Geelong coach Mark Thompson acknowledges that opposition sides increasingly view the reigning AFL premiers as beatable.

The Cats were soundly defeated 15.14 (104) to 9.14 (68) by Carlton at the MCG on Monday, the Blues having the better of all aspects of the game.

It was Carlton's second successive win over the Cats, after they downed them by 35 points in round 19 last season, which had been their first victory over Geelong in five years.

It lifted the Blues into sixth spot, ahead of the seventh-placed Cats on percentage, with last year's premiers remarkably only 2.1 percentage points clear of last year's wooden spooners, Melbourne, who are in ninth, also with three wins.

While the Cats started last season with 13 straight wins and won all but one of their home and away matches the previous season, their start to this season has been patchy.

They had to fight to down Essendon and Hawthorn in the opening two rounds, after trailing at the last change on both occasions, before falling to Fremantle in round three.

Last round's 95-point pummelling of Port Adelaide is their only commanding win of the season so far and Thompson said while there were some encouraging signs in that match, there were none against the Blues.

"We were quietly confident walking to the ground today that we'd played our best footy last week and we could probably continue on," Thompson said.

"But it certainly didn't happen and Carlton were fantastic and we've got a bit of work to do."

He said Cats players should not think that previous comeback wins meant they could continue to produce more escape acts, as the belief and talent of their rivals was growing.

"That's just another test and it's a good thing for footy," Thompson said.

"There's certainly good sides and we're under no illusion that if you don't bring your best game to the table, it doesn't matter who you play, you'll be beaten and no more than in 2010.

"We're well aware of that and Carlton totally came to today's game ready to play and they wanted to win more than us and they did, we have no excuses."

The Blues won in every area.

Small forwards Jeff Garlett, Eddie Betts and Chris Yarran were constant dangers, with seven goals between them.

The Cats' attack failed to fire, with midfielder Gary Ablett (two goals) Geelong's only multiple goal-kicker, as well as the game's top possession-winner.

Star forwards Cameron Mooney and Steve Johnson had almost no impact, while Tom Hawkins failed to score, and his opponent Andrew Walker provided enormous drive.

But Thompson was most perturbed at the beating copped by what is normally the Cats' greatest area of strength, the midfield.

"We can't hide from the fact they were a better team by far and I thought their midfield totally outplayed ours," he said.

He was unwilling to praise even Ablett, despite the Brownlow Medallist being clearly his side's best player and quite possibly best afield.

"I don't think Gary had a great game, he might have looked okay, but quite clearly he's part of the group that got outplayed," Thompson said.

The Cats get the chance to regain momentum against winless Richmond at Skilled Stadium on Sunday, with Thompson unsure whether absentees Matthew Scarlett (back) and Joel Corey (knee) will return.

The Blues face a bumper clash with in-form Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday without Walker, who injured his collarbone late in the game, but should regain fellow defender Paul Bower.

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