They might have taken a little while to hit their straps, but Geelong proved just how dangerous they can be in a second half blitz, strolling to a dominant 54 point win over Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday night. 

Recent history suggested that these two teams often play out thrilling contests and the first half looked like no exception, Geelong barely keeping their noses in front before piling on seven unanswered goals after half time, closing out their sixth win of the year and solidifying their spot on the ladder. 

There were plenty of standout performances on the night but not for the first time this year, it was the superstar duo of Bailey Smith and Max Holmes that worked their magic, constantly breaking lines with their running power and speed to test Collingwood's defence all night. 

Lawson Humphries continues to make a name for himself as a big game player, Shannon Neale looked threatening every time the Cats probed inside 50, while credit will also deservedly go to Oisin Mullin for his incredible job on Nick Daicos. 

It proved to be the perfect celebration for Tom Stewart, who brought up his 200th game in style with a typical Stewart-esque performance, helping keep Geelong's defence composed under pressure and rarely wasting a possession with ball in hand. 

Geelong certainly looked sharp from the outset with two clean entries inside 50 to start the game, both landing on the chest of Shannon Neale who converted a brilliant long range set-shot to open proceedings. 

It would be a common trend in the opening term as the Cats looked damaging in attack, finding eight scoring shots and five goals from their first 10 inside 50s but Collingwood looked threatening in their own right, with Geelong taking an 11-point lead into quarter time. 

Neale was pivotal with six score involvements in the first quarter as he imposed his big frame in the contest, while Ollie Henry also made a bright start against his former side with two early goals. 

The game tightened up and scoring was harder to come by in the second quarter, both teams certainly showing that they were up for the challenge but it was Geelong who were able to keep their noses in front, maintaining a 10-point lead heading into half time. 

Most statistics remained relatively even in the opening half which was indicative of the tight contest unfolding at the MCG, but Bailey Smith and Max Holmes gathered 30 disposals between them and attempted to open up the ground with their work rate. 

Zach Guthrie and Jack Bowes both collected five intercept possessions across half back, while Tom Stewart (11 disposals) provided a calming presence deep in defence in his milestone match. 

Geelong came out of the main break with renewed confidence and established their intent early, led by some elite stoppage work from Oisin Mullin and forward running from Ollie Dempsey, kicking two quick goals to push the lead past 20 points for the first time in the match. 

Shaun Mannagh curled home another beauty, Ollie Henry nailed his third major of the night and in the blink of an eye, Geelong had full control of the match and broke away to a 32-point buffer at three quarter time. 

Jeremy Cameron and Dempsey both recorded nine disposals and a goal in the third quarter, while Holmes continued his influential performance with an equal game-high 12 disposals in the term to take his tally to 27 for the night. 

Looking to solidify their advantage early in the last term, Rhys Stanley produced a moment of magic through the middle of the ground and set up Shaun Mannagh, who made no mistake to extend Geelong's advantage even further. 

Dangerfield then made his presence felt with two goals, Neale got involved once again and Mannagh defied physics to slot an incredible goal from tight against the boundary, pushing Geelong's score beyond 100 points and the lead past 50. 

Henry capped off his brilliant night with a fourth goal and Bowes added another late, steering the Cats to a phenomenal 54 point victory over the Magpies on Saturday night. 

It will be a short turnaround for Geelong with just five days until their next match, as they prepare to head north for a blockbuster Grand Final rematch with Brisbane on Thursday night to kick off Sir Doug Nicholls Round.   

2026 AFL Season - Round 9

GEELONG CATS     5.3   7.6   11.10   18.14  (122)  
COLLINGWOOD     3.4   5.8    5.14    9.14   (68) 

GOALS
Geelong Cats: Henry 4, Mannagh 3, Neale, Martin, Dangerfield, Close 2, Dempsey, Cameron, Bowes 1
Collingwood: McStay 3, Buller 2, Schultz, Pendlebury, J.Daicos, Anderson 1

LATE CHANGES
Geelong Cats: Nil
Collingwood: Nil

CROWD: 83,166 @ MCG