The weather was hot on Saturday, but Geelong's pressure was even hotter as they nullified Fremantle's ball movement in a thumping round one victory. 

Across an impressive four quarter performance, the Cats laid 89 total tackles which was 30 more than the Dockers (59 tackles), with 23 of those tackles coming inside forward 50. 

Only twice in the last three years have Geelong laid more tackles in a game, once in round 11 of the 2022 season (100 tackles v Adelaide) followed by round three of the 2024 season (90 v Hawthorn). 

Mounting the pressure on Fremantle was a goal for the Cats heading into Saturday's clash, captain Patrick Dangerfield was pleased with the result following the game. 

02:45

Patrick Dangerfield Interview | Round 1 Post Game

Patrick Dangerfield spoke to Cats Media after a big Geelong win against Freo in our first game of the season. Proudly Presented by Ford Australia.

"We know Freo love to chain the ball, they love to handball through congestion and they are very good at it," Dangerfield told Cats Media. 

"That was a big part of our game, making sure that we were up to the level that they bring around the contest.

"For the most part I thought it was pretty good, tackling was a big part of that.

"I thought we executed that pretty well, albeit with a couple little hiccups here and there. 

The 78 point win over Fremantle was a perfect way for Geelong to start their season, as the Cats look to put themselves in the Premiership window once again in 2025. 

A key factor for Geelong this season will be their performances at home, looking to respond after dropping three games at GMHBA Stadium in the 2024 season. 

Dangerfield told Cats Media that the team is looking to build a fortress in Geelong, creating a difficult environment for opposition teams that visit this year. 

20:13

AFL Mini-Match | Round 1

Extended highlights of the Cats and Dockers clash in round one of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season

"One of the things we have really spoken about as a group is turning our home ground back into a fortress," Dangerfield said. 

"I don't feel like we have executed the way that we would have liked over the last few seasons, we have had a few games where we leaked some losses.

"We want to be better than that, we want it to be a fortress, we want our fans to come here and to love the game.

"We want them to see the Cats winning footy and to see big scores, it is a good start in that direction."