GEELONG has chosen the perfect time to flex its collective muscle, annihilating St Kilda by 58 points in a one-sided first qualifying final at an overcast MCG on Sunday afternoon.

The Cats, who sealed the game with a spectacular nine goal to two third quarter, won 17.17 (119) to 8.13 (61) to book their place in a preliminary final, earning a week off in the process. St Kilda, which came into the match with understandable optimism after demolishing Essendon to claim a top-four spot last week, now have to back up to play Collingwood at the MCG in a knock-out semi-final next Saturday.

For the victors, who have now won 14 games on a trot, Gary Ablett had 35 possessions (12 of them in the third term), Jimmy Bartel had 34 and added two goals, while Darren Milburn and Joel Corey each had 32 touches. Geelong had 11 goalkickers, with Brad Ottens and Cameron Mooney kicking three each.

St Kilda was best served by Sam Fisher, who had 31 touches, and the hard-working Lenny Hayes, who had 30. Leigh Montagna had 25 possessions.

Geelong led by 76 points at three-quarter time, kicking five goals after the 24-minute mark of the term. Tom Lonergan (two), Max Rooke, Mathew Stokes and Travis Varcoe all kicked majors for the rampaging Cats in the last 10 minutes of the quarter, a period where a stunned St Kilda managed to add just a solitary behind.

The Cats led 16.15 (111) to 5.5 (35) at three-quarter time, and with the sting completely out of the game, St Kilda added three goals to one in the final term, including the final nine scoring shots of the match.

St Kilda, as it had done in the opening two quarters, started the third term well before being overwhelmed by the class and depth of the reigning premier. 

When Brendon Goddard kicked St Kilda's fourth goal of the match at the five-minute mark, Geelong's lead was reduced to less than five goals for the first time since the middle of the second term. Enter Ablett, who stormed off the Geelong bench to kick a gem of a goal at the nine-minute mark to halt St Kilda's run.

Ottens then landed his third goal of the match after receiving a free kick for front-on contact at the 15-minute mark; St Kilda's woes were compounded when Stephen Milne unnecessarily shoved Geelong's Steve Johnson to the ground after Ottens' kick sailed through. Johnson's first goal of the game from the resultant free kick extended Geelong's margin to what was then a match-high 48 points.

Raphael Clarke missed a set shot he should have kicked at the 18-minute mark, and Mooney made the Saints pay with his third of the match just 90 seconds later. Montagna, with his 17th touch of the match, then kicked an impressive long goal to give Saints fans something to shout about before Geelong's late avalanche effectively ended the contest.

Earlier, Geelong led by 32 points at the main break after conceding the first goal of the match to St Kilda's Adam Schneider.

The Cats built their advantage with their ferocious attack on the ball in the opening half; midway through the second term, Geelong had almost twice as many contested possessions (67-35) as the Saints.

The Cats led 3.7 (25) to 1.1 (7) after a first term played under dark and rainy skies at the MCG, and one where the Saints had the better of the early exchanges.

The Cats suffered a blow midway through the term when Brent Prismall went down with what appeared to be a right knee injury. The 22-year-old landed awkwardly in a marking contest and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher.