Geelong has finished their 2026 VFL regular season in style, taking down North Melbourne by 34 points in the final round of the home-and-away season to build momentum heading into finals.

The Cats were dominant in patches throughout the afternoon, particularly in the first and third quarters, piling on scoreboard pressure and making the Kangaroos pay when opportunities arose.

Jesse Mellor was the standout, finishing with five goals, while Jameson Ballantyne (four goals) and George Stevens (30 disposals) were also influential across the ground.

Rhys Stanley set the tone from the opening bounce, winning a strong tap to himself and sending Geelong forward for the first inside 50 of the afternoon.

The Cats were off and running, with Mellor opening the scoring before Ballantyne and Stevens followed in quick succession.

At the other end, the Geelong backline was making life difficult for North Melbourne, with Jack Krueger and Tom Weidemann taking intercept marks and helping rebound the ball whenever the Kangaroos attempted to push forward. Ballantyne added his second for the quarter as Geelong continued to pile on the pressure.

The Kangaroos finally broke through for their first major at the 23-minute mark, but the Cats responded immediately, with Stanley converting from a free kick to cap off a dominant opening term. Geelong's dominance was reflected on the scoreboard, with the Cats winning the inside 50 count 19-5 and taking a 27-point lead into the first change.

North Melbourne came out swinging in the second term, winning the opening clearance before finding a mark inside 50 and converting to cut into the margin.

The Kangaroos managed to keep a lid on Geelong for much of the opening 15 minutes, but Ballantyne brought the Cats back to life with a tidy piece of forward craft, picking up the ball cleanly, stepping around his opponent and finishing truly.

Geelong continued to keep the ball deep in its forward half for the remainder of the term, but couldn't quite capitalise on its opportunities, registering three goals from six scoring shots.

The Cats nevertheless took a 41-point lead into the main break, Knevitt prominent with 14 disposals and four marks, while Ballantyne already had three goals from just seven touches.

North Melbourne again started strongly after the main break, slotting a goal from 40 metres on the run inside the opening two minutes to reduce the margin to 35 points. It took the Cats a little while to work their way inside 50, but once they did, they made their opportunities count.

Mellor slotted his second of the afternoon before Knevitt got on the board after winning the ball out of the middle, as Geelong began to take control of the contest.

The third quarter has been a theme all season for the Cats and this week was no different. Mellor was the main driver, booting four goals for the term to put the result firmly beyond doubt.

North Melbourne managed two late goals to trim the margin, but the Cats still took a commanding 52-point lead into the final change.

The Kangaroos refused to fold in the final term, kicking five unanswered goals to give the final margin a more respectable look. But Pennisi put the final nail in the coffin with a late major, ensuring there would be no comeback as the Cats ran out 34-point winners to close out the home-and-away season.

Stevens was among Geelong's most influential players throughout the afternoon, finishing with 30 disposals, six inside 50s and a goal. Knevitt was also outstanding through the midfield, collecting 27 disposals and six clearances.

But it was Mellor who stole the show, finishing with a game-high five goals to go with eight marks and 16 disposals as the Cats secured an important win heading into finals.

2026 VFL Season - Round 21

NORTH MELBOURNE   1.2    2.4    6.6     12.7     (79)  
GEELONG CATS            5.5   8.9   14.10   16.17   (113) 

GOALS
North Melbourne: Griffin 3, Lowe, George 2, Whitlock, Powell, Harris, Fisher, Dovastan 1
Geelong Cats: Mellor 5, Ballantyne 4, Stanley 2, Stevens, Pennisi, Martin, Knevitt, Bowes 1

DISPOSALS
North Melbourne: Harvey 39, Scott 38, Fisher 30, Rice 28, Goater 26
Geelong Cats: Stevens 30, Knevitt 27, Holmes, Hofmann, George, Burke 20