Geelong has defeated Essendon by 67 points at Etihad Stadium on Friday night to raise their premiership credentials.

Watch James Hird and Tom Bellchambers post match press conference here on Bomber TV ?

A week after being badly outplayed by Collingwood, the Cats kicked thefirst four goals of the match and were rarely challenged thereafter,improving their record to 10-6 with an emphatic 20.14 (134) to 10.7(67) victory. 

Although the Bombers fought back to within 10 points during the second term, the reigning premiers regained the ascendancy by booting six unanswered goals either side of half time.

Geelong improves its record to 10-6 with the victory, while the Bombers fall to 11-5.

Geelong's score was its highest of the season, while the crowd of 50,066 was the largest recorded at Etihad Stadium so far in 2012.

Mitch Duncan (31 possessions and a goal), Steve Johnson (22 touches and two goals before being subbed out in the third quarter with a right groin injury), Joel Corey and James Kelly led the way for the Cats in the middle of the ground.

Key forward Tom Hawkins dominated Dons defender Cale Hooker, kicking five goals, and youngster Billie Smedts added three.

Defender Harry Taylor also brought the crowd to life by kicking two set-shot banana goals during the third quarter, while Jordan Murdoch, in just his second game, chipped in with two majors of his own.

Essendon didn't score until Angus Monfries hit the post 20minutes into the first quarter.

Some nice marking and straight kicking from injury-prone forward ScottGumbleton then helped James Hird's men narrow the margin.

But Gumbleton faded after a promising start, and the Bombers' other bigforwards, David Hille and Stewart Crameri, were unable to have any influencewhen the game was on the line.

The presence of injured duo Michael Hurley (hamstring) and Patrick Ryder (calf)was sorely missed, although ruckman Tom Bellchambers went forward and kickedthree goals in the third quarter.

On a disappointing night for the Bombers, their skipper Jobe Watson won plentyof the ball, but poor kicking undid much of his good work.

Dyson Heppell was one of few winners for Essendon. He gathered 21 possessionsand restricted Geelong captain Joel Selwood to 19.

""We got beaten around the contest, and Geelong werebetter than us with their pressure around the contest and their ability to getthe ball and get it going their way,"" Bombers coach James Hird said.

""Right from the start you could see they were betterthan us in that area.

""I thought we hung in there for a while, but … I don'tthink you can compete in a game of football if you don't get that arearight.""

The sixth-placed Bombers, who remain one win clear of the seventh-placed Cats,face another very tough clash next Friday night when they take on Hawthorn atEtihad Stadium. 

GEELONG 4.5 9.7 15.11 20.14 (134)
ESSENDON 2.1 5.4 8.5 10.7 (67)

GOALS
Geelong:Hawkins 5, Smedts 3, Johnson 2, Murdoch 2, Taylor 2, Chapman 2, Duncan, Mackie, Motlop, Walker
Essendon:Bellchambers 3, Crameri, Davey, Dell'Ollio, Gumbleton, Jetta, Monfries, Myers

BEST
Geelong:Duncan, Johnson, Smedts, Selwood, Mackie, Hawkins, Corey, Kelly
Essendon:Myers, Bellchambers, Stanton, Watson, Heppell

INJURIES
Geelong:Nil
Essendon:Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Geelong:Cameron Guthrie replaced Steve Johnson in the third quarter
Essendon:Nathan Lovett-Murray replaced Angus Monfries in the third quarter

Reports:Nil

Umpires:Rosebury, Nicholls, Hay

Official crowd:50,066 at Etihad Stadium

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