A POWERFUL first quarter from Jeremy Cameron has haunted his former club and got Geelong's inconsistent season back on track. 

Cameron had three goals by quarter-time against Greater Western Sydney and finished with five, helping the Cats lead from start to finish and win 12.15 (88) to 4.11 (35) at Manuka Oval on Saturday evening.

He got help from Tyson Stengle, who slotted three classy goals, while it all started in the middle with an impressive display from Mitch Duncan with 16 disposals in the first term.

GIANTS V CATS Full match coverage and stats

The result moved the Cats to 5-3 for the season while it leaves the Giants all but eliminated from the finals race at 2-6.

Ahead by 20 points at half-time, Stengle and Cameron both snapped goals in a two-minute span in the third term to break the GWS fight, while the former Giant made it five in the last as Geelong blew the margin right out.

Earlier, Cameron wasted little time making an explosive impact with two identical set-shot snaps from 50m and the boundary line, while he added a third from the same pocket inside the first quarter.

That helped the Cats capitalise on some lax GWS pressure and their strong start continued when Brad Close found room to slot one on the run.

But Jesse Hogan and Toby Greene pulled goals back to keep the Giants within 13 points at quarter-time.

Greene made it two in a row via a high-flying mark inside 50 as GWS strengthened around the ground, before Stengle soccered the ball home with a clever finish and Tom Hawkins curled a goal home from the pocket to pinch a 20-point half-time break.

Duncan carved the Giants up at will and had 33 touches for the match, while Patrick Dangerfield impressed on his return to the side with 28.

Accuracy in front of goal certainly didn't help the Giants as they finished with 4.11.

Isaac Cumming was best for GWS, having found 29 disposals and 12 rebound 50s, with 25 of his possessions kicks. 

Hogan might draw some scrutiny post-game having struck Jed Bews with an elbow pursuing the football early in the contest.

Bews didn't return to the game due to concussion protocols, meaning medi-sub Mitch Knevitt joined Cooper Stephens as Geelong's two debutants for the day.

A lukewarm homecoming for a former favourite
Jeremy Cameron has only faced his former team once before Saturday and that was in last year's semi-final played in a locked-down Western Australia, so this game was the first time Giants fans had a chance to give their former hero a few well-formed Bronx cheers. And they tried, but three goals to Cameron in the opening term quietened the Orange Army's voice. Not surprisingly the Cats key forward leads all-comers for goals at Manuka Oval, with his eventual haul of five taking his total to 55 at the ground. Toby Greene has 36 and sits second on the list.

Will Hogan's coathanger see him hung out to dry?
The last time Jesse Hogan strung more than four games in a row was mid 2019 at Fremantle, with injuries, body management, off-field troubles and form drops seeing him unable to get a run at some consistency. The enigmatic forward will be hoping the MRO doesn't join the list of reasons for omission. During the first quarter Jed Bews gave away a free kick on the wing for falling into Toby Greene's back. As the Cats defender got back to his feet Hogan picked up the ball, leaning into Bews with a high elbow as he ran past. The free kick was reversed with Bews lying on the ground for some time before heading to the rooms and eventually being subbed out of the game. It may have been just a free kick if not for the damage done, and no doubt Hogan will have a nervous wait to see if any further penalty is handed down.

Two more native Cats are released
Geelong played two debutants on Saturday, both of them from the club's local region and both impressive in their first runs. Colac boy Cooper Stephens was named in the starting 22 and looked comfortable from his first possession, finishing the match with 19 disposals and four clearances . After two COVID and injury-interrupted seasons on the list since being taken as a first-round selection in the 2019 draft, the big-bodied midfielder should find a lot more opportunities coming his way as the club looks to regenerate. Teenager Mitch Knevitt was named as medi-sub but only had to wait till the second term before getting his chance. A 193cm mid from Grovedale, Knevitt had seven disposals for the term and 15 for the match, also looking more than capable at the level.

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY:   2.2    3.5     3.9     4.11 (35)
GEELONG                                     4.3    6.7    8.11    12.16 (88)

GOALS
Greater Western Sydney: Greene 2, Himmelberg, Hogan
Geelong: Cameron 5, Stengle 3, Close, Z.Guthrie, Hawkins, Narkle

BEST
Greater Western Sydney: Cumming, Whitfield, Ward, Green, Taranto,
Geelong: Duncan, Cameron, Blicavs, C.Guthrie, Stengle, Z.Guthrie

LATE CHANGES
Greater Western Sydney: None
Geelong: Rhys Stanley replaced in selected side by Zach Guthrie

MEDICAL SUBS
Greater Western Sydney: Matt de Boer
Geelong: Mitch Knevitt, replaced Jed Bews in the second quarter