Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
· collected 2026-09-04 · by Roy Ward, Danny Russell, Russell Bennett
Patrick Dangerfield, Geelong's superstar player, is ready to back up from his match-winning efforts against Carlton to play in Perth next week, despite having played 19 games this season. He credits strategic rests throughout the campaign for allowing him to reach this point in the season. In a post-game interview, Cats coach Chris Scott praised Shaun Mannagh and Gryan Miers for their contributions, attributing some of his own team's success to the faith he has in Geelong's medical staff and their ability to manage players' injuries. The match between Geelong and Carlton drew an audience of over 96,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
There are three articles provided
Article 1
The article discusses the match between Geelong and Carlton. The headline is "Carlton's season ends in heartbreak as they fall to Geelong". The article states that Geelong won the game by a margin of 21 points, with their forward line performing well. It also mentions that Carlton's young players showed promise but struggled against Geelong's experienced team.
Article 2
The second article appears to be a list of teams' squads for the upcoming match. The teams mentioned are Fremantle, Hawthorn, Geelong, and others. The article lists each team's starting 22 players, including their backups and emergencies (EMG). It also includes any changes or updates from previous weeks.
Article 3
The third article is a standard AFL coverage update, informing readers to keep up-to-date with the latest news and analysis from around the league.
Written for “AFL Finals Update 2026” on 2026-09-05,
grounded in this article and the 7 other(s) covering the same event.
‘We are up for it’: Dangerfield ready to take down Freo
By
Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield says he is ready to back up from tonight’s match-winning efforts against Carlton to go again in Perth next week.
asserted
he → take → Perth
Dangerfield has played 19 games in 2026 but also taken strategic rests throughout the campaign, and he said that was essential to making it to this point in the season.
asserted
that → play → season
When asked if he could back up next week in Perth, he paused to think.
uncertain
he → ask → Perth
“It’s a good question.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
Picking your moments is a big one, you can’t be in for every one,” Dangerfield told Kayo Sports.
asserted
Dangerfield → pick → Sports
‘Our best player of the last three years’: Scott praises Holmes, Cats medical team
By
Cats coach Chris Scott spoke to the media post-game.
asserted
Scott → praise → media
On Shaun Mannagh’s and Gryan Miers’ impact: “Those guys are mainly forwards, but ‘Manners’ has certainly been pushing up more into the midfield.
asserted
Manners → push → midfield
At stages, I keep thinking he is a really good wet-weather player, then I think he is a really good Marvel [Stadium] player, a good Geelong player, a good everywhere player.
asserted
he → think → stages
He’s really handy for us and Gry’s running power late in the game, as it opened up – he was really influential.
asserted
he → ’ → game
On Mannagh looking sore late in the game: “I think it was just fatigue.
asserted
it → look → fatigue
If there was a problem, I would have heard about it.
asserted
I → be → it
On Miers’ comeback from a complex knee injury and Geelong’s medical team: “We’ve had a couple of examples this year.
asserted
We → have → examples
They are a very, very high performing group of people.
asserted
They → perform → people
When you have faith in those people, it is very reassuring.
asserted
it → have → people
It does take some mental strength, but when you have some doubts about the way you’ve been managed, that can compound a bit, but I don’t think we have any players who have those doubts.
asserted
who → take → doubts
yesterday 11.15pm
‘We don’t want to live in mediocrity’: Fraser
By
Blues coach Josh Fraser spoke to the media post-game.
asserted
Fraser → want → media
I’m so proud of the work we put in to get to this point and that achievement is worth celebrating by this group, but there it is a stark reality that we have more work ahead of us.
asserted
we → ’m → us
“That has been the message I’ve given every week.
asserted
I → give → ?
We know where are at.
asserted
We → know → where
Tonight was disappointing, and we don’t want to be a club who lives in mediocrity.
asserted
who → want → mediocrity
On Geelong: “They outplayed us.
asserted
They → outplay → us
They were more predictable than us, and too often tonight we didn’t stay as connected as we have been.
asserted
we → stay → us
yesterday 10.41pm
‘I have a few Demons at Optus’: Bailey Smith on his Perth mission
By
asserted
I → have → mission
Geelong star Bailey Smith spoke to Kayo Sports post-game.
asserted
Smith → speak → Sports
On the Blues: “The comp is in a good spot when they are up and running.
asserted
they → run → spot
I enjoyed watching their run this year.
asserted
I → watch → run
I’m glad we put it to an end, but I’m sure they will be a great side in the coming years.
asserted
they → ’m → years
On Tom Stewart: “Watching him drop off [his man] each week, all we had to do as mids today was put enough pressure on.
asserted
we → watch → pressure
When they bomb it long, he will eat them all up.
asserted
he → bomb → them
On Patrick Dangerfield: “What did he kick, five or six?
asserted
he → kick → five
He will tell me about it.
asserted
He → tell → it
He said he was going to turn it on tonight, [and] he always does.
asserted
he → say → it
He takes the whole year off and then does shit like this.
asserted
He → take → this
I love playing beside him, he’s the best.
asserted
he → play → him
You can see what he can do at 36 – he’s just a battering ram.
asserted
he → see → 36
The wave that flowed through the second half of the season has crashed on the rocks of Geelong.
asserted
that → flow → Geelong
After a strong start in which the Blues got out to a 21-point lead early in the second term, they were soberingly accounted for by the Cats, who overpowered them with the assuredness of a side that expects to win finals.
asserted
that → get → finals
They play finals like the Carlton teams used to – with the assumption that they will be there and that they will prevail.
asserted
they → play → assumption
If there was any doubt of the result when the Cats took a 23-point lead to three-quarter-time, two more Shannon Neale goals and three from Paddy Dangerfield settled it.
asserted
goals → be → it
It was the cue for many of the 96,680 who had sat in the drizzle of the MCG to head for the exits.
asserted
who → sit → exits
…and 10 more, not listed.
