Live: Geelong roars to life after Stewart concussion as miracle goal ignites Hawthorn

Here’s a look at all the big team numbers after two quarters:

• Disposals: Hawthorn 187-180
• Inside 50s: Geelong 28-22
• Hitouts: Hawthorn 27-15
• Clearances: Geelong 20-17
• Centre Clearances: Geelong 8-3
• Contested Possessions: Geelong 73-69
• Intercepts: Hawthorn 31-30
• Marks: Hawthorn 48-34
• Tackles: Geelong 36-35
• Tackles in Forward 50: Geelong 10-8

Great question from Free.

Here’s former AFL umpire Ray Chamberlain on ABC Radio on Chol’s tackle on Stewart.

An outstanding quarter from Geelong sees the Cats take a one-point lead into the main break.

The Cats were able to get the game well on their terms in that quarter, and should probably be further ahead after coming home strong in the second term.

Geelong kicks 5.4 to 3.2 for the quarter, but my goodness, this prelim has absolutely lived up to the lofty billing, and then some.

Hawks halfback Karl Amon leads all players with 17 disposals, while Bailey Smith and Zach Guthrie have 16 touches apiece to pace the Cats.

Jai Newcombe and Tom Atkins are matched up on each other at the coalface and both players have an equal game-high four clearances.

The Cats have a 28-22 edge in inside 50s and a 20-17 lead in clearances, including an 8-3 edge at centre bounces.

The half-time break comes at a great time for Hawks coach Sam Mitchell because the Cats have all the momentum right now.

Geelong with five of the last seven inside 50s in this match.

Hawthorn’s defence is trying its level best to stand tall. Geelong peppering the goals with three behinds in the last couple of minutes to take the lead.

Geelong is starting to hum here and Jack Martin is having a big say on things.

He’s been deployed on Hawks skipper James Sicily, and has negated Sicily’s intercepting well in this quarter.

An outstanding overhead handball from Ollie Dempsey finds Tyson Stengle, and Stengle snaps truly from 30m out on a slight angle.

Cats within a goal now for the first time since the early minutes.

Oh this game is properly warmed up now after a little pre-heat.

Jeremy Cameron takes a big contested mark as the Cats transition well from defensive 50.

Cameron’s 45m out on a tough angle, but makes terrific contact on the set shot to kick his first goal of the night.

Geelong just continuing to hang around despite not playing overly well.

NICK WATSON, WOW!

That is an absolutely unbelievable finish from ‘The Wizard’.

He crumbs a ball beautifully in the pocket and then snaps it on his left foot and threads the needle from the wrong side for a left-footer.

He’d been very quiet up until that moment, but the Wiz is now well and truly up and running.

Hawthorn just continues to have all the answers at the moment.

After some haphazard ball movement going forward, this is much better.

Jack Bowes finds Shaun Mannagh inside 50 with a lovely short hit-up kick.

Mannagh goes back and slots the set shot from 40m out on a slight angle.

A massive kick that after the Hawks had built some handy momentum.

Mitch Lewis is having the game of his life in the prelim!

Gunston finds him again with a lovely kick, and Lewis takes the mark right on the 50m arc.

He goes back and absolutely FLUSHES another set shot to restore Hawthorn’s 15-point lead.

This is the first time Lewis has kicked three goals in a game since 2023, what a time to do it!

Mitch Lewis is fully activated here at the MCG!

The Hawks go fast and send the ball forward where Jack Henry and Jack Gunston are one on one.

Gunston does brilliantly to outpoint him and then flings a left-footed shot towards the goal and Lewis takes a big contested mark inside the square!

Lewis has looked excellent so far tonight.

Mark Blicavs finds himself in acres of space inside 50 and kicks the Cats’ second for the quarter!

Geelong has slowly but surely gotten itself back into this contest.

Time for the Hawks to respond now. Bailey Smith now up to 13 disposals.

Meanwhile, Carlton star Charlie Curnow, who is linked with a move to Geelong is captured sitting in a box inside the MCG.

Shannon Neale makes his mark on this preliminary final!

Dangerfield goes long and Neale is one on one with Barrass, who got the better of him in the opening quarter.

This time, Neale’s got a good run in and he skies all over Barrass to take a huge mark.

He then goes back and sneaks home a set shot juuuust insight the right hand upright from 45m out.

Massive news from the quarter-time break as Geelong subs out Tom Stewart due to a concussion.

We initially thought Stewart had hurt his wrist, but replays show his head thudding into the turf on that tackle from Mabior Chol.

Jhye Clark coming on to replace him. With the AFL’s concussion protocols, Stewart will miss the grand final if the Cats are successful tonight.

If the Hawks are successful, I reckon Chol might have a nervous wait as well as the MRO takes a look at that.

What a rollicking first quarter at the MCG that was!

Hawthorn, as they’ve been known to do of late, came out of the gates steaming with goals to Lewis, Ginnivan and Nash.

But for all their dominance, they’ve only got a two-goal lead to show for it.

Geelong looked rattled by Hawthorn’s manic pressure around the ground, particularly on the Ginnivan goal, but they’ve settled nicely in the final five minutes.

Dangerfield got them on the board, and they probably should’ve had another, but Brad Close and Gryan Miers missed some snaps at goal.

Nash is the leading ball-winner on the ground with 10 touches, while Bailey Smith has nine disposals for Geelong.

The worry for Geelong is the health status of Tom Stewart, who was taken off the ground late in the quarter with what looked like a wrist injury.

Geelong’s sub, Jhye Clark, has his training top off and looks like he’s about to be activated. We’ll keep you updated as to who he comes on for.

Patrick Dangerfield has Geelong’s first goal of the evening courtesy of a free kick!

That was the first time Geelong looked a little composed moving forward, as Bailey Smith sent one long inside 50.

James Sicily panics in a marking contest under the high ball and nudges Dangerfield in the back.

Dangerfield goes back and slots the set shot from directly in front.

Some good news for the Cats as Jack Henry comes back out onto the ground, he replaces Tom Stewart, who’s going straight into the rooms.

Geelong’s sub Jhye Clark ominously going through a warm-up along the boundary line.

The inside 50s are suddenly 11-11 after the Cats started out with a 7-2 lead.

Geelong keeps putting the ball down the throat of Hawthorn defenders almost every time they go forward.

Conor Nash and Dylan Moore have nine touches apiece.

Meanwhile, Tom Stewart is the latest Cats player under an injury cloud.

Stewart got crunched in a Mabior Chol tackle in defensive 50 and looks like he’s hurt his wrist.

Hawthorn is doing it again in the first quarter of a final!

Conor Nash drills a set shot on the snap brilliantly, and it’s fair to say Geelong looks a little rattled so far.

Hawthorn already has six intercept marks, a sign that Geelong’s ball movement moving forward has been very shoddy.

This is not what you want to see if you’re a Geelong fan.

Jack Henry is limping off the ground in the hands of two trainers with what seems to be an ankle injury.

Henry had a teammate land on his leg on an earlier spoil attempt on the goal line.