The Bendigo Bank Cats sit on top of the VFL ladder after a comfortable 32-point victory over Bendigo at Skilled Stadium on Sunday.
Bursting out of the blocks to seize control of the match early, Geelong resisted several Bendigo rallies throughout the game to run out 20.16 (136) to 16.8 (104) winners in dewy conditions.
Geelong had match winners on every line and came to play in front of a healthy home crowd.
Steven King was prominent and booted four goals in a best on ground performance, while Max Rooke was impressive through the midfield.
King, with 29 disposals, seven marks and 22 hit outs, played with a flare of confidence and also spent time up forward as the key target.
It was in attack where the former captain loomed as an imposing figure, taking several contested marks and never looking troubled when isolated one-on-one.
Rooke, 25 touches and five tackles, gave the Cats a physical pressure around the ground and was prepared to run and carry the ball to give the Cats drive through the midfield.
The courageous defender also lodged his case for mark of the round with a towering grab midway through the last quarter.
Tim Callan was solid in defence and the Cats’ midfield machine again produced promising signs.
Tim Callan returned from injury and failed to flinch, orchestrating many counterattacks off halfback and showing good composure at ground level.
In one of the defensive highlights of the day, Callan ran back with the flight of the ball and flung himself at the contest to intercept a pass on the goal line that would have resulted in a certain goal to Bendigo.
Shannon Byrnes worked hard and was the Cats’ leading ball winner with 34 disposals and eight marks, but failed to translate his explosive forward running into scoreboard pressure, kicking three behinds from running shots.
Captain James Byrne picked up 32 touches, while Brent Prismall set up many attacking thrusts with 29 possessions.
VFL recruit Phil Read kicked four goals and was a dangerous commodity in attack, adding an extra dimension at ground level and proving a tough match up for the Bombers to negate, particularly early in the match.
Bendigo mounted three serious challenges for the lead throughout the game – all in the latter stages of each of the first three quarters after the Cats had skipped away to healthy leads.
It was as if the match had been rewound and the first quarter replayed twice, as all the Bombers comebacks came in blocks of three or four goals after the Cats had opened the quarter with a bang of majors.
In the end, it was Geelong’s ability to sustain its lead throughout the game and show composure in the face of a comeback that proved the difference.
Todd Grima and Nathan Djerrkura were both late withdrawals from the side.
The win retains the Bendigo Bank Cup perpetual trophy and extends the Cats’ winning streak to five, with a curtain raiser against Box Hill at Skilled Stadium next Saturday.
Geelong: 5.4, 8.8, 15.10, 20.16 (136)
Bendigo: 3.1, 6.3, 11.6, 16.8 (104)
Goals: Read 4, King 4, Urie 2, Gamble 2, Davenport, Byrne, Spencer, Hogan, Gardiner, Rooke, West, Couch 1
Best: King, Rooke, Callan, Byrnes, Read, Byrne
