Geelong Cats cruise to victory over tame Brisbane Lions

Brisbane Lions  1.3   7.4    8.5   10.9    (69)
Geelong              7.3   9.7  14.11 19.15 (129)

GOALS Brisbane Lions: Rich 2 Walker Taylor Cutler Robinson Bell Mathieson Hipwood Rockliff.
Geelong: Motlop 5 Dangerfield 2 Henderson 2 Hawkins 2 McCarthy 2 Blicavs Duncan Enright Cowan Kersten Guthrie.
BEST Brisbane Lions: Rockliff Rich Robinson Cutler Robinson Martin.
Geelong: Dangerfield Menegola Motlop Enright J Selwood Guthrie.
Injuries Brisbane Lions: Nil. Geelong: Nil.
Umpires: Hosking Findlay Wallace.
Crowd: 20,477 at the Gabba.

Geelong have dropped three games unexpectedly this year: to Collingwood in round 9, Carlton in round 10, and St Kilda in round 14. Perceived weaknesses were highlighted earlier in the season, with suggestions the Cats may be flaky, over-reliant on Joel Selwood and Patrick Dangerfield, and vulnerable when the heat was applied by better teams come finals time.

But with just two rounds to play and a top four spot up for grabs, there was never any chance they were going to drop this match against the long-suffering Brisbane Lions. The Cats roared out of the blocks, like a slick hotrod on a drag race up the Princes Highway to the MCG in September.

Their dominance was measured from over midway through the first quarter, when the Lions collectively had just 22 disposals on the board and the Cats already had five goals, two of them to Patrick Dangerfield in a couple of minutes, from almost the same spot in the forward pocket.

They took a six-goal lead into the second quarter, and if they'd been able to keep the pedal to the metal for the duration, the Cats may even have usurped top spot on the ladder from the Sydney Swans on percentage. Given the insipid nature of some the Lions' defeats this season, that was far from impossible.

Instead the Lions rallied, kicking six goals in the second quarter to slash the margin to 15 points, with young Rhys Mathieson niggling Selwood to distraction. There was some irony in Mathieson – who is from Lara – kicking a goal after being caught high in a tackle by Selwood. He's learned a few tricks from his idol.

Normal service was resumed soon after, the Cats ensuring an outcome in their favour with a five-goal second quarter that left them with a near-unassailable 42-point lead at the last change. But the Cats were wasteful, and there was a lack of ruthlessness about their approach that could cost them in a few weeks – starting, perhaps, with a home final.

The following might sound harsh, given the Cats won by 10 goals, and are third on the ladder. But there was a sense of 'just going' about their performance, as coach Chris Scott has said a number of times this season. At their best, they looked capable of destroying anyone. At their worst, they looked content to cruise instead of crush.

Patrick Dangerfield, unusually, typified the waste, spraying four shots he might normally have slotted in his sleep. The misses did his Brownlow medal prospects no harm – with 28 possessions, six inside 50s and two goals there was enough else for the points-givers to admire.

His main rivals for the three votes was Steve Motlop, who was at his creative best with a career-high goals, and Sam Menegola, the former Hawthorn and Fremantle rookie who has finally broken through to the top level at his third club. Playing just his fifth game, Menegola gathering 33 disposals and gathered eight clearances.

In the meantime, Selwood won his battle with Mathieson without his apprentice ever giving up the fight, and Corey Enright was his unflappable self in defence. But if the Cats are to take flight in September, they're going to have to get flapping. They've got much sterner tests to come.