The Cats booted a superb 11.7 to 1.0 in a remarkable third quarter to blow the visiting Power away and ensure another four points.
Mark Thompson’s men then rubbed a little salt into the wounds of Port by stretching the margin in the final term, eventually winning 23.21 (159) to 10.4 (64).
The withering assault equalled the Cats’ best third term in history and included an array of party tricks from their stars.
It came on the back of a staggering 21-5 domination of the inside-50 count as the home-side ran riot around the stoppages and from the centre bounce.
After two come-from-behind wins this season and a narrow loss last week, Thompson admitted it was nice to know his team was still capable of turning on the afterburners as they have often done over the past three seasons.
“I think it was about time we had a game that we controlled how the game was played and today was the case and we probably achieved what we wanted to achieve,” Thompson said.
“We just put a bit of pressure on them (the players) during the week to play the sort of footy we wanted to play and … for the game to be played out the way we want it to be played and when that happens it enables people to play great footy.”
Geelong’s victory - its 24th in a row - also equalled the record of consecutive wins for a team at home venues.
Steve Johnson booted six goals, mature-age recruit James Podsiadly five, while Gary Ablett (37 touches, three goals) and Joel Corey (37) were prolific.
Kane Cornes tried hard for the Power, Robbie Gray impressed in his first match back from a hamstring complaint while Danyle Pearce was also lively. However Mark Williams’ team had few winners.
Despite the big defeat, Williams was philosophical after the match and said he needed to persist with younger players, as well as continue to build match fitness of some of his underdone stars.
“You learn a lot from those sorts of losses,” Williams said after the match.
“Our run and our ability to maintain it was not there in the second half, so certainly we need to work on the ability to sustain it.
“That will be based around getting some more fitness into some of the players and also [developing] mental toughness.”
The Cats’ third-quarter burst was where the match was won.
That purple patch included six goals in the opening 12 minutes, extending a 10-point advantage at the main break.
Until that point, it looked like a dogged Port Adelaide was going to make a pest of itself on a day the Cats were determined to celebrate.
Earlier in the day, former Geelong skipper Tom Harley had said goodbye to adoring fans, the Cats unfurled their 2009 premiership flag and also opened their new Premiership Stand.
But, determined to spoil the party, the Power trailed by just 13 points at the first break and looked as though they might be able to trouble the Cats.
Darren Milburn left Port Adelaide midfielder Travis Boak gasping for air after a bone-jarring tackle shortly before quarter time, but the Power star returned in time for the second term.
While Geelong dominated most of that quarter, Port Adelaide somehow managed to outscore the home side in that period, with goals to Cornes, Boak and Jason Davenport slicing what had been a 29-point deficit back to just 10 at half time.
That raised hopes of an upset, however the blue-and-white avalanche was just around the corner.
Geelong 5.3 8.7 19.14 23.21 (159)
Port Adelaide 3.2 7.3 8.3 10.4 (64)
GOALS
Geelong: Johnson 6, Podsiadly 5, Ablett 3, Byrnes 2, Chapman 2, Mooney 2, Bartel, Duncan, Hawkins.
Port Adelaide: Tredrea 2, Gray 2, Davenport 2, K Cornes, Hitchcock, Stewart, Westhoff.
BEST
Geelong: Ablett, Chapman, Taylor, Johnson, Corey, Enright, Bartel, Ling, Podsiadly.
Port Adelaide: K Cornes, Pearce, Cassisi, Carlile, Gray.
INJURIES
Geelong: Nil
Port Adelaide: Krakouer (hip), C Cornes (broken nose)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, Chamberlain, Armstrong
Official crowd: 25,579 at Skilled Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
