GEELONG has held off a fast-finishing North Melbourne to win the first Friday night premiership match played at Simonds Stadium by 20 points.
Chris Scott's men led by 41 points at the four-minute mark of the last quarter, then saw the margin reduced to 16 by the 20-minute mark before steadying to win 16.15 (111) to 13.13 (91).
Five talking points: Geelong v North Melbourne
The victory was Geelong's 52nd in its last 55 matches at Simonds Stadium, and improves its record to 7-2 this season.
"We were happy to come away with a win, absolutely," Cats coach Chris Scott said after the match.
"We were really focused on a few changes we needed to make in terms of the way we played and, particularly early, we did that.
"I think late in the game, they really tested us. They needed to score and really attacked pretty aggressively.
"But the things that we prioritised going in were executed pretty well for most of the night."
The Kangaroos were left to rue a number of missed shots in the final term, with Robin Nahas, Nick Dal Santo and Lindsay Thomas wasting chances in the dying stages.
The Cats, who were without suspended star Steve Johnson and came into the match off a bruising loss to Fremantle in Perth last Saturday, set up their victory with a blistering start.
They raced to a 38-point lead early in the second quarter and never really looked like being beaten from there.
The home side's heroes were some of its biggest names, with triple premiership players Jimmy Bartel (32 disposals and two goals) and James Kelly (33 touches) dominant in the middle of the ground.
However, Bartel, who was clearly best on ground, finished the game with a nasty shiner after a head clash with Luke McDonald in a marking contest during the third quarter.
Tom Hawkins did the bulk of the damage for Geelong on the scoreboard, using his strength and skill to outclass All Australian defender Scott Thompson and boot four goals from seven shots.
Midfield dasher Steven Motlop also lit up the contest, producing his best performance of the season, which featured a brilliant running goal from 50 metres out near the boundary late in the third term.
Making the Cats' effort particularly meritorious was the fact they were a man down for the last three quarters after key defender Tom Lonergan was subbed out with concussion.
Mobile big man Mark Blicavs, who was subbed into the game in place of Lonergan, did a serviceable job in the backline, then snuck forward and kicked the sealing goal.
North Melbourne, which was missing key defender Nathan Grima (foot) and midfielder Daniel Wells (foot), had few winners on a disappointing night where the final margin was, to some degree, flattering.
"I thought they outplayed it us," Roos coach Brad Scott conceded after the match.
"It would have been daylight robbery.
"(We had) 17 entries in the last quarter; even if we converted all those we still would not have deserved to win.
"You can't give a good side like Geelong a start like that, and be second to the footy and just be obliterated around the contest and outside the contest like that, and expect to win."
North dropped to 5-4 with the loss, and has now alternated wins and losses in its past five games.
Thomas and Drew Petrie were able to hold their heads high after kicking three goals each, while Levi Greenwood battled hard in the middle.
The Roos also lost a key defender during the contest, with Joel Tippett subbed out after suffering his right pectoral muscle strain late in the second quarter.
The victory was Geelong's ninth in its past 11 matches against North Melbourne, but the Cats have a tough job ahead of them next week with only a six-day break before confronting the Sydney Swans on Thursday night at the SCG.
The Roos, who went into the season with high hopes of making the top four, play West Coast in Perth next weekend.
Jimmy Bartel and Luke McDonald showed plenty of courage in this third-term clash. Picture: AFL Media
GEELONG 5.5 10.9 13.14 16.15 (111)
NORTH MELBOURNE 2.2 5.4 9.8 13.13 (91)
GOALS
Geelong: Hawkins 4, Murdoch 2, Bartel 2, Duncan 2, Selwood, Stringer, Enright, Horlin-Smith, Motlop, Blicavs
North Melbourne: Thomas 3, Petrie 3, Bastinac 2, Nahas 2, Black, Ziebell, Daw
BEST
Geelong: Bartel, Hawkins, Kelly, Rivers, Guthrie, Selwood, Stokes
North Melbourne: Greenwood, Thomas, Ziebell, Nahas, Harvey
INJURIES
Geelong: Tom Lonergan (concussion)
North Melbourne: Joel Tippett (right pectoral muscle)
SUBSTITUTES
Geelong: Tom Lonergan replaced by Mark Blicavs in the second quarter
North Melbourne: Joel Tippett replaced by Ryan Bastinac at half time
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, Stevic, Armstrong
Official crowd: 27,402 at Simonds Stadium
