Geelong have capitalised on a dominant first half to beat Richmond by 23 points and snare their second win of the AFLW season, ending the Tigers' faint finals hopes in the process.
The Cats set up the 5.3 (33) to 1.4 (10) win at Punt Road Oval with a rampant second quarter, where they booted four unanswered goals, to leapfrog the Tigers into 10th on the ladder.
"We didn't bring the heat early. Geelong clearly did.They were more hungry, more lively, more energetic and it obviously cost us the game," Richmond coach Ryan Ferguson said.
"The first quarter I thought they jumped us and we hung in there but the signs were there.
"I was hoping we might be able to do something about it at quarter time but it continued on into halftime before we were able to adjust anything from a mental perspective."
Amy McDonald (26 disposals, 10 clearances) and Rebecca Webster (20 touches and a goal) set the tone in midfield for the Cats.
Phoebe McWilliams booted two goals and providing a strong presence up forward, while Maddy McMahon was superb all day.
Richmond star Monique Conti overcame a slow start to collect 23 touches and was well-supported by Sarah Hosking (14 touches, five tackles) and Meagan Kiely (13 tackles).
Geelong drew first blood early when McWilliams took a big pack mark and coolly converted.
They continued to dominate with their relentless pressure and hard running on the outside and broke the game open early in the second quarter when Kate Darby, Webster, Madisen Maguire and McWilliams hit the scoreboard in quick succession.
"We knew we had to come out fast. The last four or five games, our second and third quarter had been really poor, bookends of the game had been okay," Geelong coach Daniel Lowther said.
"We made a real point this week to make sure our second and third quarters were our strongest and it showed today."
The Tigers finally broke through late in the term, when skipper Katie Brennan coolly converted, booting a goal for a 14th consecutive game.
Both teams went goalless in the third quarter.
Richmond's Kodi Jacques limped off with a lower leg injury in the third term, while forward Tayla Stahl had treatment on her knee.
"Bit worried about Tayla Stahl, we'll just double-check her knee, stability wise," Ferguson said, noting his concerns were about Stahl's fitness for next week, not long term.
The Tigers and Cats traded a sole behind each in the final term, when Geelong's Olivia Barber had to come off after hitting her head on the turf after a mark and will be assessed.
"It didn't look very good but from all reports, speaking to her after the game, she looks pretty good and she's fine," Lowther said.
