There was room for concern from Cats supporters after the opening 45 minutes of the game and for most teams, there certainly might have been a sense of panic after Carlton got the early jump. 

But for Geelong, as is always the case, there was a sense of calmness and composure amongst the playing group, knowing that there was certainly plenty of time to turn the game around. 

One pivotal change came around stoppages, with the Cats trailing the clearance battle by more than 10 for large parts of the opening half, before coming back to finish with only five less clearances than Carlton. 

In his first AFL Final, Mitch Edwards played a starring role as he finished with 12 disposals, 27 hit-outs and six clearances, having his fair share of big moments against a far more experienced opponent. 

Playing at the MCG in front of nearly 97,000 patrons, Edwards said it was a dream come true to pull on the blue and white Hoops on the biggest stage. 

"It was amazing," Edwards told Cats Media. 

"I remember when the national anthem went off and I looked around and I thought, this is what you dream of as a kid.

"It was pretty surreal, then I could have run through a brick wall after that.

"It was pretty good, I loved it."

It has been a remarkable first season at the elite level for Edwards, who is continuing to get better as the year rolls on and taking every challenge in his stride. 

There was one moment in particular on Friday night that epitomised what September is all about, as Edwards charged back with the flight and with no regard for his own safety, having a significant impact in a big contest and showing that he is built for Finals. 

His performance was a big part of Geelong's win on Friday night, with the Cats' mix of youth and experience shining through to help them progress to a Semi Final against Fremantle. 

Geelong trailed by 21 points early in the second term and were struggling to make inroads on the scoreboard, before flipping momentum and kicking 13 of the last 19 goals in the contest. 

Edwards said it was more subtle fixes at half time that led to the rapid turnaround, guiding Geelong to a big victory over the Blues. 

"A little bit, I guess we just weren't playing to our strengths enough," Edwards said. 

"Scotty said to us that if we get the game on our terms, we are much better chance of winning.

"We played into their hands a little bit early, but we adjusted well I thought."