GEELONG

0.8.1 1.12.4 1.15.7 2.22.10 (160)

MELBOURNE

0.2.4 1.4.4 2.8.5 2.11.5 (89)

SUPER GOALS — Geelong: Byrnes, Wojcinski. Melbourne: Buckley, Garland.

GOALS — Geelong: S Johnson 6, Byrnes 2, Lonergan 2, Gamble 2, Kelly 2, Davenport 2, J Hunt, Mooney, Stokes, Milburn, Prismall, Wojcinski.

Goals: Garland 2, Newton 2, Sylvia, Green, Weetra, Robertson, Zomer, Valenti, Meesen.

BEST — Geelong: S Johnson, Prismall, Ling, Bartel, Milburn, Wojcinski.

Melbourne: Buckley, Jones, Valenti.

INJURIES — Geelong: Ablett (calf).

UMPIRES: Rosebury, Sully, Kamolins, M Nicholls.

CROWD: about 10,000 at Skilled Stadium.

IT BECAME apparent within the first five minutes of yesterday's opening NAB Cup match at Kardinia Park that somebody forgot to tell Geelong about pre-season football's unwritten rules.

Firstly, if you are the reigning premier — the real premier — you don't take the summer competition seriously. You play a handful of stars, show off a couple of recruits and you make the rest of the competition feel better by bowing out gracefully, and early. But not the Cats.

Yesterday, a hapless Melbourne could have been forgiven for thinking it had been cast in the role of Port Adelaide and Geelong still thought it was on the MCG on the last Saturday of September, 2007, because within the first five minutes of the match, the Cats hit the Demons with the force of well, a premiership side.

In the end it was a 71-point win for the Cats but at times it looked like the damage was going to be worse.

The Dees, who had been blown away in the opening half of the match, did dig deep in the third quarter to pull the game back to a 26-point margin but for most of the day Geelong had far too many stars on every line and ran away again in the final quarter.

In the opening minutes Geelong put the game out of the reach of the Demons before most of the adoring crowd — who clearly want to continue celebrating last year's success — could even get comfortable in their seats.

It was the star players who were shining. Cameron Mooney opened proceedings with a goal within the opening two minutes and before the Dees knew what had hit them. Premiership players James Kelly and Steven Johnson were popping up and adding goals. The statistics in the opening minutes of the game were devastating for Melbourne. They could not win the ball.

Johnson, best on field in last year's grand final, continued to dominate, kicking six goals for the game as he rotated from the midfield through to the forward line.

One worrying issue for Geelong in the first quarter was a calf strain to Gary Ablett. The star midfielder left the field midway through the first quarter and did not return. His absence was barely felt on the ground and Geelong continued its running dominance and gave its forwards plenty of the ball.

The Cats won the contested ball, they teased the Dees by running hard and breaking through their lines, they had every base covered. Already leading by 33 points at quarter-time, the contest was effectively over and it was already time to look to who could make a difference for both of these sides as the pre-season competition gives way to the real stuff.

With the early retirement of Nathan Ablett, there is already at least one spot open and several of the Cats who missed out put their hands up for selection.

Brent Prismall ran all day and was one of the best players on the ground. Tom Lonergan — returning to senior football after losing a kidney 18 months ago, also starred, kicking two goals as did Jason Davenport and Ryan Gamble. Harry Taylor, drafted this year, was another to impress.

Melbourne did have its moment yesterday, it was the third quarter. They attacked the ball with vigour and won some control of the centre through Colin Sylvia. The Demons outscored Geelong cutting the lead back to 26 points.

Rookies Shane Valenti and Trent Zomer as well Stefan Martin and Simon Buckley all showed some promise. Nathan Jones showed he will continue to work hard and was probably Melbourne's best player running hard and one of the few Demons who could match it with the Geelong stars.

Another Demon to show some spark yesterday was Colin Garland, a veteran of only two games last year, who kicked three goals. But the Melbourne forwards were starved of opportunity for most of the day, with the Cats entering their forward 50 zone.

That was the major problem for Melbourne, devoid of their leaders including David Neitz, Cameron Bruce, Brad Miller and Aaron Davey, they could not match the depth of Geelong, who showed why the won not only the AFL premiership last year but also the VFL flag.