IF TWO things were to sum up Geelong's 74-point drubbing of a deplorable and undisciplined Fremantle, they would be these.

Halfway through the first quarter, a "flying" left elbow from Dockers hardman Dean Solomon cannoned into the cheek of Cameron Ling, causing a depressed fracture, after the Cat had handballed clear. Hard? Hardly. Yesterday may, in fact, be Solomon's final game.

Really, his was nothing but a cowardly act, late, calculated and designed to injure. And it typified the desperate measures of a side totally outclassed and without an answer to the Cats' superiority in every aspect of the game.

If Sydney's Barry Hall has off-field issues to sort out before he will be allowed to play again, then the Fremantle board should take the decision to forfeit at least next week's match against Melbourne — and probably a few more — to address what is clearly a huge cultural and discipline problem for them.

Dockers coach Mark Harvey had flagged tough tactics before the game — that saw Ryan Crowley constantly manhandling Geelong playmaker Gary Ablett, Josh Carr punching and pushing Jimmy Bartel and Jeff Farmer giving Joel Selwood behind-play attention — but from early on, it was obvious the desperate measures would be fruitless as the Cats absorbed every act of aggression and answered with good old fashioned football.

Which leads to the second example — a passage of play midway through the final term that resulted in a goal to Paul Chapman. It was more the method than the result that was noteworthy.

It started with Jimmy Bartel spoiling Byron Schammer and chasing after the loose ball on his own half-forward flank. Bartel's handball found a teammate, who quickly found another teammate by hand, who in turn handballed to Cameron Mooney, who then looped the final handball to Chapman.

They were cool and calm under pressure, moving the ball fast but not settling for an inferior option when a better one was potentially only a handpass or play-on kick away.

Lesser-skilled teams would risk over-possession, but at every opportunity, with the Dockers intent on attempting to hammer them into the ground, Geelong racked up 451 disposals — 133 more than its opponents — and seldom came unstuck.

Leading the way were brilliant midfield performances by Joel Selwood, Joel Corey and Bartel, who were ably assisted by Corey Enright, who trumped them all with 37 possessions.

Late in the second term Ablett rolled his right ankle and hobbled off the ground. He took no further part in the game and remains doubtful for next week's top-of-the-table clash with the Western Bulldogs.

Up forward, Cameron Mooney had a quiet game, but showing the way was big Tom Lonergan. He led and marked strongly and kicked straight enough in the tricky wind to register 4.3.

At ground level, Travis Varcoe was busy and dangerous in front of goal, as was Chapman, who booted two majors from his 21 disposals. Again he showed his aerial strength, dragging in 12 marks.

Down back, with the Dockers flooding numbers into their own defensive half to stem the tide, Cats skipper Tom Harley seemed to be left to his own devices, taking nine strong grabs. It was only after a goal that you realised he was playing on Chris Mayne.

Matthew Pavlich posed the odd problem for the Cats' defence, especially his opponent Andrew Mackie. But after successfully baulking the youngster in the first term to score a goal, he tried it again in the second quarter only to be wrapped up and penalised.

But while the Cats had winners, for the Dockers, who kicked two of the first three goals to lead the match until time-on in the first quarter, there was little to like. They turned the ball over constantly, failed to hit targets and were devoid of runners. It took until midway through the third term for them to goal again, and they scored only one in the last term as the Cats refused to take their foot off the accelerator.

Once Geelong hit the lead they controlled the contest entirely, going into the half-time break 33 points ahead, before sealing the game long before three-quarter time, at which point they already led by 51 points.

Harvey suggested his young side, which he described as "probably the youngest side we've played for a number of years", was not up the task, but to their credit, youngsters Rhys Palmer and Garrick Ibbotson were among the Dockers' few good players.

GEELONG 4.2 7.7 13.10 18.10 (118)
FREMANTLE 2.1 2.4 5.7 6.8 (44)

GOALS Geelong: Lonergan 4, Ottens 3, Bartel 2, Chapman 2, Enright 2, Ablett, Mooney, Selwood, Stokes, Varcoe. Fremantle: Tarrant 3, Mayne, Pavlich, Peake.

BEST Geelong: Selwood, Enright, Corey, Bartel, Scarlett, Harley, Lonergan. Fremantle: Ibbotson, Johnson, Palmer, Crowley.

INJURIES Geelong: Ablett (ankle), Kelly (calf) replaced in selected side by Taylor, Ling (cheek).

Fremantle: Head replaced in selected side by Peake.

REPORTS Solomon (Fremantle) reported by field umpire J Schmitt for striking Ling (Geelong) in the first quarter.

UMPIRES Schmitt, Wenn, Armstrong.

CROWD 21,286 at Skilled Stadium.

TALKING POINT Take your pick. The roughouse tactics of Fremantle, Dean Solomon's report, Gary Ablett's injury, the 74-point result, the clearly undisciplined play of the Dockers or just how good Geelong was. For a game that was a blow-out, it will certainly be the most talked about of the round.

THE UPSHOT Yesterday was possibly Solomon's final game of AFL football. His penalty at the tribunal will probably see him out for the rest of the year and he is unlikely to get a contract extension. As for Cameron Ling, he will miss next week against the Bulldogs, as will Ablett with his rolled ankle.

HOT AND COLD Tom Lonergan, who lost a kidney in 2006, was hot-to-trot with his second four-goal haul in as many weeks. In contrast, Cameron Mooney managed only 10 disposals and looked out of sorts for much of the day despite the ball being pumped inside 50 regularly.