GEELONG'S dominant display against fellow premiership aspirant Fremantle on Saturday night was just the response that Cats coach Chris Scott was looking for after his team's shock loss to the Brisbane Lions the week before.
"Fortunately tonight, some of the things we've worked on were implemented very well," Scott said.
"We thought we played the way we talked about playing. There are some good signs there.
"It was one thing to put in the work during the week and be really clear about what we wanted from each other, but it's another thing to actually get out there and execute against a really good team.
"It was hard to move the ball. We know that defensively they're very strong, and we would like to be strong defensively.
"We were embarrassed after the (loss to the Lions), and we've been questioned on the defensive side of our game.
"And that stings. I'm not saying the criticism is unwarranted; in fact, I'm saying the opposite."
Scott's men smashed Fremantle in close, winning the contested possession count 185 to 125.
"When there's that big a discrepancy, I think it clearly says something," Scott said.
"I think it's a good indication and a good sign that we played a better brand of football than we have been playing for five or six weeks."
So good were the Cats' defensive skills against Fremantle, they held the Dockers scoreless in the third quarter.
But Geelong will need to be at its best again next weekend when it meets the best attacking team in the competition, Hawthorn, at the MCG.
"Different challenges again," Scott said. "They attack differently to Fremantle. Extremely dangerous, guns on every line.
"It's going to be important that we stop their scoring.
"But if we just concentrate on stopping the Hawks it could be a tough night, because we've got to score ourselves."
Still, the Cats have beaten the Hawks in 10 consecutive matches since the 2008 Grand Final.
