GEELONG's star recruit, Patrick Dangerfield, led the Cats to a 30-point victory over a gallant, undermanned Hawthorn in an Easter Monday classic at the MCG.
The prized recruit had a career high 44 disposals and took an early contender for mark of the year as Geelong booted the final four goals of the game to run out 18.8 (116) to 12.14 (86) winners.
Dangerfield’s disposal haul was a record for a player on debut for his new club, surpassing Greg Williams’ 37 touches in his first game for the Sydney Swans in 1986.
It took goals from Josh Caddy and Darcy Lang inside the last seven minutes to seal the game for the Cats, with the final margin not reflective of the closeness of the contest.
The Cats looked in a strong position at half time, after ruckman Zac Smith dominated in his first game with Geelong and the Cats shot to a 30-point lead.
Smith kicked three goals and had 12 contested possessions to tilt the contest the Cats’ way.
Hawthorn hit back hard in the third quarter to remind everyone why it has won the last three flags.
Despite having six players missing from its 2015 premiership team and injuries keeping Jarryd Roughead, Bradley Hill, Liam Shiels and Jonathon Ceglar (who withdrew after back spasms on the morning of the game) out, the Hawks managed to overhaul the deficit in the third quarter and go into the last break with a two-point lead.
In that premiership quarter, Hawthorn kicked five goals to Geelong's zero to give the Cats an almighty fright.
A brilliant goal on the run from Shaun Burgoyne started the Hawks' fightback.
A desperate lunge from Luke Hodge that led to a Billy Hartung goal and a couple of goals from pocket dynamo Paul Puopolo, and the Hawks were in front.
In the premiership quarter Hawthorn kicked 5.5 to Geelong's three behinds, as Sam Mitchell and Will Langford started to exert their influence around the packs.
Dangerfield and Mitch Duncan were battling hard, but the Cats started to fumble at critical moments and their big men had gone missing.
The last quarter was a classic, with the game only opening up in the last five minutes.
The Cats dominated contested possession – a rarity in recent seasons – by 13 in the last quarter and were able to push the ball forward and lock it in.
The decision to leave Daniel Menzel and Nathan Vardy on the sidelines was justified as Lincoln McCarthy, Cory Gregson and Darcy Lang put pressure on the Hawks' defenders as though their footballing lives depended on it.
GEELONG 4.0 11.1 11.4 18.8 (116)
HAWTHORN 1.2 5.7 10.12 12.14 (86)
GOALS
Geelong: Smith 3, Caddy 3, Lang 3, McCarthy 2, Hawkins 2, Motlop, Blicavs, Guthrie, Murdoch
Hawthorn: Puopolo 3, Gunston 3, Langford 2, Breust 2, Burgoyne, Hartung
BEST
Geelong: Dangerfield, Blicavs, Guthrie, Caddy, Duncan, Lang, Selwood
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Frawley, Puopolo, Lewis, Gibson, Burgoyne, Hartung
INJURIES
Geelong: TBC
Hawthorn: TBC
Reports: TBC
Umpires: Findlay, Jeffery, Mollison
Official crowd: 74,218 at the MCG
