Much has and will continue to be said about the man who amassed 43 punishing disposals in his first game as a Cat.

But Geelong’s 30-point Easter Monday victory over the Hawks was far more than just the day of St. Patrick. It was a coming of age for two rising stars in hooped navy and white.

20-year-old forward Darcy Lang and fellow goal sneak Lincoln McCarthy, 22, both shone on the big stage of the MCG in arguably their best performances as Geelong players.

As good as Patrick Dangerfield was, the final term hero was Lang with three fourth quarter goals, and it was his forward of centre running that proved a real difference when most were out on their feet.

“We always knew that if we [did] what we had been [doing] all pre-season we were confident we could run out the game,” Lang said post-match.

McCarthy bobbed up with two crucial first half goals which set the tone for Geelong’s dominance across the opening two quarters.

“We knew we really had to come at them [Hawthorn] really hard and aggressive because when they start holding possession and using the ball really well that’s when we know they’re going to run over the top of us,” McCarthy said.

“It was a great win.”