After an indifferent win against lowly Melbourne last week, Geelong became reacquainted with its A-Grade game at Telstra Dome on Saturday, humiliating St Kilda by 42 points - 21.10 (136) to 13.16 (94).

The Cats put their stamp on the contest in the third quarter when they rammed home six unanswered goals in just nine dazzling minutes to make the game safe.

Talked about as top four prospects, big improvers whose time has come, and a leading contender for the Cats' crown, the Saints discovered on Saturday that they're none of the above.

After a promising start, their midfield was ground into the dust and simply couldn't match Geelong's for depth, pace and hardness.

The inspirational Lenny Hayes, whose 32 possessions were typically hard-earned, was the exception, but he was no more influential than any one of half-a-dozen Cats including Joel Corey (29 disposals), Jimmy Bartel (31) and James Kelly, who is in career-best form.

In Tom Hawkins and Cam Mooney, who scored three apiece, the Cats had powerful targets up forward whose menace was complemented brilliantly by Steve Johnson (four goals), Paul Chapman and the underrated Mathew Stokes.

In contrast, the Saints were static and stilted up forward, though Nick Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke managed six goals between them.

Stung by last week's drubbing by the Bulldogs, St Kilda's midfield set the tone in the opening term with Hayes (12 touches) outstanding.

But the Saints' dominance was not reflected on the scoreboard which showed six more scoring shots for a six-point lead.

The contest turned, however, after Riewoldt bagged his third in the opening minute of the second term, when former Cat Steven King clashed heavily off the ball with the player he kept out of last year's premiership line-up, Mark Blake.

The Cats rallied behind Blake and turned emotion into goals - three in three minutes - to Johnson, Chapman and Stokes.

The Saints had lost the initiative, and their prospects of retrieving it were dealt a setback by the loss of Robert Harvey with a quad injury and Xavier Clarke who was stretchered off the field in a neck brace when bumped heavily off the ball by Cats big man Trent West.

Geelong added another three goals to half-time to open up a 15-point break and had the premiership points in the bag by the final change following a seven goal to three third quarter.

The Saints did their best work at the finish when it was all too late. Fifteen of Leigh Montagna's match-high 35 possessions came in the final term and Luke Ball had 10 touches, but both were among the missing when it really counted.

ST KILDA: 4.7, 7.8, 10.11, 13.16 (94)
GEELONG: 4.0, 10.6, 17.9, 21.10 (136)

GOALS: St Kilda: Riewoldt 3, Koschitzke 3, Milne 2, Gilbert 2, Gehrig 2, L.Fisher,
Geelong: Johnson 4, Mooney 3, Hawkins 3, Kelly 2, Wojcinski 2, Stokes 2, Gamble, Chapman, Ling, Selwood, Hunt
BEST: St Kilda: Hayes, Ball, Goddard, King, Riewoldt, Montagna
Geelong: Johnson, Bartel, Corey, Kelly, Stokes, Scarlett, Ling
INJURIES: St Kilda: Harvey (corked thigh), Xavier Clarke (concussion)
Geelong: Nil
REPORTS: Ryan Gamble (Geelong) by emergency umpire Mathew James for striking Nick Dal Santo (St Kilda) in the second quarter
CHANGES: Clint Jones replaced Adam Schneider in the St Kilda selected side
UMPIRES: Rosebury, Chamberlain, Meredith
CROWD: 44,368 at Telstra Dome

Sportal AFL Player of the Year votes:
3. S.Johnson (Gee)
2. J.Kelly (Gee)
1. J.Corey (Gee)