GEELONG attacking guns Tyson Stengle and Jeremy Cameron have fired the Cats to an 84-point torching of Port Adelaide in the first AFL qualifying final.<\/p>\n
The Cats will host a preliminary final at the MCG in a fortnight after belting \u00a0the Power 20.18 (138) to 7.12 (54) at Adelaide Oval tonight (Thursday, September 5).<\/p>\n
Port are pitched into a home knockout semi-final against the winner of the Western Bulldogs’ elimination final against Hawthorn on Friday night.<\/p>\n
The Power face the prospect of a so-called straight-sets exit from the finals for a second year in a row and have concern over midfield ace Zak Butters, who was substituted because of a rib injury.<\/p>\n
The Cats, with Stengle and Cameron kicking four goals each, dished out the second-biggest finals defeat to Port despite the late withdrawal of five-time All Australian Tom Stewart.<\/p>\n
Stewart, suffering a hamstring injury, was substituted out of his side’s round 24 thrashing of West Coast, though the Cats say he was scratched from the final because of illness.<\/p>\n
Star Geelong forwards Stengle and Cameron combined with Shaun Mannagh (three), Gryan Miers (three), Shannon Neale (two) and Jack Bowes (two) to overwhelm a lacklustre Port.<\/p>\n
Cameron’s first two goals defied football logic. Five minutes into the game, the key forward collected a handball running towards a boundary line and, a step inside the paint, curled a remarkable snap through from 30 metres.<\/p>\n
In the second term, the four-time All-Australian kicked another stunner: using the outside of his left boot, he dribbled through from near the boundary line.<\/p>\n
Cameron’s teammate Max Holmes was superb – his 28 disposals featured five inside-50s and also seven rebound-50s – while captain Patrick Dangerfield (24 touches), Zach Guthrie (27), Miers (21) and Mannagh (23 disposals) were prominent.<\/p>\n
Port briefly hit the front in the second term but then meekly conceded 10 of the next 11 goals and were held goal-less in the third quarter.<\/p>\n
Midfielder Ollie Wines (23 touches), Ryan Burton (21) and Willem Drew (21) \u00a0were the home side’s main ball-winners.<\/p>\n
Star trio Butters, who had just eight disposals before being subbed, captain Connor Rozee (16 possessions, one goal) and Jason Horne-Francis (18, one goal) were all subdued.<\/p>\n
Geelong set the tone with a dominant opening 20 minutes, but two late goals by Port reduced the visitors’ advantage to three points at quarter-time, 3.7 to 3.4.<\/p>\n
Port took the lead nine minutes into the second stanza but held it for just a tick over a minute as the Cats embarked on their scoring spree.<\/p>\n
Geelong booted the next five goals to craft a 20-point half-time advantage, 9.9 to 6.7, then punished Port with 5.7 to 0.2 in the third term.<\/p>\n
The Cats led 14.16 (100) to 6.9 (45) at three-quarter-time before cruising to victory.<\/p>\n