One of the great nights and a simply dominant outing from the Geelong Football Club, there are plenty of reasons for Cats fans to celebrate after Thursday night's extraordinary win at the Gabba. 

The Cats came into the night looking to dethrone the reigning premiers on their home deck and walked away with a brilliant victory, entering the top four on the ladder for the first time this year. 

In their previous five outings at the venue, Geelong had not scored more than 63 points in a game but quickly found an answer on Thursday, piling on 17 goals and 32 scoring shots against the Lions. 

Take a look through some of the standout performers from the Cats' big victory. 

Shaun Mannagh

30 Disposals, Five Goals, 14 Score Involvements

There will be plenty of statisticians combing through the record books this week, to see just how many players have produced a stat-line equivalent to Shaun Mannagh's on Thursday night. 

The brilliant Cat entered the night off the back of setting a career-high with four goals against Collingwood last week, and that new record certainly did not last long at all, as he booted five majors against the Lions. 

If that was not enough, Mannagh also set a career-high and eclipsed 30 disposals for the first time in his AFL career, while also dishing off three goal assists in a phenomenal display. 

With the game on the line after half time, Mannagh did rip the game away from the home side with 12 disposals and three goals in the third quarter alone, capping off a simply dominant night from Geelong's superstar small forward. 

00:46

‘Oh my goodness’: Cat’s crazy Goal of the Year contender

Shaun Mannagh may have just submitted applications for both Goal of the Year and the World Cup with this outrageous soccer finish

Tom Stewart

28 Disposals, 17 Intercept Possessions, Seven Marks

If anyone needed reminding, Tom Stewart is still one of the most dominant defenders in the game. 

The champion Cat was pivotal in the first half, particularly when the Lions were surging in the second quarter, picking off 10 intercept possessions up until half time to help Geelong maintain a lead heading into the main break. 

He would go on to finish with 28 disposals and 17 intercept possessions, more than double the amount of intercept possessions of the next best player on the field. 

Stewart also went at 89.3% disposal efficiency and took seven marks, proving to be a genuine headache for Brisbane's forwards all night in a pivotal showing from the exquisite defender. 

Lawson Humphries

22 Disposals, Eight Score Involvements, Eight Intercept Possessions

It was touched on last week that Humphries is quickly developing into a genuine big game player, but he seems to back it up each and every week after another brilliant performance against Brisbane. 

The young defender collected 22 disposals and in typical Humphries fashion, went at over 80% efficiency by foot as he continued to pose a threat off half back and helped to generate plenty of Geelong's ball movement. 

He went on to register eight score involvements to go alongside eight intercept possessions, amassing over 500 metres gained in another brilliant performance. 

00:47

‘You are something special’: Jezza’s electrifying finish

Jeremy Cameron proves once again he can conjure goals from absolutely anywhere with this super snap

Bailey Smith

34 Disposals, Two Goals, 12 Score Involvements

He can nearly be pencilled in to this article each and every week this year, such is the sublime form that Bailey Smith is in to this point of the 2026 season. 

Again, Smith led all players for disposals with 34, but also pushed forward to have an impact kicking two goals of his own and adding 12 score involvements. 

But it was also his tough work around the contest that proved to be vital, with the star on-baller laying a game-high 11 tackles and winning seven clearances in a well-rounded performance. 

It was the eighth time this year that Smith has collected 30 disposals or more, continuing his red-hot form and proving very hard to stop with his incredible running capacity and skill. 

00:42

Baz goes bang from absurd angle with stunning strike

Bailey Smith wastes no time after the mark before launching an outrageous goal from beyond 50

Shannon Neale

16 Disposals, Two Goals, Three Goal Assists

It might have been a performance that flew under the radar on Thursday night, but what Shannon Neale was able to do in the attacking half was simply outstanding and helped to keep Brisbane's defenders accountable. 

The big Cat collected 16 disposals and kicked two goals, but he was also able to record three goal assists and a total of 11 score involvements, helping to bring his teammates into the game on numerous occasions. 

Neale was also able to push into the ruck at times and had an impact around stoppages, but more importantly, he was also able to keep the likes of Harris Andrews relatively quiet and nullified their intercepting prowess. 

Geelong needed to find more effective avenues to goal after struggling to hit the scoreboard in recent visits to the Gabba, with Neale certainly rising to the occasion when his team needed it most on Thursday night.