A GARY Ablett-inspired Geelong withstood a brave Sydney Swans challenge to win by 42 points at Skilled Stadium on Saturday.
Ablett gathered 35 possessions and booted three superb final-quarter goals to help get the Cats home, ensuring they remained undefeated after five rounds of the AFL season.
Geelong received a big scare from the never-say-die Swans, who got within three points in the final quarter before running out of puff and going down 16.18 (114) to 10.12 (72).
But the final margin was unfair on the Swans, who were right in the game with less than 10 minutes to go but simply got blown away at the end.
Tagged by rising star Kieren Jack, Ablett was clearly best afield, but had plenty of helpers.
Steve Johnson (four goals), Jimmy Bartel, Mathew Stokes (four goals) and the impenetrable Matthew Scarlett were all great for the home side.
For the Swans, big man Darren Jolly was a man-mountain all day, while Brett Kirk and Jarrad McVeigh also tried hard.
The Cats led by just 10 points heading into the final term after both sides managed just one goal in a dour third quarter.
The Swans had the advantage of a slight breeze in the final term, and were kicking to the end in which 12 of the game’s 15 goals had been kicked. They then got the margin back to just three points within three minutes after Jarred Moore received a free kick at the top of the goal square.
But Ablett booted the game’s next two goals – one a long-range bomb and the other a clever, curling snap – to give his side some breathing space.
Ablett’s two goals, followed by Johnson’s fourth, looked to have the Cats home, but the determined Swans roared back into the contest.
Luke Ablett responded for the visitors a minute later, and when Moore kicked his second, the margin was back to 11 points with 10 minutes remaining.
But Ablett bobbed up again, this time intercepting an errant Swans kick out of defence before handballing to a running Josh Hunt, who drilled a goal to all but ice the match.
From then on, the Cats went into party mode.
Ablett booted another shortly after and left the field to tumultuous applause, his work done.
Earlier, the 24,368 fans had witnessed a contrasting first half as Geelong dominated the opening term only for the Swans to hit back in style in the second.
The Swans hadn’t won at Skilled Stadium since 1999, and it looked like they could forget about breaking that hoodoo as early as quarter-time after the Cats rocketed to a five-goal lead at the first change.
Geelong’s chief ball-winners were all supreme, while Steve Johnson kicked three in the first 30 minutes as the reigning premiers looked set to make a statement.
The suspension of star forward Barry Hall – coupled with the late withdrawal of Tadhg Kennelly – was always going to be a blow for the visitors, and Paul Roos’ side looked at a loss when going forward at times, although Ryan O’Keefe looked dangerous.
Some clever work from Michael O’Loughlin allowed Jude Bolton to boot the Swans’ only goal of the term – at the 18-minute mark – but apart from that, Geelong’s attacking style of play was the talking point.
Roos must have told his men to take risks and play on at all costs at the change as it was a different Sydney Swans in the second term, while the Cats’ big guns struggled to have a similar output.
Jolly got his side’s first of the quarter, Nick Davis followed that up, and Ed Barlow chipped in with two goals while Stokes registered Geelong’s only major.
Tom Hawkins looked good for the Cats in attack but was perhaps too unselfish on occasions, opting to dish off chances instead of taking shots at goal.
The Swans booted five goals to one in the quarter and cut the deficit to just seven points at half time, silencing the once-boisterous home crowd.
In an arm-wrestle of a third quarter, just two goals were kicked as the Swans did their utmost to ensure the Cats didn’t again take full toll of the scoring end and kick away to a match-winning lead.
The visitors did their job well, clawing back to within a goal at one stage after Paul Bevan booted the first of the term with just three minutes left on the clock.
However, Bartel received a crucial free kick with 30 seconds remaining in the term and booted truly, extending his side’s lead back out to 10 points.
Geelong has six days to recover before meeting Fremantle at Subiaco in the second of two ANZAC Day clashes, while the Swans meet North Melbourne at Telstra Dome on Sunday.
Geelong 6.2 7.8 8.13 16.18 (114)
Sydney 1.2 6.7 7.9 10.12 (72)
GOALS
Geelong: S.Johnson 4, Stokes 4, G.Ablett 3, Bartel 2, Hunt, Mooney, Wojcinski
Sydney: Barlow 2, Moore 2, Ablett, Bevan, J.Bolton, Davis, Jolly, O'Keefe
BEST
Geelong: G.Ablett, Bartel, S.Johnson, Scarlett, Chapman, Stokes
Sydney: Jolly, McVeigh, Mattner, Kirk, Moore
INJURIES
Geelong: None
Sydney: Kennelly (hamstring) replaced in selected side by Brennan
Reports: Nil
Umpires: McBurney, Rosebury, Ellis
Official crowd: 24,368 at Skilled Stadium
