Familiar finals flop

Doesn’t go to plan for rollercoaster Dan

THIS was meant to be the stage for Daniel Menzel: packed house, MCG, finals football.

It’s the type of atmosphere you’d back the goalkicking Cat to eat up.

But the 26-year-old fizzled as Geelong’s finals dream went down the drain to the tune of 29 points at the home of football last night.

Menzel had plenty of teammates join him in having a dirty time last night, but his story is a fascinating one.

Just 12 months ago, he was sensationally dropped for Geelong’s qualifying final against Richmond.

It was a baffling call at the time and the chorus of discontent was backed up when the Cats managed just five goals, losing in a finals capitulation to the Tigers — the type of outcome fans have started to become accustomed to in September.

With a one-year deal on the table from Geelong, Menzel looked around at other clubs but couldn’t find anything better and stayed at the club that had stuck by him through four knee reconstructions.

He returned with a point to prove this year and hit the start of 2018 in the form of his career, kicking 15 goals in the opening five games.

And then came the groin injections that brought his season to a halt. Complications meant Menzel wasn’t seen again until Round 17 and all that momentum he had gained earlier in the year was gone.

A return of 12 goals in seven games was all he could muster.