With Geelong enjoying a week off after their triumphant Qualifying Final victory last Friday, Time Cat-Sule this week will look a little different.
Awaiting the results of the Semi Final between Adelaide and Hawthorn to determine our next opponent, we asked some of Geelong's star players to share their favourite Finals moment or memory.
The results were varied with some reminiscing back to the start of the Cats' successful period in the early 2000's, while others fondly remembered some of Geelong's more recent success in September.
Take a look at some of the answers below.
Shaun Mannagh - The Matthew Scarlett Toe Poke
The 2009 Grand Final was on a knife’s edge with less than five minutes on the clock, as Geelong and St Kilda went toe-to-toe in an epic decider on the last Saturday in September.
The decisive moment came right in the centre of the MCG, with the famous toe poke by Matthew Scarlett setting up a Paul Chapman goal that gave the Cats the lead and ultimately, the premiership.
It’s an iconic part of Geelong Football Club history, a memory that will live on in the minds of Cats fans for years to come.
Connor O'Sullivan - 2022 Grand Final, but from a different perspective
Cats fans will have fond memories of the 2022 Grand Final, but it was a slightly different afternoon for Connor O'Sullivan.
Watching many of his future teammates triumph on the biggest stage of all, O'Sullivan was at the MCG cheering for the opposition as a diehard Sydney supporter, before being drafted to the Cattery.
“Favourite, but also least favourite would probably have to be the 2022 Grand Final,” O'Sullivan said.
“I was at the game as a Swans supporter, and obviously it was pretty cool in hindsight to see all the boys win their flag as a spectator—and now to be in the inner sanctum.”
Jed Bews - Gary Rohan's Mark & Goal in the 2022 Qualifying Final
While much of the attention rightly goes to Geelong’s dominance in the 2022 Grand Final, it likely would not have happened without Gary Rohan’s heroics in the Qualifying Final three weeks earlier.
In the midst of a titanic battle against Collingwood, Rohan produced a number of match-winning moments, having a telling hand in both of Geelong’s final two goals which secured a six-point win.
The biggest play of all, and Jed Bews’ favourite Finals memory, was when Rohan launched over a pack on the 50-metre arc, took a huge contested mark and nailed the long-range set shot in a pivotal moment for the Cats.
Shannon Neale - The 2024 Qualifying Final
A host of Cats got their first taste of Finals football in 2024 including key forward Shannon Neale, as Geelong headed west to take on Port Adelaide in the City of Churches.
After a relatively even start, Geelong put the foot down kicking 17 goals to four after quarter time to record an 84-point demolition of the Power.
Neale took four marks inside 50, three of them contested and kicked two goals in a brilliant first September outing for the big Cat.
Gryan Miers - Cam Guthrie's "Hamstring" in the 2022 Grand Final
With one hand on the premiership cup and an unassailable lead early in the fourth quarter, Cam Guthrie produced one of the most selfless moments you are likely to see in sport.
Feeling a bit of 'hamstring tightness,' Guthrie was subbed out, allowing Brandon Parfitt to enter the game and kick a memorable goal in the final 20 minutes.
It was a brilliant moment from the Cats champion, who would go on to claim his first premiership and share the top honour in the Carji Greeves Medal the following week.
Jack Bowes - Jezza's goal in the 2024 Qualifying Final
From the same game that Shannon Neale mentioned previously, Jack Bowes was blown away by one moment in particular as he also made his Finals debut against Port Adelaide.
On the road in a hostile environment, the Cats knew it was important to start well in order to silence the crowd and Jeremy Cameron did just that.
Swinging onto his trusty left boot, Jezza curled home an incredible goal that defied physics from deep in the pocket, setting the tone for what would be a special night for Geelong.
Zach Guthrie - The 2022 Grand Final
There was no player that had to work harder to cement their spot in the team than Zach Guthrie, but after playing 33 games across his first five years at the club, a breakout season in 2022 paved the way for his rapid rise in the Cats defence.
Playing 21 games throughout the season, Guthrie featured in all three of Geelong's Finals and became a premiership player, playing a strong roll in the Cats dominant Grand Final performance against Sydney.
It was a moment that dreams are made of, as Zach got to celebrate the premiership triumph with brother Cam, the two permanently etching their name into Geelong Football Club folklore.
