Patrick Dangerfield was undoubtedly the Cats' best player in their win over the Western Bulldogs at Simonds Stadium on Friday night.

The superstar midfielder was dynamic from the outset and finished with 36 disposals, 12 tackles, 10 clearances and four goals.

But Dangerfield has been full of praise for the support he received from his teammates.

In particular, he has praised Scott Selwood and Harry Taylor, who were both key players in the victory.

"When you play against the reigning premiers, who support better than just about any team in the competition, you either turn it up in the pressure tackling area or you don’t win," Dangerfield wrote in his Saturday column in the Herald Sun.

"It was quite simple, and it’s the leaders who need to lead within a side, and that was an area where we were really poor last week.

"On Friday night we got it from the entire group and Scott Selwood epitomised what we were about.

"He’d had a wonderful pre-season but then in the last quarter of the final pre-season game he suffered a foot injury.

To then come in for your first game of the season and have 17 tackles was incredible and it was quite frightening how tough he was in the contest."

In appraising Taylor's performance, Dangerfield wrote that
he showed "our younger players what can be achieved by perseverance and a want to get better".

Added Dangerfield: "No one at the Geelong Football Club has put more time in to getting better than Harry.

"He showed that results like Friday night ... they don’t happen by chance. They’re earned through work and dedication."

Dangerfield was also delighted that the Cats have finally been able to start playing games at Simonds Stadium again following the completion of the Charles Brownlow Stand.

"The other factor which can’t be underestimated was getting to play a home game," he wrote.

"Throw in the opening of the new stand and there was no doubt the atmosphere around Simonds Stadium was up a level and as a player you can’t help but embrace and enjoy that environment."