"WOW": Young Cat earns big praise following phenomenal finals display

Geelong have stormed into a preliminary final, dominating in an 84-point thrashing of the Power.

The Cats looked unstoppable at Adelaide Oval, taking out almost every major statistic, finishing the contest with a commanding 11 goal to one second half.

While the usual suspects of Jeremy Cameron and Patrick Dangerfield turned up as expected, it was the surrounding cohort that put it together in a phenomenal display of unity.

One of the ultimate standouts was 22-year-old Max Holmes. The defender has moved into the centre of the part over the course of the year and it’s paying off to extreme effect.

Holmes finished the contest with 28 disposals at 86 per cent efficiency, eight marks, four clearances and seven score involvements, earning big praise from David King and Kane Cornes on SEN’s Breakfast.

King: “Are you surprised with the levels that Max Holmes has been able to get to in the last 10 weeks?”

Cornes: “I am.

“I just think he’s now emerging as a star of the game. How’s the healthy arrogance he played with last night?

“What about the kick-in he took, where he just took like four bounces and got it over halfway? It’s just the stuff that this guy can do, others can’t.”

Holmes’ initial move into the midfield was questioned due to questions surrounding the pacey flanker’s ability to compete in and under, however the myth has been busted by the young star.

Collecting seven contested touches and four clearances, it has become overwhelmingly clear that a move up the ground is not only viable, but potentially essential.

Cornes: “I was surprised by his ability to win in the contest. That was the question I had, are you tough enough, can you go inside or are you a wing, half-back type?

“He’s a genuine midfielder now, and he’s had to be.”

King: “He’s lost that ‘nice player’ tag.

“That was dominant last night, wasn’t it?”

Cornes: “Now, when he’s on the screen, you go ‘wow’.

“It was (Patrick) Dangerfield that said he’s got Chris Judd traits two years ago, we were like ‘he’s off his head!’”

Holmes and the Cats will look to back up their almighty performance in the preliminary final, where a win would see Geelong reached their seventh Grand Final appearance in just 18 seasons.