The Bendigo Bank Cats have claimed an impressive 35-point victory over ladder-leader Williamstown at Burbank Oval on Saturday.
The Cats overcame the mid-week venue shift and the VFL’s toughest road trip to bury the competition’s hottest side and reclaim top position on the ladder for the fourth time this season.
The Cats were switched on from the outset and withstood everything thrown at them - nothing was compromised, they simply came to play.
So impressive was the performance that Tudor proclaimed the side’s inspiring first and last quarter efforts as two of its best quarters of the season.
“I thought that the first quarter and the last quarter were two of the better quarters we have played this year,” he said.
“It’s a really good result because it was really tough conditions – they played good, hard, solid football and did exceptionally well.
“On this ground, when you kick with the wind and when you kick against the wind, it’s two total different style of football that you play from quarter to quarter.”
The obligatory rain never arrived, however a strong five-goal breeze prevailed throughout the afternoon.
The Cats were intent on destruction early and capitalised on the wind advantage, breaking the match wide open with a scintillating eight-goal opening quarter.
Shannon Byrnes and Kane Tenace spearheaded an irrepressible wave of run for the midfield, while Josh Hunt was the brick wall of the solid defensive unit.
Inevitably, Williamstown rallied with the wind in the second quarter, cashing in on a drop in intensity from the Cats to kick four of the first five goals in quick succession.
It was all one-way traffic and looking rather ominous, before rookie Todd Grima emerged from the shadows with a fierce display of ruthless attack on the football.
Geelong jumped out of the starting blocks in the third quarter, slamming on three rapid-fire goals to emphatically stake their claim on the match.
The Cats won plenty of football out of the middle, but squandered several golden opportunities in front of goal to lock the game beyond doubt.
Geelong may have only registered three goals in a gripping final quarter of football, but the feat was magnified by the unrelenting pressure the side withstood.
Williamstown had the wind, it had the caliber on the park and it had the confidence of a side sitting comfortably with only one loss for the season.
But Geelong had the resolve, the spirit and the commitment to weather the storm and baton down the hatches.
The defense was stunning; with the composed efforts of Johnson and Hunt combining to resist the Seagulls forward forays.
Versatile defender Sam Hunt left the ground with a finger injury during the third quarter and will have scans today to assess the extent of the injury.
Tudor said the forced venue switch to rival soil did little to disrupt midweek preparations.
“No, not at all,” he said.
“We found out on the Tuesday night, so we just turned it into an away game, it’s as simple as that really.
“It just ended up being an away game and that’s the way we treated it.”
