One of Geelong's greatest assets in its phenomenal run of success over decades now is how it fears no one. A poor performance against a particular opponent usually means the proud Cats will turn the tables next time.
Not always, though. Which was what made Thursday night's 2025 Grand Final rematch against Brisbane at the Gabba perhaps more important to Chris Scott's side than it seemed to everyone else, maybe even the Lions.
Of course, there were the bad memories of Grand Final day last year, when Geelong turned in its worst performance of the season in a 47-point loss to Brisbane. But the Cats' second-worst result was also a 40-odd point defeat at the hands of the Lions, at its GMHBA home no less.
Indeed, Geelong went into Thursday night's game having lost four of its last five games against Brisbane, two of them the two biggest finals of the season. Another bad loss here and you could rightly argue the Cats had not only found themselves a genuine nemesis, but one which also happened to be the reigning back-to-back premier, lengthening considerably the Cats flag odds.
This wasn't just about the four match points. It was about stopping a monkey on the back from becoming a gorilla. And yes, as we should perhaps have expected by now, Geelong responded with another of those "don't forget about the Cats" type reminders of just how high their ceiling remains, and how very real -- still -- are their premiership hopes.
Geelong's emphatic 41-point win was a triumph of planning, coaching and execution, and but for the first 15 minutes of the second quarter, when Brisbane kicked four unanswered goals and very briefly regained some control over the midfield battle, went like clockwork.
Two of Brisbane's most consistently damaging players against Geelong over the past three years have been Hugh McCluggage (four goals and 26 disposals in a Grand Final, anyone?) and Lions' skipper and brilliant intercept defender Harris Andrews.
But McCluggage hasn't been in terrific form this season. So coach Chris Scott took the calculated gamble of pitting McCluggage's regular "run-with" opponent Oisin Mullin against Lachie Neale instead. It worked, McCluggage subdued again, and Neale, while not completely quelled by the Irishman, having far less impact than usual.
Andrews, meanwhile, was consistently dragged away from the areas in defence he wanted to patrol by a very effective and disciplined decoy key forward in Jack Henry.
Brisbane's defence looked jumpy and unsettled from the get-go, and the damage caused was evident in Geelong's 32 scores from 66 inside 50 entries, the goals not just shared among key targets Jeremy Cameron, Shannon Neale and Ollie Henry, but the crumbs from their contest work feasted upon by Shaun Mannagh (five goals).
WATCH: James Hird and Dermott Brereton on ESPN Footy Central
Since 2023, Brisbane had allowed the Cats to score a goal from just 19 percent of their forward entries, which made them a clear No.1 for capacity to thwart Geelong's scoring. This time, the Cats went at 26 percent, and but for a little inaccuracy, might have pushed that well over 30 percent.
It was the second-highest tally Brisbane had conceded since the start of 2023, a stretch of just on 90 games. It took the Lions all of 2024-25 to concede 100 points each season to the opposition four times. In 2026, it's already happened four times.
At the other end, Geelong had its intercept and rebounding game out of defence working to a tee, the ageless Tom Stewart as good as ever at thwarting Brisbane attacks and initiating his own side's, and Lawson Humphries just as effective, the pair between them racking up more than 1000 metres gained.
Brisbane had made the late call to "manage" Dayne Zorko, which would have made the "rebound envy" for Brisbane coach Chris Fagan even more acute.
And in midfield, the turnaround from the previous status quo was profound, even beyond a quiet McCluggage and more subdued Neale.
Brisbane had averaged almost 50 more possessions than Geelong across their past seven meetings. This time they lost that count. The Lions were No.1 in the AFL for points from stoppage differential before this game. But the Cats scored 59 points from their stoppage wins to Brisbane's 28.
And once control of the centre square was wrested back by Geelong midway through the second term after that brief Brisbane flurry, it really was one-way traffic, the Cats slamming on seven uninterrupted goals from shortly before half-time until midway through the third term to lead by more than 40 points.
Essentially, every area Geelong identified as one in which Brisbane has caused them enormous trouble was at worst neutralised, at best turned into an advantage for the Cats. But should we really be surprised, even at the Gabba?
Three weeks ago, I wrote a column about Geelong yet again sneaking up on the competition without much fanfare. It turned out to be a masterpiece of bad timing, with the listless Cats that evening getting comprehensively beaten by Port Adelaide. I wouldn't have minded a dollar for every subsequent sarcastic "this aged well" sledge which cropped up under my social media links to the piece.
But this is very much how Geelong rolls, the occasional "shocker" also serving to downplay expectations just enough to keep the Cats out of the premiership hype spotlight.
Now, after another three hefty wins, the Port Adelaide loss remains Geelong's only defeat in a stretch of five games, none won by less than Thursday night's near seven-goal margin. And this really was a statement win.
So yes, to those who gleefully informed me that previous column "aged well" -- I'm still pretty comfortable with the call.
Let's see how this version goes.
You can read more of Rohan Connolly's work at FOOTYOLOGY.
