GEELONG remains undefeated after five rounds, having produced a withering eight-goal final term to overcome St Kilda by 38 points at Etihad Stadium.

The margin was misleading as St Kilda was brave and matched the Cats for most of the game but Geelong, again led by Joel Selwood and Patrick Dangerfield, lifted in the final quarter to break the Saints' spirit, winning 19.12 (126) to 13.10 (88).

Full match coverage and stats

Skipper Selwood, as is typical, led the charge, winning 15 of his 43 disposals and kicking a goal in the third quarter when the Saints threatened to gain the ascendancy. 

He picked up five free kicks for the game but, despite the howls of the Saints crowd, only one was debatable as he put his head in holes that wild dogs would step back from and bark.

WATCH: Selwood's second-half demolition job

Dangerfield was more subdued than his midfield mate throughout the first three quarters but lifted in the final term, booting two of the Cats' eight goals and finishing with 31 touches.

While the star duo was prominent again, it was a brilliant piece of play from the unsung George Horlin-Smith that pushed the balance Geelong's way when scores were level midway through the last quarter.

Soon after St Kilda's Jade Gresham fumbled a mark inside 50, Horlin-Smith won a tough ball and handballed to Jordan Murdoch, who shoved it back his way.

After gathering the slightly misdirected handball, 'The Hyphen' moved it on to Harry Taylor who kicked it long to Dangerfield in space. 

Dangerfield strolled into goal to put his side a goal up and from then on, the Cats kicked the next five goals to run out 38-point winners.

Five talking points: St Kilda v Geelong

The final term may have been one-sided but the first half was as entertaining as they come, with a couple of firsts including Harry Taylor's first goal and Mark Blicavs' first free kick for the season, having given away nine in the first four rounds. 

Aaron Black was also very good in his first game with Geelong and kicked a goal with his first kick for the Cats.

Neither side used the ball efficiently as they would have liked but the pace of the game increased the risk attached to each disposal.

The margin was tight – just two points at half-time – but the Saints on-ballers were very good, with Jack Steele laying eight tackles in a half and Jack Steven showing his importance with 22 touches.

Turnovers defined the start of the second half, with the Saints scoring the first two goals third term as the Cats coughed up the ball when they overused it by hand.

Steven was electric and he stretched the lead beyond two goals when he pumped his legs inside 50 and kicked a long goal.

At that stage, the Saints appeared likely to beat Geelong on the outside, running quicker when they had possession and closing down space when they didn't.

But Selwood rallied his side and received good support from Mitch Duncan, Horlin-Smith and Blicavs, who not only ran Billy Longer off his legs but matched up on Steven at stoppages in an attempt to quell his influence. 

Zach Tuohy was good in Geelong's defence while Saints backman Dylan Roberton was equally influential for his side. 

Geelong coach Chris Scott said the Cats were outplayed for long periods but were close enough at three-quarter time to come home hard.

"We were good enough to hang in when they had the momentum and then ran out the game really well," Scott said.

It was the fourth successive week Geelong has run over the top of the opposition in the final quarter, outscoring its opponents 191 to 38 in the last quarter from rounds 2-5.

"We shouldn't be relying on that and we are certainly not going to talk ourselves up as fitter than any other team but the numbers do suggest that if we are close enough in the last quarter we are a chance," Scott said.

"At the very least, it should give our guys confidence."

St Kilda coach Alan Richardson was disappointed the Saints' midfield could not match Geelong once the intensity lifted in the final quarter.

"One group of midfielders, really led by a couple of their great players, put their hand up to be outstanding, in terms of their want to get the ball forward and drive their team," Richardson said.

"We weren’t able to match it. On the outside we got outworked."

MEDICAL ROOM
St Kilda
Billy Longer had a rough day, copping a hip knock and then laboured after Mark Blicavs took a big contested mark over him. Nick Riewoldt played out the final quarter in discomfort after rolling his right ankle in a marking contest.

Geelong
Andrew Mackie suffered a corked thigh while Tom Hawkins copped a knock to the hip, but both played out the game without appearing hampered. 

NEXT WEEK
St Kilda has the incentive to keep Hawthorn close to the bottom of the ladder in Launceston on Saturday, given the Saints hold the Hawks' first-round draft pick in 2017. Geelong will want to keep the heat on Collingwood next Sunday at the MCG. It's a good time to get the Magpies as they come off a five-day break after Anzac Day.

ST KILDA         4.1       8.5       12.7     13.10 (88)
GEELONG        6.1       8.3       11.8     19.12 (126) 

GOALS
St Kilda: Minchington 3, Membrey 2, Steven, Riewoldt, Bruce, Acres, Ross, Weller, Dunstan, Newnes
Geelong: Menzel 2, Lang 2, Hawkins 2, Dangerfield 2, Cockatoo 2, Black 2, Horlin-Smith, Mackie, C.Guthrie, Taylor, Duncan, J.Selwood, Murdoch 

BEST 
St Kilda: Steven, Ross, Roberton, Minchington, Brown, Steele
Geelong: J.Selwood, Dangerfield, Lang, Horlin-Smith, Tuohy, Blicavs 

INJURIES 
St Kilda: Longer (hip), Riewoldt (right ankle)
Geelong: Hawkins (corked hip)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Dalgleish, Ryan, Jeffery

Official crowd: 33,884 at Etihad Stadium