Jeremy Cameron has kicked a career-high 11 goals as Geelong recorded the greatest winning margin by any team this season in a 101-point demolition of North Melbourne.
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See subscription optionsThe Coleman Medal leader and star midfielder Bailey Smith (43 possessions, 13 clearances) ran riot in the Cats' merciless 22.18 (150) to 7.7 (49) thumping at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.
The result came close to eclipsing Geelong's greatest winning margin against the Kangaroos, 114 points back in 1981.
Geelong took a whopping 106-point lead into three-quarter time, but North at least added four goals to win the final term after only kicking three before that.
In pole position to add to the Coleman Medal he won in 2019, Cameron slotted through his 10th goal early in the final quarter.
The 32-year-old had previously kicked nine goals in a game twice.
Naturally his Cats teammates looked for him when going inside-50 as the prospect of the rare feat became possible.
Cameron did as he pleased for most of the night, with many of his goals coming because he was given so much space by North's defenders.
Cameron's bag took him to 69 goals this season, 22 ahead of Gold Coast spearhead Ben King.
He joins the legendary Lance Franklin, Richmond premiership hero Jack Riewoldt and former West Coast champion Josh Kennedy as players to kicked 11 or more goals in a game in the 18-team era that began in 2012.
"Right from the start, he looked sharp and took his chances early," Cats coach Chris Scott said.
"He was dangerous all night, but part of that was the others who are in there too.
"It wasn't as if he was our only way of scoring."
While the left-footed wizard ran riot up forward, star recruit Smith was electric in the midfield.
The Brownlow Medal fancy had 25 possessions at halftime, finishing with an equal career-best 43.
The finals-bound Cats were doing it so easy they decided to tactically sub out captain Patrick Dangerfield in the third quarter.
So relaxed was Dangerfield, he ate a souvlaki on the bench in the final term.
Former Sydney star Luke Parker was easily North's best player, having 31 disposals and a team-high seven clearances.
The result left Geelong in fourth place on the ladder, with a favourable run in their four games before finals.
North appear headed for a sixth straight season stranded in the bottom two.
The Kangaroos are 4-1-14, with coach Alastair Clarkson left to do some soul-searching before he starts his fourth season in charge of North in 2026.
"The difference is only about (17) disposals between the two sides," Clarkson said.
"Obviously the difference is the quality with which they use their ball compared to what we did ours.
"Some of that was due to due to good pressure from Geelong, and some of it, we just had some blatant turnovers that we need to be better at."
Australian Associated Press
