SNAPSHOT OF THE MELBOURNE–GEELONG AFL ELIMINATION FINAL:
* Result: Melbourne 10.15 (75) def Geelong 6.10 (46) at the MCG.
* The lowdown: Melbourne burst out of the blocks and despite spending two quarters in Geelong’s sleeper hold, the Cats couldn’t reel them in. Cue pandemonium among most of the 91,767 in attendance.
* Key moment: With his side 21 points down, Tom Hawkins was lining up for goal when Joel Selwood inexplicably dumped Jake Melksham in front of the emergency umpire. The ball was stripped from the big Cat’s hands, and Geelong’s third-term momentum was lost.
* Key quote: “I thought our boys handled the moment incredibly well. A huge crowd. First final. Our players were adamant they were going to put their brand on show and I thought they certainly achieved that first quarter,” delighted Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin.
* Key stats: Melbourne kicked five goals to nil in the first term, monstering possession and still laying twice as many tackles (22-11) as the Cats.
* Tribunal watch: Aaron vandenBerg’s mid-air bump on Jordan Murdoch left the Cat groggy but appeared legal. Joel Selwood and James Harmes swapped jumper punches in a furious boundary line altercation that shouldn’t produce bans.
* Injuries: Jordan Murdoch (Geelong, concussion), Zach Tuohy (Geelong, knee), Tom Stewart (Geelong, rib).
* What’s next?: After waiting 12 years for this occasion, Melbourne have seven days to prepare for a semi-final showdown with Hawthorn. Geelong exit the finals, leaving coach Chris Scott to plot better support for superstars Gary Ablett, Joel Selwood and Patrick Dangerfield in 2019.