Bring on the the Zak attack: The Cats’ semi-final showed they sorely need it

September 12, 2026 — 2:34am

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There’s a good reason why Geelong are neck deep into getting Zak Butters. It was on show in Perth.

Finals expose weaknesses and the Cats were found wanting again in the engine room, as they were when they were pounded by the Brisbane Lions in last year’s grand final.

Their premiership dream unravelled last year against the power of Will Ashcroft, Lachie Neale and co. This time they were upended by the clean hands of Caleb Serong, the slick wheels of Shai Bolton and Hayden Young, and the might of Luke Jackson.

Geelong’s fate was ultimately decided by the belated tolling of the bells for “Wharfie Time” but the bursts at the start of the game and the final few minutes of a rollicking third quarter left them reeling.

Apart from that, as Geelong coach Chris Scott pointed out, the Cats matched the Dockers. The problem was Freo slammed seven goals in those periods. In a game decided by 14 points, those passages were critical.

The opening spurt spat out three goals in four minutes for the Dockers, allowing the tension that had gripped their faithful last week to be released in a cacophony of roars and electronic hip-hop that accompanied each goal.

Bolton, one of numerous star Dockers who were quiet in their qualifying final debacle, set them alight, getting out the front of stoppage twice for goals. It’s for games like these the Dockers paid the big price to lure him from Richmond.

Bolton’s impact was dulled slightly after this – it had to be after such a fast start – but he still finished with 26 disposals. In his quieter patches, the Dockers had Serong, Young, Andrew Brayshaw and Murphy Reid running the show.

The Cats relied too heavily on........

© Brisbane Times