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Freo smashed by the Cats

Geelong will face Collingwood in an AFL preliminary final for the third occasion in four years, following a dominant 69-point semi-final victory over Fremantle at the MCG.

The final score was Geelong 20.15 (135) to Fremantle 10.6 (66), a result that never appeared in jeopardy as the Cats overwhelmed the stunned Dockers with a staggering score of 8.1 to 1.1 in the opening quarter.

After last weekend’s narrow loss to St Kilda, Cats coach Mark Thompson had issued a warning to his players against starting slowly once again, and they responded convincingly.

Five goals were scored by the Cats before Fremantle managed to put a point on the board— a rushed behind early in the time-on period— and they added three more goals in the last five minutes of the quarter, following Dockers captain Matthew Pavlich’s first score.

With Geelong’s key forward James Podsiadly returning from a two-game suspension to kick his third goal five minutes into the second quarter, the Cats established a 49-point lead, signifying that the match was virtually decided.

The Dockers, competing at the MCG for the first time this season, struggled with giant ruckman Aaron Sandilands, who entered the game nursing a knee injury.

Starting in the forward line, Sandilands saw Geelong score three goals before he shifted to ruck, but his ability to make an impact was hampered by difficulties in jumping.

Fremantle faced several other issues as well, particularly their lack of early defensive pressure, which allowed the Cats to transition from defense to attack swiftly and easily on numerous instances.

Running defender David Wojcinski proved to be particularly lethal, contributing two goals along with multiple assists for others.

Fremantle finally found some rhythm in the second quarter, ignited by the speedy small forward Michael Walters, who snapped two quick goals in three minutes, trimming the deficit to 37 points.

Yet, despite their effort to match Geelong’s intensity in the middle two quarters, they never closed the gap.

Though they managed to trade goals for most of the third quarter, a skillful 45m snap from Geelong captain Cameron Ling, followed by a goal from Cameron Mooney, both occurring in time-on, expanded the lead to 49 points going into the final quarter.

The Cats solidified their advantage in the last quarter, ensuring a disappointing end to Fremantle’s first finals campaign in four years.

Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett shone for the winning team, racking up 36 disposals and showcasing exceptional midfield clearance skills, while Podsiadly, Steve Johnson, and Mathew Stokes each contributed three goals, among a total of 13 different goal-scorers.

For Fremantle, Pavlich scored four goals and Walters finished with three, while David Mundy was the standout performer in the midfield.

Next Friday night, Geelong will play against Collingwood, the minor premiers, at the MCG, having triumphed over them at the preliminary final level on their way to securing their 2007 and 2009 championship titles.

Mark Thompson, coach of Geelong, expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance against Fremantle, noting that it was the start he desired.

Although he acknowledged that the middle two quarters weren’t flawless, he felt confident that the team is well-equipped to challenge the Magpies.

“The way we began (against Fremantle) and concluded last week were great indicators; it was the best we’ve utilized the ball in quite a while, so we are pleased with many elements of tonight’s game,” Thompson remarked.

Looking forward to the upcoming preliminary final, he emphasized the need for the Cats to match the “hatred” that Collingwood would bring, given Geelong’s role in denying them a grand final spot twice in the last three years.

“I have no doubt that they harbor some envy and jealousy towards our achievements and that they’re coming for us,” Thompson expressed.

Fremantle coach Mark Harvey noted that his team had made significant advancements this season, improving from 14th place last year, but reminded his players after the match that returning would not be straightforward.

“If you think that (it will be easy), you could quickly fall out of the finals race; that was the crucial message, and to extract as much learning as possible from the experiences of the past two weeks,” Harvey remarked.

He acknowledged that his team was outclassed by the Cats and was severely punished for several poor disposal mistakes, especially during the first half.

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