FOR about 10 minutes of the second quarter last Sunday at Telstra Dome, Geelong was playing a brand of football so good it almost deserved a new name.

Seamlessly, with sublime skill, pace and faultless execution, the Cats took Essendon apart. Incredibly, it looked like they'd actually risen another level from their magnificent 2007. Which for the rest of the competition is a scary prospect.

Because by any measure, the Cats' 2007 flag-winning line-up was one to rival the best the modern game has produced. In fact, to the eyes of this observer, not merely rival, but surpass.

The AFL has had some truly outstanding teams since the turn of the millennium. There was Essendon of 2000, which dropped only one game of 25; the all-conquering Brisbane Lions machine of 2001-03, the first team in more than 40 years to pose a serious threat to Collingwood's four straight premierships; Sydney, the very definition of team, in 2005; and the gold-plated midfield of West Coast's 2006 version.

Which has been the pick? Well, let's get our terms of reference perfectly clear right now. We're talking here about single seasons, otherwise there'd be no debate to be had, the Lions' "threepeat" making them an obvious standout.

Which, strangely, on a year-by-year basis, Brisbane isn't. The Lions were a great finals team, but they did not top the home-and-away ladder in any of their flag-winning seasons.

If you were picking one of those three premiership combinations above the others, it would be the 2002 version, which lost top spot only in the final minute or so of round 22, produced six All-Australians, and while getting a major fright from rank outsider Collingwood on grand final day, had won its previous two finals by 12 and nine goals.

Brisbane's calling card was its midfield contingent — Michael Voss, Simon Black, Jason Akermanis and Nigel Lappin providing the silk, Shaun Hart and Brad Scott the grunt. The Lions had a physical edge over their opponents, too, powerfully built units such as Jonathan Brown and Alastair Lynch patrolling the key forward posts, Mal Michael and Justin Leppitsch in defence.

It was a phenomenal model. But one that the Geelong of 2007 surpassed. The Cats didn't have the same imposing key forwards, nor the out-and-out silk of Brisbane's "fab four" in the midfield. But they had a roll call of onballers whose depth far surpassed that of even the Lions. Importantly, they were running players most of whom were capable of also kicking goals, and a handful, such as Gary Ablett and Paul Chapman, good enough to play as forwards in their own right.

That's not even touching upon their defensive abilities. And the Cats' back line has been a ripper, one that not only closes opponents down, but is a tremendous launching pad for attack with the run and linking of players such as David Wocjinski and Andrew Mackie, the vision of Darren Milburn, and even key defenders such as Matthew Scarlett who rack up the possessions and continually back themselves to surge into attack.

In this hypothetical contest, it comes down to Geelong of last year and the mighty Essendon outfit of 2000, in purely win-loss terms the greatest of all time.

The Bombers finished 2000 with an amazing percentage of 159.1, better than the Cats, won three more games and had an average winning margin of 48.7 points, with Geelong's a tick over 40. The Cats were the first team since Essendon to finish the home-and-away season ranked first for both attack and defence. There are clear similarities in the way both teams pursued their objectives. Both had a ruthless streak and were masters of putting down their opponents quickly.

Quick movement of the ball, a determination to play the corridor, and relentless run off half-back was a feature for both. For the Bombers, it was Damien Hardwick, Sean Wellman and Chris Heffernan running the ball out. But the Cats might even have taken that to a slightly higher level. They lay off brilliantly, and are precision kicks who weight their passing perfectly, seldom getting into trouble on the rebound. Geelong last year also tackled more often, and effectively, than did even the Dons.

Up forward, Essendon had bigger names in Matthew Lloyd, James Hird and Scott Lucas grabbing the marks, Blake Caracella, Michael Long and Darren Bewick mopping up the spills. That's offset, however, by the Cats' midfield edge, the one area opponents felt eight years ago they were a chance of breaking down the Dons.

It's a line ball, but I think Geelong might just have it. And, after last week's textbook display, it appears the Cats' imposing 2007 combination might have got a little bit better again over summer.