Geelong continued their great start to the season with a thrilling win at GMHBA Stadium, defeating North Melbourne by 13 points in Round 6.
It was a slow start by both teams on Saturday afternoon due to high tackle pressure and missed opportunities in front of the goals, which led to a tight contest and multiple lead changes throughout the game.
Through the middle of the ground, George Stevens (34 disposals, 12 clearances) and Jhye Clark (30 disposals, four clearances) were vital in the victory, while Nathan Kreuger (21 disposals, 12 marks) held down the backline.
Geelong were looking to start off the match quickly like they have done in each of their games this season, kicking the first goal but the pressure was strong from North Melbourne, seeing the visitors take a five-point lead into the first break.
Jamieson Ballantyne was dominant kicking both of Geelong's goals, with George Stevens and Mitch Knevitt controlling the stoppages having nine of the Cats first 18 clearances between them. North Melbourne's rapid slingshot action off half back produced two quick goals to finish the quarter.
Scoring remained hard to come by with Geelong kicking five behinds to start the second term, with the first goal not coming until the 11-minute mark and Geelong’s first goal not till the 15-minute mark, which came from debutant Charley Green.
The Kangaroos found some space and opened the ground up, kicking two goals to take an 11-point lead.
Shortly after, Rhys Stanley responded with a much needed goal for Geelong to draw the margin back to five points at half time.
Neither team was able to gain an edge through the first half, with only 10 goals kicked and both sides inaccurate at times in front of the big sticks.
Geelong led the inside 50 count (+3) and marks (+5), while North Melbourne led the tackle count (+2) and the hit outs (+2).
Mitch Knevitt helped Geelong stay within striking distance with 17 Disposals, five clearances and three tackles, while Rory Gunsser has made his presence felt on debut, contributing with five disposals and five tackles, applying elite pressure for the Cats.
The Cats opened their account early in the second half to regain the lead, but shortly after they conceded a 50-metre penalty which led to a North Melbourne goal as the lead changed hands once more.
The game continued to be a back-and-forth affair in the second half, with no team able to break free.
Geelong finally strung two goals together at the back end of the third quarter, leaving them with a slight buffer heading into the final quarter.
The Cats would kick three more goals in the fourth quarter, highlighted by a clutch mark and goal from debutant Green in the dying minutes, which secured a 13-point victory in a thriller.
Another crucial victory pushes Geelong to four wins from their opening five games, re-establishing their spot on top of the VFL ladder.
2026 VFL Season - Round 6
GEELONG CATS 2.2 4.10 8.15 11.20 (86)
NORTH MELBOURNE 3.1 6.3 9.4 11.7 (73)
GOALS
Geelong Cats: Ballantyne 3, Mellor, Green 2, Stanley, Driscoll, Costello, Capiron 1
North Melbourne: Whitlock, Macpherson, Lowe, Gollant 2, Tarrant, Kneipp, Goad 1
DISPOSALS
Geelong Cats: Stevens 34, Clark 30, Knevitt, Herbert 27, Kreuger 21, Burke 20
North Melbourne: Harvey 32, Macpherson, Fairlie, Dow 22, Hardeman 20
