GEELONG'S season of dominance is one win away from its crowning glory. 

The Cats strolled into next week's Toyota AFL Grand Final with a dominant win over Brisbane on Friday night, claiming their 15th consecutive victory to book their second appearance in the premiership decider in the past three years.

CATS v LIONS Full match coverage and stats

This time, as a far more complete team and campaign than in 2020, Geelong will have every confidence the flag is its to win after a season in command continued with a 71-point thrashing of the Lions.

Where the preliminary final has been a spot of pain at times through Geelong's recent years – it had lost four of its past five penultimate games – the 18.12 (120) to 7.7 (49) result was nearly the perfect tune-up for next week's clash against either Sydney or Collingwood.

Nearly … apart from the injury setback to youngster Max Holmes, who limped from the field with a hamstring injury in the third quarter and was substituted out of the game. He shapes as a potentially important absence for the Cats next week, such has been his run and carry on the wing all season. 

It was the major sour point on a night when Brisbane, after two thrilling do-or-die finals wins, never got near the Cats, who booted 11 goals to four after half-time to stamp the win as theirs. 

Patrick Dangerfield saved his best game of an interrupted season for the preliminary final, with the Brownlow medallist kicking two goals from 28 disposals and turning back the clock with his influence around the ground. 

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Forward pair Tom Hawkins (four goals) and Tyson Stengle (three) were terrific, while Gryan Miers kicked two goals from 22 disposals in an excellent performance. Geelong's defence was on top throughout, too, negating the threats within Brisbane's forward line. 

The game started as an armwrestle but the Cats got the early gap, leading by 14 points at quarter-time. Dangerfield's hot start – he kicked the first goal in the opening minute and slotted another spectacular long bomb later in the quarter – helped catapult Geelong into action. 

Brisbane was plucky, with its goals coming from opportunistic moments, but the Cats' system was on top and in control. 

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They took that to another level in the second term, ploughing through the Lions and making them pay for a series of skill errors and bad decisions. Zach Guthrie pounced on a miskick to set up Gary Rohan for a goal and then Miers snapped after swooping in the forward pocket.

The Cats had stretched their lead to 30 points at half-time and could have all but ended the contest by the main break if not for some inaccurate kicking from Hawkins. The champion forward had booted 1.3 in the first half, and another shot that fell short, but didn't convert some straightforward chances.

He was still an enormous presence, something that the Lions couldn't replicate at the other end, with key forward trio Joe Daniher, Eric Hipwood and Dan McStay combining for eight disposals and no scoring shots in the first half. 

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The dichotomy of the contest came in the opening minute of the second half. Lions midfielder Cam Rayner got the centre clearance and found Daniher directly in front, but the Lions big man's wayward set shot faded out on the full. Within moments, the Cats whisked the ball to the other end of the ground, where Stengle twisted and turned and snapped from a difficult angle to extend his side's lead to 36 points.

It was a demoralising moment for a Brisbane side that needed everything to fall its way. Everything thereafter, however, went the way of the Cats, who stormed into the Grand Final with their first premiership since 2011 within touching distance. 

GEELONG                 4.2       7.7       14.11      18.12 (120)
BRISBANE               2.0       3.1       5.2     7.7 (49)

GOALS  
Geelong: Hawkins 4, Stengle 3, Dangerfield 2, Miers 2, Rohan 2, Cameron, Close, Guthrie, Holmes, Selwood 
Brisbane: Hipwood 2, Ah Chee, Bailey, Berry, Cameron, McCarthy 

BEST  
Geelong: Dangerfield, Miers, Hawkins, Stengle, Kolodjashnij, Close
Brisbane: Gardiner, Rich, Neale, Bailey

INJURIES  
Geelong: Holmes (hamstring)
Brisbane: Rayner (ankle)

SUBSTITUTES  
Geelong: Mark O'Connor (replaced Holmes in the third quarter) 
Brisbane: Rhys Mathieson (replaced Rayner in the third quarter)