A step in the right direction
A ”SHATTERED” Joel Selwood says Geelong’s season was a “step forward” despite falling at the very last hurdle.
After almost four months away from home, the Cats didn’t have enough left in the tank to withstand a Tiger surge in the grand final, before eventually losing by 31 points.
It ended a remarkable season for Selwood’s team, which defied its past finals hoodoos to make it to the final game of the year, only to fall short.
“It’s a step forward,” the captain said.
“We had a lot of good players play well throughout the year for our footy club. It is an outstanding effort to be here and playing off.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the way all the staff have behaved throughout this whole period.”
The Geelong playing group will forever live with the disappointment of letting a 22-point lead slip in the grand final.
That lead evaporated in the second half, as Richmond had ten more inside-50s, eight more clearances and kicked 10 of the last 12 goals of the match to break Geelong hearts.
Selwood said he knew Richmond would have the momentum at some point, his team just couldn’t do enough to stop it when those moments came.
“Good sides, we knew they were going to get the momentum at some stage,” he said.
“We are shattered. It has been a long, long time away from home and it was going to plan but you just have to make sure you finish the job.”
The Geelong skipper had one final chance to address his group during a stoppage late in the final term when midfielder Sam Simpson was brutally knocked out.
He said he implored his team to take the game on to claw back what would be a three-goal deficit with seven minutes to play but that left them open to Tiger counter attacks.
“We had to take the game on a bit and when that happens the scoreboard can blow out,’ Selwood said.
“You have to take your chances and we did that and we had a couple of goals kicked on us in the end. That’s what happens when you’re trying to win games sometimes.”