dempsey: The All-Australian Cat couldn’t break loose for his typical game-breaking moments, but never stopped trying. 5/10
(30) Tom Atkins: A night to forget for the rugged Atkins, including conceding the last free kick and goal to Patrick Voss that sealed Fremantle’s victory. 2/10
(32) Gryan Miers: Miers’ work-rate spike in the third-quarter comeback, but where was he in the first half? Geelong needed more from him. 3/10
(33) Shannon Neale: Took a strong grab in the opening quarter and bobbed up for a pair of goals in the second term, including his 50th of the season, but was largely unsighted after half-time until a late goal. 5.5/10
(34) Oisin Mullin: The Irishman has become a very reliable AFL footballer who can be trusted in the biggest of matches. As always, he was strong defensively, but also won his share of the ball. 7/10
(35) Patrick Dangerfield: The champion Cat might not have been his match-winning self from a week ago, but still had some terrific moments, including an early 50-metre strike. “Danger” remains a force. 7.5/10
(36) Ollie Henry: The Cats’ best forward, and possibly best player, with a career-high five goals, including to keep them alive in the final term. He never stopped presenting and mostly finished his work. 8.5/10
(38) Jack Henry: Had a series of shaky first-half moments, including slipping to concede an easy goal to Mason Cox. Improved in the second half and had EIGHT intercepts, but it wasn’t his best performance. 4/10
(39) Zach Guthrie: Guthrie was caught out of position a few times in the first half, but that wasn’t always his fault. Intercepted well and was very good in the third-quarter fightback, including two touches in one passage that led to an Ollie Henry goal. 7/10
(42) Mark O’Connor: Was used through the middle on occasion when the tide was against Geelong, and was solid without playing a major role. 5/10
(44) Tom Stewart: A rare finals downer for Stewart, who conceded two goals to direct opponent Patrick Voss in the opening quarter and was later outmarked by Josh Treacy. Nothing like his usual impact. 4/10
(45) Brad Close: Two direct goal assists, including a clever pass to Shannon Neale, but went missing for large chunks of the game. 5/10
(46) Mark Blicavs: Another veteran Cat who struggled. Chris Scott used his star utility in his usual bevy of roles to try to get him going, including in the ruck against Luke Jackson, but Blicavs didn’t fire a shot. 4/10
Fremantle player ratings to come.
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