Live: Saints hit back after fast start for Cat at Kardinia

• Inside 50s: 30-20 Geelong

• Clearances: 22-19 Geelong

• Centre clearances: 6-3 Geelong

• Contested possessions: 75-69 Geelong

• Uncontested possessions: 123-123

• Marks inside 50: 8-2 Geelong

• Tackles: 49-34 St Kilda

• Tackles inside 50: 7-6 Geelong

Rowan Marshall had a late chance before half-time, but his kick slewed wide to the right to just make it for a point.

Then a poor kick out was chopped off by Darcy Wilson, but his kick after the siren was almost as poor. It’s a 27-point game at Kardinia Park.

The Cats kicked 3.6 to 1.5 in that quarter, and they have established a big lead for any game, let alone a home night game at Kardinia.

The Saints will have to lift again – and substantially – if they want to get back in this one.

That was a huge moment for the Saints.

They were stuck in defence, but they managed to clear their lines and went right up the corridor before drawing the Geelong defence before a huge handball over the top to Jack Higgins in the square.

The Saints’ number one thumped it into the stands, and a vital goal. The lead is back to 30 deep in time on.

Debutant Jay Polkinghorne has had a few chances tonight.

He’s hit the post and has a goal, and a couple of pulled kicks that needed a bit of work.

But now he’s working up the ground and taking intercept marks in the back half – and then stepping round the man on the mark and unloading kicks down the ground.

Good stuff from the 20-year-old.

Genuine breaks from the Saints have been few and far between tonight.

They had one just then, and some quick ball movement sent Max Hall free. There was a one-on-one inside 50, but Hall just roosted it, and it ran through for a point, with his Saints teammate not really happy with the delivery.

Hall wasn’t happy either.

The alarm bells will be ringing loudly in Ross Lyon’s coaching box.

The Cats have all the answers right now, they whack it inside 50 once more, it’s Cal Wilkie on Ollie Henry deep, both of them are holding on but the umpires give the free to Henry.

Wilkie is in disbelief, but it’s not changing anything.

Henry kicks it, and the lead is out to 34 points.

Ok, that burst of pressure late in the first quarter from the Saints looks like it might have been an outlier.

Geelong has just raised the game here, and they are just hammering St Kilda. They get holding the ball with their seventh tackle inside forward 50, and Brad Close decides not to try and kick for goal, but chips to an open Gryan Miers.

It’s too easy, and Miers slots the sixth of the night for the Cats.

The lead is back out to 27 points, nearly midway through the second term.

The Cats have settled here, and are raising the pressure.

Max Holmes’ big kick from distance hit the post, but then they keep the pressure up, and Jack Silvagni ducks and dives trying not to get caught in the left back pocket.

His clearing kick, unfortunately, goes straight to Gryan Miers who takes a couple of steps and drills it from a difficult angle.

The Cats are getting some looks inside 50 through their debutant Jay Polkinghorne. He’s just outmarked Cal Wilkie inside 50.

He goes back from the pocket, and his kick looks on line, but it just thumps into the post. He’s showing a bit, though, the first-gamer.

There hasn’t been any rain in Geelong today, but it’s definitely damp out there, and players are slipping over everywhere.

The pressure is on, and the Saints are lifting.

Darcy Wilson and Hugo Garcia made a combined burst down the left there, it didn’t come to anything but they are looking dangerous.

The siren sounds at Kardinia Park, and the Cats fans are probably ok with the quarter ending.

It’s been a fierce, dominant display by the home side early on,  and St Kilda just hasn’t been at the races in the first 20 minutes of play.

But late in that quarter they began to turn things around, and suddenly it’s the Cats who are making the mistakes.

If the Saints can keep that level going when we start the second term, then we will really have ourselves a game.

The visitors are lifting at Kardinia Park!

They have raised the pressure levels and are managing to keep the ball inside forward 50 for longer.

A stoppage inside the arc saw Rowan Marshall grab it out of the ball-up, and he snaps it through from 25!

That’s two in a row, and the lead is back to 14 points.

It took the guts of the first quarter, but the Saints are finally on the board.

For once Geelong gave it away in their defensive half, and the ball came straight back and Huge Garcia used his pace to run well inside 50 and drill their first goal of the night.

It’s still a 20-point lead to the Cats, late in the quarter.

It’s just not going St Kilda’s way so far.

The Cats are breaking out almost at will. Even when St Kilda has some pressure, they can’t make it count.

Geelong break again, and the ball goes inside forward half. Callum Wilkie goes to get the ball and slips over, another Saint slips over! The Cats are nearly in again, but somehow they clear.

The ball is living in St Kilda’s defensive 50, and the back six just don’t have time to breathe.

It’s stoppage after stoppage, James Worpel’s kick in the square is smothered, but it comes straight back to him, and he drills a kick!

It’s four goals to none with nine minutes on the clock in the first term.

Geelong has all the energy early doors.

Whenever St Kilda gets into the forward half, it quickly gets snuffed out.

The Cats rebound through the wing, and the move is irrepressible. It’s Mannagh to Gryan Miers, who hits up debutant Jay Polkinghorne for a nice mark inside 50.

The young man from South Australia kicks it with his first kick in AFL! The Cats come from everywhere and the crowd LOVES it.

That’s a 20-point lead for Geelong.

It’s early days, but Geelong has seven inside 50s to St Kilda’s one so far. The visitors would need to improve on that and quickly.

This is very impressive by Geelong.

They are just putting huge pressure on the Saints, and they’re forcing errors. An intercept mark just outside the left forward pocket saw the Cats kick it around the arc to hit Ollie Dempsey in the opposite pocket.

He kicks it from 55, and it’s through!

Or is it? The ARC says it was touched … by a Geelong player!

Only a point, but it’s 2.2 to 0.0 with a bit over 15 minutes on the clock.

Didn’t necessarily see this coming!

The Saints are really having trouble getting the ball into forward half, and the Cats are ready to pounce.

A forward 50 stoppage saw the ball come from Mannagh to a teammate, then to Tom Atkins, who snapped a goal.

Geelong are on the charge early!

The home crowd is happy with that start!

The Cats win the ball on the wing, the Saints defenders get caught out, the ball goes out the back and Shaun Mannagh is there to slot it home after 42 seconds!