100 Moments In The Hoops - Part Eight: Match Winning Moments

With the Geelong Football Club celebrating its 100-year partnership with Ford in 2025, this article series will take a look back at the 100 most iconic moments from the Cats' history.

The eight part series has covered milestone moments, heartwarming stories, the club's greatest successes on and off the field while celebrating the people that made it all happen.

Part Eight and the final part of this series looks back at some of Geelong's top match winning moments, the plays that helped create a successful culture at the club.

Check out the full list below and the final instalment of the top 100 Moments in the Hoops.

80. The Number One Draft Pick Seals the Deal in Geelong's AFLW Debut

There is often a level of pressure that comes with being a number one draft pick, and sometimes it can take a while for the player to adapt at the top level.

But that certainly was not the case for Nina Morrison.

Selected with the first pick in the 2018 Draft, Morrison made her debut right away in 2019, in Geelong's inaugural AFLW match against Collingwood.

In front of a packed house, the star on-baller rose to the occasion collecting 22 disposals, six clearances and eight tackles, receiving an AFLW Rising Star nomination for her performance.

Morrison would also push forward to kick a behind in the final quarter, the last score in the game and ultimately the decisive moment, as the Cats held on to win a thriller by that lone point.

81. 'The Hand of God' Produces the Decisive Moment in 1994

Geelong's incredible history of producing in big moments is not just limited to the regular season, with a number of players also standing tall under the immense pressure of a Final.

Gary Ablett Senior was one star that often shone bright in the big moments, and the 1994 Preliminary Final was no exception.

Coming down to the last moments with a spot in the Grand Final on the line, Ablett had been reasonably well held by North Melbourne, only registering four disposals and two goals deep in the fourth quarter.

But with scores level and time ticking down, a quick kick to the top of the goal square was plucked with one hand by Ablett, who went back after the siren and sent the Cats through to the big dance.

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82. Prespakis Buries the Tigers in Season 7

After a disappointing 2022 AFLW Season 6, the Cats knew it was important to get off to a hot start in Season 7.

Their campaign started with a home clash against Richmond which turned into a low scoring, defensive affair.

The difference in the match was Georgie Prespakis, who kicked Geelong's only two goals for the match, including a long range set-shot inside the final minute of the game.

Prespakis' second goal put the Cats four points clear and they would hang on to claim victory, setting the tone for a brilliant season where they would return to the AFLW Finals.

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83. 'Kick is on the way, sirens gone.... THEY'VE DONE IT AGAIN'

One of the greatest home and away matches in the competition's history occurred in 2012, which also happened during Geelong's famous rivalry with Hawthorn.

The Cats shot out of the blocks in the Round 19 clash with a nine-goal opening quarter, maintaining their lead up until late in the final quarter, but the Hawks continued to mount a challenge and peg the margin back.

One of the big performers on the night was Tom Hawkins, who had kicked a game-high five goals deep in the fourth term, but the Cats had also relinquished the lead after a flurry of Hawthorn goals.

With the clock winding down and Geelong four points adrift, the Cats were able to chain the ball through the middle of the ground and a neat Selwood kick found Hawkins, who took a strong mark right on the 50 metre arc.

The siren sounded, the ball left Hawkins boot and sailed right through the big sticks, sealing an iconic victory for Geelong and provoking a memorable call from legendary commentator Dennis Cometti.

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84. Mannagh Curls Home the Winner in his Easter Monday Debut

Another incredible Geelong and Hawthorn game but a far more recent one, the two teams slogged it out in the traditional Easter Monday clash in 2025.

In front of a record breaking crowd at the MCG, the Cats and Hawks traded blows for most of the afternoon with neither team able to gain a substantial lead, with only one point separating the teams in the final minutes of the game.

With the ball locked inside their forward 50, and after some elite forward pressure, the ball found its way into the hands of Shaun Mannagh who was making his Easter Monday debut.

The star Cat took a quick peak at the big sticks, rolled through his third goal of the afternoon and sealed another sensational victory for Geelong.

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85. The Super Sub Prevails in a 2011 Epic

In the early 2010s, one of Geelong's fiercest opponents was St Kilda, who always seemed to provide a stern test no matter the circumstances.

The opening round of 2011 was no different, when the two teams tough it out in a low scoring affair at the MCG.

Only 12 goals were kicked between the Cats and Saints, but again it proved to be a grandstand finish as Geelong trailed late in the final term.

With less than a minute on the clock, Mitch Duncan launched a kick inside the Cats forward 50, Cam Mooney gathered and flicked the ball to Darren Milburn in the goal square.

Milburn, who had started the game as substitute, whipped Geelong fans into a frenzy as he blasted through the game winning goal with only 20 seconds remaining.

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86. The Day Billy Became the King of Geelong

The 1994 Finals Series not only offered up one game winning goal after the siren for Geelong, but two.

Opening their post-season campaign at the MCG, the Cats squared off with Footscray in a Qualifying Final and made a dream start, kicking eight goals in the first quarter to open up a sizeable lead.

The Bulldogs were a very strong team in their own right, clawing back the deficit and keeping things close, taking a one point lead of their own into the dying stages of the match.

