Geelong have exorcised their first-week AFL finals demons with an epic six-point win over Collingwood at the MCG.
The Cats were behind at every change in Saturday's pulsating qualifying final, but kicked four of the last five goals to win 11.12 (78) to 10.12 (72) in front of 91,525 fans.
It continues a bumper start to the finals series, following Brisbane's last-gasp win over Richmond and Sydney's upset of reigning premiers Melbourne.
Just as minor premiers Geelong were under pressure heading into this finals series, so there were question marks over forward Gary Rohan.
He was massive, kicking three goals. Rohan took a huge mark at 23 minutes into the last quarter and goaled from 50m to give the Cats a one-point lead.
Then Jack Crisp kicked a behind with two minutes and 30 seconds left to level the scores and Josh Daicos' shot for Collingwood went out on the full.
With 1:20 left, the Cats surged forward and Max Holmes kicked the match winner.
Geelong will have the week off ahead of their preliminary final and Collingwood will host the winner of Saturday night's Fremantle-Western Bulldogs elimination final next week in a semi-final.
Collingwood midfielder Taylor Adams was in tears when he tore his groin in the last quarter, having returned from the same injury for this match.
Before Saturday, the Cats had won just 10 of 25 finals under coach Chris Scott and since he took over in 2011, their most recent premiership, they were a dismal 2-8 in the first week of September.
Jeremy Cameron also kicked three goals for the Cats and captain Joel Selwood starred, while Darcy Moore and Jordan De Goey were Collingwood's best.
Collingwood made the early running, kicking the first three goals for a 19-point lead late in the first quarter.
The Cats were under pressure and struggling to find system in attack.
Cameron kicked the Cats' first goal at 27 minutes and that proved a badly needed steadier.
Geelong defender Jake Kolodjashnij hurt his knee in the first quarter and was subbed out before half time.
The Cats upped their work-rate in the second, taking a contested possession advantage of 16 into the main break.
It showed on the scoreboard as they kicked three goals and took the lead.
But moments after dropping a sitter, Magpies forward Will Hoskin-Elliott marked and kicked a clutch goal after the half-time siren to give his team a one-point lead at the main break.
The third term was a beauty, with first Geelong and then Collingwood nailing big goals.
Ash Johnson repeated his heroics in the round-23 win over Carlton when he goaled from an acute angle.
Moments later, Cameron did the same for the Cats, but Jamie Elliott kicked the last goal of the term to give Collingwood a seven-point lead at the last change.
That extended to 12 points when De Goey kicked the first goal of the final quarter.
Follow the action in our live blog.
Key events
- FT: CATS WIN! CATS WIN BY A GOAL! WHAT A GAME OF FOOTY
- 3QT: Incredible game, Pies lead by seven points
- HT: Hoskin-Elliott goals after the siren! Pies lead by a point!
- QT: Breathless stuff, Pies off to a flyer and lead by 14
- 20': We are underway at the MCG!
- The teams are in!
- Collingwood vs Geelong: The main event
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Live updates
By Dean Bilton
Geelong will play in a preliminary final
As much as I'd love to sit here talking about that game of footy all night, we've got another game and another blog to get to! But we will have plenty more on the Cats and the Pies, that game and everything that result means in the coming hours and days.
In the mean time, come hang with me over at the Freo-Bulldogs blog - no pressure to those teams in the west, but we're 3/3 incredible games here and have a reputation to uphold.
See you over there soon.
By Dean Bilton
Gary Rohan or Gary Ablett?
How about this for a grab with the game on the line? Then the finish from 50. Gary Rohan might have just played his best ever game for Geelong, and what a time to do it.
By Dean Bilton
FT: CATS WIN! CATS WIN BY A GOAL! WHAT A GAME OF FOOTY
They can't keep doing this to us. That might be the best of the three so far, both Geelong and Collingwood were spectacular. It was footy at its purest, so tough in the clinches and so brave with ball in hand. It came down to little moments, and in the end it fell in Geelong's way.
How do you get your head around that? How good is footy?
By Dean Bilton
1': Ball up centre wing
Ten seconds on the clock. Pies need a miracle.
By Dean Bilton
1': Dangerfield marks on centre wing!
And he holds it up! Are they home?!??!
By Dean Bilton
2': MAX HOLMES GOALS! CATS BY SIX
What is happening at the MCG?!? Gary Rohan dropped a chest mark on his own 20 metres from goal, but still had time to chase the ball, fumble it, pick it up and dish it to Holmes. He goals from the line, the Cats are 1:20 away from a prelim final!
By Dean Bilton
3': Josh Daicos has a go... out on the full!
Even a point would have helped! My god, the tension.
By Dean Bilton
3': Jack Crisp flies at goal... misses! Tie game!
Scores are level with 2:31 to play. Surely not extra-time...
By Dean Bilton
4': Stoppage inside Cats attacking 50
Darcy Moore spectacular in the air yet again.
By Dean Bilton
4': He can! Gary Rohan has bombed it home! Cats in front!
He has kicked the leather off it, and the MCG has erupted again! He's played a fantastic game, and that could be the telling blow! 3:52 left on the clock, this is an absolute epic.
By Dean Bilton
5': Gary Rohan! What a mark at centre half forward!
He's crashed the pack and taken a huge clunk! What a grab from Gary Rohan, but can he finish off from 50?
By Dean Bilton
7': De Goooooeeeeeeeey! Pies in front!
What a contest win from Moore and Maynard over Cameron and Dangerfield at half-back, and then the vision and kick from Nick Daicos was on another level. Two handballs later, it's De Goey streaming into goal. What a game!
By Dean Bilton
9': Taylor Adams is down
And I think he has torn that groin again. He is being helped from the field, and it's safe to say that's his day done. Kreuger preparing to come on.
By Dean Bilton
9': Close gets it! Cats out the back! Cats in front!
Sensational football from Geelong! Big wins by Cameron and Hawkins on the wing, and it set Selwood free. He looked up and saw two Cats unmarked streaming into goal, and from there it was all over. The Cats lead it by a point!
By Dean Bilton
10': It's a stalemate right now
The game is on a knife's edge. Next goal is so important.
By Dean Bilton
12': Magpie defence!
The Cats finally get out, but Jeremy Howe was spectacular in stopping them in their tracks. Now Smith emerges with the ball on the run, but he misses to the left. Five-point game. So tense.
By Dean Bilton
14': The Pies are set up wonderfully
They've got the field position and the brick wall set up across the middle of the ground. Cats can't take the ball out of defence, but they're preventing scores.
By Dean Bilton
17': Now Hoskin-Elliott marks right on the 50
It's opening up in the last, and again it was De Goey who took the ball out of the middle. This will take his best... and it falls short. No score.
By Dean Bilton
18': Jeremy Cameron has three! Back to six points!
That trusty left boot sends another one straight through the guts! That was his first big contested grab inside 50, the Pies defence has been so good in the air all game.
