Jimmy Bartel made his long awaited return and proved champions do not lose their class by gathering 28 possessions in the Cats VFL clash with Casey.

Bartel had not played since suffering a knee injury in the Cats round 3 win over Gold Coast. In trying conditions at Casey Fields, Bartel was in his element, with 19 of his possessions of the contested variety, along with five marks, seven clearances and six tackles.

The 2007 Brownlow medalist is expected to return to the AFL line up next Saturday when the Cats tackle North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium.

Overall it was a disappointing day for Geelong, with Casey running out 48 point winners.