Geelong are one win away from an elusive AFL premiership after banishing their preliminary final demons with a 71-point thumping of the Brisbane Lions at the MCG.
Lifted by a heroic performance from star veteran Patrick Dangerfield, the Cats booked their second grand final appearance in three seasons by winning 18.12 (120) to 7.7 (49) in front of 77,677 fans.
Geelong will enter the September 24 decider on a 15-game winning streak and are guaranteed to start the game as warm favourites no matter if the Sydney Swans or Collingwood win the other preliminary final.
It was the Cats' sixth preliminary final since 2013, but they have not won a flag since 2011 and their only grand final appearance in that period was a loss to Richmond in 2020.
But young speedster Max Holmes looks set to miss the decider after being subbed out with a suspected hamstring injury in the third quarter.
The 20-year-old looked heartbroken on the bench, punching the ground, as Irishman Mark O'Connor was substituted into the match.
Dangerfield set the tone for Geelong, booting the first goal of Friday night's match on his way to a first-quarter tally of nine touches and two majors.
The Brownlow medallist finished with 28 possessions, approaching the match with a steely determination to win the premiership that has eluded him in 302 games with Adelaide and the Cats.
The Cats fielded the oldest team in VFL/AFL history with an average age of 28 years, 173 days, including 10 players aged more than 30, but it was not just their established veterans who stepped up.
Brownlow medal favourite Lachie Neale's influence was curbed after the Lions superstar opened the finals series with two dominant midfield performances.
Neale was restricted to just one touch in the second quarter as Geelong built a matchwinning lead, skipping away to a 30-point lead at half-time.
Geelong's defenders dominated Lions tall forwards Eric Hipwood and Joe Daniher as Tom Stewart, Jack Henry and Sam De Koning took intercept marks with ease.
Any hope the Lions had of repeating their second-half heroics from the semi-final win against Melbourne were ruined at the start of the third term when Joe Daniher kicked a set-shot out on the full, before Tyson Stengle snapped an opportunistic goal a minute later for Geelong.
Star forward Tom Hawkins (four goals) and dynamo Tyson Stengle (three) were crucial, while Gryan Miers and Gary Rohan slotted multiple majors.
In a blow for the Lions, former number one draft pick Cam Rayner was helped off the field with a suspected foot injury and was subbed off for Rhys Mathieson.
Rayner missed the entire 2021 season after rupturing his ACL and had taken time to recapture his best form this year.
Look back at how the action unfolded in our live blog.
Key events
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Live updates
By Dean Bilton
That's it for us!
It's unequivocally Geelong's night, but the overwhelming sense out of the Cats camp tonight is that they are not even close to done. This was just one more step towards a greater goal.
We'll be back tomorrow arvo as we find out which of Sydney or Collingwood will meet Geelong in the big one. I don't know about you, but I'm already frothing for that Swans-Pies prelim, so be sure to join me on the blog tomorrow. Until then, goodnight!
By Dean Bilton
Patrick Dangerfield means business
He was the best player on the ground tonight, and did it with a quiet, steely focus that looks ominous for next week.
Patrick Dangerfield's career has been building up to next Saturday. His will be one of the most fascinating stories of the grand final.
By Dean Bilton
End of the line for the Lions
A season that has featured its share of ups and downs has ended with its heaviest defeat for the Lions. They were badly outplayed this evening, but will still probably come away from this finals series with a sense of pride and optimism for the future.
Deficiencies were laid bare tonight - the Cats scored waaaaay too easily on transition - and there is work to do. But the Lions still have more weapons than most, and their first two finals almost make the whole season worthwhile.
By Dean Bilton
FT: The Cats are in the grand final!
About as emphatic a statement as you can make in a preliminary final. The Cats put their foot down after quarter-time and the Lions could not get close to them.
The speed of this Geelong team is what sets it apart from those of recent near misses, and the Cats are immaculately placed to launch an attack on next week's grand final. It wasn't a classic prelim, but it sets the scene for the season's best team to throw everything at the decider.
By Dean Bilton
1': The siren awaits
It's been a lowkey last quarter, but we're just seconds away from this being made official.
By Dean Bilton
3': Zach Guthrie has just wiped Joel Selwood out
He's fine, I think. But let's just cool things down out there guys.
Are you allowed to have more than four people off at a time? If you are, do it now.
In other news, Eric Hipwood has marked inside 50. And he's missed.
By Dean Bilton
4': Zach Guthrie kicks the goal!
A popular goal among the Cats players as Guthrie Jr gets on the board.
By Dean Bilton
4': There's Zach Guthrie!
Good boy, Zach! He chops off the exit kick and marks on the intercept inside 50. He lines them up from 45...
By Dean Bilton
5': Into the final five minutes
Jeremy Cameron, Tom Stewart, Tom Hawkins and Zach Guthrie (I think) are on the Cats bench. Zach, get back out there and get Patrick Dangerfield off IMMEDIATELY.
By Dean Bilton
8': Close marks in the pocket
We're rather spinning our wheels at the moment as we count down to the final siren. Close is lining up a difficult shot on goal... it falls short and is rushed through.
By Dean Bilton
11': Bailey to line up another one
The cue is in the rack for Geelong, and the Lions are looking to cash in while they can. Bailey's shot from 50 misses across the face.
By Dean Bilton
11': Hipwood kicks another
First time all night the Lions have had a vacant 50 to run into. Hipwood got out the back and streamed into an empty goalsquare.
By Dean Bilton
12': Hipwood kicks the goal for Brisbane
Muted celebrations, to put it lightly.
By Dean Bilton
13': Here's Hipwood
Hasn't seen much of it tonight, but he should kick a goal from here. 35 out, slight angle.
By Dean Bilton
15': Close! Goal!
Geez, that's a bit scary. Took them about seven seconds to take it from the kick in to a goal. The Cats are having some fun out there, and the margin has blown out to 79.
By Dean Bilton
16': Daniher marks in the pocket
Not been big Joe's night. But he's on his favoured side for a lefty. Can he get something working from this tight angle? Not quite, another behind.
By Dean Bilton
17': Charlie Cameron deep in the pocket
He kicked a famous goal from this spot last week, but now good this week. That's a pretty poor snap that sneaks through for a behind.
By Dean Bilton
17': Hawkins has a fourth!
Again, the Cats are just too quick on the counter-attack. The long ball gets out the back of the defence and Hawkins finishes off with a dribbler from 15 metres out.