Geelong had one last roll of the dice, a kick from David Mensch hit Billy Brownless lace out on the lead, with the key forward going back and making no mistake to send the Cats through to a Preliminary Final.

It was another moment that sparked a call that would become part of footy folklore, with Sandy Roberts exclaiming "Billy, you are King of Geelong."

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87. Moloney Stunner Takes Down Brisbane

Facing the reigning premiers is always a big occasion, an opportunity to dethrone the champions and prove your own credentials all in the same breathe.

Geelong had that opportunity when they faced Brisbane in the 2024 AFLW season, a tight tussle between two strong competitors at GMHBA Stadium.

As the Cats started to pull away in the final term, Aishling Moloney produced a moment of magic as she roosted home a long range goal, somehow getting the ball to shape the right way and splitting the middle of the big sticks.

It proved to be decisive as Brisbane made a late charge, but Moloney's goal had given the Cats a big enough lead to hang on for a remarkable victory.

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88. Holmes Breaks Magpie Hearts in 2022

One that will live on in the minds of Geelong supporters for some time to come, the incredible finish to the 2022 Qualifying Final was something that had to be seen to be believed.

The Cats had fought hard all day but Collingwood seemed to have all the answers, keeping their noses in front for much of the afternoon as both sides produced some spectacular moments.

Gary Rohan had played a decisive hand for Geelong with a big mark and goal putting his side in front in the final term, but a Magpies point left scores level with only 90 seconds on the clock.

A quick transition play from the Cats found Rohan alone inside 50, and despite a momentary fumble, he was able to regain his composure and feed the football to Max Holmes in the goal square.

In just his 29th AFL game, Holmes slammed through the game winning goal, setting the Cats on a path to win their first premiership since 2011.

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89. Riccardi Produces a Slice of Magic Against Carlton

Most will remember the way that Geelong's 2002 clash with Carlton finished, but plenty will forget how it got to that point in the first place.

The Cats had controlled proceedings for large parts of the afternoon, leading at every break and extending their margin to a seemingly unassailable 38 points early in the fourth quarter.

But there was a still some twists remaining in the story, as Carlton piled on seven unanswered goals in a hurry and Geelong's lead evaporated, leaving them trailing by two points with 26 seconds to go.

From the final centre stoppage, Geelong were able to extract a clearance and got the ball to Peter Riccardi, who wobbled home an incredible set-shot after the siren to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

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90. A Norm Smith Medalist Seals the Deal, While Wearing Different Colours?

There certainly has been a trend on the list with some epic Geelong and Hawthorn clashes, but 2016 is the first in this edition that includes a Final between the two.

Squaring off for a place in a Preliminary Final, nothing could separate the two for much of the night at the MCG, the biggest margin at any break only seven points.

The Cats had their noses in front by two points heading into the last quarter, before the two teams traded goals and left Geelong still three points clear with time ticking down.

Hawthorn produced one more opportunity and it landed with Isaac Smith, but his set-shot after the siren hooked wide and the Cats held on for another incredible win.

Of course, it would not be the final big moment between Smith and the Cats, as the champion went on to win the Norm Smith Medal in Geelong's 2022 premiership triumph.

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91. Star Cat Celebrates Milestone Match in Style

Georgie Prespakis was determined to walk away with the four points, as she celebrated her 50th AFLW game in Geelong's clash with GWS this year.

The star on-baller opened proceedings with the first goal of the match, going on to have a telling impact by collecting 24 disposals, eight clearances and six tackles.

Late in the fourth quarter, Prespakis put the cherry on top of her brilliant display with a second goal, helping the Cats to outlast the Giants with an inspiring five-goal final quarter.

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92. Hawkins Sinks the Dons and Produces Unforgettable Moment

Friday night footy under the roof at Marvel Stadium brings a completely unique atmosphere, especially in front of a big crowd when the heat gets ratcheted up in a tight contest.

Geelong's 2014 clash with Essendon had all of that and more, as the two sides battled it out down the stretch, with both the Cats and Bombers hitting the lead at various stages.

Earlier in the contest, Geelong had jumped out to a healthy lead before Essendon piled on six unanswered goals, setting up another iconic finish under the roof.

Steven Motlop kicked a freakish goal with under three minutes left to put the Cats in front, before Tom Hawkins got a chance to seal the result as he paddled the ball towards goal and rolled home the clincher.

The Tomahawk's celebration was just as iconic, picking out the one Geelong supporter in a sea of red and black for a memorable embrace.

93. The Toe Poke

What more can be said about this moment.

Every diehard Cats fan can visualise the ball heading into the middle of the ground, at a crucial stage of the 2009 Grand Final and Gary Ablett Junior seemingly finding a paddock of space.

The premiership depended on a single moment, every fan held their breath as Zac Dawson made a gutsy spoil, but Matthew Scarlett swooped in on the loose football with one of the greatest moments in Grand Final history.

His famous toe poke landed in Ablett's lap, Ablett launched the ball inside 50 and it ultimately ended in a Paul Chapman goal, a play that instantly wrote itself into Geelong Football Club folklore.