Here are our five favourite highlights from the #MightyCats' 19-point AFL win over Adelaide on Thursday night and 40-point VFL victory over Collingwood on Saturday afternoon.

1. Mitch Clark and Nakia Cockatoo light up the NAB Challenge

Clark looked decidedly rusty when he lined up against Gold Coast in Townsville. But the run must have done the Cats' star recruit the world of good, as he was a dominant force against Adelaide on Thursday night, booting six goals, taking a 'speccie' and tallying 17 disposals and 108 AFL Fantasy points. The day after the game, Clark tweeted, "Happy to be back playing the game I love." Still, Clark isn't the only player who has Geelong supporters pumped up ahead of the home and away season. First-round draft pick Nakia Cockatoo brought Simonds Stadium to life on Thursday by kicking two brilliant goals, including a seemingly effortless supergoal on the run. His celebrations after both goals were worth the price of admission alone. The performances of Clark and Cockatoo have had the club's recruiting staff smiling from ear to ear.

2. Clark's heroics spark a membership surge

Prior to the game against Adelaide, a Geelong supporter who uses the Twitter handle @swooperspeaks sent us a tweet to say that he would buy a three-game membership if Mitch Clark kicked three goals for the game. Well, what do you know, Clark had three goals on the board by quarter-time, so we sent a little reminder to our friend, ensuring he knew that the place to sign up online is membership.geelongcats.com.au. True to his word, he promptly logged on and purchased a three-game membership, then sent us a screen grab to prove it!

 

 

 

3. Jimmy 'Ball Magnet' Bartel has leather poisoining again

Back at home in the midfield, Bartel picked up 26 disposals and 110 AFL Fantasy in Geelong's first NAB Challenge game against Gold Coast, then backed that up with another 26 touches and 111 Fantasy points in the win over Adelaide. He might be 31, with 272 games already under his belt, but Bartel looks as fit and confident as he was back in his Brownlow Medal year of 2007.

4. Josh Cowan back in action

The dashing midfielder from Daylesford in central Victoria has suffered an extraordinary run of bad luck, with a host of Achilles and hamstring injuries meaning he has not played an AFL game since round 18, 2011 (Daniel Menzel, whose recovery from his fourth knee reconstruction has been held up by a hamstring problem, has played at the highest level more recently than Cowan). But the Cats' hierarchy remains convinced that Cowan has the talent, speed and aerobic capacity to become a regular AFL midfielder, and now it looks like the 23-year-old's body is finally going to allow him the chance to prove himself. Cowan lined up in the VFL practice match against Collingwood at Simonds Stadium on Saturday and filled a role as a rebounding defender. He looked at ease down back, finishing among Geelong best players after racking up 17 disposals. A couple more performances like that and his almost four-year AFL drought will be over.

5. Steve Johnson and Hamish McIntosh kick-starting their seasons

After having his pre-season interrupted by a foot problem, Steve Johnson returned to action in style in the VFL on Saturday. He tallied 22 disposals, seven clearances and three goals before leaving the field in the third quarter after copping a corked thigh. Cats ruckman Hamish McIntosh also had his first run for the season in the VFL clash with Collingwood. McIntosh finished with 29 hit-outs, 17 disposals and two goals. Both McIntosh and Johnson are likely to line up in Geelong's final NAB Challenge match against Carlton at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, March 22.