Top four in Cats' sights as Saints lose six in a row
Looking a class above their opponents all day, the Cats won 17.11 (113) to 12.10 (82) in front of a vocal home crowd of 29,985 spectators.The writing was on the wall early, as Geelong kicked four unanswered goals to start the match, and while the Saints fought back hard to stay in touch in an entertaining end-to-end battle, the home side answered every challenge.St Kilda's engine room battled hard throughout, finishing with more clearances and contested possessions than the Cats, but Geelong's class on the outside proved the difference.
With coaches Ross Lyon and Chris Scott content to let their midfields fight it out without any hard tags, St Kilda Star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera emerged as the most damaging player on the ground.
The out-of-contract 22-year-old was everywhere for the Saints, using his running power to collect 36 disposals, his smarts around stoppages to win 10 clearances, and his exquisite kicking to snare two goals and set up multiple others.
But while Wanganeen-Milera was clearly the Saints' best player, the Cats had even contributors across the board.
Max Holmes ran riot through the middle with 32 disposals, while Ollie Dempsey (25 possessions) was outstanding in his 50th game.
Coleman Medal leader Jeremy Cameron had four goals to his name by half-time, with a sublime drop punt from a tight angle the highlight of the match, and added a fifth late in the final term.
But Cameron was far from the only threat in Geelong's forward half, with Shaun Mannagh kicking three goals from his 24 disposals, and Tyson Stengle, Patrick Dangerfield and Jack Martin each grabbing two.The only sour point for Geelong was an injury concern to star defender Tom Stewart, who was subbed out in the third quarter with a knee complaint.St Kilda has now lost six games in a row, with their most recent win coming against Melbourne in Round 12 before the Saints' mid-season bye.
Geelong looks well-placed to finish in the top four for the sixth time in the past seven seasons, with just five home-and-away games left.
The Cats have notched 12 wins and are likely to start favourites in their remaining games against North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Essendon, Sydney and Richmond, all of whom sit in the bottom half of the ladder.
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