Geelong hasn't played West Coast since scoring a 44-win at Simonds Stadium early last season. Recap the match report from that game.
RESURGENT Geelong's blistering start to 2016 has continued with a 44-point hammering of a disappointing West Coast, which will be facing the blowtorch after another sub-standard effort on the road.
In what loomed as Geelong's biggest test since an Easter Monday triumph over Hawthorn, the Cats dominated the second term and withstood a third-quarter Eagles blitz to notch a 18.15 (123) to 12.7 (79) victory at Simonds Stadium.
A packed house at the Cattery was treated to an impressive display and the hype is bubbling away with Chris Scott's men climbing to the top of the AFL ladder courtesy of their fifth-straight win.
Saturday's contest was an arm-wrestle early, with both sides sizing each other up in the opening term, before the Cats found their range and blew Saturday's clash wide-open with a seven-goal-to-one second term.
Twin terrors Joel Selwood (35 disposals) and Patrick Dangerfield (25) ran rampant, but it was livewire Steven Motlop who stole the show.
Motlop bagged three of his four majors – and handed off another on a silver platter to Tom Hawkins – as the Cats went to the rooms 35 points in front.
The margin ballooned to 51 points midway through the third term and the Cats' percentage looked poised for an even bigger boost until the Eagles finally sprung to life with five goals in a stunning seven-minute blitzkrieg.
Remarkably, a repeat dose of West Coast's miraculous 54-point comeback at Simonds Stadium in 2006 – the Eagles' last win in Geelong - looked possible as the margin closed to 19 points.
But a botched handball by Matt Priddis in the centre square resulted in a goal to Josh Caddy and surrendered all the momentum and it was party-time for the home side in the final term.
GEELONG 2.4 9.7 12.11 18.15 (123)
WEST COAST 3.1 4.2 9.5 12.7 (79)
GOALS
Geelong: Motlop 4, Hawkins 3, Kersten 3, Guthrie 2, Stanley, Bartel, Caddy, Cockatoo, Mackie, Menzel
West Coast: Kennedy 3, Darling 3, Lycett 2, Cripps, Hill, Le Cras, Jetta
BEST
Geelong: Motlop, Dangerfield, Bartel, Selwood, Caddy, Kersten
West Coast: Naitanui, McGovern, Sheppard, Masten
INJURIES
Geelong: Nakia Cockatoo (calf), Lincoln McCarthy (ankle)
West Coast: Nil
Reports: Rhys Stanley (Geelong) for rough conduct on Brad Sheppard (West Coast) in second quarter
Umpires: Dalgliesh, O'Gorman, Jeffery
Official crowd: 25,429 at Simonds Stadium
