The Cats began slowly, but their overwhelming edge in class told in a 20.14 (134) to 10.11 (71) win, their ninth victory in a row.
The last quarter had little sting after Geelong put the game well beyond their opponents in the third term and turned for home 10 goals to the good, but Richmond fought the game out well, cutting the margin to 39 points before the Cats finished off with the last four majors of the match.
Jimmy Bartel did his chances of winning successive Brownlow Medals no harm with a 32-possession game, while 2007 NAB Rising Star winner Joel Selwood was simply outstanding and racked up more than 30 disposals. Cameron Ling marked his return after two matches out with a fractured cheekbone with a typically miserly run-with game on Richmond playmaker Nathan Foley.
For the Tigers, Chris Newman won plenty of the ball, as did Brett Deledio, and Richard Tambling was impressive once again as a running defender.
The margin was just 20 points early in the third quarter when Matt White scored his second goal, but the Cats showed why they were hot favourites for a second flag in a row and simply put on a master class, pulling away to an unassailable 58-point lead by the last change. Every mistake by the Tigers was punished as Geelong piled on 7.5 for the quarter.
The Tigers kicked the first two goals of the contest, but the Cats then scored 15 to four to the three-quarter time break. As the Cats began to assert their dominance in the second term Richmond's task looked even more forlorn when Matthew Richardson left the field with an apparent knee injury. He was taken straight to the rooms, but he emerged shortly afterwards and took his place on the bench, and later returned to the field.
Richmond had gone half an hour without a score when Jake King managed a behind 10 minutes into the second term. Their kicking efficiency was below 50 per cent after an encouraging start, but then goals to White and Joel Bowden brought them within two kicks.
Their mini-revival was stalled by Cameron Mooney, who goaled from close in, but they had a chance to reply through Shane Edwards. The importance of his miss was highlighted when Geelong swept the ball upfield and Tom Lonergan fed Bartel for a goal.
The Tigers missed again when Jay Schulz kicked poorly from 35m, and the Cats made them pay with another goal to Bartel on the half-time siren. Richmond's failure to make the most of their opportunities when the game was up for grabs proved fatal.
It took almost 10 minutes for Geelong to get on the board in the first quarter against the fast-starting Tigers, and more than 20 before it goaled through James Kelly. They hit the front for the first time right on the siren when Lonergan kicked truly to give them a four-point lead.
GEELONG 2.6 8.8 15.13 20.14 (134)
RICHMOND 2.2 4.6 6.9 10.11 (71)
GOALS
Geelong: Lonergan 3, Gamble 3, Bartel 2, Mackie 2, Mooney 2, Stokes 2, Johnson, Milburn, Selwood, Rooke, Ling, Kelly. Richmond: Richardson 3, White 2, Bowden 2, Morton, Schulz, Riewoldt.
BEST
Geelong: Bartel, Corey, Selwood, Milburn, Ling, Stokes, Harley. Richmond: Tuck, Deledio, Newman, Tambling, Bowden, Richardson
INJURIES
Geelong: None. Richmond: Edwards (head knock)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Stevic, Stewart, Wenn
Official crowd: 42,238 at Telstra Dome
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
