Angus Morgan at Skilled Stadium
After a tight and scrappy first-half, Geelong showed the Western Bulldogs just who's the boss by summarily dismissing the pretenders to the Cats' throne by 61 points at Skilled Stadium on Saturday.
The defending premier made the AFL's second-best team look second-rate with a 13 goal-to-three second-half romp which enabled them to win easily - 19.17 (131) to 9.9 (63).
After seizing the initiative in the third quarter, the Cats demoralised their opponents in the final term by ramming home 8.5 to the Dogs' 1.1.
It was a powerhouse performance from the Cats who were without Brownlow Medal favourite Gary Ablett and No.1 tagger Cameron Ling, both nursing injuries sustained against the Dockers last week.
The Cats had contributors on every line from Matthew Scarlett, the director of operations deep in defence who racked up a match-high 32 possessions and who didn't waste a single one, to Cam Mooney who led as strongly late in the final term as he did early in the first for 13 marks and three goals at half-forward.
In between, Jimmy Bartel (31 disposals), Joel Corey (29) and Joel Selwood (27) kept the midfield churning from start to finish.
It's doubtful whether the Bulldogs' most productive contributor, Adam Cooney, figured in the best 15 players on the field, while forwards Mitch Hahn and Robert Murphy were down on the day and Jason Akermanis was all but invisible.
The Bulldogs failed to capitalise on the stiff breeze at their backs in the first term, managing just one mark inside 50 for the period, from which Daniel Giansiracusa scored one of their three goals.
Bombing haphazardly from upfield, the Dogs were picked-off time and again by Darren Milburn at half-back who racked-up an incredible 19 disposals for the term, while Scarlett was no less effective with 14 touches.
A late goal to Brad Ottens levelled the scores at quarter time and the teams still could not be split at the main change after the Cats sprayed the ball to score 3.8 in the second term to the Bulldogs' 4.2.
The big talking point from the second quarter was a nasty exchange between Geelong forward Paul Chapman and field umpire Michael Vozzo.
Chapman, who was playing his milestone 150th AFL match, conceded successive 50-metre penalties for calling a furious Vozzo a 'cheat' after Vozzo awarded a free kick to Farren Ray against Chapman.
Advanced from half-back to 30-metres out, Ray goaled to put the Bulldogs 11 points up - their biggest lead for the match.
The Cats gained a significant break with a five goal-to-two third quarter including two from strong contested marks by Ryan Gamble, a late replacement for David Wojcinski.
Rodney Eade pushed Brian Lake forward in the final term to provide a much-needed tall target for the Bulldogs, but all that did was leave the Bulldogs exposed at the back.
After Chapman, Bartel and Gamble had scored the first three goals of the last quarter, Lake returned to his regular role to staunch the bleeding, but it was to no avail.
The goals kept coming, and the Bulldogs will have a depressingly low starting base from which to launch their next tilt at the Cats in the finals should they meet again in September.
GEELONG: 3.3, 6.11, 11.12, 19.17 (131)
WESTERN BULLDOGS: 3.3, 7.5, 9.9, 10.10 (70)
GOALS: Geelong: Gamble 4, Mooney 3, Johnson 3, Bartel 2, Stokes 2, Mackie, Taylor, Ottens, Chapman,