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A vintage Tom Hawkins performance powered Geelong to a 60-point AFL win over Port Adelaide on Friday.
A dominant display by Geelong's Tom Hawkins has led the Cats to a thumping 60-point AFL win over Port Adelaide on Friday night.
The key forward kicked six goals and had a hand in several others as Geelong downed the ladder leaders 14.7 (91) to 4.7 (31) at Metricon Stadium.
Hawkins was near unstoppable as he claimed seven contested marks in a vintage performance, kicking 6.2 and adding two goal assists.
"I think he is in the best shape that I have seen him in," Geelong coach Chris Scott said of the 32-year-old.
"Age is probably not the relevant factor, it is the shape he has got himself in.
"He has laboured with certain injuries at different times through his career and worked his way through it. He has become a true pro, he leads what is a pretty young and inexperienced forward line for us really well.
"I have always got a bias toward the present, I can't remember him playing much better."
Gary Rohan booted three goals of his own in the final quarter as the Cats kicked seven goals to one in the fourth term.
The big defeat drops Port's percentage to 127.5, meaning Brisbane can claim top spot if they beat North Melbourne on Saturday by 53 points or more.
The victory lifts the Cats to second on the ladder, just four points behind Port after the Power's third loss of the season.
Port defender Tom Clurey was consistently second-best in one-on-one contest with Hawkins, before Thomas Jonas was given the task of trying to stop the the Geelog ace in the latter stages of the game.
The Power's only score of the first quarter was a rushed behind late in the term as Hawkins kicked two goals to start his big night out.
Hawkins carried on throughout the match and has 30 goals for the season, six clear of West Coast's Josh Kennedy (24) in the Coleman Medal race.
In stark contrast Power big man Charlie Dixon barely had a sniff as he was marshalled brilliantly by the Cats' defence including Harry Taylor, who battled on gamely after hurting his hip in a second-quarter collision with Jake Kolodjashnij.
Dixon, who had kicked 21 goals this season coming into the game, ended the match with just three disposals and no impact on the scoreboard.
"Geelong cleaned us up big time," Power coach Ken Hinkley.
"We've been a pretty consistent team all the way through this season. We'll learn from tonight, we have to learn from tonight."
Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield had 24 disposals and seven score involvements while midfielder Cameron Guthrie was the leading possession-getter on the field with 27 touches.
The only setback for the Cats was a hamstring injury to Sam Simpson which Scott admitted "doesn't look great".
Port face Hawthorn next weekend while Geelong take on bottom-placed Adelaide in their next fixture.
