Geelong has got their season back on track despite the absence of several high-profile players, with a 47-point victory over the struggling St Kilda at GMHBA Stadium.
Daniel Menzel was on fire for the Cats up forward with five majors, while Brandan Parfitt was best on ground with an impressive 28 disposals.
Under pressure without stars Gary Ablett and Cameron Guthrie, Geelong's lesser-known players in Parfitt and Tim Kelly rose to the challenge, playing integral roles in dismantling the Saints.
While the Saints appeared on top in the centre of the ground statistically - leading the clearances 10-5 - they were hammered on the scoreboard thanks to their sloppy ball use.
The uncleanliness and poor decision-making remained with St Kilda as they entered their forward line, giving their forwards little to no chance of taking clean possession and scoring.
Geelong conversely looked sharp despite the slippery conditions underfoot, with Tim Kelly and Jordan Cunico booting the first two goals for the game - both the result of turnovers.
Although defender Dylan Roberton gave the Saints one back, it ended up being their solitary major for the quarter as Brandan Parfitt and Menzel made the fumbling Saints pay with goals of their own.
While the Cats' defensive pressure was commendable, the Saints themselves were the main reason for the 17-point deficit at quarter-time .
Unable to hit targets around the ground and consistently kicking to contests in which Geelong had the numerical advantage, the margin flattered the Saints who kept falling into the trap of bombing the ball long.
The Cats continued to punish St Kilda from the onset of the second term, with Menzel slotting three consecutive majors to bury the struggling Saints.
Unable to put any pressure on their opposition, the Cats accumulated another 18 inside 50s in the second term and were virtually unchallenged around the ball.
Parfitt in particular continued to shine, ending the half with 15 possessions and five score assists, while the prolific Patrick Dangerfield racked up 18 touches.
When St Kilda managed to get the ball in hand, their execution was once again lacklustre; the ball once again being directed to contests in which they were heavily outnumbered.
It only got worse for the Saints, with Roberton suddenly collapsing behind play, shocking both his teammates and opposition.
Able to make his way off the field, Roberton sat the remainder of the term on the bench and was soon taken to the Epworth Hospital for doctors to assess his heart.
Geelong too had their own medical concerns, with Cory Gregson ruled out of the match with a left leg injury after a Sam Gilbert tackle.
Despite being down a key defender, St Kilda managed to hold off Geelong's assault, conceding only one more major off the boot of ex-Saint, Rhys Stanley.
With the Cats' scoring coming to a premature halt, the Saints managed to cobble together two late goals from Rowan Marshall and Paddy McCartin in what was a spirited patch of footy, bringing the margin back to 29 points at the major change.
Luke Dunstan made the most St Kilda's newfound spark after booting the first of the third quarter, yet the moment was soured after Sam Menegola immediately retaliated to bring the margin back to that of half-time.
Despite the initial setback, the Saints showed promise early in the quarter.
Attempting to even up the numbers in contests and getting on top of the clearances, St Kilda - for the first time in the match - looked somewhat dangerous.
Yet the Saints slipped back into the habits of the first half, with reckless entries moving forward being easily picked off by Geelong's defenders.
Capitalising on their opposition's carelessness, the Cats put the Saints to the sword, with Menegola, Parfitt and Kelly each taking their goal tally to two apiece; the latter of which provided a spectacular highlight after outmarking ruckman Tom Hickey and converting on the run from outside the 50.
Although Ben Long kicked a desperately-needed goal for the Saints, Menzel reared his head again to slot his fifth, pushing the Cats to a game-high 44 points.
It only got worse for St Kilda, as Marshall was forced to sit out the rest of the game with a suspected concussion issue, limiting the Saints to just two men on the bench.
Desperate to cap the humiliation befalling them, the Saints strung together back-to-back goals through Blake Acres and Dunstan.
Yet their work was undone by the youngsters in Cunico and Parfitt, who cemented a telling 47-point win over the pitiful Saints in what was a quarter devoid of highlights.
Geelong will make the trip interstate to play against the recently defeated Port Adelaide, while St Kilda will hope to stand a chance against the ominous Greater Western Sydney.
GEELONG 4.3 8.6 13.8 15.13 (103)
ST KILDA 1.4 3.7 5.8 7.14 (56)
GOALS
Geelong: Menzel 5, Parfitt 3, Kelly 2, Cunico 2, Menegola 2, Stanley
St Kilda: Dunstan 2, Long, McCartin, Marshall, Acres, Roberton
BEST
Geelong: Menzel, Parfitt, Menegola, Kelly, Stewart, Dangerfield
St Kilda: Dunstan, Geary, Steele
INJURIES
Geelong: Gregson (foot)
St Kilda: Roberton (heart condition), Marshall (concussion)
TALKING POINTS
1. MISSING STARS MAKE ROOM FOR RISING STARS
No matter which side he plays for, whenever the words "Out: Garry Ablett" are seen on the team list, there's automatically a cloud over the certainty of a win for his side.
