Sport

Cats win grand final to claim AFL crown

06:08 am on 2 October 2011

Geelong have beaten Collingwood with a runaway win in the AFL grand final in Melbourne to claim the Cats' third premiership in five years.

The Cats won 18.11 (119) to 12.9 (81) to hand coach Chris Scott a flag in his first year in charge and deny Magpies mentor Mick Malthouse a fairytale finish to the 28th and last year of his decorated coaching career.

Last year, when they were emphatically dumped by the Magpies in a preliminary final, it had seemed extremely unlikely the ageing 2007 and 2009 premiers could return to the top, particularly when star play Gary Ablett and coach Mark Thompson then left the club.

But it was the younger Collingwood outfit, which had looked on track to create their own dynasty when they won last year's flag, that were made to look tired and flat-footed late in Saturday's game as Geelong surged to glory.