Jeremy Cameron puts on show as Geelong keep Crows at bay

“We didn’t put scoreboard pressure on and that cost us in the first quarter,” Nicks said.

Geelong’s seven-goal win was not unexpected as Adelaide had lost 11 games at GMHBA Stadium since their most recent victory at the venue in 2003.

They had lost their past four matches, and they were without their top two goalkickers Taylor Walker and Josh Rachele.

So, they needed to take their chances to stay in the game for long enough to give themselves a chance of recording an upset victory.

They started the game with six straight behinds, missing four set shots and any chance they had of mounting a challenge appeared lost.

Geelong took their time to wind themselves up, as they introduced first-gamer Shannon Neale adding him to a team that carried fewer than 3000 games combined experience for just the second time this year.

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But when they did join Stewart in top gear midway through the second quarter they put a gap between them and the Crows that proved enough to hold them off. A smother from Ty Stengle followed by couple of clearances from the skipper Joel Selwood and Tom Atkins saw them kick the margin out to 28 points at half-time.

That pair was outstanding finishing the match with 30 tackles between them with the revitalised Atkins clocking up a career-high 17 tackles.

The Crows did not give up, lifting early in the third quarter with Reilly O’Brien taking charge in the ruck and their forwards suddenly rewarding the on-ballers dominance around the contest. The Crows kicked four consecutive goals to draw within eight points.

At that point, they were rattling Geelong as they got numbers around the contest and hit targets inside 50. However, as soon as the moment arrived it had gone with the Cats edging the ball inside 50 where Gryan Miers snapped a goal from congestion to get the Cats back on track kicking six unanswered goals.

As has happened often at Kardinia Park, the last quarter became party-time with the bar thrown open and the dance floor full as Geelong stretched their lead and looked to give first gamer Neale a goal on debut.

They didn’t manage that despite Tom Hawkins going out of his way to find Neale like he’d invited him to a party full of strangers but Neale’s time will come as he has athleticism and a leap.

The Cats face a sterner test against the Western Bulldogs next Friday night as they fight for a top four spot with Gary Rohan due back while Nicks said his team remained on a journey with the group devastated wins remained elusive.

“They can pinch these games and win these games, but we’re not getting it done at the moment. It’s a pretty tough road but they’re sticking tight,” Nicks said.

GEELONG 2.4 8.5 11.5 15.7 (97)ADELAIDE 0.6 3.7 6.11 7.13 (55)

Goals: Geelong: Cameron 4, Miers 3. Stengle 3, Hawkins 2, Selwood, Tuohy, Close. Adelaide: Fogarty 3, McAdam, Soligo, Keays, McHenryBest: Geelong: Stewart, Cameron, Atkins, Selwood, Cam Guthrie, Miers. Adelaide: O’Brien, Laird, Keays, HatelyInjuries: Geelong: Nil Adelaide: Butts (concussion), Murphy (nose)