Irresistible Geelong have flattened Adelaide by 68 points at AAMI Stadium in a manner that suggests back-to-back AFL flags may be only a matter of months away.

The Cats made a mockery of Crows suggestions they would challenge Geelong with an aggressive approach by comprehensively out-playing them all over the ground to win 18.16 (124) to 8.8 (56) in front of 44,377 spectators.

Jimmy Bartel, Joel Selwood and Corey Enright all chopped the Crows to pieces through the middle, while Tom Lonergan benefited from silver service to notch a career-high four goals.

Cameron Ling, Gary Ablett and Darren Milburn were among the many others to shine and recalled goalsneak Matthew Stokes (three) even managed a goal of the year contender in the last term.

Graham Johncock (two goals), Simon Goodwin, Scott Stevens and Kris Massie did their best to put out the spot fires for a side now mired well and truly in mid-table after three consecutive losses.

Having preached attack and risk-taking all week, the Crows were hard pressed merely getting their hands on the ball in the first term and didn't get on the scoreboard until Nathan van Berlo's hurried point in time on.

At the other end Steve Johnson (two goals) and Lonergan were dominant and, if anything, the Cats should have been up by more than 29 points at the first break.

The Crows belatedly found the goals in the first 10 minutes of the second term through Jason Porplyzia and Richard Douglas, but they were cancelled out by majors to Lonergan and tagger Ling.

Lonergan's third and a first for Cam Mooney both eventuated from serene build-ups and Adelaide's desperation was emphasised entering halftime by the sight of career backman Ben Rutten at full forward.

He was switched for Nathan Bassett in the third term as Adelaide offered the odd hint of better play, winning more of the ball than at any stage of the first half.

Geelong's defence though took it mainly as an opportunity to show their worth, consistently out-numbering the home forwards whenever a hurried kick tumbled into the 50m zone.

Within 10 minutes the pattern changed back to something more familiar and Geelong had three of the quarter's final four goals for a yawning 50-point gap at the last change.

While the Cats slowed fractionally in the final term, they still won the quarter comfortably.

Geelong coach Mark Thompson praised his players for their sustained dominance over the Crows, but warned there was improvement still to come from the reigning premier.

"We didn't play the perfect game and we haven't played it yet," Thompson said.

"We don't go out to crush teams, we go out to play the best football we can play."

Thompson was dismissive of the Cats setting a new record for possessions in a half - 249 disposals to half-time.

"I don't really count possessions ... it's almost irrelevant," he said.

"We find we try and measure other things that are important to us."

Crows coach Neil Craig said his players had been "rattled" on the Friday night stage against the league's benchmark side.

He also lauded Geelong as a team with no visible weaknesses.

"We got rattled by the pressure of the game, I don't think we absorbed the pressure at all and that's the most disappointing thing," he said.

"All over the ground (Geelong) are really well balanced, well drilled and with strong bodies.

"They work really well as a team, so I certainly didn't see any weaknesses." Accident-prone Adelaide midfielder Brent Reilly looks likely to be out for a month with a medial ligament knee strain, the latest in a long line of injury woes.

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