With Harry Taylor, Cameron Guthrie and Lachie Henderson leaving gaping holes in Geelong's defence, there were questions raised as to whether the Cats would be able to cope without such notable absentees.
But the Cats proved even without their key positional players they are more than a challenege for opposition teams, with skilful, young players readily available to pick up the slack and fill the voids.
Brandan Parfitt was best on ground in just his 19th game of football, finishing with 28 touches, 14 score involvements and three goals.
Coupled with the mature-age recruit in Tim Kelly (15 touches, two goals) and Jordan Cunico (21 disposals, two goals), the Geelong young champs did more than defy expectations surrounding the Cats' performance: they obliterated them.
With the aforementioned big names set to return in the coming weeks, coach Chris Scott will be more with the serious competition for spots in the side.
It's a problem every coach loves to have, and it only means one thing.
The Cats are on the up again.
2. ST KILDA HAVE NO GAME PLAN
From one extreme to the other, St Kilda's sharp decline continues with fans becoming increasingly frustrated with their side's lack of fluency and apparent absence of a game plan.
The Saints smacked Geelong around the clearances in the opening half, yet it was once again their abysmal ball use which let them down.
Suckered into kicking the ball long to heavily outnumbered contests thanks to Geelong's defensive setup, the Saints' evident lack of game plan and inability to change emphasised how finals will once again be elusive for them.
The experienced heads of Nick Riewoldt and Leigh Montagna are not only sorely missed by the relatively inexperienced playing group, but by coach Alan Richardson, who is desperate for some on-field leadership.
While a lot of attention has fallen upon the young St Kilda forward line - with Paddy McCartin copping the bulk of the criticism - it's somewhat unfair to judge their collective performance when entry into the 50 gave them zero chance of converting.
Nothing really seemed to be working for the Saints on the night; an attempt to tag Patrick Dangerfield early quickly abandoned after the Brownlow medallist finished the first half with 18 touches,
With such desolate scenes surrounding the Saints at the moment, it's hard to imagine them finding a win within the next five weeks as they face off against four prospective top-eight contenders.
By no means is a revival off the table, but such poor form makes it difficult to see many positives,
3. DYLAN ROBERTON'S SCARE
Seeing a player go down is never a pleasant situation for any fan of the game.
And when a player goes down without any warning or interference, it certainly comes as a massive scare for all those involved.
Collapsing behind play while standing on his own, Dylan Roberton was quickly aided by players and medical staff as he came to.
Able to jog off the field, Roberton was soon taken to the Epworth Hospital to have scans on his heart, with his teammates clearly shaken by the sudden collapse.
Reported to be eating, talking and in good spirits, Roberton still may face a lengthy period of time on the sidelines, with the full extent and cause of the condition yet to be determined.
Our thoughts go out to Dylan and his family at this time.
4. MENZEL IS IN THE FORM OF HIS CAREER
It's almost unbelievable Daniel Menzel was deemed as almost a certainty to depart from the Cattery and find a new home at the Gold Coast.
But Geelong is where he belongs, with his performance tonight (five goals, nine score involvements) certainly reaffirming his importance to the Cats' forward line.
Known as one of the unluckiest players in the AFL after undergoing four knee reconstructions, luck finally seems to be in Menzel's favour with the key position forward brimming with confidence at the peak of his career.
Now at 14 goals for the season, Menzel joins elite company, sitting just behind Lance Franklin (17) and Ben Brown (15) on the Coleman Medal leaderboard.
With only 64 games of football under his belt in nine years, there's still plenty in Menzel's tank.
A 50-goal season at a minimum to be sure.
5. EARLY CALL: GEELONG WILL BE A TOP-FOUR SIDE IN 2018
It's very early in the season, but if tonight's performance was anything to go by, Geelong will be a top-four contender.
Despite being beaten around the clearances early on, the Cats' solid structures behind the ball forced turnovers from the flustered Saints, allowing them to hit the scoreboard with ease.
Yes, you can argue Geelong were playing against a mediocre side at best and were around with the dismal Saints by the end.
But their young players in Brandan Parfitt and Tim Kelly were sensational; quashing any claims of Geelong relying solely on the Selwood/Ablett/Dangerfield trio to win them games.
If the Cats put up such a solid performance missing so many key players - including but not limited to Gary Ablett, Cameron Guthrie, Lachie Henderson, Harry Taylor, Zac Smith and Nakia Cockatoo - watch out when they hit full strength.
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