GEELONG has romped to its 18th win of the season, smashing Melbourne by 116 points at the MCG on Friday night.
The Cats fell just 11 points short of their previous biggest margin over the Demons – 127 points in 1996 – storming home to win 24.13 (157) to 5.11 (41).
Opening the Tom Wills Round, created to celebrate the 150th birthday of Australian football, Melbourne had a scoreless first quarter for the first time in its history.
By half time, the Demons had a major on the board through Austin Wonaeamirri, but such was the dominance of the Cats it had taken just under 54 minutes to register it.
Geelong led by 10 goals, the line bet for the night, just four minutes into the second term. Fifteen minutes into the third, they led by 100 and at the final change, Melbourne was yet to take a mark inside its forward 50. Geelong had 15.
Tom Lonergan and Mathew Stokes kicked four each, Brent Prismall had three while nine others shared the rest.
The statistics from the first term told an interesting tale of efficiency. Despite going scoreless, and letting Geelong kick eight majors, the Demons had just 16 fewer possessions (128-112) and six fewer tackles (22-16).
However, the Cats went inside 50 a staggering 23 times to nine, and won the stoppages 14 to five.
Gary Ablett was back for the Cats, but the little master was hardly needed in his return from an ankle injury. Despite some uncharacteristic errors in the rain, Matthew Scarlett was superb from half-back, as was Andrew Mackie.
The midfield ran rampant, with James Kelly (27 disposals), Corey Enright (33), Cameron Ling (31), Joel Selwood (33) and Jimmy Bartel (20) all racking up possessions at will.
But in truth, it is unfair to pick players out, so emphatic and balanced were the Cats.
The Demons butchered the ball going forward, approaching the forward arc as if it was unfamiliar territory. Their best play of the night came with about 20 seconds left, when they won the tap, kicked it forward, took a mark and Chris Johnson kicked a goal.
For the Demons, Matthew Whelan ran himself into the ground, and had good assistance from Cameron Bruce and Paul Wheatley.
Geelong did exactly as it pleased through the first term, although it didn't kick its first goal for more than four minutes. They then added another four before blotting the copybook, but finished the term with 8.5.
Three more at the start of the second had the margin out to 70 points before Wonaeamirri got the first for the Dees, but Ablett's reply sustained the lead at the long break.
The first five majors of the third term saw the Cats more than 100 ahead until Shane Valenti's goal, but another couple to the Cats meant a 106-point lead at the final turn.
Paul Johnson kicked the first of the last, but three in six minutes to small forward Stokes restored the equilibrium.
Next week, Geelong meets the Sydney Swans at ANZ Stadium and will hope to continue its stunning run to September.
Geelong 8.5 12.7 19.10 24.13 (157)
Melbourne 0.0 1.3 2.6 5.11 (41)
GOALS
Geelong: Lonergan 4, Stokes 4, Prismall 3, Ling 2, Ablett 2, Bartel 2, Mackie 2, Selwood, Blake, Gamble, Mooney, S. Johnson
Melbourne: Valenti 2, Wonaeamirri, P. Johnson, C. Johnson
BEST
Geelong: Scarlett, Mackie, Prismall, Enright, Selwood, Ling, Kelly, Bartel
Melbourne: Whelan, Valenti, McDonald, Wheatley, Bruce, P. Johnson
INJURIES
Geelong: Blake (elbow)
Melbourne: Jamar (ill) replaced in selected side by White
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, Kennedy, Ryan
Official crowd: 34,610 at the MCG
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.
