Geelong have flexed their muscles to overwhelm a spirited Greater Western Sydney by 65 points in their AFL match.
Greater Western Sydney knew what was coming in the third term of Saturday's AFL match against Geelong, but were powerless to stop it.
The reigning premiers went up a gear and brushed aside the league's newest team in the third term to win by 65 points under bleak conditions at Simonds Stadium, 19.12 (126) to 9.7 (61).
The Giants were outstanding in the first half and scores were level at quarter and halftime.
Geelong then kicked 6.5 to 1.2 in the third term to snuff out the unlikely challenge.
"I said to the players (at halftime), 'you don't think Scott (Cats coach Chris Scott) is going to sit over there in the other grandstand and say nothing'," Giants coach Kevin Sheedy said.
"I said it was going to be a fearsome first 10-15 minutes in that third quarter ... but we just didn't do the things we were supposed to."
That did not stop Sheedy from enjoying the stunned silence of the crowd at halftime.
"I thought (we were) playing in a morgue," Sheedy cheekily observed.
"I was down there having a bit of a chat with the crowd at halftime because they were getting really annoyed."
Sheedy described it as the best first half the Giants have produced, but Scott said he was not worried at halftime.
Geelong were either matching the Giants in all the key statistics or were only slightly behind.
"We didn't expect it to be a cakewalk," Scott said.
Jimmy Bartel and James Kelly starred in the midfield, while defender Harry Taylor went forward in his 100th game and kicked six goals and Steve Johnson contributed five more.
Matthew Scarlett shut down Giants key forward Jeremy Cameron in the second half.
Dylan Shiel and Steve Coniglio stood out for GWS.
The Cats fielded an inexperienced side, with Tom Hawkins recovering from a knee injury and Corey Enright (foot), Joel Corey (shoulder) and Steve Motlop (shoulder) all late withdrawals.
Of those, only Enright is in doubt for the Friday night blockbuster against Carlton.
The far bigger injury blow for the Cats came earlier on Saturday in the VFL, when Daniel Menzel suffered another serious knee injury.
The highly-rated forward was playing his first game after a right knee reconstruction and he might need the same season-ending operation on his left.
Scott said that might have contributed to the team's slow start to the AFL game.
"It probably did - you wouldn't be human if you didn't feel desperately for 'Menz'," Scott said.
Allen Christensen, returning from a calf muscle injury, was also taken to hospital after being concussed in the VFL match.
Scott said David Wojcinski could return from his VFL suspension in Friday night's game.
Giants midfielder Jacob Townsend went to hospital after a heavy hit to the mouth.
Kelly will probably come under video review for a bump on Toby Greene in the third term.
