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GEELONG overcame arctic conditions to defeat an undermanned Port Adelaide by 38 points at a wet Simonds Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
In a game with few highlights, Geelong won 14.15 (99) to Port Adelaide 8.13 (61) in front of the smallest crowd at the ground in 21 years.
Port Adelaide entered the game with its leadership group missing due to injury, then lost more experience when Jacob Surjan was a late withdrawal.
[ Related: Full match stats ]
However it came with a plan to keep numbers around the ball and applied it well.
The tactic turned the game into a congested spectacle with Port Adelaide sending an extra number to the stoppages while Geelong was happy to sit a loose man off the pack.
The Cats' response was strong and predictable.
Its wet weather experts James Kelly, Jimmy Bartel (10 touches in the first quarter) and Joel Selwood won the ball in tight, while its young speedsters Allen Christensen, Steven Motlop and first gamer Jordan Murdoch - who looked promising - broke the lines and pushed it forward.
It dominated the inside 50s and eventually the scoreboard began to tick over.
But the 13,736 fans - the smallest crowd at the venue since a game against the Brisbane Bears in round 19, 1991 - had to wait until the 17-minute mark of the second quarter for the Cats to feel comfortable.
In just two minutes the lead went from seven to 19 points after two consecutive Selwood goals, and the result no longer seemed in doubt.
[ Related: Quarter by quarter match report ]
However Port Adelaide kept battling hard, winning the centre clearances but breaking down across half-forward.
Its runners Matthew Broadbent, Danyle Pearce, John McCarthy and Kane Cornes won the ball but too often were unable to pinpoint a forward making position on the fast break. They could not kick a goal in the second quarter but were competitive for the most of the game.
The margin remained around the three-goal mark up until three-quarter time as the conditions became slippery. It was hard to mark the ball inside 50 or kick accurately at goal.
However Port Adelaide could not sustain its ferocity inside the packs for four quarters and the Cats began to open up the margin.
While Port Adelaide kept coming, the Cats were able to bank the four points and look ahead to more challenging games to come.
Harry Taylor - moved forward after quarter-time and occasionally contesting the ruck - kicked three goals (two in the last quarter) while his fellow premiership defender Tom Lonergan chimed in for a last quarter goal too.
GEELONG 3.4 6.8 9.10 14.15 (99)
PORT ADELAIDE 2.3 2.7 6.9 8.13 (61)
GOALS
Geelong: Taylor 3, Selwood 2, Hawkins 2, Duncan, Smedts, Enright, Horlin-Smith, Johnson, Motlop, Lonergan
Port Adelaide: Westhoff 2, Lobbe 2, Cornes, Wingard, Brett Ebert
BEST
Geelong: Kelly, Bartel, Christensen, Selwood, Duncan, Corey, Smedts, Taylor
Port Adelaide: Broadbent, Pearce, Cornes, Logan, Rodan, McCarthy, Lobbe
INJURIES
Geelong: Nil
Port Adelaide: Jacob Surjan (hip) replaced in the selected side by Cameron O'Shea
SUBSTITUTES
Geelong: Mathew Stokes replaced Taylor Hunt at three-quarter time
Port Adelaide: Aaron Young replaced Brett Ebert in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Farmer, Stewart, Grun
Official crowd: 13,736 at Simonds Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs.
