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“But the Stewart one’s a bit hard to take right at the moment.”
Chol could be looking at a delayed start to his 2026 season, depending on how match review officer Michael Christian assesses the incident with Stewart. The AFL typically takes a dim view to players’ arms being pinned in a tackle because it leaves them vulnerable and unable to brace for contact.
The Cats looked in trouble in the first quarter beyond just the Henry and Stewart injuries, as they racked up turnovers and struggled to contain the Hawks’ kick-and-catch game style.
They trailed by as many as 21 points before ageless superstar Patrick Dangerfield intervened to inspire a Geelong comeback.
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The Cats swung the contest on their midfield dominance, and the main driver of that was the powerful 35-year-old, who finished with 31 disposals, three goals, 20 contested possessions, eight clearances and 13 score involvements.
Nine years after his Brownlow Medal win and in his 359th match, this night was evidence that Dangerfield remains a difference-maker on the biggest stages.
A despondent Sam Mitchell even joked post-match that he wanted Dangerfield to retire.
“I don’t want to pretend that we just wrap him in cotton wool until this time of year, but he was born to play at this time of year, and I hope it continues for a long, long time,” Scott said.
“He wasn’t the only one, but when we were under pressure, I just thought he was so influential … it felt like it did 10 years ago, or almost 10 years ago, when it’s like, ‘OK, something’s not going right, how do we get Patrick in the spots where he can influence?’.”
Scott now faces a selection dilemma in the next week as he decides how to replace Stewart.
The most obvious option might be to recall ruckman Rhys Stanley, assuming his hamstring is recovered, and send Mark Blicavs back to defence, but veteran backman Jed Bews might be another in contention.
“I said a couple of weeks ago that if Rhys is fit, we’ll play him … [and] the fact that he’s gone so well leaves him in really good shape for next week,” Scott said. “That’s probably a little bit of a pointer to the way I’m thinking, and I’m one of the [selection] group.”
It was an abrupt end to Hawthorn’s hard-earned September run after back-to-back interstate victories over GWS and Adelaide, but this was another step forward after winning one final last year.
“From an emotional point of view, you’re so torn because you’re so disappointed,” Mitchell said.
“But rationally, I’m sure I should be feeling some pride in how far we’ve come and the journey we’re on and the stepping stones we’re taking – and that’ll come, but I don’t feel it just yet. Basically, you’ve got that sick feeling in the bottom of your stomach.
“That’s why it’s such a great game. You get yourself to this point, and you risk that absolute feeling of ecstasy being in the other change rooms, or the devastation of sitting where I sit now, and every brown-and-gold person as they drive and train home will have a very similar feeling to what I’ve got right now.”
The Hawks’ pursuit of Essendon captain Zach Merrett should only ratchet up after Friday night’s preliminary final after losing the clearances by 17, including a remarkable 20-5 centre-clearance disparity.
They lost all seven centre clearances in the match-turning third term, where Geelong kicked seven goals to three to establish a 28-point buffer at three-quarter-time.
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