Geelong has put together an impressive performance on Sunday afternoon, taking down Brisbane in a 7.5 (47) to 5.7 (37) victory at a sunny GMHBA Stadium.

Nina Morrison (24 disposals, one goal) was the star, dictating play in the middle and then worrying her opposition with her movement into attack, while Anna-Rose Kennedy (18 disposals, 581m gained) had a career-best outing deep in defence.

CATS v LIONS - Full match coverage and stats

The Cats got the fast start on their home deck, becoming the first team to kick three first-quarter goals against the Lions this year, via the boots of Aishling Moloney, Jackie Parry, and Shelley Scott.

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AFLW Highlights | Week 8

The Cats and Lions clash in week eight of the 2024 NAB AFLW Season

Those opening three goals came from just six inside 50 entries, unsettling a typically composed and well-drilled Lions defence.

Scott (two goals) played her best game of the season in her 75th AFLW appearance, keeping Lions captain Breanna Koenen occupied all day, and Moloney's athleticism resulted in 13 disposals and two goals.

Meanwhile the Cats had a plan to compete with Brisbane spearhead Taylor Smith, with Kennedy handed the task, and the ruck rotation of Kate Darby and Melissa Bragg dropped back to help block Smith's leading lanes.

Geelong simply did the little things right. Swarmed the ball carrier to create immense pressure, then spread dangerously when possession was won.

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Moloney demonstrates fancy footwork drilling magnificent banana goal

Aishling Moloney baulks her opponent and finishes the play with an amazing right-foot major

It was a hand to disrupt the flight of the ball here, or a knock-on there, and such efforts forced Brisbane's disposal efficiency to just 59 per cent for the game.

Brisbane tried everything. Courtney Hodder and Natalie Grider spent time on the ball, Tahlia Hickie and Lily Postlethwaite were shifted into attack, but none of it was enough to break through the Cats' relentless pressure and spread game.

Bowen's misdirection
Late in the second quarter, as the Lions were threatening to establish some control, Mikayla Bowen made a moment of confusion work to her advantage. The winger-turned-forward took a mark on what she initially thought was her defensive flank, and as she worked herself back off the mark, she did well enough to convince direct opponent Poppy Boltz that they were further from the Cats' goals than they were. Once she in fact realised that she was in the front half, she was off and running, and neatly dobbed a goal from just inside the arc.

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Bowen turns the wrong way, still kicks brilliant goal

Mikayla Bowen takes a nice intercept mark and tricks the opposition allowing her to kick a great major

Up next
Geelong will head to Perth for a clash with West Coast on Saturday night at Mineral Resources Park. 

GEELONG      3.1    5.1    6.4    7.5    (47)
BRISBANE     1.1    2.4    3.5    5.7    (37)

GOALS
Geelong: Moloney, Scott 2, Bowen, Morrison, Parry 1 
Brisbane: O'Dwyer 2, Long, Davidson, Mullins 1

BEST
Geelong: Morrison, Prespakis, Crockett-Grills, A.Moloney, Kennedy
Brisbane: Hickie, O'Dwyer, Dawes, Mullins

INJURIES
Geelong: Featherston (hamstring)
Brisbane: Davidson (concussion)

Crowd: 2,850 at GMHBA Stadium