The VFL Cats have suffered a heart-wrenching defeat to Port Melbourne on Saturday night, falling just four points short of victory at ETU Stadium.
Geelong held a tight lead for the majority of the match, but late goals and a defensive strategy from Port Melbourne left the Cats with few opportunity to take the lead back during a long final quarter.
George Stevens (30 disposals, 12 tackles, nine clearances) and Ted Clohesy (27 disposals, 24 contested possessions, one goal) were impressive all night, dominating the midfield with immense pressure and smart play.
Vice-captain Marcus Herbert had another standout performance at half-back collecting 30 disposals, 13 intercepts and six tackles, helping his team to build up attacks with strong leadership and composure.
Geelong put together a dominant opening term, maintaining possession in their forward 50 for a majority of the quarter as both sides battled it out in the wet conditions.
Ted Clohesy was incredibly impactful, powering the ball through the midfield and kicking the first major for the Cats, soon followed by Patrick Kelly who snapped a tremendous goal marking his first in the VFL.
George Stevens and Marcus Herbert both combined for nine tackles, creating stoppages that allowed Geelong to stay ahead by one point at the end of an exciting first term.
The Cats carried their momentum into the second quarter, led by some impressive ball skills from Herbert and Jhye Clark who racked up 14 disposals each in the first half.
The rain cleared but both sides continued their defensive focus, which did not stop Jay Polkinghorne and Xavier Ivisic from hitting the scoreboard for Geelong, extending their lead to 13 points heading into the main break.
The intensity increased heavily in the second half with Port Melbourne regaining some control, but Jay Rantall kicked an important major for Geelong to maintain a lead over the Borough.
Keighton Matofai-Forbes and Charlie McCartin were crucial in limiting entries with six and five interceptions respectively, restricting Port Melbourne to two goals to give the Cats a five point buffer at the end of the third term.
The fourth quarter was an arm wrestle as Geelong fought hard to maintain the lead they had held all game, but Port Melbourne managed to kick two majors to put them ahead by 10 points.
After multiple stoppages and constant back-and-forth play between the arcs, Geelong's Doyle Madigan booted a high flying ball through for a goal to close the margin to just four points.
The stoppages continued, with Joe Pike reaching a game high 37 hitouts along with eight clearances as the Cats locked the ball in their forward 50, but the siren sounded and Geelong ultimately fell by four points.
2025 VFL Season - Round 8
PORT MELBOURNE 2.2 2.5 4.11 6.15 (51)
GEELONG CATS 2.3 4.6 5.9 6.11 (47)
GOALS
Port Melbourne: Manton, Hooper 2, Philp, Alessio 1
Geelong Cats: Rantall, Polkinghorne, Madigan, Kelly, Ivisic, Clohesy 1
DISPOSALS
Port Melbourne: Hird 28, Hooper 23, Rosman 22, Wanganeen, Bedendo 18
Geelong Cats: Stevens, Herbert 30, Clohesy 27, Clark 22, Retschko 21
@ ETU Stadium, Melbourne - Wurundjeri
