It might only be March but Geelong coach Mark Thompson believes his side has sent out a major statement of its intent to the rest of the AFL competition this season following its thumping 76-point win over Collingwood in the NAB Cup Grand Final.

The Cats collected their third trophy in four years - two pre-season titles to go with the 2007 premiership - and showed they are determined to avenge last year's shock grand final loss to Hawthorn by toying with a Collingwood side that at one stage went almost two quarters without scoring a goal.

Thompson said after the game his team had been determined to show it had put aside the disappointment of last year's grand final loss to Hawthorn when the Cats went down despite losing only one game - to Collingwood - during the home and away season.

"We made our intent known pretty early in the week that we didn't want to get to another grand final and lose it," Thompson said.

"We have put a fair bit of work into the training and tactical side of it and the players sent a strong message that they were here to play."

"And from a non-playing point of view it was a fantastic to watch and we played some excellent football."

Thompson was particularly delighted with his team's second quarter in which they kicked six goals while keeping the Pies to just one behind as well as having 113 possessions to 61 for the term.

"If you look at that quarter in isolation the whole team was just pretty awesome in terms of what we let the opposition do and what we are able to do ourselves," he said.

But there was one downer to the night - a season-ending knee injury suffered by defender Josh Hunt.

"That is the risk you take and he is upset," Thompson said of Hunt.

"It's his birthday tomorrow so this is not a great present."

Geelong confirmed on Saturday that he suffered a ruptured ACL and will have surgery in the coming week.

But while Hunt ponders a year on the sidelines, the Cats' amazing young midfielder Joel Selwood goes from strength to strength.

Selwood, who does not turn 21 until May, won the Michael Tuck Medal for best afield to start his third season in the same way as his first - where he won the AFL Rising Star Award - and his second, where he finished fifth in the Cats' best and fairest award and seventh in the Brownlow Medal.

"He is amazing, he is so young but he has achieved so much in his short time and he just fits in to our club and the way we play - our brand," Thompson said.

Selwood, in his usual modest way, accepted his latest award with aplomb.

"It's easy with the calibre of players we have got around to follow what they do," he said.

"It's not hard at Geelong and you get pulled back into line quick if you are doing something wrong."

"I don't put too much pressure on myself, I just come out and play my role for the side but every team member did that and I am still learning every day."