Geelong’s top-four quest appears back on track after finishing with a wet sail to beat North Melbourne by 40 points and continue an eight-year streak.
Coming off a heavy loss to the Western Bulldogs, the Cats had a slow start and some anxious moments before securing a 16.10 (106) to 10.6 (66) result on Saturday.
Tyson Stengle, who recently inked a five-year extension with the Cats, kicked three goals, including two late in the third quarter to break a North run.
The second-last Kangaroos had cut the margin to 10 points with three straight majors before Stengle came to life, and Patrick Dangerfield booted one after the quarter-time siren.
Geelong went on with the job, kicking five goals to three in the last term.
Cats rookie Ollie Dempsey produced some eye-catching plays, with 18 disposals and three goals, including a soccered loose ball in the second quarter.
Seventh on the ladder before the game, the win pushes them to 12-7 for the season and 48 competition points with four games to play.
Geelong have won the past 13 clashes between the two clubs going back to 2016.
North Melbourne young gun George Wardlaw could find himself in trouble for tripping Shaun Mannagh in the first half.
The Kangaroos had plenty of promising runs through the midfield in the first half but often couldn’t nail the last kick.
The Cats lost Gary Rohan to concussion in the third quarter after the forward collided heavily with Tom Powell and didn’t pass a head injury assessment.
In front of a healthy Blundstone Arena crowd, North got off to a hot start and booted the first three goals on the back of some slick handballs through midfield.
Dempsey sparked the Cats when he knocked the ball free from the Kangaroos’ Aidan Corr in the goal square and got his side on the board.
They went on a run of three goals themselves to take a 22-19 lead at quarter-time.
The Cats stretched their lead to 15 points at halftime in a dogged second quarter they won three goals to one.
North Melbourne’s Harry Sheezel topped the possession list for the game with 36.
© AAP 2024
