Geelong's superstars and some of their emerging talents were absolutely outstanding on Friday night, helping to steer the Cats to an important victory over the Gold Coast Suns.
Registering their ninth victory of the season, the Cats have moved to third position on the ladder and will more than likely finish the round in the top four, with a big match against Fremantle looming next week.
Particularly impressive defensively, Geelong held the Suns to just eight goals on the night and only conceded three majors in the first half, but were also able to hit the scoreboard regularly and finished with over 100 points for the eighth time this year.
Take a look through some of the standout performances from Friday night's win at GMHBA Stadium.
Max Holmes
31 Disposals, 805 Metres Gained, Seven Score Involvements
Becoming a genuine GMHBA Stadium specialist, Max Holmes is proving very hard to stop as he continues to build a sensational 2026 campaign.
Finishing the night with a game-high 31 disposals, the star Cat eclipsed 30 disposals for the sixth time this year and went at an impressive 81% disposal efficiency, adding seven score involvements and four intercept possessions.
But what was most impressive was Holmes' ability to break the lines, generating 805 metres gained in an otherwise defensive game, sparking plenty of Geelong's ball movement and helping to access the corridor on several occasions.
Ollie Dempsey
20 Disposals, Five Intercept Possessions, Two Goals
Not many players looked better in the White Out guernsey than Ollie Dempsey, and he put together a performance to match on a stellar night at the Cattery.
Able to utilise his run and continually getting into dangerous positions, Dempsey finished with 20 disposals and was potent inside 50, sneaking goal side of his opponent and kicking two goals.
Dempsey finished with six score involvements but his impact was not limited to the offensive end, also pushing back to pick off five intercept possessions and capping off a sensational night for the young star.
Shannon Neale
12 Disposals, Nine Marks, Two Goals
It was a bit of a different role for Neale on Friday as he pushed further up the ground, but it was a job that he did brilliantly as he stretched Gold Coast's defence and had a significant influence against the Suns.
The big Cat finished with 12 disposals but went at 100% efficiency, taking nine marks and kicking two goals to go along with four inside 50s and six score involvements.
Neale was another that invested in the defensive side of the game, laying an equal game-high three tackles inside 50 and five tackles total, a well-rounded performance from Geelong's spearhead.
Lawson Humphries
18 Disposals, Seven Intercept Possessions
The absence of a player as important as Tom Stewart can often be daunting for a team, but adding Lawson Humphries back into the line-up provides a cool and calm presence across half back which proved to be pivotal on Friday night.
The dashing defender finished with 18 disposals which was not necessarily an abundance of possessions for someone of his calibre, but it was more what Humphries did with those disposals as he amassed over 500 metres gained and consistently repelled Gold Coast attacks.
Humphries finished with seven intercept possessions and often helped out on the last line of defence, contributing strongly to Geelong's defensive performance as they held Gold Coast to their lowest score of the season.
Tom Atkins
17 Disposals, Eight Tackles, Six Clearances
It felt like a night tailor-made for a player like Tom Atkins, and his toughness and determination shone through in an uncompromising contest.
The hard-nosed midfielder collected 17 disposals against the Suns, but also applied eight tackles and won six clearances to have a significant impact around stoppages.
Atkins also kicked a goal, dished off a goal assist and finished the night with an equal game-high nine score involvements, proving that he is far more than just a defensive minded player.
