Crucial Cat: Patrick Dangerfield Photo: Getty Images
GEELONG 5.4 11.8 18.14 25.18 (168) GOLD COAST 3.2 5.3 6.3 7.6 (48)
Goals: Geelong: S Kersten 4, T Hawkins 4, N Cockatoo 3, S Motlop 3, D Lang 2, J Caddy 2, P Dangerfield 2, D Menzel, J Selwood, M Duncan, N Vardy, Z Smith. Gold Coast: A Sexton 2, T Lynch 2, C Cameron, J Harbrow, S Lemmens.
BEST Geelong: Dangerfield, Selwood, Caddy, Hawkins, Motlop, Bartel, Menzel, Kersten. Gold Coast:- Ablett, Hall, Currie, Prestia.
Injuries: Geelong: R Stanley (illness) replaced in selected side by N Vardy, A Mackie (general soreness) replaced in selected side by D Lang. Gold Coast: S Day (back), T McKenzie (ankle).
Umpires: Matt Stevic, Chris Kamolins, Sam Hay.
Official Crowd: 23,007 at Simonds Stadium.
If a certain sameness is developing in watching the new Geelong go to work on their home patch, revolving around the captain and the most celebrated of their parcel of recruits, there were no complaints from the locals in Saturday night's 120-point dismantling of Gold Coast.
Nakia Cockatoo of the Cats celebrates a goal with Tom Hawkins (left) and Mark Blicavs. Photo: Getty Images
This was another Joel Selwood and Paddy Dangerfield special, a veritable dual for Brownlow votes billing. They are the prime reason why a trip to the footy at Simonds Stadium sits atop the list of Saturday night options in the city by the bay.
As the margin blew out the Suns dropped off the pace like cyclists losing touch with the peleton. After Steven Motlop comically threw a rushed behind just after half-time to gift Jarrod Harbrow a goal, the locals kicked 10 in a row in a procession that won't make for an easy review for Rodney Eade's undermanned but underwhelming team.
As galling as the margin was, key statistical differences – the Cats had 139 more possessions and 28 more inside 50s – told their own tale of dominance.
For once, it's Gary Ablett who's reduced to following in someone's slipstream, with Steven Motlop leading the way. Photo: Getty Images
In such one-way traffic it could never be a two-man show, and along with Josh Caddy's apeing of them in grunt or output, Jimmy Bartel and his ever-expanding beard were everywhere, Shane Kersten made a decent fist of taking the chances he's being afforded with a career-best four goals and Tom Hawkins became a more monstering presence as the party really got going.
The list went on, through Steven Motlop and Mitch Duncan around the ball, Daniel Menzel forward of it and Lachie Henderson behind. Hawkins kicked four, Nakia Cockatoo bobbed up with three, Darcy Lang two in a busy return, and apologies to anyone we've left out but every story has to end somewhere.
The prospect of reacquaintance with a former favourite son on a mild autumn night had made the engagement even more enticing. In his sixth season as a Sun, Gary Ablett had only come "home" once, a 34-possession, two Brownlow vote performance midway through 2013.
Cat fans still regard him with an almost parental affection – only the odd dolt took up any of the 26 opportunities to jeer him on Saturday night. More discerning watchers were mindful of the privilege of seeing Ablett, Selwood and Dangerfield filling the centre square at the same time, a concentrated smorgasbord of ball-getting marvels. The last time they shared the stage in Geelong, Ablett was a Cat and Dangerfield a 19-year-old Crow playing his 20th game, and largely as a forward.
The Cats swung two late changes as Nathan Vardy came in for Rhys Stanley and Lang for Andrew Mackie, and endured some uncomfortable moments early as Dangerfield and Lincoln McCarthy wore heavy knocks in the opening minutes and Cameron Guthrie winced his way to the bench with a lower back issue.
Discomfort surfaced elsewhere as Tom Lonergan overdid his attention on Tom Lynch and the Coleman Medal leader kicked the visitors' first two after holding frees. Lonergan shifted to Clay Cameron and was beaten on the lead for the Suns' third.
Any jitters were premature. Lynch didn't add another goal, started the last quarter in the middle and finished the night in defence. At least that was the best place to try to get a kick.
After a first quarter that tempered expectations of a stroll, the second re-established what Geelong fans have come to know as the natural order of things. Such was the flood of play at the city end Alex Sexton's two second-quarter goals for the Suns felt like a decent return from precious few opportunities.
While Ablett toiled away in orange, Selwood and Dangerfield slipped into a their groove. They had 35 first-half possessions between them, 15 of them hard won. This swelled to 62 and 31, and swelled chests throughout what's left of the Simonds Stadium terraces.
