Geelong have continued its four-year unbeaten streak against the Swans intact and in the process compounded Sydney’s top eight aspirations with a resounding 53-point win at a cold ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.

Led from the front by a brilliant six goal haul to inspirational forward Steve Johnson, the Cats were never troubled, bursting out of the blocks to establish an early 17 point lead before blowing the contest wide apart in the third term, slamming on an incredible eight goals within nine minutes, to set up a convincing 20.5 (125) to 9.18(72) victory.

Leading into what was hyped to be a danger game for the Cats, with Sydney keen to avenge for its worst loss under coach Paul Roos, the Swans were keen to assert themselves against a Geelong side lining up minus cult hero forward James Podsiadly and regular ball magnet James Bartel.

From the opening bounce however, Sydney were to get a glimpse of what would turn out to be a long night in the office as Gary Ablett (29 touches) found Johnson with room to move inside the left forward pocket and fed the much maligned forward with an inch perfect pass, with his resulting shot on goal signaling what was to become a brief shootout, with Johnson adding his second just three minutes later.

Replying from the centre bounce soon after, Adam Goodes brought the Swans faithful to his feet as he worked a crafty play through centre wing which resulted in a subsequent hand pass being fired to Kieran Jack, who would split the middle on the run from 35 metres before Ablett took the game by the scruff of the neck to sneak through two quick majors to restore the Cats ascendancy.

Sydney rallied through Goodes, who continued his solid form of the past three weeks, as he pulled down a strong mark overhead to bring his side back to within 11 points, and when John Kennedy responded to a long bomb from Ottens, Sydney had unwittingly entered a dangerous shoot out with the inside 50 count at nine apiece.

It would however be a mini resistence from Sydney as four majors within 10 minutes of the restart, shared by the troublesome triumvirate of Johnson, Mooney (three goals) and Ablett (three goals), saw the Swans looking down the barrel to quickly trail by 28 points in a match fast slipping from their grasp and with
Joel Selwood (32 touches), Darren Milburn (29 touches) and James Kelly (24 touches) beginning to get first hands to the ball, worse was to come.

With bodies refreshed and minds renewed, Sydney returned to action in the third term much faster, fiercer and frantic at the contest with Tadhg Kennelly (24 touches), Nick Malceski (22 touches) and Martin Matter (21 touches) instrumental in shutting down Geelong’s early raids forward, until a Josh Hunt goal from 45 metres out broke the Swans back before a freakish effort from the right forward pocket from James Kelly stretched the lead to 37 points, triggering a dominant period from the Cats.

Flooding numbers back and sensing trouble, Sydney had no answers as Johnson added his fourth and fifth within four minutes of each other with Shannon Byrnes (20th minute), Trent West (23rd minute) , Cameron Ling (27th minute) and Andrew Mackie (29th minute) tore a gaping hole in the Swans best laid plans to charge to what would be an unassailable 67-point lead at the last change.

The final term, with the game firmly in the kit bag of the reigning Premiers, would prove to be a bright spark in an otherwise bleak night for the Swans, as an encouraging rally would see them outscore the white hot Cats by 20-12 but it would be left to Johnson to cap off the night, with his straight set shot from 45 metres out ensuring a best on ground performance.

SYDNEY: 3.7 4.12 5.16 9.18 (72)
GEELONG: 5.1 10.1 18.3 20.5 (125)

GOALS: SYDNEY: Goodes 3, Bolton 2, Jack, Kennedy, White, Kirk
GEELONG: Johnson 6, Ablett 3, Mooney 3, Ottens, Varcoe, Hunt, Kelly, Byrnes, West, Ling, Mackie

BEST: SYDNEY: Goodes, Mattner, Jack, Mumford, Richards, Kennelly
GEELONG: Johnson, Ablett, Scarlett, Selwood, Mackie, Kelly

INJURIES: SYDNEY: Nil
GEELONG: Nil

REPORTS: SYDNEY: Nil
GEELONG: Nil