WEST Coast's remarkable journey from last year's wooden spoon to this year's flag threat has finally come to an end, losing the preliminary final to Geelong by 48 points at the MCG on Saturday.  

West Coast struggled so badly in the early stages that the Eagles managed only two possessions in the opening five minutes.

They fought back to within 10 points during the second quarter, although their heavy finals workload took its toll in the second half.

The Cats kicked 8.11 in the first half, and won 17.15 (117) to 10.9 (69).

It was Geelong's first finals victory over West Coast. The Cats had previously lost the 1991 preliminary final, and the '92 and '94 Grand Finals, to the Eagles.

Josh Kennedy finished with three goals after an entertaining battle with Tom Lonergan, while ruckman Nic Naitanui booted two.

Given John Worsfold's men finished on the bottom of the ladder last year, it is hard to view their season as anything other than a success.

It will be the first Grand Final to feature Geelong and Collingwood since the Magpies (captained by Lou Richards) beat the Cats by 12 points in 1953.

Influential players
With his fellow ruckman Dean Cox struggling with a number of injury problems, Nic Naitanui battled manfully for the Eagles against Geelong duo Brad Ottens and Trent West. Naitanui won 22 hit-outs and gathered 18 disposals.

Stats that matter
West Coast went into the game averaging 94 tackles per game. But they had only 11 in the first quarter and finished with just 49. The inside 50s also told the story of the afternoon. That count ended 66 to 47 in Geelong's favour.

Quarter by quarter - with Jennifer Witham
First quarter
The Cats came out harder and had the first goal on the board through Travis Varcoe three minutes in, although it was courtesy of a free kick. A couple of missed opportunities in front of goal hurt their ability to take advantage of the fact they were heavily out-possessing the Eagles, who look rattled and were struggling to link up. The Cats' second goal - through James Podsiadly - at the seven-minute mark was also because of a free kick, which came shortly before Jack Darling missed his chance to kick his team's first goal when a set shot fell short. Trent West further put the Eagles to the sword when he goaled after taking a brilliant running mark but three minutes later, the Perth-based team finally got their first six-pointer through Josh Kennedy after he took a strong contested mark against Corey Enright. The Cats got out as far as 28 points after David Wojcinski kicked a beauty from 45m out, but an undisciplined act from Joel Corey seconds before the siren saw him send the ball back to Nic Naitanui in a high, floating motion after giving away a free kick, which then saw the Eagles' ruckman brought forward within range to kick his first as the quarter-time siren sounded. After a term of football, the Cats had taken an alarming 32 marks to the Eagles' nine, had ventured inside 50 22 times to eight, and Quinten Lynch had received treatment to his ribs after a crunching knock from Wojcinski at the 27-minute mark.
Geelong by 22 points

Second quarter
Mark LeCras opened the term with the first goal two minutes in after taking a leading mark, and suddenly the Eagles looked alive and capable of winning more of the ball than they did in the first. After Podsiadly shanked a shot, Luke Shuey made him pay by converting up the other end following a rebounding turnover from Harry Taylor and the margin was back to 10 points. Shannon Hurn stepped up after a quiet first term when he was trailed by Cameron Ling, while Beau Waters won plenty of the ball in defence and would lead the field for possessions at half-time with 21. The Cats woke up and responded with goals to Tom Hawkins - who was one of their best in their first final two weeks ago - and Joel Selwood, who escaped the clutches of brother Scott to kick his first. After Naitanui missed a chance to hit back when he sent a shot out on the full, Varcoe tried to kick goal of the afternoon five minutes later when he had the ball on his own inside 50, pivoted and pirouetted only to slam it into the top of the post. Then came Darling's goal, which was launched from inside the centre square and snuck in behind the pack of players that had gathered on the goal line, and the Eagles were back within three straight kicks. But, a late goal to Jimmy Bartel, which brought up the 13th individual goal-kicker for the game, ensured the Cats a handy half-time lead and the momentum going into the break despite the Eagles' improvement after a slow opening quarter.
Geelong by 25 points

Third quarter
After Steve Johnson made his presence known in the opening two minutes by kicking an impressive goal under pressure on the left foot as he fell backwards, his luck swung dramatically just six minutes later when he sustained a sickening dislocated kneecap. Johnson was being tackled by Embley at half-forward and all his weight - and Embley's - was forced through his left leg as the pair crumpled to the turf. He was stretchered off but later shown on the Channel 10 telecast to be flexing his leg in the rooms. Still, the remaining sting in the game seemed to seep out after the injury with the crowd stunned by the prospect of an unavailable Johnson for next week. Throughout the term, Daniel Kerr kicked his first and Kennedy his second, but the quarter belonged to the Cats, especially in red time, as they booted seven goals in total - with Paul Chapman's a highlight at the 27-minute mark with Hawkins dishing off the quickest of handpasses under pressure to hand his teammate the ball in the goal-square - to hold a comfortable lead at the final break.
Geelong by 56 points

Fourth quarter
As the ball was bounced to commence proceedings, Johnson wandered up the Cats' race wearing the red vest and walked unaided - and with barely a limp - around the city end pocket to the bench. The Geelong supporters burst into applause for the 2007 Norm Smith medallist as he strolled casually along the boundary as if he had simply been down in the rooms to change his socks and not to have his patella knocked back into place. Hawkins kicked the Cats' fourth unanswered goal early on and it looked as though the game was headed for a blow-out margin. But, Kennedy's third and Naitanui's second steadied the Eagles' ship before Andrew Mackie - who had been one of the Cats' best - steamed out of the middle and neatly delivered the ball to Varcoe, who put an end to any form of West Coast run. Scott Selwood kicked his one and only goal for the afternoon in junk time as the security guards took their places around the boundary, and only then did the seagulls start to gather high up on top of the southern stand.
Geelong by 48 points

Geelong        5.7 8.11 15.14 17.15 (117)
West Coast       2.3 5.4 7.6 10.9 (69)       

GOALS
Geelong: Podsiadly 3, Christensen 2, Varcoe 2, Hawkins 2, West, Wojcinski, Selwood, Bartel, Johnson, Stokes, Chapman, Hunt
West Coast: Kennedy 3, Naitanui 2, LeCras, Shuey, Darling, Kerr, S Selwood

BEST
Geelong: Selwood, Scarlett, Mackie, Kelly, Ling, West, Chapman, Bartel
West Coast: Naitanui, Waters, Kerr, Shuey, Gaff

INJURIES
Geelong: Johnson (knee)
West Coast: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Geelong: Steve Johnson (knee) substituted out for Mitch Duncan in the third quarter
West Coast: Mark Nicoski substituted out for Patrick McGinnity in the third quarter

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Donlon, Stevic, Chamberlain

Official crowd: 59,455 at the MCG

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL